ACC ~ 1 John 4 v18

PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: The perfection of a faithful man is love. ADUMBRATIONS.

NO FEAR IN LOVE. AUGUSTINE: What John said is true. So if you do not want to have any fear, first of all see whether you have that perfect love which turns fear out of the door. But if fear is pushed out before such perfection is achieved, it is a matter of pride puffing up, not of charity building up. SERMONS 348.1.

CONSTANT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR OF PERSECUTION. LEO THE GREAT: The apostles had to ensure that no other truth would creep in and that no other doctrine would be taught. To do this, it was necessary to increase the capacity of those who were being taught and to multiply the constancy of that love which drives out all fear, not dreading the rage of persecutors. SERMONS 76.5.

FEAR HAS TO DO WITH PUNISHMENT. BEDE: The love of God is such that it makes it possible to imitate God’s goodness to the point where we start to do good toward our enemies and even to love them. The fear which love casts out is that spoken of in the psalm: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” The new convert is afraid that the strictness of the righteous Judge will condemn him, but love casts this kind of fear out and gives him assurance on the day of judgment. ON 1 JOHN.

1 Jn