Fear of God
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(1 Pet. 1:17)—reverent awe before God that produces obedience, humility, watchfulness, and hatred of evil. It is not servile terror but the creature’s sober recognition of divine holiness and judgment. Christians are therefore commanded to pass the time of their pilgrimage in fear, even while approaching God as Father. “Perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:18) excludes the fear of punishment that torments, not filial reverence. The saying attributed to Anthony the Great—that he no longer fears God as a slave but loves Him as a son—expresses this traditional distinction.