Romans 13:7 English Standard Version (ESV) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Because respect and honor are listed separately we should consider them to differ in some way.

Exodus 14:4 King James Version (KJV) And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so.

The ESV uses the term glorified rather than honor. God would reveal Himself in a manner that showed Himself to be greater than Pharaoh. In modern vernacular God is a heavyweight and Pharaoh was a lightweight. While this seems rather ridiculous on the face of it, let us look to outline usage of the Hebrew word kabad; to be heavy, be weighty, be grievous, be hard

We can see the comparative nature of a person without having respect for that individual. The Kennedy Honors acknowledge the accomplishments of an artist irrespective of any moral value of the artist, only their talent. Respect is not required, only acknowledgment.

We must not disallow the ability to both respect and honor individuals. This was only to demonstrate the ability to separate the two words as was done in Romans 13:7.

The premier example of respect and honor together would be Father God having respect for the sacrifice His Son made on the Cross and then Honoring Him with a seat at the right hand throne of God, the power seat, and putting all things under His control. Not that is respect and honor combined to the highest degree.

Perhaps we are asked to show respect and honor to a lesser degree in Exodus 20:12 when He said, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

God asks this of us irregardless of any qualifying aspects of the parents. Regardless of how we feel about our parents we should not disrespect or dishonor the family name. God’s blessing comes from our adherence to the command. That should be enough cause to honor them no matter who they were.

Romans 13:7 English Standard Version (ESV) Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

The first word here is pay. Pay is one of those words we identify with debt. We instinctively understand debt, it is credit to obtain what we want or desire. This is confirmed with the next action word in Romans 13:7 owed.

The first thing owed here is taxes. We fought for our freedom in America to have no taxation without representation. Taxes are the cost for being free. In a personal sense we see taxes on what we earn and what we own to obtain services associated with the authority we give to those who govern us federally and locally.

When we do not appreciate our wages we are free to find another job and if we do not like the services we receive locally we are free to move.

Think of revenue as wages we pay others for work performed by others we have formed a contract with. We may own a business and fair wages will hold good workers in place.

Now we come to the last two issues, respect and honor. How do we owe anyone respect or honor? Since this article is about respect let us address respect one first.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 English Standard Version (ESV) We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,

If respect is owed then in the same manner that taxes and revenue are examples, respect is due to those we have submitted authority to and to those who render service to us.

To go one step further, there is respect as the world knows it and there is respect in our spiritual realm. Both require us to submit to authority giving them the right to make decisions on our behalf according to contracted terms. Those terms define expectations for both parties and in the performance of those terms, we both earn respect and owe respect.

If we do not adhere to the requirements of our contract we must accept admonishment. In the world breaking the terms of the contract could be a loss of a job, a loss of liberty and being cast out by society. 

In the spiritual realm, if our authorities have not lived up to their terms and will not listen to just cause we are free to change churches just as we could move from one state to another. What that will cost us is a loss of service and a loss of friends we have made in that church community. If we haven’t lived up to our end, we don’t deserve respect.