Dictionary of Bible Themes Dictionary of Bible Themes » 5000 Humanity » 5760 Human attitudes and behaviour » 5819 cowardice An unwillingness to act in a situation of danger or opposition, because of fear. Avoiding the source of one's anxiety or fear, rather than dealing with it directly. Cowardice prevents people from acknowledging Jesus Christ publicly John 12:42-43 See also John 7:13; John 9:22-23 parents of the man born blind; John 19:38; John 20:19 Cowardice inhibits bad as well as good behaviour Matthew 14:5; Matthew 21:26,46 Cowardice leads to avoidance of the difficulty Matthew 26:56 See also 1 Samuel 13:6-7 the Philistine threat; 1 Samuel 17:24 Goliath; 1 Kings 19:2-3; Jonah 1:10; Matthew 26:69-74 pp Mark 14:66-71 pp Luke 22:57-60 pp John 18:15-18 pp John 18:25-27; Luke 8:37 after the destruction of the pigs; Galatians 2:12 Peter Cowardice can spread within a group Caleb and the other spies: Numbers 13:30-33; Joshua 14:8 Judges 7:2-3; Jeremiah 38:4 God can work through cowardice In humbling disobedient people Leviticus 26:36-39; Isaiah 30:15-17 In routing the enemy Rahab and the Israelite spies: Joshua 2:8-11,24 1 Samuel 14:15-16 the Philistines God gives hope to the cowardly or fearful Proverbs 29:25 See also Deuteronomy 1:27-31; Judges 7:10-11; Psalm 56:3-4; Isaiah 51:12-15; Luke 21:12-19 The Holy Spirit gave the disciples a supernatural boldness: Acts 4:5-10,13,29-31 Judgment on cowards Revelation 21:8 Where cowardice meant rejecting the gospel and denying Jesus Christ. See also
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