Honor is the respect, good reputation, and high regard that someone receives because of their character or actions. It also means doing what is right and pure.
Honor in the Ancient World
In ancient times, people often connected honor with wealth and possessions. For example, in Greek stories, the hero Odysseus's honor depended on getting his belongings back, and another hero named Achilles gained honor through gifts he received. Later, the word acquired the strong ethical nature with which we now associate it. Plato was one of the first to teach that honor has a personal and moral quality. This is what he called “inward honor.” The world distinguishes a person with "outward honors." Plato taught that these honors are not of ultimate value. What distinguishes a person even more is the inner worth gained by practicing a virtuous life. Both the Greeks and Romans believed honor was very important in life.
Honor in the Bible
The Bible gives us the truest understanding of honor. The Old Testament required children to honor their parents (Exodus 20:12). This command appears again in the ethical teaching of the New Testament (Ephesians 6:1–2). Even more important is giving honor to God, who deserves our complete obedience (Revelation 4:11). Proverbs 3:9 teaches us what the law requires: "Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your harvest." This means we should dedicate both our lives and our belongings to serving God.
The Bible tells us that people often fail to honor God properly. Throughout history, only Jesus Christ has perfectly honored God the Father by completely following God's will. This led Jesus to die on the cross, through which God highly honored Him (Isaiah 52:13–53:12). God the Father raised Jesus to his permanent position as our great High Priest, a very great honor (Hebrews 5:4–5). Jesus taught that his Father would honor anyone who serves him (John 12:26). However, those who reject Jesus also reject God the Father (15:23).
Honor in Christian Life
Christians should honor each other by considering other believers as more important than themselves (Romans 12:10). This comes from knowing that Christians have received honor from God (1 Peter 1:7). Showing honor to others should affect the way a person lives their entire life:
Husbands are to give honor to their wives by treating them with love and respect (1 Peter 3:7).
Christian servants should honor their masters to show they follow Jesus's teachings (1 Timothy 6:1). (It is important to understand that this teaching was written during a time when slavery was common in society. The Bible's instructions about how enslaved people should act do not mean that slavery is right or that Christians should support it. In fact, the Bible's teachings about human dignity and treating everyone with honor helped lead many Christians to fight against slavery. See Slave, Slavery.)
All Christians should show proper honor to everyone, as the Bible teaches (Romans 13:7; 1 Peter 2:17).