The Lord's Prayer has been badly mistranslated for almost 2000 years, to devastating effect.

a reply to: Itisnowagain

So, you're struggling to understand that there is more than one Biblical text in existence, and that not all the translations are the same?

And you got a bunch of stars for that comment?

Come on guys & girls, we're supposed to be wise! If you give stars to a person without thinking through the ignorance which they are demonstrating with their comment, it makes us look collectively rather stupid. Jesus asks us to invest our talent of silver, which in this context means applying your ability to think critically in regards to a given problem, and figure out the best solution.

If you're throwing stars around on the 'most popular intelligent alternative forum in the world' for a comment which makes us look collectively a bit dumb, that's what I'd consider a wasteful & lazy 'investment' of our silver (our brain power).

It works like this: There is more than one Biblical translation in the world. In fact, there are something like thirty popular translations which are commonly & easily found on Biblical reference websites, at the click of a button. All I was asking you to do was to consider that perhaps in some cases, the spirit & the letter of the word line up more accurately with the apparent intent of the speaker. In this case, the speaker is our Lord Himself, and anyone who knows me knows that God is on my heart every minute of every day in many respects, particularly in terms of my absolute commitment to honouring Him, and the Truth, in everything I believe, think, say & do in this world.

My intention was to discern & honour the likely intent of the Lord when He taught His disciples to pray, in response to their exacting request that He do so, in order that they too could communicate with the Father in the way that Jesus Himself enjoyed full & blessed communication with Him. They travelled with Jesus everywhere He went, for months upon months upon years, and from the outset they could see clearly how He would be revitalised by prayer, how He would be encouraged by prayer, how He would find the solutions to problems through prayer, how He would be lifted up in divine ecstasy through prayer, and how miracles would happen because of prayer.

They asked Him how to pray, and in teaching them of the glorious God they worshipped, He explained how to effectively come into contact with God in a manner so direct that they could accomplish it with a few well-chosen words. It makes zero sense that Jesus would teach the disciples that God has anything to do with 'lead[ing] us into temptation',

We write these things so that our joy may be complete. And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.…

1 John 1: 5

It's absurd to think that God has ANYTHING to do with 'lead[ing] us into temptation'. Because walking around getting close to temptation is walking in darkness, and as you can see above, anyone who tempts fate by courting temptation is deceiving themselves & God by what they are doing. To say therefore that God has anything to do with causing that is ridiculous. It doesn't fit with the remainder of Jesus' teachings on the nature of God. The apostles repeatedly make the unequivocal point that God has nothing to do with evil. Therefore it is clear that this is a mistranslation by someone within the hierarchy of the Catholic church at some point after the fifth century, when the original church fathers had seen the holy church burdgeon into a very political institution, in which certain mistakes were made based on the poor judgment of men, as evidenced by the very fact of the inclusion of this mistranslation in the orthodox canonical text.

We get around the idea that there are multiple Biblical translations for good reason, knowing that much is lost to history, thus we need to be clear on certain points which seem off kilter in respect of scripture's internal consistency, so we can begin to approach an understanding of Biblical text as a matter of discerning both the letter & the Spirit, in terms of whether a particular portion of scripture lines up with what we feel in our hearts most appropriately relfects the Living & Active Spirit of the Word of God.

"Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God. And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

2 Corinthians 3: 6

Anyone who has been baptised in the Holy Spirit, in time becomes familiar with the way in which the Holy Spirit gives inspiration to us both individually & as a group, &/or provides a witness as One who can testify to the truth of a matter (spontaneously the Spirit does at times affirm to us individually or as a group regarding whether a certain fact of a matter is truth; however, we're not talking of taking it upon ourselves to attempt to divine the answer to a problem from scratch), There are other gifts of various types, such as the provision of dreams, audible words of knowledge, or visions revealing truth or matters of encouragement to edify the believers & to provde proof to non-Christians that God is real. This frequently occurs when God reveals a personal piece of information regarding a certain person to a Christian believer who then shares that info with the person concerned, so that the preternatural knowledge, which cannot be known to anyone but the person involved, and God, proves to that person that God is a reality, and contributes to their new birth as a Christian believer.

