Fear

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)

‘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.