The fear of God is a concept that is regularly highlighted throughout the Bible. This spiritual fear denotes reverence, awe, and respect for God. In the book of Matthew, chapter 10, verse 28—”And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (King James Version), Jesus teaches His disciples that the fear of God should outweigh and overcome the fear of man. This article will explore this concept, Make clear the significance and application of this principle in everyday life.
Fear could be defined as an emotional response provoked by a perceived threat or danger. However, in the biblical context, particularly about fear of God, the implication is profoundly spiritual and moral. In the Old Testament, ‘fear’ translates to the Hebrew word ‘yirah,’ which denotes awe, reverence, and respect. In the New Testament, the Greek word ‘phobos’ is used, echoing similar connotations of reverence and submission but also occasionally highlighting fear of divine retribution (Bagwell, n.d.).
In Matthew 10:28, Jesus uses the concept of fear as a tool for teaching His disciples about the appropriate perspective on mortal danger compared to spiritual peril. The discourse occurs as Jesus commissions the twelve disciples, preparing them for their missionary journey, acquainting them with the impending trials, persecutions, and rejections they may encounter. He addresses their fear of physical harm and death, rationalising that men can only harm the body but cannot touch the soul. However, God, who possesses absolute power over both body and soul, should be revered and obeyed.
This verse underscores the belief of our souls’ immortality, highlighting that while man can end physical existence, only God controls eternal destiny (Blum,1984). Consequently, it’s God whom we should fear, in the sense of recognizing His supreme authority and aligning our lives respectably with His commands. This doesn’t incite fear as understood in the common sense, causing distress or unrest, but promotes reverential fear which leads to wisdom, righteous living, and inner peace.
The fear of God is, therefore, a deep, reverential respect and awe for His power, majesty, and authority, while fear of man is mere dread of humans’ potential actions. The former leads to wisdom, righteous living, and the promise of eternal life, while the latter leads to compromise, disappointment, and even spiritual death. Encouraging fear of God over fear of man Jesus also calls His followers to utmost loyalty, even amid persecution.
Application of this principle is richly beneficial in our modern society, where humans are often judged and dictated by their fellow humans’ opinions. As believers, one should not fear people who might harm, ridicule, slander, or ostracise because of faith in Christ, for these are temporal sufferings. Instead, uphold reverence for God, the ultimate Judge of eternity.
Matthew 10:28 is therefore impartially about aligning our fear. As believers, Jesus doesn’t play down our fears but directs our fears towards the only being worthy of such fear—God. He invites us to release our fear of temporal, bodily harm inflicted by humanity, transitioning it towards a reverential fear of God. Such a view will empower us not only to live courageously in the face of human opposition but gain eternal life and unshakeable peace and pleasure in the loving fear of the Creator.