Date

8-20-2026

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)

Chair

Joel Ajayi

Keywords

fear, fear of the Lord, biblical theology, religion, sinful fear

Disciplines

Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

This research portrays a biblical theology of God’s presence in response to humanity’s natural fear when people are engaged in relationship with him. The Bible is framed with God dwelling with people and the absence of fear at the beginning of their existence and at the end of time in the new heaven and new earth. Fear arrives in the garden with Adam and Eve’s choice for autonomy and their relationship with God, and thus his presence, undergoes a change. From Moses through the Writings and the Prophets, then through the apostles’ experiences conveyed in the Epistles, the reality of fear in humanity’s experience is expressed in Scripture. Yet in each situation, God is present with his people, whether directly or indirectly through his words and promises, assuring people that he is with them.

Jesus-followers believe that God is not just transcendent, but also immanent and that life with him and engagement with his Word brings comfort and transformative solutions to spiritual but also mental and physical aspects of the believer’s life. Just as one is called to love the LORD your God with all of your heart, soul, and might (Deut 6:5; cf., Matt 22:37), God responds with care for the whole being of his image bearers. Humanity’s fear is a prevalent emotion identified throughout Scripture. However, biblical analysis identifies that along with that emotion, God’s Word consistently provides the “solution” to fear that is found in the presence of God. Research of key passages using the Hebrew and Greek terms for fear (primarily ירא and φόβος) shows that it is in relationship with Yahweh, paradoxically identified in the Bible as the fear of the LORD, that God’s presence is known and fear is overcome in the life of the Jesus follower through trust in Almighty God.

This paper does not propose that the topic of fear is a primary theme in Scripture, but rather that a divine response is seen consistently throughout the canon whether by Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible, Jesus in the Gospels, or God’s Spirit throughout the Epistles and Revelation. This response, whether explicit or implied, calls people out of the immobilizing emotion of fear to the empowering fear of the LORD, to be God-fearers who choose to trust in One greater than themselves with the assurance of his care for them. The Bible begins with the introduction of fear into the human existence as Adam and Eve chose their way over God’s (Gen 3:15). The narrative ends with fear overcome by the fulfillment of the reign of God Almighty and the marriage of the Lamb for all “who fear him, small and great” (Rev 19:5). Recognizing fear as an emotion, an innate response in every human being, Scripture portrays various scenarios from impending leadership responsibilities (Joshua) to lives at risk (the disciples at sea). Exegesis focusing on the historical context and grammatical analysis provides a glimpse into the message for the original audience and the timeless biblical theological principle that life will present uncertain circumstances, but as the believer chooses to trust in Yahweh and engage in a relationship with him identified scripturally as the fear of the LORD, natural fear can be overcome, subordinate to the presence of God.

The scope of this research is not to provide a comprehensive survey of all references to fear and its related terms in Scripture. Rather, the intent is to present exegetical analysis of key passages throughout the First and Second Testaments in order to argue that fear, or being afraid, is an emotion that is natural to humanity and necessary for survival. However, knowing this, Yahweh uses biblical writers to address fear throughout the canon with the assurance of his presence. Indeed, the paradox of fear in Scripture is that to truly appropriately manage or overcome one’s fear successfully is to have a relationship of trust in Yahweh that is described in the Bible as the fear of the LORD.

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