What I'm getting at here is to say that the Spirit of God will sometimes operate on a level which provides an assurance that we're on the right track - individually experienced, one can receive a witness to the truth of a matter, and often we get a sense that although there may be more than one way to translate a Biblical passage, there are two or three translations which do not harm the Spirit of the intention of that written word, indeed the extra translations frequently enrich our understanding, as when you delve into the Hebrew language you realise that an English translation leaves a LOT to be desired.

Hebrew is a complex language, and Greek comes from the same linguistic root as Hebrew, sharing similar letterforms in places. Sentences which are written in either or both languages can be partly interpreted in more than one way, explicitly so with Hebrew, where words mean different things depending on the context. Also, each letter also corresponds to a number, and this one fact can enrich whole passages of scripture from the Old Testament. The original Greek also is often used in minister's sermons to elucidate a deeper meaning than that which is most readily apparent in the various translations which are in use all around the world.

The point I'm making is that sticking rigidly to what you might believe the letter of the law to be, in terms of a specific translation, may actually harm your development as a Christian, if you're unwilling to be educated regarding the rich layers of meaning & symbolic subtext which are encoded even in the language itself, providing a rich bounty of understanding that glorifies God in deeper, broader & higher ways.

No it has not.

Have you read and understand all of Job?

He never blasphemed, oh the woes on all of him and his house, health, life, etc...

Oh for myself such a strong focus and faith.

It is said by the saints who experienced many many trials and tribulations, not the like of me, I am sure you are a better keeper of his commandments than I OP, that the OVERCOMING of what in that prayer is petitioned and supplicated for the grace of in the original, now here, is what gains the victory over them doing it, allowed and sent by God, is the battle, that leads to the crown of the glory of the saints. (of course all Glory and praise be to God the father, the son, the holy spirit)

It's not a 100 meters everyone gets a medal race.

Truly a marathon and very very few from what I can ascertain win the race.

What offends and upsets you so much is the very act of it.

As it does me brothers and sisters.

May God Bless You
a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

edit spelling

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

Lead us not into temptation...

I (used to) see it like this:


God leads you as he is the one you go to for guidance through his son Jesus.

He lead Job, and he led his son towards the crucifixion.

The prayer is requesting to avoid such tests by someone admitting their sinfulness and personal frailty and preemptively stating

(quote)

But deliver us from the evil one

(/quote)


Which infers you have already submitted to his glory and pray for distancing from that which attempts to corrupt your soul as you are admittedly a mere mortal in constant need of his grace.


No troubling conflict for me there, at least.

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment
I simply found it interesting.

But you think that I am ignorant?

And all the posters who starred the post are dumb and stupid?

You told TooMuchTimeAndResearch to stfu (the stop sign emoji) ... what are you then?

originally posted by: FlyInTheOintment
...
As you will no doubt see, this emphasises the correct relationship between God & Mankind - humans are being taught to ask God to strenthen them against the snares of temptation that we cannot totally avoid in our daily lives, and specifically we are taught to pray daily for help to be protected from evil forces should we ever come into contact with them in whatever unfortunate circumstances may occur while we live out our lives seeking to be good people, serving God. It's a healthy reminder that there is an Enemy at the gates, hence we should take care not to wander down dark paths, and of course we are taught to depend on God's strength for protection against those powerful evil forces/entities.

