Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues (Matthew 10:16-17).

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul (Matthew 10:28).

Generic prednisone It almost seems like he’s saying, “Fear man” in verse 17, but then stating “Don’t fear man” in verse 28.  Of course, the command “beware” is used rather than fear, yet Jesus’ words do require us to draw distinctions between that fear which is an awareness towards man and encouraged (what we might call godly fear), and that which is an ungodly fear of man and condemned.

Even though Jesus told his disciples to not fear man because he can only kill the body, take time to note that Jesus doesn’t say in verse 16, “Behold I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves…but who cares because wolves can only kill the bodies of sheep”.  No, He tells them based upon this consideration, that they should “be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves”.

So what does godly fear, or awareness, of man look like? order Prozac

Godly fear of man, or anything for that matter, is that fear, reverence, or awareness, which accords with the dread and glory that God has established in its nature.  I mean, there is a reason why we teach our children not to cross the street when cars are coming.  It’s because vehicles carry a certain dread and deserve a prescribed amount of fear or awareness.  The same can be said for guns, swords, and the men who might carry them.  Their God-assigned dread ought to cause us to beware and act “as wise as serpents and innocent as doves”, but never fear them in a way that says they are more dreadful or glorious than our Maker.