being made perfect, He became the Author of eternal salvation unto all

them that obey Him' (Heb. 5:7 -9).

The R.V. reads, 'and having been heard for His godly fear' and 'have

been made perfect'.  The R.V., by the use of the word 'perfect' in this

translation, throws into prominence these two clauses, making it thereby very

clear that the great theme of Hebrews, 'going on unto perfection' (Heb. 6:1)

is uppermost in the apostle's mind, and secondly, the translation, 'godly

fear', forbids the interpretation that the Saviour, even momentarily, drew

back from natural fear, for 'drawing back' is the dreadful alternative to

going on unto perfection (Heb. 10:39).  If it could ever be shown that, under

the pressure of Gethsemane, the Son of God even momentarily 'drew back', how

would this help the apostle's argument in Hebrews 10:32 -39 where the

suffering saints are exhorted to endure, and who are warned that drawing back

is 'unto perdition', the very opposite of perfection?

The commonly accepted interpretation of this passage, alas, is that for

the first time, the overwhelming character of the work of redemption with its

suffering and shame, burst upon the consciousness of the Son of God, and as

man, He naturally and rightly shrank from such an awful end.  We will not and

must not defile our exposition by vilifying the names of godly men, who may

have erred in their understanding of this most sacred passage of the

Scriptures; let us rather humbly and with much prayer for guidance, attempt

afresh an examination of the words employed, their purpose in the light of

the Epistle as a whole and other Scriptures that bear upon Gethsemane, and

the attitude of the Son of God in view of the cross.  Whatever the petition

offered in Gethsemane may have been, we are assured by Hebrews 5:7 that He

was heard.  Whatever other motive there may have been behind both the

petition and the answer, we are assured that He was heard for His godly fear.

Let us get these two items straightened out before going further.

The primary idea of the English word 'fear' is dread, horror, painful

apprehension of danger, and is derived from the same root as fare and refers

to the perils and experiences of the wayfarer.  In a secondary sense it is

used for awe or reverence.  The Greek words that give this sense are phobos

and phobeomai and their derivatives.  Hebrews 2:15 speaks of those for whom

Christ died as those who through 'fear of death' were all their lifetime

subject to bondage.  In order that the reader may have all the facts before

him, we give all the references to these words in Hebrews:

Phobeomai 'to fear' (Heb. 4:1; 11:23,27; 13:6).

Phoberos 'fearful' (Heb. 10:27,31; 12:21).

Phobos 'fear' (Heb. 2:15).

If the reader will examine these eight references, he will find it

impossible to imagine that Christ Himself could ever be moved by this kind of

fear.  The word employed in Hebrews 5:7 is eulabeia, and occurs but once

more, namely in Hebrews 12:28, where it is translated, 'godly fear' and

associated with 'reverence'.  Eulabeomai is found in Hebrews 11:7 where it

refers to Noah.  'By faith Noah ... moved with fear', which shows that 'godly

fear' is again intended.  Eulabes is translated 'devout' in Luke 2:25 and

Acts 2:5; 8:2.  The only occasion where this word is used to express ordinary

'fear' is in Acts 23:10 where the chief captain 'fearing' lest Paul should

have been pulled in pieces of the mob, called out the soldiers.  But even so,

there is no thought here that the chief captain of the Roman guard was in any

sense fearful on his own account, he was rather concerned for the safety of

the apostle.  We can, therefore, be fully assured that 'piety' not 'fear' was