American Standard Version
1 Peter 2:16
16as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
1 Peter 2:16 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
- New International Version (NIV)Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
Context of 1 Peter 2:16
14or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 18Servants, bein subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
Read all of 1 Peter 21 Peter 2:16 word by word
ὡς ἐλεύθεροι καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς θεοῦ δοῦλοι.Read the interlinear
Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:16
- John 8:32and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
- Romans 6:18and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness.
- 1 Corinthians 7:22For he that was called in the Lord being a bondservant, is the Lord’s freedman: likewise he that was called being free, is Christ’s bondservant.
- Galatians 5:1For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
- James 1:25But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.
- James 2:12So speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.
- 2 Peter 2:19promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.
- Jude 1:4For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
- John 15:22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no excuse for their sin.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:5For neither at any time were we found using words of flattery, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness;
- Ephesians 6:6not in the way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
- Colossians 3:24knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:16
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16As free - The Jews pretended that they were a free people, and owed allegiance to God alone; hence they were continually rebelling against the Roman government, to which God had subjected them because of their rebellion against him: thus they used their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness - for a pretext of rebellion, and by it endeavored to vindicate their seditious and rebellious conduct. But as the servants of God - These were free from sin and Satan…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16As free - That is, they were to consider themselves as freemen, as having a right to liberty. The Jews boasted much of their freedom, and regarded it as a birthright privilege that they were free, John 8:33. They never willingly acknowledged their subjection to any other power, but claimed it as an elementary idea of their civil constitution that God only was their Sovereign. They were indeed conquered by the Romans, and paid tribute, but they did it…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 13-17Verses 13-17 A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-25This section focuses on the key instruction to submit to all human authority. Peter applies this instruction to several relationships: Christians should accept the authority of those in government (2:13–17). Christian slaves should accept the authority of their masters (2:18–25). Christian wives should accept the authority of their husbands (3:1–6). Peter appears to follow an early Christian use of the traditional household code. This code gave a series…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. As free--as "the Lord's freemen," connected with 1Pe 2:15, doing well as being free. "Well-doing" (1Pe 2:15) is the natural fruit of being freemen of Christ, made free by "the truth" from the bondage of sin. Duty is enforced on us to guard against licentiousness, but the way in which it is to be fulfilled, is by love and the holy instincts of Christian liberty. We are given principles, not details. not using--Greek, "not as having your liberty for a…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Peter 2:16
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Peter 2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries