1 Peter 1:17
“And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Since they call on a Father who judges each person impartially, believers should live their pilgrimage in reverent fear.
What Does 1 Peter 1:17 Mean?
Peter holds two truths together: the same God they call Father is also the impartial Judge who weighs each life by its works. Nearness and reverence are not opposites here.
To be a sojourner is to be passing through, never fully settled. Peter asks his readers to spend that journey in fear, not the terror of the condemned, but the awe of children who know their Father sees everything and plays no favorites. Such fear does not push God away; it keeps the pilgrim honest and tender on the road home.
In the Original Language
paroikia (παροικία), 'sojourning' -- the time of dwelling as a resident foreigner, life lived away from home.