A Bible reference in the translation I usually use leads to 1 Corinthians 10:13 (there are 3 Bible references for that specific phrase), which says:

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

On another note (even though you already responded to that point with more or less the same explanation), did Jesus intend that this prayer be repeated word for word every time we pray, as is done by many in Christendom? No. Just before Jesus provided this prayer as a pattern, he said: “When praying, do not say the same things over and over again.” (Matt. 6:7) On a later occasion, he restated this prayer but used different wording. (Luke 11:1-4) Thus Jesus helped us know what sort of things we need to ask for and in what order of importance. Hence, it is fitting to call it the model prayer. Jesus was simply providing models or examples of how his followers can pray and of what they can appropriately pray for. Most important, his words indicated who should be the recipient of prayer.

The Gospel account of Luke records that one of Jesus’ disciples requested of him: “Lord, teach us how to pray.” In response, Jesus began: “Whenever you pray, say, ‘Father, let your name be sanctified.’” During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus likewise instructed his followers to pray: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”​—Luke 11:1, 2; Matthew 6:9.

The first thing we learn, then, is that prayer, or worshipful address, should be directed to Jesus’ Father, whose name is Jehovah. Nowhere does the Bible authorize us to pray to anyone else. This is appropriate since, as Moses was told when he received the Ten Commandments, Jehovah is “a God exacting exclusive devotion.”​—Exodus 20:5.

“Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”—Ephesians 1:3.

Questions From Readers (1970)

● What is the meaning of the prayer to God: “Do not bring us into temptation”?​—E. D., U.S.A.

This is part of Jesus’ familiar ‘model prayer.’ After urging his disciples to pray for forgiveness, Christ concluded the prayer: “And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.”​—Matt. 6:12, 13; Luke 11:4.

Some have wondered whether this means that unless one asks God to do otherwise God is going to tempt one to sin. But that absolutely cannot be, for Jehovah inspired Jesus’ half brother James to write: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ No; for with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” (Jas 1:13) Jesus’ words must be understood in the light of this verse and in harmony with it.

The experience of Adam and Eve illuminates what Christ meant. God permitted them to eat to satisfaction from “every tree desirable to one’s sight and good for food.” However, they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and bad.​—Gen. 2:9, 16, 17.

That was a test on them, true. Yet it was not an evil test designed to hurt them. God was not like the religious enemies of Christ who schemed to test him so as to trap him and thus have an excuse to have him killed. (Matt. 22:15-18; Mark 11:18; 12:13; John 11:53) By this simple test of Adam and Eve, Jehovah could make plain what they really were, whether as free moral agents they truly wanted to obey and serve their Creator.

But note what a fine thing God did: To help Adam and Eve avoid error, in effect, to ‘bring them not into temptation,’ He explained that to disobey would be wrong and would lead to death. Surely warning a person against evil is not tempting him with it. Was it not the Devil who tempted the first pair? He saw an opportunity to tempt them to go beyond the boundaries that God had set for them. His false description of the outcome of eating from the tree created a wrong desire, which in turn led to sin.​—Gen. 3:1-6; Jas. 1:14, 15.

As he did with Adam and Eve, God leads Christians today ‘not into temptation’ by warning us against evils and by advising us what the outcome will be if we share in such things. We are thus aided to avoid temptations to do wrong.

For instance, Jehovah clearly tells us that adultery is a sin and to be shunned. (Ex. 20:14; Rom. 13:9, 10) That is a warning so that we are not ignorant of what is wrong. Also, He states what the results would be if a Christian practiced that wrong; he would defile the marriage bed, be judged adversely and not inherit the Kingdom. (Heb. 13:4; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10) Plainly, Jehovah is not tempting Christians into adultery. On the contrary, observe the splendid counsel at 1 Corinthians 7:5. To married couples who might, by mutual consent, abstain from marital relations for a time, went the advice that then they should ‘come together again, that Satan may not keep tempting them’ toward adultery. The temptation would not be from God, who had alerted and forewarned them, but from Satan through the operation of wrong desire.

