E. F. Scott. FAILINGS.— See Animals, p. 63">.
FA YOUR.— See GRACE and Graciousness.
FEAR (^(i^os, ./.o/Sof-Mai ; in Mt 8'* and Mk 4" ' fear- iul' = 5ei\is). — 1. In many pa.ssages in the Go.spels fear is a motive restraining or compelling action in the ordinary course of human relationships. Men fear others, and shape their conduct, at least in part, by their fears : e.g. Mt 2-^ (.Joseph is afraid to return to Judaea) ; H'' (Herod would not put John to death because ' he feared the people ') 2P'^- ^^ ; Mk IP^ Lk 22- (where the Pharisees 'fear the multitude ') ; Mk 9^2, Lk 9^' (the di.sciples are ' afraid to ask ' tlie meaning of a saying) ; Mk ll'« (scribes and Pharisees wished to destroy Jesus, ' for they feared him'); Jn 7" 9" 19^ 20'" (men are .silent or secret 'for fear of the Jews'). SimUar passages are Mt 25=^ Mk 6™ 12'=, Lk 19=' 20'' etc. Tliis fear sometimes restrains bad men from carry- ing out their evil purposes ; but quite as often turns others aside from the straight path of right.
2. The Gospels also mention frequently the fear which men feel in the presence of what they Ijelieve to be supernatural or superhuman. This is often an accompaniment of the miracles of Jesus. It is mentioned of the disciijles, at the stilling of the tempest (Mk 4-", Lk 8'-*), when Jesus walked on the sea (Mt 14=8, ^k 6™, Jn G'"- ™), at the Transfiguration (IMt 17"- ' and parallels). So the people of Judaea were afraid when they saw tlie demoniac healed (Mk 5'=) ; so ' fear took hold on all ' when the widow's son was raised (Lk 7'") ; and in the same way the centurion at the cross (Mt 27") and the witnesses of the Resurrection (Mt 28<- s) were afraid ; cf also Lk 1'- ^ 2» 5=« etc.
3. Especially worthy of notice are those passages in which Jesus exliorts His hearers not to fear. He reassures Jairus when word conies that his daughter is dead (Mk 5^, Lk 8™) ; and Peter when the miraculous draught of fishes fills him with a sense of sin (Lk 5'») ; He meets the terror of the discij les on the sea with, ' It is I, be not afraid ' (Mt 14=') ; and touches tliem at the Transfigura- tion, with similar words (Mt 17'). When He sends the disciples out to preach, it is with reiterated injunctions against fear. The servants will meet with hostility from the enemies of their Lord ; but they must face such opposition without fear, ' for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed' (Mt 10=''"-'). They are to be fearless preachers of the gospel, because no hostility of men can prevent the triumph of truth. They are not to fear even tho.se who can kill the body, for their power is strictly limited to the body (Mt 10=«, Lk 12<) ; they are to remember God's thought for the sparrows, and to be assured of the greater value of the servants of His Kingdom, and so to escape from fear (Mt 10"). If they are few in number facing a hostile world— a little flock surrounded by wolves
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— they are to remember the sure purpose of the Father and not to be afraid (Lk 123-).
Moral courage is a vital necessity of Christian discipleship. The Master is keenly conscious of moral paralysis -nhich conies from the fear of man. Kev 21* reflects His judgment when it groups ' the fearful ' with ' the unbelieving ' and ' the abominable ' wlio are cast into the lake of fire which is the second death. And in our Lord's teaching faith is the antidote of fear. A true knowledge of the Father is the unfailing source of moral courage. ' Acquaint thyself with the Father and be delivered from fear ' is the bur- den of His teaching. See Courage, Cowardice.
i. The almost complete absence of direct exhor- tation to fear God is a very noticeable feature of the Gospels. The fear of God is, indeed, mentioned in the Afagnificai (Lk 1^), in the parable of the Unjust Judge (Lk 18^- ■*), and by the penitent thief on the cross (Lk 23'"') ; but in a direct injunction of Jesus only — if at all— in Mt 10^ and the parallel passage Lk 12*. Here, as already mentioned, Jesus is sending out the disciples mth the exhortation not to fear — even those who kill the body. But He adds to the negative a positive injunction, ' Rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell ' ; or, as Lk. puts it, ' But I will warn you whom ye shall fear : fear him which after he hath killed
majority of commentators that God is the object of fear* in this exhortation; but tliere are some who urge, on the contrary, that the devU is in- tended.
A. B. Bruce ('St. Matthew," in Expositor's Gr. Test.) says: ' Would Christ present God under this aspect in such close con- nexion «-ith the Father who cares even for the sparrows? What is to be greatly feared is not the final condemnation, but that which leads to it — temptation to forsake the cause of God out of regard to self-int«rest or sell'-nre>._r\;irii.n. sliorll\-. the counsel is: fear not the jHt-' .■ >i . ,t the