January 17, 2008
The Fear of God: A Forgotten Doctrine
| Host: | Ingrid Schlueter |
| Guest: | Arnold Frank |
| Listen: | RealAudio | Windows Media | MP3 | Order Tape or CD |
If you attend an evangelical church service today you're apt to see everything from Elvis impersonators to Michael Jackson "Thriller" dances. These and other examples of man centered nonsense are replacing many traditions of the Christian faith. Such methods merely distract people from the biblical concept of the fear of God.
In order to address this seemingly forgotten issue, Ingrid interviewed Dr. Arnold Frank, author of the book, The Fear of God: A Forgotten Doctrine.
The fear of God was a prominent doctrine in America up until about 1850. Dr. Frank feels that at some point this concept gradually gained some kind of negative understanding. Modern Bible translations appear to prove his point. He notes how they translate fear from the Old Testament as "awe" or "reverence," generic words that aren't very specific. He feels this pacifies the concept of fear.
Dr. Frank then defines aspects such as negative fear and positive fear of God. Negative fear is that fear which drives people away from God. One example would be Adam when he confessed his sin and he told God that he heard his voice and was afraid.
Positive fear is described as a salvation gift from God whereby we want to do those things that please him, while refraining from those things that displease him.
A key thought that Dr. Frank points out is that fear and love are like fraternal twins. Both are spiritual graces. So, if you're struggling with the fear of God and its place in the life of the believer, you'll want to listen to this edition of Crosstalk.
NOTE: This program first aired January 11, 2008.
More Information
To obtain a copy of The Fear of God for a donation of $18, contact:
Crosstalk
3434 W. Kilbourn Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53208
1-800-729-9829 M-F 8am-5pm Central