Similarly, at 1 Timothy 6:9, 10 Jehovah warns that the love of money is dangerous and that it can lead to all sorts of injurious things. And he states that the outcome of this love and the determination to be rich can include being led astray from the faith and suffering many pains. So we are notified of what is wrong and made aware of the harm that can result if we fall into this temptation.​—2 Cor. 2:11.

One who prays not to be brought into temptation obligates himself to do his best to avoid temptations. That would include shunning thoughts that build up wrong desires as well as situations where temptations are likely to arise. Also he must let Jehovah strengthen him by studying God’s Word so that he can discern good from evil.

Consequently, Jesus’ words “Do not bring us into temptation” do not imply that God tempts us or brings us into situations that tempt us with evil, and hence the necessity of begging Him to do otherwise. Rather, they constitute a request that God not leave us ignorant of evil things that might be a temptation, but that he warn and strengthen us so that we can avoid the temptation or endure it.

Bringing us back to 1 Corinthians 10:13:

No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men. But God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be able to endure it.

originally posted by: St Udio


the phrase lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil

is an open invitation for the supernatural being to over-ride the 'free will' clause given to each individual as a Right

making the petitioner a 'shirker'

That's a tough one.

Who is leading who? Sheep being led mentality?

Or if some believe that the Lord is the Shepherd and we the sheep. If we misunderstand or skew the message, don't we then lead ourselves?

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

Come on guys & girls, we're supposed to be wise! If you give stars to a person without thinking through the ignorance which they are demonstrating with their comment, it makes us look collectively rather stupid. Jesus asks us to invest our talent of silver, which in this context means applying your ability to think critically in regards to a given problem, and figure out the best solution.

The silver was given to five servants, each given different amounts of silver according to their ability. I wonder how many servants back then mastered critical thinking.

If theologians keep arguing biblical context, what makes us think we have it solved?

The words in the bible, while important, are not accurate, since they are all interpretations of the word of God written down by people, and those people were all men.

I have no doubt that if there were also women on those writing teams, the accuracy would have improved substantially.

originally posted by: charlyv
The words in the bible, while important, are not accurate, since they are all interpretations of the word of God written down by people, and those people were all men.

I have no doubt that if there were also women on those writing teams, the accuracy would have improved substantially.

Is that why the Gospel of Mary was rejected?

Karen King considers the work to provide -

an intriguing glimpse into a kind of Christianity lost for almost fifteen hundred years...[it] presents a radical interpretation of Jesus' teachings as a path to inner spiritual knowledge; it rejects His suffering and death as the path to eternal life; it exposes the erroneous view that Mary of Magdala was a prostitute for what it is – a piece of theological fiction; it presents the most straightforward and convincing argument in any early Christian writing for the legitimacy of women's leadership; it offers a sharp critique of illegitimate power and a utopian vision of spiritual perfection; it challenges our rather romantic views about the harmony and unanimity of the first Christians; and it asks us to rethink the basis for church authority.[23]

King concludes that “both the content and the text’s structure lead the reader inward toward the identity, power and freedom of the true self, the soul set free from the Powers of Matter and the fear of death”. “The Gospel of Mary is about inter-Christian controversies, the reliability of the disciples’ witness, the validity of teachings given to the disciples through post-resurrection revelation and vision, and the leadership of women.”[21]

en.wikipedia.org...

I have been with the church since for more than 70 years. Studied the Ministry for three years formally including Homiletic s and Greek. I have been aware of this line for many years as well. I have never had a problem with the Lords prayer, even this line. Before or after my studies.
It was not devastating to me nor to people I spoke to. Most ministers who speak of it know its meaning from original texts and speak the same to their congregations.
People who have not be taught, but only reading the line would think of God the great tempter. But do keep in mind, every single Christian is tested. It is God who allows those tests. He even allowed Christ to be put to the test. Christ would not have been tempted by Satan if God had not allowed it. It had to happen.

We ourselves are frequently tested, but it is God who allows it. We learn from it. Grow closer to God by learning the evil that men do. One of the best and closest of translations is this one:
Polyglot, Greek:
biblehub.com...

