The Fear of God - What it is and what it is not by John Bunyan

by John Bunyan

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life" - the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle so vastly important, all the subtle malignity of Satan has been directed, if possible to mislead the very elect; while the ungodly and impenitent fall under his devices. To the mind enlightened by divine truth, the difference between a filial fear of offending God and the dread of punishment is very plain. Still, by the devil's sophistry, some of the most pious Christians have been puzzled and bewildered. Bunyan was not ignorant of Satan's devices, and he has roused the energies of his powerful mind, guided by divine truth, to render this important doctrine so clear and easy to be understood, that the believer may not err.2018 Blackstone Publishing (P)2018 John Bunyan

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christian Living, Audiobook, Christianity, Religion, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1679

About the author

John Bunyan, a Christian writer and preacher, was born at Harrowden (one mile south-east of Bedford), in the Parish of Elstow, England. He wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the most famous published Christian allegory. In the Church of England he is remembered with a Lesser Festival on 30 August.

Reviews

[Winnie Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glorious. I started this book six months ago and tossed it during a long hiatus because I simply didn’t get it. The fear of the Lord seemed simultaneously boring and redundant (I believed I knew it only too well) yet rude and bizarre (why would God be so mean as to insist that I be afraid of Him?). I just didn’t like the book. And Bunyan is so old fashioned, hard to read, etc.

It took an act of God to open my eyes to the fact that I desperately needed this book. I didn’t understand the fear of God at all.

Fear is an inescapable concept. It isn’t whether we fear God, but how we fear Him. We will either fear Him or we will be afraid of Him. Two totally different things. And I realized all of a sudden this summer that a lot of my pizazzy confidence was just a cloak disguising how very much afraid of God I was. Since I was afraid of Him, I could not truly fear Him.

Good fear revels in His mercy, like a forgiven son. Craven fear cowers before Him and even hates Him for being a hard master, like a slave. Good fear believes God’s promises and trusts in His love. Craven fear can’t believe God would ever love such a sinner. Good fear rests in God’s forgiveness. Craven fear never stops working, trying desperately to please the God who is impossible to please. Good fear basks in God’s grace and joyfully extends it to others. Craven fear doesn’t recognize grace at all and refuses to give it to anyone else. Good fear sets you free. Craven fear sends you to hell.

Bunyan truly delights in the fear of the Lord. You can tell it’s one of his favorite things to talk about. And if that rubs you the wrong way…just ask God to show you whether that’s because you’re actually secretly afraid of Him. He would love to set you free.

[Felipe Sabino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom. Um clássico da teologia puritana.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding! Bunyan is famous as author The Pilgrim's Progress and The Holy War (both allegories). But his short and simple treatises on biblical and practical themes are just as good and this one is superb. Bunyan distinguishes between two kinds of fear, showing that the spiritual grace of fearing God is not servile, but filial, not the terror of a slave but the delightful reverence of a child. Then he shows the source, effects, and privileges of this fear and ends with practical application. The things that make this book so good are: (1) simple organization (2) biblical exposition (3) urgent application (4) gospel orientation and (5) spiritual perception. For readers who struggle with 17th century prose, there are updated versions available and Michael Reeves' book Rejoice & Tremble covers the same ground, channelling Bunyan throughout.

[Emma Grace Blumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is so rich. I’m already thinking I’ll need to read it again before the year ends.

[Jordan Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. I loved this one and thought it was so helpful in understanding godly vs. ungodly fear, where it comes from, and what flows from it.

Q: But would you not have the people of God stand in fear of his rod, and be afraid of his judgments?
A: Yes, and the more they are rightly afraid of them, the less and the seldomer will they come under them; for it is want of fear that brings us to son, and it is sin that brings us into these afflictions. But I would not have them fear with the fear of slaves; for that would add no strength against sin; but I would have them fear with the reverential fear of sons, and that is the way to depart from evil.”

[Kells Next Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

🙏🙏

That was deep—a definite must-read. I will have to set a reminder to reread this at least twice a year.

[Anete Ābola · Rating 5 out of 5]

So full of truth, encouragement, biblical challenges and wisdom. As Bunyan usually is.

[ValeReads Kyriosity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gonna relisten right away, so no review for now. (Except that the fact I'm gonna relisten right away oughta tellya somethin'!)

[alex creel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! I was blown away by this book. It is very well-organized and thorough in its explanations/argumentation, while also conveying a caring tone from which you can tell he actually desires his readers to come to the proper, loving, "fear of the Lord."
Virtually everything needed to understand and apply the topic is found here. What the proper fear of the Lord is; how it is distinguished from wrong/sinful fears; how to be sure that one has the right/holy fear; where it comes from; what it produces; how to grow in it; etc. Nearly everything was substantiated by a maxim in Scripture or a story from Scripture illustrating the concept being described. Bunyan gives answers to questions, but beyond that, answers some of what you wouldn't think to ask and shows you how "the fear of God" actually affects your life (not just remaining as some remote theological concept).

