There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Fear has no place in love. Bold confidence (1 John 4:17), based on love, cannot co-exist with fear. Love, which, when perfected, gives bold confidence, casts out fear (cf. Hebrews 2:14-15). Christ's propitiatory death was designed to deliver from this bondage of fear.
But, х alla (G235)] - 'on the contrary.'
Fear hath torment, х kolasin (G2851)] - punishment. Fear is always revolving the punishment deserved; and, by anticipation (through consciousness of deserving it), has even now its foretaste. Perfect love is incompatible with self-punishing fear. Fear of offending God differs from slavish fear of consciously-deserved punishment: the latter is natural to us all, until love casts it out. 'Men's states vary: one is without fear and love; another, with fear without love; another, with fear and love; another, without fear with love' (Bengel).