Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Can these Bible verses be reconciled?
2006-09-03 07:11:46 · 20 answers · asked by neil s 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
"He who asks questions of a source other than Our Father has forsaken the Lord's knowledge." (Matthew 1:26)
In other words, don't come here asking about religion--ask G-d. He is the only one who knows, and you have turned your back on him!
2006-09-03 07:15:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
very simple, but you must first know God in order to understand so don't concentrate on nit picking. Find God first!
But here is an attempt anyway
In Eph 5:12 you find God through obedience and "fear"
in 1 John 4:18 that fear is replaced with God's perfect Love.
In 1 John 4:8 you find a test or confirmation as to weather you have actually found God.
2006-09-03 14:18:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they can. The fear of God in Eph means to respect or revere. The fear in 1 John 4:18 is talking about fear as we generally know it (being afraid and scared--as the verse indicates--the kind that produces torment). As for the love, it is talking about "Agape", God's love--not human love which is based largely on emotion or what someone else will do for us.
2006-09-03 14:20:48 · answer #3 · answered by Rose 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, the "fear of God" means great respect or reverence for God. The fear that St. John speaks of is dread, torment, being scared. There is no dread or torment type fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear. If you fear, you've not been made perfect in love. God=Love. God/Love makes all things perfect. If you don't Love, then you don't know God because God IS Love.
Perfect love is not romantic/erotic love. That kind of love is only one of the types of love. There is platonic love, filial love--the type of love that one feels toward family . There is erotic love, and then there is Agape--the love of God. A love for God and love from God in a relationship with God.
I would say that Perfect Love stems from Agape and then flows through the person to make him able to fearlessly love others.
2006-09-03 14:27:54 · answer #4 · answered by truth 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes they can be reconciled..... The fear of God is totally different than fear.
Fear of God is respect, reverence, awe etc....
Eph 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
We should treat one another with the thought that God is there.
The standards we set for others are the standards that will be used to judge us. --- that is the fear we are told to have in Eph.
Don't know if this makes sense..
2006-09-03 14:15:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fear has two meanings in the Greek
1. Deep respect/mental state
2. Dread/emotional state
2006-09-03 14:18:10 · answer #6 · answered by williamzo 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you submit, you "give in to the fear" so to speak, in submission to God, you can be made perfect in love and then you wont have fear.
2006-09-03 14:18:28 · answer #7 · answered by impossble_dream 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What are you talking about?.fear of God is respect and reverence...There is no fear in love..(means torment)..if you do not love you do not know God..God is love and to those who know God truely know what love is.
2006-09-03 14:21:02 · answer #8 · answered by Judah's voice 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Personally I think the writing in the bible sucks for the most part.
Read Lao Tzu instead:
Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage.
2006-09-03 14:15:41 · answer #9 · answered by Devil'sadvocate 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The word fear is translated reverence.
Not fear.
That is why there is a need for newer translations.
REVERENCE get it.
2006-09-03 14:18:03 · answer #10 · answered by chris p 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