Topical Bible: Fear of God: Guilty Fear: Judas

◄ Fear of God: Guilty Fear: Judas ►

Jump to: Nave's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of the "Fear of God" encompasses a range of emotions and attitudes towards God, from reverence and awe to dread and terror. Within this spectrum lies the notion of "guilty fear," a fear that arises from the awareness of sin and the anticipation of divine judgment. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, serves as a poignant biblical example of guilty fear.

Judas Iscariot is most infamously known for his betrayal of Jesus, an act that led to Jesus' arrest and crucifixion. The Gospel of Matthew provides a detailed account of Judas's actions and the subsequent fear and remorse he experienced. After betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, Judas was overcome with guilt and fear when he realized the gravity of his actions. Matthew 27:3-4 states, "When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders. 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,' he said."

Judas's fear was not the reverential fear that leads to repentance and restoration with God, but rather a guilty fear that led to despair. His acknowledgment of sin—"I have sinned by betraying innocent blood"—reveals an acute awareness of his wrongdoing. However, instead of seeking forgiveness and reconciliation, Judas succumbed to hopelessness. The Gospel narrative continues in Matthew 27:5 , "So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."

The tragic end of Judas's life illustrates the destructive nature of guilty fear when it is not accompanied by genuine repentance and faith in God's mercy. Unlike Peter, who also denied Jesus but later repented and was restored, Judas's fear drove him to despair and self-destruction. His account serves as a solemn warning of the consequences of allowing guilty fear to overshadow the hope of redemption.

Judas's experience underscores the importance of understanding the nature of godly fear. While guilty fear acknowledges sin, it must be coupled with a trust in God's grace and forgiveness to lead to true repentance. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:10 , "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." Judas's fear, rooted in guilt and devoid of hope, exemplifies the latter, resulting in his tragic demise.

In summary, Judas Iscariot's account is a powerful illustration of guilty fear in the biblical narrative. It highlights the peril of allowing fear to drive one away from God rather than towards His mercy and forgiveness. Judas's life and actions serve as a cautionary tale, reminding believers of the need for a godly fear that leads to repentance and reconciliation with God.

Nave's Topical Index

Matthew 27:3-5
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
Nave's Topical Index

Library

Of Suicide Committed through Fear of Punishment or Dishonor.
... The City of God.Book I. Chapter 17."Of Suicide Committed Through Fear of Punishment ...
take the law into our own hands, and slay even a guilty person, whose ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 17 of suicide committed through.htm

A Treatise of the Fear of God;
... This fear showed itself in them, even at the beginning of their ... again in them at
times to the dishonour of God, and the anew making of them guilty of sin ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a treatise of the fear.htm

Whether God the Father Delivered up Christ to the Passion?
... Reply to Objection 2: Christ as God delivered Himself up to ... from worldly fear, for
he stood in fear of Caesar; and these accordingly are held guilty. ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether god the father delivered.htm

After Praising Judas' and Jonathan's Loftiness of Mind, the ...
... scourge of my tongue"and dost thou not fear the scourge of ... a voice whereby it cries
aloud to God"as it ... should live, for each of them was guilty of parricide ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xli after praising judas.htm

How the Bishop is to Treat the Innocent, the Guilty, and the ...
... be altogether estranged from the Church and from hope in God, and will be entangled
in impiety, whereby thou wilt be guilty of his ... The fear of God is not ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iii how the bishop is.htm

Psalm LVI.
... us, that God gratis we love, in Him hope always, neither man nor devil fear. ... for
all men whom we suffer let us pray, from God let us ... "guilty before the Lord.". ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm lvi.htm

A Startling Statement
... proves that the preaching that appeals to fear of punishment ... not remember thy sins."
This is God's pledge, and ... beneath that flood Lose all their guilty stains ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chapman/and judas iscariot/a startling statement.htm

Epistle Lxvii. To the Clergy and People Abiding in Spain ...
... who, although they knew the judgment of God, did not ... polluted by the contact of the
guilty, and, being ... and sincere constancy of your faith with religious fear. ...
/.../cyprian/the epistles of cyprian/epistle lxvii to the clergy.htm

The Tests of Love to God
... Who are guilty but the innocent ... ground with the teeth of wild beasts, if I may be
God's pure wheat ... the early saints above the love of life, and the fear of death ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/the tests of love to.htm

Letter Lxxviii. (AD 404. )
... from that tablet, so long as a guilty conscience does ... know that you are disquieted,
and I fear lest by ... Behold, God hath taught you, "He that glorieth, let him ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxviii a d 404.htm