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The fear of the Lord

In 1 Peter 1:17 Reverence is literally “fear,” but here the word connotes not fear but “awe,” “respect.” This is usually the attitude one has towards God in worship; in this verse, however, this attitude is taken as valid for the whole Christian life. A literal translation of the Greek term often rendered “fear” can be seriously misleading because it would suggest that the Christians were to be “afraid of God,” while in reality it is the reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ which eliminates this fear. There may not be in a language, however, a wholly appropriate word for reverence, but some such expression as “deep concern for” or “great respect for” may occur. Sometimes reverence may be expressed figuratively as “stand before with your heart fluttering.”
(from the UBS Handbook Series. Copyright © 1961-1997, by United Bible Societies.)

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About Me

My name is Christopher Peppler and I was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1947. While working in the financial sector I achieved a number of business qualifications from the Institute of Bankers, Damelin Management School, and The University of the Witwatersrand Business School. After over 20 years as a banker, I followed God’s calling and joined the ministry full time. After becoming a pastor of what is now a quite considerable church, I  earned an undergraduate theological qualification from the Baptist Theological College of Southern Africa and post-graduate degrees from two United States institutions. I was also awarded the Doctor of Theology in Systematic Theology from the University of Zululand in 2000.

Four years before that I established the South African Theological Seminary (SATS), which today is represented in over 70 countries and has more than 2 500 active students enrolled with it. I presently play an role supervising Masters and Doctoral students.

I am a passionate champion of the Christocentric or Christ-centred Principle, an approach to biblical interpretation and theological construction that emphasises the centrality of Jesus

I have been happily married to Patricia since the age of 20, have two children, Lance and Karen, a daughter-in-law Tracey, and granddaughters Jessica and Kirsten. I have now retired from both church and seminary leadership and devote my time to writing, discipling, and the classical guitar.

If you would like to read my testimony to Jesus then click HERE.