Work out your Salvation with Fear and Trembling?
One of the most difficult lines in the New Testament is Paul’s command that we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Philippians 2:12). Did he really mean that we should constantly shudder in fear of God’s judgment?
I think Paul has a completely different idea in mind here. Let’s take a closer look.
First of all, “fear” in the Bible has a wider range of meaning than in English, often encompassing positive ideas like respect and awe. I’ve written about this before. In Hebrew, “Fear” can even describe how the emotion translates into action. “Fear” can mean refer to worship, or to obedience that comes from holding someone in great respect.*
How God Used the Torah to Save the World
For those of you who have followed me for awhile, you know that I write mostly about Jesus in his Jewish context. What if we took a closer at the Torah in its context? In this five-day webinar from the Center for Judaic-Studies, October 5-9, I’ll be taking a deep dive into the Torah and we’ll be uncovering some very surprising things.
We’ll discover laws that were radical in their time, yet foundational to civilization today. And we’ll look at promises in the Pentateuch that undergird the rest of biblical story, including the mission of Christ. Throughout the week, I’ll be sharing new tools for you to use in Bible study too.
Each day, you’ll watch my prerecorded lecture at your leisure. Afterward, we’ll gather to discuss it with our host, James Whitman and your fellow students at either 12:00PM EST or 8:00PM EST. The cost of the webinar is $200, or $150 before October 1st. You can register here. [Read More…]