John Calvin Commentary Luke 12:5

"But I will warn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, who after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him." — Luke 12:5 (ASV)

Yea, I say to you, Fear Him.⁵⁹⁶ This is an emphatic,⁵⁹⁶ repetition of the statement. Christ must be understood as saying that when we give in to the fear of men, we show no respect for God; and that if, on the contrary, we fear God, we have an easy victory in our hands, so that no efforts of men will lead us away from our duty.

The experience of every age shows the great necessity of this exhortation for the ministers of Christ, and also for all believers in general; for there has never been a time when people did not rise furiously against God and try to overwhelm the Gospel.⁵⁹⁷

Indeed, not all are armed with equal power to present believers with the fear of death, but most are driven by that savage ferocity, which reveals itself as soon as an opportunity arises. Often, too, Satan brings forward giants, before whom the servants of Christ would fall down lifeless, if this doctrine did not fortify them to maintain unwavering perseverance.

Since the two clauses are very closely related, some unskillful people take an incorrect view by reading this clause, Fear them not. For Christ (as we have already said), to cure that wicked fear of men which leads us away from the right path, contrasts it with a devout and holy fear of God. Otherwise, the conclusion would not follow that if we fear God, who is the Lord of body and soul, we have no reason to fear men, whose power goes no further than the body.

Regarding the statement that men have power to kill the body, Christ made it by way of concession. God allows wicked men such a degree of liberty that they become swollen with confidence in their own power, imagine they can attempt anything, and even succeed in terrifying weak minds, as if they could do whatever they pleased.

However, the proud imagination of wicked men—that the life of the godly is at their disposal—is utterly unfounded; for God keeps them within limits and restrains the cruelty and violence of their attacks whenever He pleases. And yet they are said to have power to kill by His permission, for He often permits them to indulge their cruel rage.

Besides, our Lord’s discourse consists of two parts. First, to instruct us to bear the loss of the bodily life with composure, He bids us contemplate both eternal life and eternal death. Then, He gradually arrives at the point that the protection of our life is in the hand of God.

⁵⁹⁶ “Emporte poids;” — “carries weight.;” — “carries weight.

⁵⁹⁷ “S'esforcans d'abattre et exterminer l'Evangile;” — “laboring to destroy and exterminate the Gospel.”;” — “laboring to destroy and exterminate the Gospel.”