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FEAR.—In the OT ‘the fear of the Lord’ is frequently a definition of piety. The purpose of the giving of the Law is the implanting of this fear in the hearts of men (Deu_4:10); it is the sum of religious duty (Deu_6:13) and prompts to obedient and loving service (Deu_10:12). ‘Fear cannot be appraised without reference to the worth of the objects feared’ (Martinean, Types of Ethical Theory, ii. 184); hence it is on the revelation of the Divine nature as ‘holy and to be feared’ (Psa_111:9) that this fundamental principle of religion rests: those who know His name have learnt that to fear Him is true wisdom (Psa_111:10) and true blessedness (Psa_112:1). In the NT mention is made of a fear which has high moral quality and religious value. ‘The fear of the Lord’ was the rule by which the early Christians walked (Act_9:31), and when an uncircumcised foreigner became a devout worshipper of the God of Israel he was known as ‘one that feareth God’ (Act_10:2; cf. 2Co_7:1, Php_2:12, 1Pe_1:17; 1Pe_2:17, Rev_14:7; Rev_15:4; Rev_19:5). Although the usual Gr. word for ‘fear’ is not used in Heb_5:7, the reference to the ‘godly fear’ of the perfect Son emphasizes the contrast between reverent awe and slavish terror.
The fear which ‘hath punishment’ (1Jn_4:18) is the result of sin (Gen_3:10). The sinner, under condemnation of the Law, is in ‘bondage unto fear’ (Rom_8:15), and inasmuch as ‘the sting of death is sin’ (1Co_15:56), he is also through fear of death … subject to bondage’ (Heb_2:15). Transgression may so completely deceive him that he has ‘no terror of God’ (Psa_36:1); the climax of human wickedness is the loss of any dread of God’s judgments, though the Gr. and Eng. translations of the Heb. word for ‘terror’ (pachadh, cf. Isa_2:10; Isa_2:19; Isa_2:21 RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) fail to bring out this thought in St. Paul’s quotation of this verse (Rom_3:18). To rouse men from this callous indifference to God’s threatenings is the purpose of the appeal to fear, which is a primary and self-regarding emotion and a powerful spring of human action. This appeal is warranted by our Lord’s words (Mat_10:28) as well as by Apostolic example (Heb_4:1; Heb_10:31, 1Ti_5:20, Jud_1:23). The spirit in which this appeal should be made is that which inspired St. Paul, when he declares that, ‘knowing the fear of the Lord,’ before whose judgment-seat all must be made manifest, he is constrained by the love of Christ to persuade men to be ‘reconciled to God’ (2Co_5:11 ff.).
J. G. Tasker.