Question 1

Why is giving and receiving honor important?

Accepted Answer

John 8:49-50“No,” Jesus said, “I have no demon in me. For I honor my Father—and you dishonor me. And though I have no wish to glorify myself, God is going to glorify me. He is the true judge.”Hebrews 2:9What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because he suffered death for us, he is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.2 Peter 1:17The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”God and Jesus set the example of the importance of giving and receiving honor.Romans 13:7Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.1 Corinthians 6:20God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.1 Peter 2:17Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king.Giving honor to others is publicly acknowledging that we value and respect them.Proverbs 18:12Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.Matthew 23:11-12“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Luke 14:11“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Philippians 2:3Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.Giving and receiving honor is a part of Christian humility because it seeks to lift others up, and often at our own expense.Psalm 34:3Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.Psalm 107:32Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.Romans 12:10Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.1 Corinthians 8:1Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.Honoring God and one another unifies us, transforming our selfishness into selflessness.

Question 2

How can I honor God?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 29:2Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.Psalm 50:23Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God.Isaiah 25:1-3O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you.Daniel 4:34-35, 37“After this time had passed, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked up to heaven. My sanity returned, and I praised and worshiped the Most High and honored the one who lives forever. His rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. He does as he pleases among the angels of heaven and among the people of the earth. No one can stop him or say to him, ‘What do you mean by doing these things?’ . . . “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”1 Timothy 1:17All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.Revelation 4:9-11Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”Revelation 5:11-12Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”We honor God by worshiping and thanking him for who he is and what he has done for us.John 5:23“Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.”We honor God by honoring Jesus.Isaiah 29:13So the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.”Ezekiel 33:31“So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money.”Micah 6:6-8What can we bring to the Lord? What kind of offerings should we give him? Should we bow before God with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.Matthew 22:37-40Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandment.”We honor God by obeying him, which includes loving him and others.Isaiah 58:13“Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly.”We honor God by honoring his holy day and by our life choices throughout the week.Proverbs 14:31Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.Matthew 25:33-40“He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”James 1:27Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.We honor God by caring for others.Psalm 23:3He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.Jeremiah 33:8-9“I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.”We honor God by allowing him to work in us.Romans 12:1And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.1 Corinthians 6:19-20Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.2 Corinthians 4:10Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.We honor God by honoring what we do with our bodies. Christ died to make us holy. The Holy Spirit lives inside us. When we sin, we are dishonoring both Christ’s sacrifice and God’s temple. When we do what is right, we are offering our lives as a pleasing sacrifice.Proverbs 3:9Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.2 Corinthians 8:19He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.We are to honor God with the way we use our possessions and how generous we are with them.

Question 3

How can I honor my family members?

Accepted Answer

1 Corinthians 11:3There is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.Ephesians 5:21-22, 25Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. . . .For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church.Ephesians 5:33So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.Colossians 3:18-19Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.Husbands and wives are given specific commands for how to honor and care for one another. Husbands are given a responsibility to love and to lead as sacrificial servant leaders. This form of leadership is not about entitlement but about humbly placing the needs of one’s wife first. Just as Jesus took on the dirtiest, most repulsive task, including foot washing, a servant leader does what it takes to meet the needs of others (John 13:12-14). Just as Jesus sacrificed his very life out of his love for us, so husbands are called to sacrifice themselves out of love for their wives (Ephesians 5:25). Wives are given a responsibility to respect and support their husband’s leadership, just as the Church respects the leadership of Christ. Unlike Christ, husbands can and will fail in their leadership, but a godly wife’s respect, support, and wise advice are great sources of strength (Proverbs 31:10-12). By honoring one another with love and respect, a husband and wife can build a strong foundation for their marriage.Proverbs 31:28-31Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.1 Peter 3:7In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.A husband should not only love his wife but also honor her with praise and respect. Prioritizing time together, thanking and praising her, being a good listener, and otherwise affirming her value are ways to show her respect.Exodus 20:12“Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”Leviticus 19:3“Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the Lord your God.”Proverbs 23:22Listen to your father, who gave you life, and don’t despise your mother when she is old.Proverbs 31:28Her children stand and bless her.Matthew 15:4-6“God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition.”Ephesians 6:1Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.Children honor parents by obeying them, respecting them, listening to them, valuing their experience, and caring for their needs.1 Timothy 5:3-4Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God.We honor God and our families by caring for our parents and grandparents.