It can now be found as in the link in a very close interlinear translation.

Just in case my link does not work, Polyglot can be found at the Bible Hub as well as on other sites. The translation literally reads

“And do not insert us for a test, but rescue us from the wicked one”

God does indeed test us. But if you are prepared to be tested, which you should be, there will be no fear. I see no problem with God testing us. Without it we would simply fail.
Most ministers have formally studied….I studied at Lincoln Christian College ...I did indeed study Greek though much is now forgotten.

Every minister should be relating to those he speaks to that God does indeed have his occasion to test us. Not tempt. They are not the same, so indeed you are right. Unless properly taught by someone who knows the meaning one could indeed become fearful and disillusioned.

That line should be translated….”tested or test” not tempt. There are thousands of translation mistakes throughout history. Note in Revelation the 4th horse. Death. A “pale” horse? NOT> that word is mistranslated and means “Green” the word Chloros or Cloros. Is not pale...it is Green which was the considered the color of death 2000 years ago.
We have available to us today online the information we need to be well informed. Many do not even care. Yes many are fearful. But one should study the truth and know it. And many ministers indeed do fail their calling. Today we have many options to know the truth. We have no excuse not to be able to understand our Holy God. Thank you for bringing this to the attention of the many. Perhaps there will be a little less fear and a little more love. S and F Good Post

a reply to: DavidsHope

How can we be tested when we can't even figure out the true meaning of the words of God? Or is it word of man?

It means exactly what it says. The Father will guide you through this.

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

The Lords Prayer is Kemetic in origin dating back a lot further than the bible psycops operation.

originally posted by: Cwantas
It means exactly what it says. The Father will guide you through this.

That's what it means to you, not to me. So God tests Abraham's loyalty, then an angel stops him. What has fearing God have to do with loyalty? The testing has a lot to unpack.

(Genesis 22:10) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

(Genesis 22:11) And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

(Genesis 22:12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

originally posted by: purplemer
a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

The Lords Prayer is Kemetic in origin dating back a lot further than the bible psycops operation.

The Lord's prayer, or spiritual revenerance is a trait reserved for the most intelligent animals. While humans are certainly THE BEST at conveying our metaphysical or spiritual beliefs, I'm not so sure we are the only species that have them.

Forgive this "food for thought" sidetrack.

While whale language is far too complex and nuanced by pod to decode, there is enough evidence for things like family names, dialects, and culture.

New science is slowly being revealed. A scientific paper came out not long ago that revealed that Beluga calves are given a name when they are born, but it is the same name as the mother. But once the little Beluga starts to speak … they get their own name.

So maybe like dolphins. When dolphins greet each other, they sort of say hello, and they have their own name attached to their signature whistle. And, of course, dolphins and whales are all part of cetaceans, the same big family. So it wouldn't be surprising that belugas would be similar. Same with Orcas. They're all having these rich dialects within these families. And it is somewhat cultural, of course.”

And people swear Elephants have religion. We know they mourn the dead and have at least burial ritual.

And just like early man it involves looking up at round things in the sky.

Siegel has studied the precursors of religious faith in African elephants and concludes that "elephants are aware of natural cycles, as they practice "moon worship," waving branches at the waxing moon and engaging in ritual bathing when the moon is full." Observations by Pliny the Elder also note supposed elephant ...reverence for the celestial bodies.

One could make the argument the canine is intelligent enough for ritual. They have battle cries at very least. A social gathering call that the pack hunt is underway. Unfortunately, like earthquakes, it has no relation to the phase of the moon.

I see ritual in other animals. And the more intelligent they are (like Elephants and whales) the more like humans they are, and the less the things we do seem to be all the mysterious.

I'd love for AI to decode a whale pod's language, find out what unique stories they tell.

Sorry for the heretic detour.

a reply to: Degradation33

The topic of non-human culture and evidence of meaningful ritual merits a thread in its own right.

