Fear is usually regarded as a negative emotion; and yet the Bible commands Christians to fear God. Preachers sometimes explain this by saying that 'fear' really refers to reverence or awe. But the Greek word used is
phobos, from which we get the term phobia. And Paul commands believers to fear and tremble (
Philippians 2:12).
So what exactly is godly fear? And how can we reconcile it with another well-known Bible verse which says that love casts out fear (
1 John 4:18)?
These questions are addressed in my latest paper on
www.dianoigo.com. It's my shortest ever, too - barely three pages!