It of course was published in 1679, so some of the language can be difficult or harder to track with. His presentation is very straightforward and systematic, though; and I found it easier to read than (the few) other Puritan Paperbacks books I've read.
I read it in a day, so there are also depths to this book that I haven't gone back and fully reflected on yet, but I plan to, and to take more thorough notes on it.

I think I'll not write a review for Reeves' "Rejoice and Tremble," which I finished the day after this, because it covers almost all the same topics and Scripture (though it also has the benefit of being in our modern era, & so speaks more to this generation's concerns etc.).

[Christian Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year new books are written that were already written, and often times these former books describe more elegantly the splendors of Christ. Bunyan’s work is a perfect example of this. One aspect of reading Puritan classics that I appreciate is that they are very aware that a non-Christian
May pick up their work; thus, Bunyan directs large portions of the text to focusing on the unbeliever to fear the holy of holies. Bunyan works through Scripture to argue that the fear of the Lord is a gracious gift of God and powerfully articulates how each believer should seek to go into further intimacy with the Lord through awe and reverence of him.

[Gradon Schaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Bunyan thoroughly explains what the fear of God is (and is not). This would actually be a great book for those that struggle with assurance because of Bunyan's explanation of the difference between how the Spirit brings the fear of God before a person repents and believes and how the Spirit brings the fear of God after a person repents and believes.

[Jordan Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the typical Puritan style (verbose and loquacious) Bunyan helps us understand the difference between unholy fear of God and holy filial fear. He then proceeds to unpack the grace which flows from godly filial fear. It’s not the easiest of reads but it is extremely helpful.

[Philip Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pilgrim's Progress aside, John Bunyan is underrated. This book is next level. Highly recommended.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bunyan lives and breathes Scripture and the insights therein. He carefully crafts an exceedingly thorough and in-depth treatise on the fear of God, which it seems is a relatively brushed-by doctrine in today's culture. Not that it goes completely untaught, but it doesn't seem to compare to more popular topics in evangelical circles today.
I was really blessed by numerous insights from this book, and I would recommend it to others. The only drawback is the somewhat archaic old English, but if you are used to the King James it is definitely readable, and not as bad as it could be compared to other Puritan writers. Bunyan does a great job communicating to the masses, even if the language is cumbersome at times. I was so grateful to find this book in Kindle format for a very low price. It's amazing how you can get such spiritual gems for only a couple dollars nowadays.

[Michael Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though hard to follow and wordy, Bunyan uses many Scriptures to remind us that God in His power and greatness is worthy of our fear. I would have liked him to write more more clearly how the Christian specifically relates to the fear of God, but I am thankful he did not water down the meaning of the fear of God throughout the work. I read this as a section of Vol. 1 in the three Volume set of Bunyan's works. Bunyan should get more recognition as a theologian, beyond being the author of the classic Pilgrim's Progress.

[Lady Safari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy book to read because it exposes!

I have always enjoyed John Bunyan's books. It's written simply, but has such depth. I wanted to learn more about the fear of God and was delighted when I saw this book by Bunyan. I learnt loads and he give great application into this book too.

Thank you Mr McReynolds for bringing this book into modern English. I think you did a great job.

[Meaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book! It's one of those books that I will find myself reading over and over again. It's a great reminder of how great God is and how much we should walk in fear before Him, even as His children. Bunyan goes through different kinds of fear people have toward God and then hits home with the kind of fear a Christian ought to have toward God and what it is that inspires that fear.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book so thorough and applicable, it has remained the standard treatment of this vital subject for hundreds of years.

Bunyan is very readable, very convicting, and very profitable. Excellent book on a topic that most Christians (myself included) give very little thought to, but which the Bible speaks much about.

[Matthew Prydden · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty thorough exploration of the subject matter of 'The Fear of God', John Bunyan includes pretty much every related Bible reference and comes at the subject from pretty much every conceivable angle!

[Some Christian Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Bunyan never disappoints. I listened to this on Audible, so I definitely think I missed some important things, which is why I plan on purchasing a hard copy of this and reading it again in the future. It gave me a lot to think about.

[Leila McGrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. More general than for practical application. Language old, for me.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing. I will be using this book again when I start my study on "The Fear of God."

[Carolyn Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth

If your looking for Godly truth then this book is filled with scripture that will convict your soul. I highly recommend this book for everyone

[Salvador Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

A careful treatise on the fear of God that is scripture saturated.

