Matthew 10:28, commentary and pictures

Jesus gave this charge to the twelve as He sent them out to labor without His bodily presence, telling them not to dread those who can put the body to death but cannot put the soul to death, and to give reverent fear instead to Him who can bring both soul and body to ruin in hell. Those who remain loyal to God need not fear human power or Satan's hostility even when bodily life is threatened, because their eternal life is secure in Christ, and their greatest danger is surrendering the truth and betraying the trust God has given them. Persecutors can only kill the frail body and shorten life by a little while, but they cannot destroy the soul, take away faith and hope, separate believers from Christ's love, or touch the life hidden with Christ in God, so those permitted to die for their witness still triumph in the bright hope of immortality at the resurrection of the just. This strengthens Christ's servants to speak openly what they have received, making truth known without concealment despite threats and persecution, leaving their fate in their Heavenly Father's hands and refusing to leave their place for safety. The reason to fear God rather than man is that He has purchased the whole being by Christ's suffering and atoning death, values His tried ones far more than the sparrow He watches, and stands beside them before tribunals and in prison and at death, while every unrepentant sinner who clings to sin will at last have both soul and body destroyed in hell as the sure result of transgression.

Setting and Meaning

The verse belongs to Jesus' instruction to the twelve as He sent them out to work without Him. It commands disciples not to fear people who can kill the body but are not able to kill the soul, but rather to fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. This assurance strengthens them to make truth known and bear witness despite threats, opposition, and persecution, leaving their fate in their Heavenly Father's hands and care. It calls for open avowal without concealment, for as Christ was called Beelzebub so His followers will be, yet nothing covered will stay hidden, so what He tells them in darkness they must speak in light and preach upon the housetops, always ready to give the light received, unfurling their colors as a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men, refusing to serve both God and Baal and standing bravely for the right. The reason to fear God rather than man is that Christ has purchased the entire being, mind, soul, and body, the price of redemption has been paid and all a person has and is belongs to God to be sprinkled with Christ's blood and dedicated to Him under the motto that one is not one's own because bought with a price. One who bears Christ's word must therefore expect death yet need not let threats of bodily harm turn him from faithfulness, because persecutors cannot seize or take away the soul.

Those who remain true to God need not fear human power or Satan's hostility even when bodily life is threatened, because their eternal life is secure in Christ. Their chief fear should be surrendering the truth and betraying the trust God has given them. Persecutors can kill only the wretched body and shorten life by a few hours, but they cannot destroy the soul. They cannot take away faith and hope, destroy the life of a believer who trusts in Christ, touch the life hidden with Christ in God, separate believers from Christ's love, or hurt the soul when a believer suffers death for Christ's sake. Those allowed to die for their testimony still triumph through the bright hope of immortality at the resurrection of the just, with life preserved to eternal life and glory.

John the Baptist, Stephen, James, and the other apostles endured imprisonment and death as witnesses yet their enemies could not destroy their souls or hope of eternal life. One set by God to bear the word must not leave his place for safety but must continue faithfully to maintain the truth notwithstanding storms, expecting death at every hour, with joy multiplied as threatenings increase. Christ stands beside believers before earthly tribunals and comforts them in prison and at death, so all reproaches fall on Christ in the person of His saints and He is condemned over again in His believing disciples, while to the incarcerated He manifests Himself and ravishes the heart with His love, and to the dying He speaks good cheer because He has overcome the world, so that to put His saints to death is to crucify Him afresh in them.

Courage Under Persecution

The verse gives strength to servants of Christ to make the truth known and bear witness in spite of threats, opposition and persecution, leaving what happens to them in their Heavenly Father's hands. One set by God to carry Christ's word to the world must not leave his place to seek safety but must continue faithfully and maintain the truth notwithstanding storms, expecting death at every hour. As threatenings increase, joy is multiplied, because persecutors can kill only the wretched body and shorten life by a few hours, while they cannot take away or seize the soul.