Not to say it was exactly off-topic here...

Just encouraging you to ponder a larger conversation about just that.

originally posted by: Itisnowagain
It's interesting that the version you give is different from the version I grew up with:

The prayer is different between different churches. The official CoE version of the Lord's Prayer is different from the one in the OP.

CoE Lord's Prayer

I think that everything to do with Christianity, or any other religion for that matter, which has been translated continuously, alongside changes to language and social context, will have difference and nuance.

That's what it means to you, not to me. So God tests Abraham's loyalty, then an angel stops him. What has fearing God have to do with loyalty? The testing has a lot to unpack.

(Genesis 22:10) And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

(Genesis 22:11) And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

(Genesis 22:12) And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, to be guided through this life so we can be delivered from evil.

It's about returning to The Father so no sin, and no fear of Him.

a reply to: Cwantas

originally posted by: quintessentone
That's what it means to you, not to me. So God tests Abraham's loyalty, then an angel stops him. What has fearing God have to do with loyalty? ...

Fear has haunted mankind for centuries. Fear of hunger, disease, crime, or war keeps millions of people in constant anxiety. On the other hand, fear can also be a positive force. In the Scriptures, God’s servants are repeatedly urged to fear Jehovah, and this is often connected to the concept of keeping His commandments, serving Him, i.e. obedience and loyalty.

“If only they would develop this heart of theirs to fear me and to keep all my commandments always.”​—DEUTERONOMY 5:29.

Moses told the Israelites: “Jehovah your God you should fear, and him you should serve.” (Deuteronomy 6:13) Centuries later Solomon wrote: “Fear the true God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole obligation of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) In addition to fearing Jehovah, Christians must love him with their whole heart. (Matthew 22:37, 38) How can we love God and at the same time fear him? Why is it necessary to fear a loving God? What benefits do we derive from cultivating godly fear? To answer these questions, we must first understand what the fear of God means and how this type of fear forms a fundamental part of our relationship with Jehovah.

Fear of God is a feeling Christians should have toward their Maker. One definition of this fear is “an awe and a profound reverence for the Creator and a wholesome dread of displeasing him.” Thus, fear of God influences two important aspects of our lives: our attitude toward God and our attitude toward conduct that he hates. Obviously, both aspects are crucial and deserve careful consideration. As Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words points out, for Christians this reverential fear is ‘a controlling motive of life, in matters both spiritual and moral.’

How can we develop feelings of awe and reverence for our Creator? We stand in awe when we see a beautiful landscape, an impressive waterfall, or a spectacular sunset. This feeling is heightened when we discern, with eyes of faith, the hand of God behind such creative works. Furthermore, like King David, we perceive our own insignificance in comparison with Jehovah’s awesome creation. “When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have prepared, what is mortal man that you keep him in mind?” (Psalm 8:3, 4) This profound awe leads to reverence, which moves us to thank and praise Jehovah for all that he does for us. David also wrote: “I shall laud you because in a fear-inspiring way I am wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, as my soul is very well aware.”​—Psalm 139:14.

Feelings of awe and reverence engender a wholesome and respectful fear of God’s power as Creator and of his authority as the rightful Ruler of the universe. In a vision that the apostle John saw, “those who come off victorious from the wild beast and from its image”​—the anointed followers of Christ in their heavenly position—​proclaim: “Great and wonderful are your works, Jehovah God, the Almighty. Righteous and true are your ways, King of eternity. Who will not really fear you, Jehovah, and glorify your name?” (Revelation 15:2-4) Fear of God, derived from a profound reverence for his majesty, leads these corulers with Christ in the heavenly Kingdom to honor God as the ultimate authority. When we consider all that Jehovah has accomplished and the righteous way in which he governs the universe, do we not have ample reason to fear him?​—Psalm 2:11; Jeremiah 10:7.

