Fear Factor

The television show Fear Factor capitalizes on people’s fear. The producers will place someone in a dark room if someone fears darkness. If they fear snakes, they’ll put them in a box with snakes! If they were to overcome their fears, they would win rewards. Similarly, people often prank others, trying to take advantage of their fears – jumping from a hidden place and shouting, placing bugs in people, or telling frightening stories right before sleep. Fear or phobia is a powerful emotion.

The Lord said to the disciples,

“I tell you, my friends: Don’t fear those who can kill the body, and after that, they can’t do anything else to you.” (Luke 12:4)

The disciples would face persecution soon after Jesus said these words. But whoever captured and killed them could do nothing more with their carcass (body) – they would be dead. Their opponents’ powers were limited.

“On the other hand, I show you who you must fear: Fear him who, after killing, has the authority to toss you into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” (Luke 12:4)

English translations translate Gehenna as hell. But the Greek word Gehenna has a long history. In Jeremiah’s time, it was “Ben [son of] of Hinnom” and later “Valley of Hinnom” – a ravine that ran along the south side of Jerusalem. During the time of Jeremiah, the people of Judah set up idols for foreign gods in that ravine and worshipped them by offering their sons and daughters in fire. As such, Jeremiah prophesied it would become a detestable place where they would toss their dead (Jer 7:30–34). After the Exile, the people never lived in that ravine; instead, the Jerusalemites threw their trash there and set it on fire to burn off the waste. That valley represented idolatry and the consequence of it.

Considering this, most likely, the Lord wasn’t talking about God and hell as much as the high priest who could condemn them as blasphemers and toss them into the valley of idolatry. He faced both – he was accused of blaspheming against God, and his dead body was left outside the city walls in Golgotha as proof he was an idolater. The high priests had this power (Mark 14:63).

The Lord wanted his disciples not to fear their death, but the High Priest’s accusation that they were blaspheming against God by introducing a new god. He could toss them into the Valley of Hinnom as idolaters. That they must watch out for. The Lord demonstrated this truth by addressing the high priest’s concerns.

The apostles carefully adhered to the Lord’s instruction by distinguishing the YHWH God from the Lord Jesus. Peter, for example, said: “God raised Jesus from the dead . . . and exalted him to the right hand of God . . . God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:24–36). Paul said, “God gave him the name above every name – Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil 2:9–11).

Even now, although we shouldn’t fear death or martyrdom, we should fear the accusation of being idolaters – someone who promotes the worship of another God than the God YHWH. That’s why we should be accurate in understanding and explaining who God is.