by Dr. Deborah Bauers

Created on: September 03, 2009   Last Updated: November 04, 2009

God's love is an awesome thing. It replaces feelings of helplessness with supernatural power. Only His love can vanquish the spirit of fear and heal a mind that is consumed by anxiety and doubt. This is the kind of love that Paul writes about to his son in the faith,young Timothy.

Paul begins his letter to this young man whom he loves so deeply by offering sincere praise for Timothy's faith and reminding him that his mentor has not forgotten him and is praying for him regularly. Then he writes these words:

"God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7 KJV).

We can assume, from Paul's reference to Timothy's tears, that Timothy is perhaps experiencing a trial of his own faith at the time that Paul's letter is written. It is important to remember that while Paul is a spiritual veteran, Timothy is a young man who still needs the spiritual oversight and encouragement that his mentor has to offer. Knowing of Paul's imprisonment, he may be struggling with his own fear of the uncertainty of what lies ahead for him as he carries on the work without Paul's support. Later in this letter, Paul confirms the reality of what is potentially one of Timothy's greatest causes for anxiety; that Paul expects to die soon (II Timothy 4:6-8).

Paul writes to encourage Timothy to put his trust in the Lord and remember that God has fully equipped him to boldly proclaim Jesus Christ. When Paul tells his young charge, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear," he is speaking of Timothy as well as himself. There's urgency to his message in that he is trusting in God's provision even though he recognizes that he is probably facing execution. Paul is certain that his death will only mean the ultimate victory; that his martyrdom will usher him into the presence of His Savior (Philippians 1:21). Paul is not afraid and he does not want Timothy to give in to fear. The word that is translated "fear" is better understood as "timid." Paul wants Timothy to boldly proclaim the Gospel and to trust God's Holy Spirit to empower him and be with him even after his mentor is gone.

Some scholars believe that Paul is referring to a demon or evil spirit when he speaks of the "spirit of fear." The word for "spirit" in this passage however, is simply "pneuma" or breath. What Paul is trying communicate to Timothy is that God's Spirit is not timid and that fear does not come from God. The "spirit" referred to here is probably the Holy Spirit because

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