2Cor 5:11 | JFB | STEP | 11. terror of the Lord —the coming judgment, so full of terrors to unbelievers [ESTIUS ]. ELLICOTT and ALFORD , after GROTIUS and BENGEL , translate, "The fear of the Lord" ( ). persuade —Ministers should use the terrors of the Lord to persuade men, not to rouse their enmity ( ). BENGEL , ESTIUS , and ALFORD explain: "Persuade men" (by our whole lives, ), namely, of our integrity as ministers. But this would have been expressed after "persuade," had it been the sense. The connection seems as follows: He had been accused of seeking to please and win men, he therefore says (compare ), "It is as knowing the terror (or fear ) of the Lord that we persuade men; but (whether men who hear our preaching recognize our sincerity or not) we are made manifest unto God as acting on such motives ( ); and I trust also in your consciences." Those so "manifested" need have no "terror" as to their being "manifested ( English Version, 'appear') before the judgment-seat" ( ).

2 Corinthians 5:11

11. terror of the Lord—the coming judgment, so full of terrors to unbelievers [ESTIUS]. ELLICOTT and ALFORD, after GROTIUS and BENGEL, translate, "The fear of the Lord" (2Co 7:1; Ec 12:13; Ac 9:31; Ro 3:18; Eph 5:21).

persuade—Ministers should use the terrors of the Lord to persuade men, not to rouse their enmity (Jude 23). BENGEL, ESTIUS, and ALFORD explain: "Persuade men" (by our whole lives, 2Co 5:13), namely, of our integrity as ministers. But this would have been expressed after "persuade," had it been the sense. The connection seems as follows: He had been accused of seeking to please and win men, he therefore says (compare Ga 1:10), "It is as knowing the terror (or fear) of the Lord that we persuade men; but (whether men who hear our preaching recognize our sincerity or not) we are made manifest unto God as acting on such motives (2Co 4:2); and I trust also in your consciences." Those so "manifested" need have no "terror" as to their being "manifested (English Version, 'appear') before the judgment-seat" (2Co 5:10).