16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves.
16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants
16 Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules.
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
16 For you are free, yet you are God's slaves, so don't use your freedom as an excuse to do evil.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Peter 2:16
Commentary on 1 Peter 2:13-17
(Read 1 Peter 2:13-17)
A Christian conversation must be honest; which it cannot be, if there is not a just and careful discharge of all relative duties: the apostle here treats of these distinctly. Regard to those duties is the will of God, consequently, the Christian's duty, and the way to silence the base slanders of ignorant and foolish men. Christians must endeavour, in all relations, to behave aright, that they do not make their liberty a cloak or covering for any wickedness, or for the neglect of duty; but they must remember that they are servants of God.