The Bible speaks of the “fear of God” hundreds of times, describing it as a very good thing.
– As the beginning and culmination of wisdom, Isa 33:6, Ps 110:10, Etco.l, Pro 1:7, Pro 1:29, Pro 9:10, Job 28:28.
– Source of life, Pro 14:27.
– A treasure, Pro 15:16, Isa 33:6.
– Sanctifier, Ps 19:9.
– God’s mercy is poured out from generation to generation on those who fear him, Luk 1:50, Sal 103:13.
– The Church walked in the fear of the Lord, full of the consolations of the Holy Spirit, enjoying peace and strength, Acts 9:31.
– Paul says: Don’t get excited, but fear. Because if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either, Rom 11:20-21.
What is the “fear of God”: The Bible speaks of “three kinds” of fear of God: 1- Reverence: It is the reverence and recognition of the majesty, power and holiness of God, which leads to filial trust, obedience and love. In this sense, Ps 130:4 is understood. In you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared: (“revered”).
2- “Fear of: (losing) God”: Fear of Hell Mat 25:46, Rom 11:20-21).
3- Fear of God’s punishments: He sends them for 2 reasons: To “correct us”, as a good Father. and to “punish” us. and when he “punishes” he does so mightily, as he did, in person, at the Flood, at Sodom, at the Plagues of Egypt. and with Hell in the New: Testament: (Mat 25:31-46).
In this sense, love and fear are like the accelerator and brake of a car: Without an accelerator you don’t go anywhere, but the brake is also very important!: Love is the accelerator; fear is the brake, also essential.
(See “Punishment”, “Pain”).
Fear of the evil: “Fear”: Who does not have “fear of God”, who does not live trusting in God, as a son of God, will fear life and death, will fear the world, and even God! himself!, because he knows very well that not even himself can control what he would like: (Rom 7:15-25).
One of the wonders of Christianity is knowing that one is a “friend of God”, that God, the great almighty, is my Dad, and he takes care of me so much that even the hairs of my head have me numbered: (Mat 10:30 ). That is why the Christian has no fear of not being accepted, nor fear of failure, nor of illness, nor of death itself. because death itself is nothing more than the golden door to enter forever into the loving entrails of the Creator, my Dad! This is what Paul shouts at us: you have not received the spirit of servants to fall back into fear, but rather the spirit of adoption, for which we cry out Abba!, Papa!.
(Rom 8:15). and John repeats it this way: In love there is no fear, for perfect love casts out fear: (1Jn 4:18).
The “fear” of the wicked: The Bible says that “fear”, the “fear”, takes hold of the wicked: (Job 15:24, Job 18:11), and describes it as “overwhelming”, “consuming ”, fearing life and death, sickness, failure, not being accepted or not honored, or being slandered. fear of everything and everyone: (Exo 15:16, Job 15:21-24, Ps 73:19, Ps 73:1 52Ch 15:24, Jua 9:22, Isa 2:19, Luk 21:26, Rev 6 :16-17, Heb 10:27).
The way to overcome it is to have confidence in God: (Ps 27:1), live with faith the three parables of God’s mercy from chap. Luke 15. and to be able to live them, you only need to believe in Christ, living in his only Church: (Jua 3:36, Jua 6: 53-54, Mat 16:19, Luc 10:16).
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
Feeling and attitude of respect before God, presented as a loving Father by Jesus, but also an infinitely just Supreme Being, wise and a lover of fidelity, who made man free and responsible in his actions. The concept and term “fear” appears in the Bible in many forms: as an expression of fear (Matt. 28.5 and Lk. 12.4); as a sign of respect and veneration. The expressions related to the fear of God are diversified in the Old Testament: (Ecl. 1.13 and 2:19). It is the source of life and strength (Prov. 14. 26 and 27)
In the New Testament the concept of fear or fear appears 158 times (“phobos” as a noun and “fobomai” as a verb). Only a dozen of them refer to the fear of God in the sense of respect and reverence for the Lord of heaven and earth.
Fear is natural in man: of death, of failure, of the unknown, of punishment. Jesus himself was also afraid as a man, as his anguish in the Garden of Olives shows (J. 18.6) The “fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom” (Ps. 111.10)
– The fear of God, understood as respect, is deeply rooted in the Old Testament: (Ps. 37.1-6). It even appears as an echo in the New when Jesus is claimed to “fear who can take body and soul to hell” (Luke 12.5). In St. Paul love and fear of God are not contrary, rather they complement each other. The fear of God disposes us to set our hearts on what is good. “You did not receive a spirit of slavery to return to fear” (Rom. 8.15) and “It is necessary to submit, not only for fear of punishment, but also in conscience” (Rom. 13.5). “Be submissive to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Eph. 5.21). “Work with fear and trembling for your salvation” (Philip. 2.12)
– But fear must also be understood as respect, adoration, obedience and service that leads to avoiding evil (Prov. 8.13) And it also appears frequently like this in the New Testament (Gal. 6.7-8; Eph. 5.21)) The message of the New Testament is clear: “In love there is no fear, but perfect love casts out fear; because fear carries with it punishment. Whence it follows that he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 Jn. 4. 18).
