Calvin reminds us that the Fifth Commandment is about far more than family etiquette—it is about God’s entire order for human authority. When Scripture commands us to “honour your father and your mother” (Exod. 20:12), Calvin explains that God is teaching us to respect every legitimate authority he places over us. Parents serve as the first and most natural example because their authority is easiest for us to recognize, but the principle extends outward to rulers, leaders, and all positions of responsibility that God establishes (1 Tim. 5:17). The honour commanded here includes reverence, obedience, and gratitude, because authority itself reflects a small participation in God’s own rule. Calvin also explains the promise attached to the commandment: long life is not presented as the ultimate reward, but as a visible sign of God’s favour. Even when believers die young, God has not failed his promise, since his favor can be shown even more fully beyond this life. At the same time, the command carries a warning—rebellion against rightful authority ultimately places a person under God’s judgment. Yet Calvin carefully adds an important limit: obedience to parents, rulers, and all authorities is required only “in the Lord.” Because their authority comes from God, it must never lead us away from obedience to him. In the end, the Fifth Commandment teaches that honouring earthly authority is part of learning to honour the heavenly Father himself.

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