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| Winter-Windows |
Browning in his Oxford Bible Dictionary writes that a typical human
expression provided for the emotion of terror would be in a verse such as Exodus 23:
27. Browning (1997: 134).
Exodus 23:27
English Standard Version (ESV)
'27 I will send my terror before you and will
throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make
all your enemies turn their backs to you.'
He noted the more important Biblical fear, as
in awe of God, the holy God. This should induce a hatred of evil.
Browning based this on Proverbs. Browning (1997: 134).
Proverbs 8:13
English Standard Version (ESV)
English Standard Version (ESV)
‘13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.’
Browning further explains that there is in the
New Testament a fear of the awesome, as in the supernatural, the Resurrection of
Christ, being prime example in Mark 16: 8.
A Canadian Anabaptist History Professor of
mine at Trinity Western University/Canadian Baptist Seminary stated in lectures
that the modern Evangelical Church liked to emphasize very heavily in
evangelism, the forgiveness, grace and mercy of God, and negate divine
anger. The professor understood as I do that the evangelical position is a
Biblical perspective as via Romans in the atonement and legal justification
there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:
1-NASB/ESV). The Holy Spirit guided life allows one in Christ to walk in faith,
as one not able to fully follow the law. But the professor stated that the
Church needed for the sake of sanctification, which is be to set apart, to made
holy by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit until glorification at resurrection
Grenz, Guretzki, Nordling (1999: 105), to have a healthy fear of God, that also reviews his people at judgment day as mentioned on this blog (Hebrews
(9: 27, 2 Corinthians 5: 10).
Therefore, I would reason that there are
negative fears such as satanic fears, fears very much of the sinful nature, fears that work against faith, fears of
tomorrow which Jesus warned against...
Matthew 6:34
English Standard Version
(ESV)
'34 “Therefore
do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.':
These are fears that are admittedly often
very difficult to overcome in life, but these are not examples of healthy Biblical
fear.
Healthy Biblical fear is a fear of being
on the right side of God in this life in order to receive in grace granted
still, a reasonable review in the next life.
As well, from philosophy of religion and
psychological perspectives I can without difficulty agree with Browning that it
is normal for certain human beings to have particular fears, not all human beings
having the same fears, such as fears of physical pain, suffering, death,
torture, humiliation, and to some extents the unknown and the future. This is part of being a finite and fallen
being in a fallen world, but these fears too should be faced
in prayer and in faith. Notice the tension between what Jesus stated about not worrying about tomorrow and a natural human inclination to be concerned about tomorrow. As Christians this requires reasonable, well-reasoned faith.
BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Dictionary of
the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI AND
CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms,
Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.