In addition to awe and reverence, however, fear of God must include a wholesome dread of displeasing him or being disobedient to him. Why? Because while Jehovah is “slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness,” we must remember that “by no means will he give exemption from punishment.” (Exodus 34:6, 7) Though loving and merciful, Jehovah does not tolerate unrighteousness and willful wrongdoing. (Psalm 5:4, 5; Habakkuk 1:13) Those who deliberately and unrepentantly practice what is wicked in Jehovah’s eyes and who set themselves in opposition to him cannot do so with impunity. As the apostle Paul said, “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Having a wholesome dread of falling into such a situation is ultimately a protection for us.​—Hebrews 10:31.

Reverential fear of God and acute awareness of his awesome power are precursors of trust and confidence in Jehovah. Just as a young child feels protected when his father is near, so we feel secure and confident under Jehovah’s guiding hand. Note how the Israelites reacted after Jehovah led them out of Egypt: “Israel also got to see the great hand that Jehovah put in action against the Egyptians; and the people began to fear Jehovah and to put faith in Jehovah.” (Exodus 14:31) Elisha’s experience also testifies to the fact that “the angel of Jehovah is camping all around those fearing him, and he rescues them.” (Psalm 34:7; 2 Kings 6:15-17) Thus we come to appreciate that “in the fear of Jehovah there is strong confidence.”​—Proverbs 14:26.

Wholesome fear of God not only fosters trust and confidence in him but also motivates us to walk in his ways. When Solomon inaugurated the temple, he prayed to Jehovah: “May [Israel] fear you by walking in your ways all the days that they are alive upon the surface of the ground that you gave to our forefathers.” (2 Chronicles 6:31) Earlier, Moses urged the Israelites: “After Jehovah your God you should walk, and him you should fear, and his commandments you should keep, and to his voice you should listen, and him you should serve, and to him you should cling.” (Deuteronomy 13:4) As these verses clearly show, the desire to walk in Jehovah’s ways and to “cling” to him comes from trust and confidence in God. Yes, godly fear leads us to obey Jehovah, to serve him, and to cling to him, just as a young child may literally cling to his father in whom he has implicit trust and confidence.​—Psalm 63:8; Isaiah 41:13.

To Love God Is to Fear Him

From a Scriptural standpoint, fearing God does not in any way rule out loving him. On the contrary, the Israelites were instructed to “fear Jehovah . . . so as to walk in all his ways and to love him.” (Deuteronomy 10:12) Thus, fear of God and love of God are closely connected. Fear of God moves us to walk in his ways, and this in turn gives proof of our love for him. (1 John 5:3) This is logical because when we love someone, we rightly fear to hurt him. The Israelites hurt Jehovah by their rebellious course in the wilderness. Surely we would not want to do anything to bring such sorrow to our heavenly Father. (Psalm 78:40, 41) On the other hand, since “Jehovah is finding pleasure in those fearing him,” our obedience and faithfulness make his heart rejoice. (Psalm 147:11; Proverbs 27:11) Love of God moves us to please him, and fear of God holds us back from hurting him. They are complementary, not contradictory, qualities.

The life course of Jesus Christ clearly illustrates how we can love and fear God at the same time. Of Jesus the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Upon him the spirit of Jehovah must settle down, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the spirit of counsel and of mightiness, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and there will be enjoyment by him in the fear of Jehovah.” (Isaiah 11:2, 3) According to this prophecy, God’s spirit moved Jesus to fear his heavenly Father. Furthermore, we note that this fear, far from being restrictive, was a source of satisfaction. Jesus found delight in doing God’s will and in pleasing him, even in the most difficult circumstances. When faced with impending execution on the torture stake, he told Jehovah: “Not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39) Because of this godly fear, Jehovah listened favorably to his Son’s supplications, strengthened him, and saved him out of death.​—Hebrews 5:7.

edit on 1-2-2023 by whereislogic because: (no reason given)