Title pretty much sums it up.
What is the meaning of "God Fearing"?
- Thread starter LearningToLetGo
- Start date
Are you speaking of Gentiles as 'God-fearers' (prospective converts to Judaism) or just 'God-fearing' in general?
As cossnote stated....it depends of what you are referring to.
For the unbeliever, the fear of God is the fear of the judgment of God and eternal death, which is eternal separation from God in hell.
For the believer, our fear is reverence and awe of God. That does not mean we are afraid of Him but we have respect and honor for Him.
This is what I wanted to touch on. The word translated as "fear" means so much more than that.
This is what I recently discovered when researching this topic:
Linguistically: the Hebrew term יִרְאַת ה' (yir’at Hashem) and its Greek equivalents in the Septuagint and New Testament (φόβος τοῦ θεοῦ / phobos tou theou) draw from words whose semantic range is broader than modern English “fear.” In both biblical Hebrew and classical Greek, the root verbs (יָרֵא yārēʾ and φοβέομαι phobeomai) can denote everything from outright terror (e.g., fear of an enemy in battle) to deep reverence and veneration (e.g., fear shown to a king or deity). Context determines the nuance. Thus, when Scripture speaks of “fearing God,” it deliberately evokes the stronger end of that spectrum—not to instill panic, but to convey that the appropriate human response to divine holiness is one of overwhelming gravity. Awe that silences presumption, reverence that commands obedience. (Source: Grok.com)
For the Christian, “Fear of the Lord” is actually an attitude of the heart that loves righteousness and rejects evil.
Proverbs 8:13....
“To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.”
This verse reveals that godly fear shapes moral character and modifies behavior.
Eunice and Lois - Grandmother and Mother of Timothy were identified as "GOD fearing"
For that matter Apollos who was part of the committee who penned via The Holy Spirit of the great Book of Hebrews was identified as "GOD fearing"
(Others in the committee were Priscilla and Aquila and Paul)
So those of Jewish descent could also be considered "GOD fearing" not just those of us grafted into The Vine.
Just have been exploring the latest newsletter of Bible Study Org. for December.
Here is one about to post on Merry Christmas! Thread:
The Family Tree of Jesus Chart - The True Vine
[ Addition: Mary’s Mother’s Name was Ann(e)]
For that matter Apollos who was part of the committee who penned via The Holy Spirit of the great Book of Hebrews was identified as "GOD fearing"
(Others in the committee were Priscilla and Aquila and Paul)
So those of Jewish descent could also be considered "GOD fearing" not just those of us grafted into The Vine.
Just have been exploring the latest newsletter of Bible Study Org. for December.
Here is one about to post on Merry Christmas! Thread:
The Family Tree of Jesus Chart - The True Vine
[ Addition: Mary’s Mother’s Name was Ann(e)]
Thank you, Major, for pointing out this oft' overlooked aspect of scripture.
GOD fearing???
Yes two possible meanings according to context used.
However to assume that only those grafted in are revering I AM as we should a mistaken act of hubris.
Here is what Pastor Dan has to say about this as I shared the generous gift of Ben A.'s online "God Tales, An Anthology" reflective book with Dan.
Ben is one who approaches worship from a more Messianic prospective. I applaud his deep dive as it were into this endeavor.
---------
Super good find. Thanks much.
For many years I have come to believe the Christian church has made the opposite error of the first Jewish believers, that of trying to make jews out of gentile believers (judaizers). Today most of the Christian church wants Jewish believers to jettison or discount their Jewishness. This is what Paul warned gentiles about - becoming arrogant versus the natural branches.
I look forward to checking out the messianic Rabbi's Bible study
Dan
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Have been exchanging PM back and forth with Ben A. Such a fascinating background!
What a journey he has taken. PM for details to this man of transformation.
I shared that lived my years until beginning of teens in a neighborhood middle to lower income Whitehall of Columbus, Ohio.
Our next door neighbors were Conservative Jews and our across the street neighbors were dietary keeping Orthodox Jews.
My best friend was a Catholic girl who went to Christ The King Parochial School.
I attended some Latin masses with her complete with us wearing chapel caps and her flipping through the complex missal.
