Love, fear and trembling.

Richard T said:

Here is google's ai answer which actually is quite good concerning fear in these two passages. I had thought that perhaps the Greek root word was different.
AI Overview


Yes, the Greek word for "fear" in both 1 John 4:18 and Philippians 2:12 is the same root word,
phobos, which generally refers to fear, terror, or alarm. However, the context of each passage determines whether it refers to a negative emotion (fear of punishment) or a positive reverence (respect for God).

• 1 John 4:18 (Fear as Torment): In this context, phobos refers to a paralyzing fear of judgment or punishment that is incompatible with experiencing God’s love, according to Facebook posts.
• Philippians 2:12 (Fear as Reverence): Here, phobos (often coupled with "trembling") refers to awe, respect, and a deep reverence for God, which is a necessary part of working out one's salvation, according to BibleRef.com.

While the same word is used, 1 John 4:18 describes the toxic fear that love casts out, while Philippians 2:12 describes the holy reverence for God that believers should maintain."

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Richard T said:

I guess the Greek basically has two meanings for the same word. Here is a alternative translation for Philippinas 2:12
" My Christian friends, you have obeyed me when I was with you. You have obeyed even more when I have been away. You must keep on working to show you have been saved from the punishment of sin. Be afraid that you may not please God."

I never really compared the two passages before. I have been taught what working out one's salvation is. That though our spirit is saved and sealed, (Past tense,) our mind is the battleground (Present tense) and our glorified body is (future tense). So while we are already saved, we still struggle through with achieving God's will for our walk on earth.

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Richard T said:

I don't have my Greek with me at the moment so I asked ai again, for professional cites.

Can you cite a word study dictionary that lends credence to the two different meanings of phobos?




Several authoritative Greek lexicons and word study dictionaries support the distinction between the "slavish" fear in
1 John 4:18
and the "reverential" fear in
Philippians 2:12
.1. Thayer's Greek Lexicon
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
distinguishes these meanings by categorizing the usage of phobos into two primary classes:

• Fear as Terror (1 John 4:18): Thayer defines this as "alarm, fright, or terror". He explicitly notes that in
  1 John 4:18
  , this fear is connected to the dread of punishment (kolasis), which cannot coexist with perfect love.
• Fear as Reverence (
  Philippians 2:12
  ): Thayer defines this as "reverence, veneration, or respect," specifically "reverence for God, as the controlling motive of the life". He cites
  Philippians 2:12
  as an example of this holy awe that leads to obedience.

2.
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words

Vine's Expository Dictionary
explains that phobos is a "neutral" word where the context determines if it is "good or bad":

• Negative/Slavish: It describes "protracted state of terror or alarm". In 1 John 4, it is the fear that a slave feels toward a master or a criminal toward a judge.
• Positive/Filial: It describes "godly fear" or "filial reverence". Vine notes that when paired with "trembling" (tromos) in Philippians 2:12, it refers to a "serious and eager concern" to do God’s will, which is a sign of humility rather than dread.

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