Question 4

How can I honor others?

Accepted Answer

Philippians 2:19-23If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.Philippians 2:25Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need.We honor others when we speak well of them.Philippians 2:29-30Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.We honor others by welcoming them with love and joy.1 Thessalonians 5:12-13Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.We honor our leaders by esteeming them and demonstrating our love for them.Leviticus 19:32“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.”1 Timothy 5:1, 3Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. . . . Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her.We honor the elderly by our private and public respect for them and by caring for them.Matthew 5:28“But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”1 Timothy 2:9I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.1 Timothy 5:2Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.We honor the opposite sex when we act in purity toward them.Romans 12:10Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.We are to honor each other with delight and not grudgingly.

Question 5

How do I obtain or receive honor?

Accepted Answer

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.We receive honor by God’s power and favor.1 Samuel 2:30“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.”Ezra 7:27-28Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.Matthew 10:32-33“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.”2 Timothy 2:11-12This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us.We receive honor from honoring God.John 12:26“Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.”We receive honor by following Jesus in obedience to his Word and his way.Psalm 112:6Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered.Proverbs 3:16She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left.Proverbs 4:8If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.Proverbs 8:18I have riches and honor, as well as enduring wealth and justice.Proverbs 15:33Fear of the Lord teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor.Proverbs 18:12Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.Proverbs 20:3Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.Proverbs 21:21Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor.Proverbs 22:4True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.Proverbs 26:1Honor is no more associated with fools than snow with summer or rain with harvest.Matthew 23:12“Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Romans 2:10There will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.Wisdom, humility, and righteousness lead to honor.1 Corinthians 2:11-15No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.1 Corinthians 3:11-15No one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.1 Corinthians 9:24-25Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.2 Corinthians 5:9-10So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.1 Thessalonians 2:19-20After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy.2 Timothy 4:8Now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.James 1:12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.1 Peter 5:1-4Now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.Salvation is a free gift we can never earn. God promises additional honor and reward, however, for our obedience and perseverance in this life. The way we live our lives now has eternal implications for the honor we will receive.Proverbs 13:18If you ignore criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept correction, you will be honored.We obtain honor by listening to other’s advice, acknowledging our weaknesses and faults, and being willing to change accordingly.Matthew 23:11-12“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Luke 22:25-27Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.”John 13:3-5, 12-17Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. . . . After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.”Philippians 2:5-8You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.Jesus, the person most worthy of all honor, lived the life—and death—of a humble servant. Foot washing was a disgusting job. Everyone wore sandals, and dust and sweat weren’t the only problem. Dung from animals littered the streets. Foot washing was such a low and undesirable task that Jews did not require Jewish slaves to do it. Only Gentile slaves, the lowest of the low in Jewish society, could be assigned to do it. But Jesus did it anyway. He saw a need, and he met it. Even though he had come down from heaven, even though he was equal with God the Father, he washed the dirty feet of Galilean fishermen. More than that—he declared this action a mark of true honor. If we wish to be honored in the Kingdom of Heaven, we ought to live lives of service as well.

Question 6

What are some areas of danger regarding honor?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 25:27It’s not good to eat too much honey, and it’s not good to seek honors for yourself.Just as it is not good to eat too much honey, it is not good for people to think about all the honors they deserve. We should not focus on receiving honor.Matthew 6:1-6“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”John 5:44“No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.”Galatians 1:10Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.Human praise and approval can be a dangerous trap. If we do good to impress others, we are not doing it out of love. This can lead to performing goodness rather than genuinely serving God and others. God does not reward this type of honor-seeking. Helping others out of love, praying out of a desire for God, obeying him when others aren’t watching—this is the kind of honor God delights in and rewards.Proverbs 27:2Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips.Matthew 23:11-12“The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”2 Corinthians 10:17-18As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.We should not boast about ourselves and our achievements.Proverbs 25:6-7Don’t demand an audience with the king or push for a place among the great. It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table than to be sent away in public disgrace.Mark 10:37-40They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.” But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?” “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!” Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”We should be cautious about pursuing honor for ourselves.James 2:1-4My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?We should beware of our own motives for giving honor to others.