Biblical honor is not a shallow politeness or robotic compliance. It is a weighty disposition of the soul that reveres God’s structure and reflects His glory. It does not depend on flawless leadership. It does not wait for perfect policies. It is rooted in faith—faith that God’s order is good, and that Christ reigns even through imperfect men.

One who spreads strife among brothers.
—Proverbs 6:19

There are few sins more quietly tolerated, more deeply embedded, or more spiritually destructive than the sin of dishonor. Not adultery. Not apostasy. But dishonor. It splits churches without calling a vote. It divides elders without raising a voice. It kills unity with a whisper. And Scripture tells us plainly: God hates it.

The Fifth Commandment, often reduced to a childhood rule of manners, is actually a sweeping moral demand that saturates every sphere of life. “Honor your father and mother” is just the beginning. The Westminster Larger Catechism, with surgical precision, reminds us that this command applies not only to parents but to “all superiors in age and gifts; and especially such as, by God’s ordinance, are over us in place of authority.” That includes elders, pastors, civil leaders, teachers, and all who bear the mantle of God-delegated rule. In short, honor is not a matter of preference. It is a matter of principle. And failure to show it is not a personality quirk. It is sin.

We live in a generation catechized by complaint. The world does not train us to revere authority but to question it, to resist it, to dismantle it. We are fluent in sarcasm, schooled in slander, and spiritually numb to the corrosive effects of low-grade rebellion. And tragically, this anti-authority instinct has seeped into the life of the Church. Members affirm their elders until the elders lead. Respect is reserved for when decisions are agreeable. Whisper campaigns replace biblical confrontation. Sarcasm masks discontent. Complaints circulate in group chats while prayers for unity remain absent from our lips. Even elders are not exempt—guarding turf instead of guarding the sheep, resisting accountability instead of modeling submission to Christ.

We must not confuse dishonor with disobedience alone. Sometimes dishonor is polite. Sometimes it is quiet. It does not always arrive with clenched fists or shouting matches. Often, it dresses itself in sophistication and discretion. It gossips under the guise of concern. It undermines in the name of insight. It treats leaders as disposable and views submission as optional. And yet the verdict of Scripture is unmistakable: “These six things the Lord hates… one who spreads strife among brothers” (Proverbs 6:16, 19). That is not a list of suggestions. It is a list of abominations. And sowing strife—especially among the people of God—is one of them.

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