DISSERTATION Title of the Dissertation Does Fear Remain in Old Testament ? Author Eric E. Engleman In Fulfillment of the Academic Title Doctor of Theology Wien, 2009 Studienkennzahl lt. Studienblatt: A 082 041 Dissertationsgebiet lt. Studienblatt: Evangelische Theologie Betreuer: O. Univ.-Prof. Dr. DDr. James Alfred Loader To Pastor Paul Leroy Dirks, D.Min. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (Second Timothy 4:7) CONTENTS FOREWORD................................................................................................................................................ V ABBREVIATIONS......................................................................................................................................VI ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................... VII ZUSAMMENFASSUNG..........................................................................................................................VIII INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................1 METHOD................................................................................................................................................... 3 Assumptions ...........................................................................................................................................3 General Hermeneutical Issues ............................................................................................................. 11 FEAR TERMINOLOGY.......................................................................................................................... 21 Use of English Fear Words.................................................................................................................. 21 Initial Lexical Definitions for ........................................................................................................ 23 CHAPTER ONE FEAR OF GOD ACCORDING TO COMMENTATORS....................................................................... 26 PRE-CRITICAL ERA .............................................................................................................................. 26 The Shepherd of Hermas...................................................................................................................... 26 Tertullian..............................................................................................................................................28 Augustine..............................................................................................................................................29 Thomas Aquinas................................................................................................................................... 32 Martin Luther....................................................................................................................................... 35 John Calvin .......................................................................................................................................... 39 THE CRITICAL PERIOD (WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON JOACHIM BECKER).......................... 40 Rudolf Otto........................................................................................................................................... 41 B. Bamberger ....................................................................................................................................... 55 Joachim Becker.................................................................................................................................... 57 Karl Barth .......................................................................................................................................... 118 Samuel Terrien................................................................................................................................... 119 Horst Balz .......................................................................................................................................... 121 H. P. Stähli......................................................................................................................................... 123 Henri Blocher..................................................................................................................................... 123 Michael Barré .................................................................................................................................... 126 Hans Kramer...................................................................................................................................... 128 Jan Mili č Lochman............................................................................................................................. 129 ANALYSIS OF COMMENTATORS IN VIEW OF THEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL REALITIES............................................................................................................................................ 131 God Created Human Beings and Created Them in His Image .......................................................... 131 God Created Human Beings to Be in Relationship with Him ............................................................ 133 Human Beings Are Vulnerable........................................................................................................... 135 Human Beings Know about God........................................................................................................ 136 Human Beings Know that They Are Guilty and Will Be Judged........................................................ 138 God Desires that a Love Relationship Once Again Be Established................................................... 141 CHAPTER ONE CLOSING THOUGHTS ............................................................................................ 143 III CHAPTER TWO FEAR OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT ....................................................................................... 145 STATISTICS.......................................................................................................................................... 145 Biblical Hebrew Words for Fear........................................................................................................ 145 Analysis of Fear Texts Employing ............................................................................................... 147 Observations from Statistics .............................................................................................................. 158 VIRTUE FEAR-OF-GOD TEXTS WHOSE CONTEXTS INDICATE FEAR .............................. 163 NON- FEAR-OF-GOD CASES THAT INDICATE REAL FEAR.................................................. 169 EXCURSUS : THE FEAR-OF-GOD UNDERSTANDING OF QOHELETH........................................ 172 Eccl 3:14: Fear God because He Is Sovereign .................................................................................. 178 Eccl 5:7 (6): Fear God because He Is the Highest Authority ............................................................ 185 Eccl 7:18: Fear God because Men and Women Are Evil .................................................................. 190 Eccl 8:12, 13: Fear God because It Brings Benefits.......................................................................... 195 Eccl 12:13: Fear God because Death and Judgement Are Inevitable............................................... 200 CHAPTER THREE DOES FEAR-OF-GOD CHANGE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT? ..................................................... 210 THE NT HAS THE SAME THEOLOGY/ANTHROPOLOGY............................................................211 THE NT HAS THE SAME TENSION BETWEEN BELIEVER ASSURANCE AND NON- ASSURANCE ........................................................................................................................................ 215 The NT Indicates that People Will Not Be Perfect in This Life.......................................................... 219 A Key Text: Matt 10:28...................................................................................................................... 222 CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ABOUT FEAR-OF-GOD IN THE NT ................................................. 226 CONCLUSION.......................................................................................................................................... 228 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................................... 238 SCRIPTURE INDEX ................................................................................................................................ 249 IV FOREWORD While serving as an aviator in the US Navy—and just after submitting my life to Jesus Christ—I began to sense a call to academic work. In the decade following military service, I pursued master degrees in divinity and theology while continuing to fly as an airline pilot. Believing that I should continue studying at the doctoral level, I wondered how this would be done while still flying. The answer was given when I suddenly developed eye problems, lost my job as a result, but was provided a disability pension that would provide for my needs going forward. The