Tag: Fear

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2 Timothy 1:7a – Two Kinds of Fear

Awe and respect versus timidness and fear (Grok)

 For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear…

Summary: Paul’s insight about fear is an important one for us to understand.   

This passage is powerful. In it, Paul tells us that God does not give us a spirit of “deilia.” 

“Deilia” is Greek meaning timidity, fearfulness, or cowardice.*

It is easy to see why Paul would point this out, especially to Timothy. Paul has laid a heavy spiritual responsibility on Timothy, and there is no room for hesitation or being timid. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul instructed him to “command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” (1 Timothy 1:3). This is the exact opposite of being timid. 

But to be clear, there is a fear that we should have. 

Speaking to his disciples before a crowd of thousands of people, Jesus taught them this: 

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4-5, NIV)

The fear of God is very different than the fear Paul mentioned to Timothy. In quoting Jesus, Luke used the word “phobeō,” which means “to be in awe of, revere, show reverence.”† Our fear of God is the respect due the Creator of all things. 

In one sense, we could say that Paul is pointing us away from weakness, while at the same time pointing us to our strength. 

God is that strength. The Spirit of God is many things, but it is not weakness in the face of physical threats. 

As we go through life with Christ, the Spirit of God will prompt us to do things that might be uncomfortable. Perhaps it is spending more time in the Bible or being more patient with someone who irritates us. We might be prompted to reach out to someone in need, or encourage someone we do not know. We might be tasked with doing things we never thought we could do. 

The opposite of this feeling is timidity…fear. Fear of doing what we know is right is not from God. 

Application: The fear of God drives out all other fear.  

Food for Thought: How do we get more of what God wants us to have?

*”G1167 – deilia – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 7 Sep, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1167/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.”

†”G5399 – phobeō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (NIV).” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 7 Sep, 2026. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5399/niv/mgnt/0-1/>.”

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments. Quotes are from the World English Bible (Public Domain) unless otherwise noted.

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Philippians 4:7b – Safe Haven

A small chick is held in a protective hand (Pixabay)

… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Summary: As we look at the second half of Paul’s verse about peace, we discover the dangers that confront us and how incredibly important the peace of God is.   

When Paul says “your hearts and your minds,” he is talking to you and me. Anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ is entitled to this peace that Paul talks about. 

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Philippians 2:28 – Paul’s Relief

Man in a workshop with a broken power saw (Grok)

Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.

Summary: This verse provides an excellent example of how the original Greek can help clear up questions about seeming contradictions in the Bible.   

This verse provides the opportunity to clarify something that could be important to some.

The word Paul used when writing his letter was “alypos.” The NIV translation uses the English word “anxiety” here, but that is not a direct translation. Most English translations use a different word. 

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Philippians 1:26a – Fighting Fear

Picture of a small child dressed as a boxer (Pixabay)

… without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. 

Summary: Paul’s words in this passage touch on a nerve that everyone has experience with: fear. 

To get the context for this passage, let’s step back and take a look at Paul’s entire thought: 

“… I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

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Philippians 1:14b – Contagion

Picture of people proclaiming God's Word with the Lion of Judah in the background (Grok)

… most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

Summary: Confidence in the Lord is something every true believer desires. In this life, we are engaged in a spiritual battle. Our primary weapon is to proclaim the Gospel without fear. 

Paul’s chains were made of iron. They were heavy, they bruised and chaffed the skin, and they could not be ignored. There are other chains in this life that are not as obvious. One of them is fear. 

The online dictionary defines “fear” this way:

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1 Peter 3:6 (b) — Displaced Fear

Picture: Small boy playing on the edge of a mud creek.

You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

As a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to play in the dirt. If there was water nearby, that was even better. When I was about six years old, there was a small creek that ran through the woods at the end of the road by our house. As an adult, I wouldn’t look twice at this “creek.” It was just a trickle of ditch water that meandered away from the road under the trees. As a kid, though, it was a world unto itself. 

In the mind of a six-year-old boy, the woods and the creek took on mythic dimensions. Lit only by the soft green light of the sun filtering through the trees, shadows added another dimension of mystery. Sticks, rocks, and mud all transformed from the mundane into magical building materials. Within the space of an eye blink (time did not exist in this place), the trickle of water had transformed into a lake behind a large dam. There were roads, causeways, canals, and rivers. It was a peaceful and idyllic miniature world — until disaster struck!

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1 Peter 2:18 — Modern Slaves

Picture: Graphic of large grey finger pointing down at fearful employee.

Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

The word “slave” has become a kind of dirty word these days. It is a word like any other. The condition it describes is not pleasant nor is it desirable, but slavery has existed for thousands of years. Even God’s own people, when they lived in Egypt for 400 years were slaves to the Egyptians for most of that time. 

Do not misunderstand me. I am not condoning slavery. Yet, look around. How much of the world is free? If people are not free, aren’t they the same as a slave? Slavery still exists and always will until Jesus Himself comes to rule the earth. 

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