“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 10:28 Mean?
Jesus instructs his disciples not to fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The body can be destroyed by human hands. The soul is beyond human reach.
The one to fear: him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. God alone has authority over both dimensions of your existence. Human enemies can only reach the temporary. God governs the eternal.
The instruction is counterintuitive: the one you should fear is not the visible, immediate threat. It is the invisible, eternal authority. The person holding a sword is less dangerous than the God who holds your destiny.
Jesus says this while sending his disciples into hostile territory. The threats they face are real — persecution, imprisonment, death. His response is not to remove the danger but to recalibrate the fear. Fear the right thing and the wrong things lose their power.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does recalibrating your fear — fearing God rather than people — change your daily courage?
- 2.What current fear are you carrying that has no power over your soul?
- 3.What does 'fearing God' look like — not cowering, but appropriate reverence?
- 4.How does this verse equip you for situations where faithfulness might cost you?
Devotional
Fear not them which kill the body. The body can be killed. That is real. People with power can end your physical life. Jesus does not deny this. He says: do not fear them.
But are not able to kill the soul. The body is not the whole of you. And the ones who threaten your body have no access to the deeper part — the soul. Their power has a boundary. It stops at the skin.
But rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. There is a power beyond any human threat — and that power governs both body and soul. The appropriate fear is not of what humans can do. It is of what God can do.
Jesus is not trying to make you afraid of God in the cowering sense. He is recalibrating your fear. When you fear the right thing, the wrong things lose their grip. The person who fears God does not fear people — because people's power is limited and God's is not.
What are you afraid of right now? A person? A circumstance? A threat? Can it kill your soul? If not, it does not deserve the fear you are giving it. Fear the one with ultimate authority. And let every lesser fear fall into proportion.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?.... A farthing, with the Jews, was a very small coin; according to them it…
Them which kill the body - That is, people, who have no power to injure the soul, the immortal part. The body is a small…
All these verses relate to the sufferings of Christ's ministers in their work, which they are here taught to expect, and…
him which is able to destroy Either (1) God, whose power extends beyond this life. Clemens Rom. (Ep.II. 4) with a…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture