Review of Fear Not

[Kaitlyn Canedy]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fear Not" by Ralph Good.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Who do Christians believe are authoritative figures in their lives? There doesn’t seem to be a straight answer because each Christian-based religion has a different opinion. Ralph Good has been studying the Bible for years to find an objective answer to this question. FEAR NOT: Understanding the Ordinance of God is a compilation of the author’s research and testimony to his faith in Jesus Christ. Ralph discusses numerous Greek terms and their uses in various versions of the Bible. He also explains why Paul defied some authority figures and what this means for Christians today. If you are a Christian and need explanations about fear and authority, this book may clarify some of your questions.

I enjoyed reading the parts of the book that told readers how to identify authority figures who are not doing God’s will. From experience, I know many churches guilt their members into doing things that only benefit the church, including volunteering, offering large sums of money, and confessing their sins to the whole church body. Ralph questioned one church about why he had to wear a specific pair of clothes and cut his hair a certain way. He did this because he could not find a verse in the Bible about this strict set of rules. With this example, Ralph shows readers that he knows how to determine if an authoritative figure is following the will of God.

Learning about how to fear God is another section of the book I liked. When I thought about fearing God, I always assumed that it meant being scared of Him. As it turns out, this is not the appropriate way to worship God; he wants believers who love and honor Him. Ralph uses stories from the Bible that describe men, such as David, Elijah, and Daniel, who worshipped God the way He should be. In my opinion, the author picked great examples to show readers how to worship God.

The first part of the book mainly consisted of dictionary copies of Greek words. There were also many Bible verses listed without any explanation of their significance. Both of these aspects were off-putting to me and made reading through the initial part difficult. Luckily, finishing the book was easy after the first half because the story was not as scholarly anymore.

Due to the slow start and difficultly keeping myself interested in the first half, I have decided to give FEAR NOT: Understanding the Ordinance of God 3 out of 4 stars. Removing another star did not make sense because I learned many new things from this book, and I enjoyed reading Ralph’s testimony. Childhood sexual abuse is present later in the book; readers sensitive to this content should read with caution. Because the Bible is the focal point of this book, I recommend it to Christians who want clarifications about fearing God while following those in power. Readers who don’t believe in the Bible or practice a religion that does not believe in it would do best to stay away.

******
Fear Not
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Ruphus Tom]

Thank you so much for the review, it is an eyes opener to all church Gower , I would like to read it all over again to really know the will of God

[Alexander C Schmoock]

This book will have great appeal to Christians and will provide answers to a lot of questions they have. Great review.

[Peaceful Zanele]

In this book it is clear that God is the only way in this world . worshippers must only believe in him, no one is greater than him.I will continue reading this it has a great lesson about God.

[Ayomide Solomon]

Am sure this book will enlighten the christians on what their fears could be and an assurance on ways to cope/overcome them.
Nice review.

[Lucy Vera]

The title of the book is the first attraction. Fear not, I'm going to read it

[Taana Ueh]

I've always believed in the different perspectives a concept could have. This book doesn't just focus on the typical religious idea that fear is synonymous with some underworld principalities. They're a couple of physical things which unnecessarily bring fear to our doorsteps. We should be voicing out against these vices instead of cowering out.