It calls disciples to open avowal without concealment, speaking in the light what Christ tells in darkness and preaching upon the housetops, always ready to give the light received. They are to unfurl their colors as a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men, so the world knows where they stand in trial, refusing to serve both God and Baal and standing bravely for the right even when, like Christ who was called Beelzebub, they are called the same. The reason to fear God rather than man is that Christ has purchased the entire being, mind, soul and body, the price of redemption has been paid, and all a person has and is belongs to God and must be sprinkled with His blood and dedicated to Him under the motto that one is not one's own because bought with a price. Christ pledges His help to those brought to trial for faith, assuring them that because He who died lives forevermore they shall live also through His death, resurrection and intercession, and that the Father who sees the sparrow fall values and watches them far more. He stands beside believers before earthly tribunals and unrighteous bars, comforts them in prison and at death, receives reproaches cast upon them as cast upon Himself, ravishes the heart of the incarcerated with His love, and preserves the life of those put to death for His sake unto eternal life and glory, so death for Christ does not separate from His love.

The verse strengthened Luther as he faced trial before powerful rulers and judges, teaching that human persecutors who threaten bodily death can kill the body but cannot destroy the soul. Even the most imposing human powers — emperors, popes, councils and assemblies that can condemn, excommunicate and kill — can kill only the body and are not able to kill the soul, so they are not to be feared in the hour of answering for faith. A believer whose cause is just must therefore go forward in God's name and fear nothing from human judges, for God will not forsake him, and must speak boldly for truth without being awed or embarrassed by rank and power. Jerome likewise held that fear of bodily death must not lead to surrender of the truth, choosing to confess his faith and face the flames rather than preserve his life by denying it.

John the Baptist, Stephen, James and the other apostles endured imprisonment and death as witnesses, yet their enemies could not destroy their souls or take away their faith, hope and hope of eternal life. The Reformation witnesses who were allowed to die for their testimony still triumphed in death through the bright hope of immortality at the resurrection of the just, since God alone has power over both body and soul. So with those who uphold God's law above human commands, like the three Hebrew children, persecutors may harm or kill the body but cannot destroy the soul, and God sustains His people through trials, giving grace in proportion to what they suffer with comfort and victory. That help is promised when trials come, and the lesson is not to enter temptation deliberately.

God's chosen people who love God and keep His commandments will be persecuted and put to death by those hardened in rejection of light, being delivered to councils, scourged, brought before governors and kings, betrayed by family and hated by all for Christ's name, including persecution seeking to force worship of an idol sabbath and compel conscience through apostasy. Persecutors can kill the body but cannot control the conscience or ruin the soul of one who faithfully serves God, for the power to destroy both soul and body in hell belongs to God alone. Believers are therefore to fear God, endure to the end and be saved, and confess Christ before men so He will confess them before His Father in heaven, trusting God rather than fearing human power. Men must fear God rather than man, and it is a great evil to reverse that order by dreading human authority instead of Him. No man or set of men has the power that belongs to God alone, so leaders must not strive for control, bind conscience, dictate what others shall do and shall not do, censure fellow believers, or shut religious freedom out of councils and meetings, for each person belongs to God as owner, stands or falls to his Maker, and must be left free from human rules and restrictions.

Death is not the greatest evil that can come, for there are worse, far worse things than death to which every parent and youth are exposed, requiring faith and firm religious principle to avoid that danger. Great distrust and fear over affliction or death of friends and children, seeing only the dark side, shows too little faith and trust in God where there is no need to fear. It is not safe to work and plan too much thinking to avoid or lessen evils, for the Lord has His own ways and purposes that will be carried out however much is planned or feared. Home and children are to be entrusted to God and His angels with calm reliance that He knows what is for the best good and does not willingly grieve or afflict.

Divine Judgment and Loss

Following Satan's false standard leads to death for both body and soul, and in its place God's people are to hold up His perfect standard. Both the soul and the body of every unrepentant sinner will be destroyed in hell as the sure consequence of sin, which is transgression of God's law. The unquenchable fire represents the fate of those who cling to sin and refuse forgiveness and grace, who are cut off from God and suffer the sure result of sin ending in destruction.

Those punished for refusing Christ and refusing entire obedience will feel remorse, despair, and hatred, realizing too late that sin cut their soul off from God and that God's wrath abides upon them. That experience of remorse, separation from God, and abiding wrath is the chains of darkness, the worm that dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched. Satan seeks to destroy a person's body and soul, while a person's own choices can place eternal life in peril. A course of betrayal and sin may end in everlasting separation from God.