Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Fear (fobov). Like a bond-slave (Romans 8:15), not the reverence of a son (eulabeia, Hebrews 5:7 f.) or the obedience to a father (en fobw, I Peter 1:17). This kind of dread is the opposite of parrhsia (boldness).
Perfect love (h teleia agaph). There is such a thing, perfect because it has been perfected (verses I John 4:12, I John 4:17). Cf. James 1:4.
Casteth out fear (ecw ballei ton fobon). "Drives fear out" so that it does not exist in real love. See ekballw ecw in John 6:37; John 9:34 f.; John 12:31; John 15:6 to turn out-of-doors, a powerful metaphor. Perfect love harbours no suspicion and no dread (1Co. 13).
Hath punishment (kolasin exei). Old word, in N.T. only here and Matthew 25:46. Timwria has only the idea of penalty, kolasiv has also that of discipline, while paideia has that of chastisement (Hebrews 12:7). The one who still dreads (foboumenov) has not been made perfect in love (ou teteleiwtai). Bengel graphically describes different types of men: "sine timore et amore; cum timore sine amore; cum timore et amore; sine timore cum amore."
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 1 John 4:18:
2 Timothy 1:7
James 2:22
1 John 4:12
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