What are some Bible verses about respect?
Respect is an important virtue emphasized throughout the Bible. There are many verses that discuss how we should respect others, whether it be our parents, authorities, spouses, neighbors, or even our enemies. Showing respect involves honoring others, being considerate of their needs and desires, and speaking to them with gentleness and grace. Here is an overview of some key Bible verses about respect:
Respect for Parents and Authorities
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ – which is the first commandment with a promise – ‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'” (Ephesians 6:1-3)
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.” (Titus 3:1)
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” (1 Peter 2:13-14)
These verses instruct us to respect and obey parents, as well as governmental authorities, even if we disagree with them. By honoring their position, we honor God.
Respect Between Husbands and Wives
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.” (1 Peter 3:7)
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” (Ephesians 5:22-24)
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25)
Marriage requires mutual love, respect, and consideration between spouses. Husbands are called to sacrificially love their wives, while wives submit to their husbands’ leadership.
Respect for Fellow Believers
“Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17)
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10)
As brothers and sisters in Christ, we ought to treat fellow believers with honor and esteem. This means not gossiping, slandering, or tearing them down.
Respect for Enemies and Persecutors
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14)
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (Romans 12:17-19)
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles.” (Proverbs 24:17)
As counterintuitive as it is, we are called to respect and honor even those who wrong us. This includes responding in love rather than retaliation.
Respect in Speech
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)
“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6)
“The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.” (Proverbs 15:2)
Our words have great power, so we ought to be wise and gracious when we speak to others. This means avoiding demeaning speech, gossip, curses, and lies.
Showing Respect to the Poor and Oppressed
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” (Proverbs 14:31)
“The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.” (Proverbs 14:20)
“Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court.” (Proverbs 22:22)
God calls us to show particular concern for the poor and marginalized. We respect them as made in God’s image and do not exploit their vulnerability.
Respecting Ourselves
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3)
We respect ourselves by living purposefully as God’s creation, avoiding pride and embracing humility. Our identity is found in Christ.
Respect Must Be Earned
“Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1)
“Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips.” (Proverbs 22:17-18)
While we must respect everyone, the Bible also speaks of respect being earned through righteous living, wisdom, and humility. We are called to live respectable lives.
Fearing God
“In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” (Proverbs 9:10)
“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.” (Psalm 33:8)
Above all, we are called to reverence, honor, and respect God. He is holy, mighty, and deserving of our awe and worship.
Jesus as Our Example
“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;” (1 Peter 2:21-23)
Jesus perfectly modeled respect during His life on earth. Despite facing terrible persecution, He responded with grace, truth, and love. We follow Christ’s steps when we show respect to all people.
In summary, the Bible contains many examples and instructions about respect. We are called to honor our parents, spouses, authorities, fellow believers, enemies, the poor, and ourselves. Our speech should be gracious and our conduct upright. Above all, we respect and revere God. Jesus embodied what respect looks like in practice. As we grow in the Lord, He empowers us to live respectful lives that bring glory to Him.
Some key principles on respect that emerge from these passages include:
- Respect involves valuing others highly and being considerate of their needs and desires
- We are called to respect those in authority over us, even if we disagree with them
- Marriage relationships require mutual honor and submission between spouses
- Fellow Christians should be treated with special care and esteem
- Enemies and persecutors should be responded to in love, not retaliation
- Our words should build others up, not tear them down
- The poor and oppressed ought not be exploited or looked down upon
- True respect requires wisdom, humility, and righteous living
- Reverence for God is foundational to respecting others
- Jesus perfectly modeled a life of grace and respect
As the Bible reminds us in 1 Peter 2:17, “Show proper respect to everyone.” When we honor others, we also honor God who created every person in His image.