To reach perfect love for God, one must go through the gift of “fear of God” in the sense of respect for divine supremacy and justice.
It is not about being “humanly afraid” of God, but about being afraid of offending him, which is one of the signs of love. Healthy fear is, therefore, a path and divine pedagogy so that we remain on guard against the serious danger that lies in wait for every man in the spiritual battle against the world, the flesh and the devil.
The fear of God is not an alternative route to the path of love. It is rather a divine gift that makes us understand the seriousness of sin for the punishment it deserves before a just God. On the other hand, forgetting the gift of fear of God is leading many to deny sin and its consequences. The way is then open to claiming that all that the flesh, the world and the devil suggest is love.
Educating Christians to fear God is the best way to understand true love for God.
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
Respect before the mystery of God
Fear is, in general, an attitude that reflects convictions and feelings of respect and fear. When we say “fear of God” these attitudes are nuanced, since God is infinitely good. The “fear” of God is respect for his mystery, awareness of his lordship and of his demands and rights, his law, his retributive justice, his manifestation in creation and in salvation history (cf. Ex 20:18- 21), his own poverty in the face of his greatness, etc. The fear of God “rejoices the heart” (Ecli 1,12).
Sometimes a distinction is made between “servile”, “servilely servile” and “filial” fear. “Servile” fear emphasizes anticipation of eventual punishment or self-interest in the negative consequences that may result from sins. This fear is good and healthy, but not perfect. “Servantly servile” fear makes the negative aspect prevail so much that it leaves no room for a positive way out; it would be fear or selfish interest, excluding the rights of God.
filial fear
The authentic fear of God, in the Old and in the New Testament, is kneaded with confidence and drives away all fear. “Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of Yahweh” (Ps 34,12). “Blessed is the man who fears Yahweh, who delights in his commandments! (Ps 112,1). Fear goes hand in hand with love. The “filial” fear is the one that corresponds to the attitude of faith, knowing that God is our Father, preferentially seeking his will. “You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear; rather, you received a spirit of adopted children that makes us exclaim Abba, Father!” (Rom 8,15).
The fear of God, when it is “filial fear”, can become a gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Is 11:1-3), insofar as it is a new grace that makes filial fear itself deeper and more spontaneous. This gift is related to the virtue of temperance, as it moderates desires and fears, directing them towards love. So it is a permanent filial attitude, which can be a synthesis of all the other virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The filial joy of evangelizing
This filial fear of God, when it is a virtue and a gift of the Spirit, translates into a son’s attitude towards the tenderly loved Father, whom one wants to please in everything. This fear produces, as in Christ, the joy of seeing that the Father is known and loved by all, even in the details of daily life (cf. Lk 10:21-22). It is delicacy of details and availability to do what is most perfect, that is, to do what pleases the Father the most (without falling into scruples), to make him known and loved.
In the field of evangelization it is also discovered that “his mercy reaches from generation to generation those who fear him” (Lk 1,50). Those who, in any religion and culture, truly “fear” God (cf. Acts 10:2), are easily open to the gospel. The reward of faith and final salvation is for “all who fear his name” (Rev 11:18).
References Charity, God Love, gifts of the Holy Spirit, hope, joy.
Reading of documents GS 21, 39; LG 9, 48; CEC 1041, 2144.
E. BOULARAND, Crainte, in Dictionnaire de Spiritualité (Paris, Beauchesne, 1953) II, 2463-2511; Encyclopedia of the Bible (Barcelona, Success, 1969) (“fear of God”); J. GALOT, Le mystère de l’espérance (Paris: Lethielleux, 1973); P, SCIADINI, Timore, in Dizionario Enciclopedico di Spiritualiti (Rome, Cittí Nuova, 1990) 2522-2525. See references.
(ESQUERDA BIFET, Juan, Dictionary of Evangelization, BAC, Madrid, 1998)
Source: Dictionary of Evangelization
The fear of God is imposed on man as a consequence of the supreme sovereignty and omnipotence of God. In the presence of God, man is overwhelmed, he is filled with fear. Thus Abraham (Gen 15,1), Jacob (Gen 28,17), Moses (Ex 3,6), Isaiah (Is 6,5), Zechariah (Lk 1,12), the Blessed Virgin (Lk 1,30) , the shepherds (Lk 2,9-10). It is a fear full of respect and veneration that leads to obedience, to absolute availability. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Ps 111,10) and of life (Prov 14,27). The fear of God continues to be the norm in the NT (Lk 1,50), but without ever falling…