[Mattie Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blessed understanding and exposition of the Fear of God… a most needed book in our times…

[Blue Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This once again reaffirms my conviction that in regards to spiritual matters, it is best to read those who are dead. When you have read the puritan writings of the likes of Bunyan or Baxter how could you return to the modern day chaff?

This book is a must read for all believers in Christ. It has challenged, convicted, and warmed my heart. Bunyan describes the Fear of God as the “flower and beauty of ever grace.” One that “beautifies a Christian” and the absence of which is the root of all problems.

He starts by defining Godly fear (“the retaineth in the heart that due dread and reverence of the majesty and awe of God” - “stand in awe and sin not” - Psalm 4:4) while reinforcing the object of our fear which is the word of God.

He then expounds on what ungodly fear looks like while then transitioning to the myriad of blessings righteous fear produces. Concluding with en epic chapter on the implications in a believers life and how to nurture this fear.

I can honestly say that this may have risen up to the ranks of my top 10 Christian books of all time. It’s influenced my daily reading in the word as this theme continues to resonate off the pages of scripture.

Some Favorite Quotes:

- “The fear of God sanctifies the whole duty of man”

- “The fear of the Lord is the pulse of the soul.”

- “The fear of God is the tender grace that keeps the soul on continual watch, against a place that is in continual danger because of the enemy … the grace that sits watch and keeps the watchman awake … a man cannot watch if he is destitute of fear … confident and he sleeps.”

- “Fear of God is seated in the heart, and the heart is the main fort in the man.”

- “The beast, the bird, the fish and all have a fear and dread of man … and yet man is void of fear and dread of Him, who has lovingly put all things under him … sinner aren’t you ashamed that a silly cow, a sheep, and swine should better observe the law of creation than thou dost the law of God.”

- “Love it, nourish it, exercise it, use all means to cause it to grow in your heart … more privileges attached to the fear of God than any other grace.”

- “Increase in this grace keeps every grace in exercise.”

- “The fear of God is a sign of a princely spirit … when I greatly fear my God, I am above the fear of others, nor can anything in this world, be it ever so terrible and dreadful, move me at all to fear them.”

[Tait Sougstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without the assistance of Bible software, Bunyan must have done a thorough study of the way the Bible uses and frames the concept of the "fear of the Lord". From beginning to end, he leads the reader through what the fear is and is not, how we should think about it, how to strengthen it, objections to it, application, etc.

Having grown up under the teaching that one should just gloss the word "respect" over the word "fear", Bunyan adds so much more nuance and content to the what the Bible means by the word. Listeners to the Bible Project Podcast will be familiar with his hermeneutic: Scanning each use of the word to see how it is used in its context, and then meditating on how each use speaks to each other use, and what kinds of themes and ideas develop, and how they affect related themes and ideas.

It is very difficult to follow the structure of a Puritan book when I listen rather than read. And this book has a very tight structure. However, the devotion and zeal of the author spills over. There are some good lines in here. After getting familiar with the content through the audio, I would love to pour over a paper copy and better follow his study and line of argument.

TL;DR, if you are not turned off by archaic English, there is a lot of insightful and applicable stuff in here.

[Lady Safari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review

John Bunyan was truly a man who earnestly sought the heart of God. His deep and spiritual insights are so inspiring, even though he lived 500 years ago.

I feel this book has been so vital during this Covid period. So much fear and doubt has paralysed so many people and we are seeing much fruit from this. The biggest being the loss of income for so many people.

The essence of this book, I believe is also very much the essence of God and His Word. Either we choose to embrace Him and His Word as truth, living in faith and walking in His promises - Lifting our eyes to Him, seeking His Kingdom and Righteousness First, or falling into disgruntlement, dissatisfaction and turning our backs on Him. We can either strive in our own strength - which usually leads to the above or we can walk in His strength, knowing He is Sovereign and in control.

The narrator is great too!

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Bunyan is methodological in setting out what the fear of God is, and what is not.

He reminds us of the tremendous blessings that the fear of God brings, as well as the damnation for those who don’t fear God.

The best thing about fearing God? He reminds us that it is for anyone. You don’t have to preach well to fear God. You don’t need money to fear God. You can be bedridden and yet fear God.

Overall, a cogent book about the fear of God. My only wish was that in future publications, the old English words (thou, thy, seest, mayest) be further modernized. This will make this book more accessible to readers.

[Jeremy Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an excellent book. Really shows what the fear of God is using many biblical references. I was surprised at how many references there were in regard to this subject. It really does challenge and bring some strong convictions to the reader. I was deeply challenged and need to pray this book into my life. It ends with a 5 minutes attack on hypocrites similar to Jesus woes In Matthew gospel. Again very challenging. Too many only would read John Bunyan Pilgrim Progress but they need to put that book down and begin to read this book and his other works. He pulls no punches.