18 Bible Verses about Cowardice
Most Relevant Verses
And yet in spite of all this, even among the leading men many came to believe in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not own it, for fear of being turned out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men instead of the praise of God.
His parents said this, because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone owned Jesus as the Christ, he should be shut out of the synagogues. This is why his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked permission of Pilate to remove the body of Jesus, and Pilate granted it. So he went and removed His body.
In the evening of that same first day of the week, even with the doors of the room bolted where the disciples had met for fear of the Jews, Jesus went in and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you!"
Although he wanted to have him killed, he was afraid of the people, for they regarded him as a prophet.
But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the people, for they all consider John a prophet."
But this has all taken place so that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then the disciples all forsook Him and made their escape.
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a waiting girl came up to him, and said, "You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, and said, "I do not understand what you mean." Then he went out into the gateway, and another waiting girl saw him, and said to those there, "This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene."read more.
Again he denied it, and even swore, "I do not know the man!" A few minutes afterward the bystanders came up to Peter and said, "You are surely one of them, too, for your accent gives you away." Then he commenced cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man!" And at once a cock crowed.
While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the high priest's waiting girls came up, and when she saw that Peter was warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You were with Jesus of Nazareth too!" But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you mean." Then he went out of the courtyard and was in the gateway to it.read more.
And the waiting girl saw him there and began again to tell the bystanders, "This fellow is one of them!" But he denied it again. And again a few minutes later the bystanders began to say to Peter, "You are surely one of them, for you are a Galilean too." Then he commenced cursing and swearing, "I do not know this man that you are talking about."
But he denied it and said, "I do not know Him, woman." A little later a man looked at him and said, "You are one of them too." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." About an hour later another man emphatically asserted, "He certainly was with Him, for he is a Galilean!"read more.
But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you mean." And all at once, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed.
Simon Peter and another disciple followed on after Jesus. And that other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, and so went on with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter stood outside before the door. So this other disciple, who was acquainted with the high priest, stepped out and spoke to the woman doorkeeper and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You too are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He answered, "No, I am not."read more.
Because it was cold, the slaves and attendants had made a charcoal fire and were standing about it warming themselves; so Peter too was standing among them warming himself.
But Simon Peter still stood warming himself. So they said to him, "You too are not one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "No, I am not." One of the high priest's slaves, who was a kinsman of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Did I not see you in the garden with Him?" Then Peter again denied it, and at that moment a cock crowed.
Then all the inhabitants of the country around Gerasa asked Him to go away from them, because they were terribly frightened. So He got into a boat and went back.
For before the coming of certain people from James, he was in the habit of eating with heathen Christians, but after they came, he began to draw back and hold aloof from them, because he was afraid of the circumcision party.
But before all this takes place, people will arrest you and persecute you, and turn you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. It will furnish you an opportunity to testify. So you must purpose in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to make your defense,read more.
for I will give you such wisdom of speech as all your opponents combined will not be able to resist and refute. Yes, you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be continuously hated by everyone, because you bear my name. And yet not a single hair on your head will perish. By your endurance you will win your souls.
On the next day the leading members of the council, the elders, and the scribes, met in Jerusalem, including Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all that were members of the high priest's family. They had the men stand before them and repeatedly inquired of them, "By what sort of power and authority have you done this?"read more.
Then Peter, because he was filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of the people, if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried, you and all the people of Israel must know that it is by the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead -- yes, I repeat it, it is by His authority that this man stands here before you well.
But the cowards, the unfaithful, the polluted, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the practicers of magic, the worshipers of idols, and all liars will have their portion in the lake that keeps on burning with fire and brimstone. This is the second death."
From Thematic Bible
Cowardice » Instances of » Peter, in denying the lord
Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a waiting girl came up to him, and said, "You, too, were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, and said, "I do not understand what you mean." Then he went out into the gateway, and another waiting girl saw him, and said to those there, "This fellow was with Jesus the Nazarene." read more.
Again he denied it, and even swore, "I do not know the man!" A few minutes afterward the bystanders came up to Peter and said, "You are surely one of them, too, for your accent gives you away." Then he commenced cursing and swearing, "I do not know the man!" And at once a cock crowed.
While Peter was down in the courtyard, one of the high priest's waiting girls came up, and when she saw that Peter was warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You were with Jesus of Nazareth too!" But he denied it, saying, "I do not know or understand what you mean." Then he went out of the courtyard and was in the gateway to it. read more.
And the waiting girl saw him there and began again to tell the bystanders, "This fellow is one of them!" But he denied it again. And again a few minutes later the bystanders began to say to Peter, "You are surely one of them, for you are a Galilean too." Then he commenced cursing and swearing, "I do not know this man that you are talking about." At that moment for the second time a Cock crowed. Then Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, "Before the cock crows twice, you will disown me three times!" And when he remembered that, he burst into tears.
