Fear God Alone: Body Temporal, Soul Eternal

Christ cautions His disciples against three fears: bodily torments, disgrace, and death. Yet He urges them toward a higher fear—the fear of Elohim alone.

Consider the hierarchy of destruction. Man possesses power only over the body, which is temporal and concerns this life alone. Such sufferings cannot strip away a man's proper perfections, nor do they touch the immortal soul. Every human-inflicted misery remains limited by God's overruling hand. Indeed, the good extracted from such trials often exceeds the evil endured. Fear of these evils seldom prevents them beforehand and never lessens them when present.

Contrast this with what lies in God's power: the destruction of both body AND soul in hell. This represents the utmost Almighty God can do to a sinner. When tempted, ponder man's inability against God's infinite ability to destroy.

The principle operates like casting cargo overboard to preserve the vessel from destruction (Quesnel). To surrender the body in order to save the soul is prudent exchange. The cases of Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego demonstrate men enduring the worst man could inflict—without fear or astonishment—because they feared God rather than tyrants.

Two kinds of fear exist: anxious solicitude, which unmoors confidence, and reverential fear of Adonai, which anchors the soul. When persecution comes, disciples must remember: they live under the special care of God's ever-seeing Providence and cannot be taken without His permission.