him who died for him and rose again, vs, 14. 15. Acting un- der the control of this elevated principle, he was raised above the inllucnce of external things. He did not judge of men by their external condition. He was a new creature in virtue of his union with Christ, vs. 16. 17. This great change which he had experienced was not self- wrought ; it was of God, who is the author of the whole scheme of redemption. He is recon- ciled unto the world through Jesus Christ, and he has com- missioned his ministers to proclaim this great truth to all men, vs. 18. 19. Therefore, th*2 apostle, as an ambassador of God, exhorted men to accept of this ofler of reconciUation, for which the most abundant provision had been made, in that God had made Christ to be sin for us, in order that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, vs. 20. 21.
11. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
This verse is an inference from what precedes, as is indi- cated by the particle [om) therefore. Paul had asserted his earnest desire to be acceptable to the Lord, and, therefore, Jcnowiiig the terror of the Lord., &c. In this version of the clause, rov 4>6Bov tov Kvptov^ the genitive is taken as the geni- tive of the subject. It is the terror which belongs to the Lord. 'Knowing how terrible the Lord is.' But this is contrary to the constant use of the phrase. The fear of the Lord is that fear or reverence which tlie Lord excites, or of which he is the object. Hence it so often stands in Scripture for true religion. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So in Acts 9,31, "Walking in the fear of the Lord." Rom. 3, 18, "The fear of God is not before their eyes ; " and in 7, 1 of this epistle, " perfecting holiness in the fear of God." See also Eph. 5, 21, "Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ." In all these cases (<f>6(3o<:) fear means j^ious reverence. There is no reason for departing from that sense in this place. Knowing, i. e. feel- ing or experiencing, the pious reverence for Christ, the ear- nest desire to meet his approbation, asserted in the context, the apostle acted under tlie influence of that sentiment, and not from selfish or unworthy motives, in all his conduct as a man and as a minister. As the expression " fear of the Lord "