Then they arrested Him and led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest. Peter was following at a distance. And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had taken their seats together, Peter, too, was sitting among them. A servant girl saw him sitting by the fire and fixed her eyes on him and said, "This fellow was with Him too." read more.
But he denied it and said, "I do not know Him, woman." A little later a man looked at him and said, "You are one of them too." But Peter said, "Man, I am not." About an hour later another man emphatically asserted, "He certainly was with Him, for he is a Galilean!" But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you mean." And all at once, while he was still speaking, a cock crowed.
but Peter stood outside before the door. So this other disciple, who was acquainted with the high priest, stepped out and spoke to the woman doorkeeper and brought Peter in. Then the servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You too are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He answered, "No, I am not."
But Simon Peter still stood warming himself. So they said to him, "You too are not one of His disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "No, I am not."
Cowardice » Cowardice, examples of » Israel before goliath
Cowardice » Cowardice, examples of » The ten spies
Cowardice » Instances of » The disciples » When they saw jesus walking on the sea
When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terror-stricken.
for they all saw Him and were terrified. But He at once spoke to them and said, "Keep up courage! It is I; stop being afraid."
Cowardice » Instances of » The disciples » During the storm at sea
And He said to them, "Why are you afraid, O you with little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Then He said to them, "Where is your faith?" But they were frightened and astounded, and continued to say to one another, "Who can He be? For He gives orders even to the winds and the water, and they obey Him."
He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, "Teacher, is it no concern to you that we are going down?"
Cowardice » Instances of » The israelites » In fearing to attempt the conquest of canaan
Cowardice » Instances of » Abraham, in calling his wife his sister
Cowardice » Cowardice, examples of » David at the time of absalom's rebellion
Cowardice » Instances of » The ten spies
Cowardice » Cowardice, examples of » The disciples
But this has all taken place so that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then the disciples all forsook Him and made their escape.
Cowardice » Instances of » Canaanites
Cowardice » Instances of » Pilate, in condemning jesus, through fear of the people
Because of this Pilate kept on trying to set Him free, but the Jews shouted, "If you set Him free, you are no friend to the emperor. Anyone who claims to be a king is uttering treason against the emperor!" On hearing this Pilate had Jesus brought out and had Him sit on the judge's bench at the place called the Stone Platform, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was the day of Preparation for the Passover, and it was about noon. Then Pilate said to the Jews, "There is your king!" read more.
But they shouted, "Kill Him! Kill Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate said to them, "Must I crucify your king?" The high priests answered, "We have no king but the emperor!" So Pilate then turned Him over to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus,
Cowardice » Instances of » Early converts among the rulers
And yet in spite of all this, even among the leading men many came to believe in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not own it, for fear of being turned out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men instead of the praise of God.
Cowardice » Instances of » David, in fleeing from absalom
Cowardice » Instances of » Ephraimites and manassehites
Cowardice » Instances of » Aaron, in yielding to the israelites, when they demanded an idol
Cowardice » Cowardice, examples of » The followers of gideon
Cowardice » Cowardice, examples of » Ephraim
Cowardice » Instances of » Peter and other Christians, at antioch (of syria)
Now when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before the coming of certain people from James, he was in the habit of eating with heathen Christians, but after they came, he began to draw back and hold aloof from them, because he was afraid of the circumcision party. The rest of the Jewish Christians, too, joined him in this pretense so that even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their pretense. read more.
But when I saw that they were not living up to the truth of the good news, I said to Cephas, and that before them all, "If you are living like a heathen and not like a Jew, although you are a Jew yourself, why do you try to make the heathen live like Jews?"
Cowardice » Instances of » The israelites » To fight with the philistines
Cowardice » Instances of » Joseph of arimathaea, secretly a disciple
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, asked permission of Pilate to remove the body of Jesus, and Pilate granted it. So he went and removed His body.
Cowardice » Instances of » Nicodemus, in coming to jesus by night
Now there was a man named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees and was a leader among the Jews. He came to Jesus one night and said to Him, "Teacher, we know that you have come from God, for no one can perform the wonder-works that you are doing, unless God is with him."
Cowardice » Instances of » Isaac, in calling his wife his sister
Cowardice » Instances of » Amoritish kings
Cowardice » Instances of » The israelites » To meet goliath
Cowardice » Instances of » Samuel, fearing to obey God's command to anoint a king in saul's place
Cowardice » Instances of » Parents of the blind man, who was restored to sight
His parents said this, because they were afraid of the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone owned Jesus as the Christ, he should be shut out of the synagogues.
Cowardice » Instances of » Jacob, in flying from laban
Cowardice » Instances of » The philippian jailer
When the jailer awoke and saw that the jail doors were open, he drew his sword and was on the point of killing himself, because he thought that the prisoners had escaped.
Cowardice » Instances of » The disciples » When jesus was apprehended
But this has all taken place so that the writings of the prophets may be fulfilled." Then the disciples all forsook Him and made their escape.