Fear God alone

[Wootah]

One of things all people but I presume Christians actually try to do it is to fear God and not fear other things.

examples from: https://www.openbible.info/topics/fear_of_the_lord

Proverbs 1:7 ESV
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Deuteronomy 10:12 ESV
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Psalm 23:4 ESV
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Now here are some examples saying to not fear man https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Do-Not-Fear-Men

Psalm 118:6 ESV
The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?

1 Peter 2:17 ESV
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Proverbs 29:25 ESV / 399 helpful votes
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

I like 1 Peter 2 because it says clearly to honour the emperor but not fear the emperor and we can apply that to all kings and rulers.

The general point is that Christians are only meant to fear God and not fear man (or other things pretending to be God or angels). On angels, angels say fear not quite often. I think this is partly due to the fact they are probably terrifying but also because they do not want us to worship them. Only fear God.

Do you agree?

If you do agree can you explain this verse in the Bible?

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/5-21.htm
https://biblehub.com/ephesians/5-21.htm

New International Version
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

New Living Translation
And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

English Standard Version
submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Berean Standard Bible
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Berean Literal Bible
Be submitting yourselves to one another in reverence of Christ:

King James Bible
Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

New King James Version
submitting to one another in the fear of God.

New American Standard Bible
and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

NASB 1995
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

NASB 1977
and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Legacy Standard Bible
and being subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Amplified Bible
being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Christian Standard Bible
submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

American Standard Version
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Be subject to one another in the love of The Messiah.

Contemporary English Version
Honor Christ and put others first.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Being subject one to another, in the fear of Christ.

English Revised Version
subjecting yourselves one to another in the fear of Christ.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Place yourselves under each other's authority out of respect for Christ.

Good News Translation
Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.

International Standard Version
and you will submit to one another out of reverence for the Messiah.

Literal Standard Version
subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.

Majority Standard Bible
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

I notice that the Greek word is phobos (the word for fear, phobia) so translations using reverence are meaning well but are not accurate. Similar to how the word doulos means slave but gets translated servant a lot .

Question: If we are only meant to fear God, why does the Bible say to fear Christ?

Is this evidence that Christ is God and it is good to fear Christ or .... over to you.

[theophile]

I agree that its probable Jesus wasnt completely naked as arguably the extremely modest Jewish society would not have permitted any women to be present otherwise. Either way it was yet another way for his enemies to try and shame the Son if God.

(the undergarment probably refered to his tunic)

I think John is pretty clear that Jesus was naked when crucified, and that the lots cast by the Romans were for his undergarment / loincloth (which means no clothing remained on Jesus himself). But either way, the more important point to answering the OP (IMO) is the relationship between fear of God and nakedness, and how Genesis 2-3 especially opens this up.

Another interesting thread in this regard (if interested) is the serpent. It is initially described as the most 'arum' of wild creatures. This is typically translated as crafty, shrewd, etc., to cast the serpent in nefarious intent. But it can equally be rendered prudent, sensible, wise..., and is placed directly after the verse that says Adam and Eve were both naked ('arom') and unashamed.

The words 'arum' and 'arom' are homonyms, and a clear wordplay is setup here by the author of Genesis 2-3. While we could take this in different directions, I would suggest it is an invitation to read the serpent, also, as the most naked of wild creatures, which makes natural sense given how serpents go so far as to shed their own skin even.

i.e., unlike all the other wild creatures who hide in fear of nakedness / exposure (as wild animals are wont to do), the serpent is notable insofar as it comes out into the open to commune with Adam and Eve... The whole point being that this is not a bad thing, but a precursor to what Adam and Eve are meant to do with God. i.e., nakedness as the precondition / basis for fear of God and the beginning of wisdom...

[onewithhim]

[Replying to theophile in post #81]

See posts 79 and 80.

[Wootah]

Reading the posts on Jesus trial he was falsely convicted of blasphemy because He is God.

[onewithhim]

Reading the posts on Jesus trial he was falsely convicted of blasphemy because He is God.

Hardly. He was convicted of blasphemy because he said he was God's Son and that was enough for the Pharisees to get rid of him. They knew he claimed to be the Son of God, and not God.

Jesus said: "Do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and dispatched into the world, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, I am God's Son?" (John 10:36)

The army officer that was standing by said: "Certainly this man was God's Son." (Mark 15:39)

"The high priest said to him: 'By the living God I put you under oath to tell us whether you are the Christ the Son of God!'" (Matthew 26:63) They considered that claim as worthy of conviction for blasphemy. Just that he claimed to be the Messiah and the Son of God.

The chief priests made fun of him, saying, "He has put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him if He wants him, for he said, 'I am God's Son.'" (Matthew 27:43)

It is clear that they all knew that he claimed to be, not God, but God's Son, as we can see by these verses.