My mother not much a church goer coming from an unloving family that left her scarred. Her mother a natural contralto sang for their supper so to speak as a paid soloist in a Congregational Church during The Depression. My mother's father a cruel man who gambled what little the family had.
The Presbyterian Sunday School my only brush with "religion" as my father took us as small children as he went into the adult sanctuary. This halted when we moved to the mixed neighborhood as the church was located farther away.
When we moved to the small town of Logan, Ohio going to Sunday School optional and sparse not required to be sure.
Ben - I had a friend whose father was a Lutheran Minister known for his stern demeanor. (You may or may not have had such an upbringing as an adopted Lutheran.)
After college I tried to go to church but found it not satisfying and certainly did nothing to help my failing marriage when we moved South. Not until its end by means of adultery of the other did I begin to know the loneliness yet hope that comes with teaching sweet children of a lower economic status in Sevier County, TN.
I met the love of my life my second husband while teaching my favorite fifth grade class. I met the sweetness, nicest human child that year my Tommy. I just recently found out he died in the beginning of the COVID slaughter only in his early 50s. I only hope his two daughters and his grandson carry on that wonderful lineage of gentle souls.
Only after the knocks on my doorfacing did I begin to understand what it means to truly follow I AM. Until then just a mere pretender of knowing truth. What it means to love moving towards the agape offered by our LORD and Savior to us His little children.
It's a JOURNEY!
Just read a good piece on this found here on what is The Truth as revealed by The Holy Spirit on Hebrews4Christians.
Made Alive in the Spirit... Journey into the Light
Yes two possible meanings according to context used.
However to assume that only those grafted in are revering I AM as we should a mistaken act of hubris.
Here is what Pastor Dan has to say about this as I shared the generous gift of Ben A.'s online "God Tales, An Anthology" reflective book with Dan.
Ben is one who approaches worship from a more Messianic prospective. I applaud his deep dive as it were into this endeavor.
---------
Super good find. Thanks much.
For many years I have come to believe the Christian church has made the opposite error of the first Jewish believers, that of trying to make jews out of gentile believers (judaizers). Today most of the Christian church wants Jewish believers to jettison or discount their Jewishness. This is what Paul warned gentiles about - becoming arrogant versus the natural branches.
I look forward to checking out the messianic Rabbi's Bible study
Dan
---------
Have been exchanging PM back and forth with Ben A. Such a fascinating background!
What a journey he has taken. PM for details to this man of transformation.
I shared that lived my years until beginning of teens in a neighborhood middle to lower income Whitehall of Columbus, Ohio.
Our next door neighbors were Conservative Jews and our across the street neighbors were dietary keeping Orthodox Jews.
My best friend was a Catholic girl who went to Christ The King Parochial School.
I attended some Latin masses with her complete with us wearing chapel caps and her flipping through the complex missal.
My mother not much a church goer coming from an unloving family that left her scarred. Her mother a natural contralto sang for their supper so to speak as a paid soloist in a Congregational Church during The Depression. My mother's father a cruel man who gambled what little the family had.
The Presbyterian Sunday School my only brush with "religion" as my father took us as small children as he went into the adult sanctuary. This halted when we moved to the mixed neighborhood as the church was located farther away.
When we moved to the small town of Logan, Ohio going to Sunday School optional and sparse not required to be sure.
Ben - I had a friend whose father was a Lutheran Minister known for his stern demeanor. (You may or may not have had such an upbringing as an adopted Lutheran.)
After college I tried to go to church but found it not satisfying and certainly did nothing to help my failing marriage when we moved South. Not until its end by means of adultery of the other did I begin to know the loneliness yet hope that comes with teaching sweet children of a lower economic status in Sevier County, TN.
I met the love of my life my second husband while teaching my favorite fifth grade class. I met the sweetness, nicest human child that year my Tommy. I just recently found out he died in the beginning of the COVID slaughter only in his early 50s. I only hope his two daughters and his grandson carry on that wonderful lineage of gentle souls.
Only after the knocks on my doorfacing did I begin to understand what it means to truly follow I AM. Until then just a mere pretender of knowing truth. What it means to love moving towards the agape offered by our LORD and Savior to us His little children.
It's a JOURNEY!
Just read a good piece on this found here on what is The Truth as revealed by The Holy Spirit on Hebrews4Christians.
Made Alive in the Spirit... Journey into the Light