Bible Study series: Matthew 10:26-33. You have to get the right perspective. People can harm the body but do nothing to the soul.
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In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
I also comment more at that link.
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Matthew 10:26-33
26 “Therefore, do not fear them, for there is nothing hidden which will not be exposed, and concealed, which will not be known. 27 What I tell you in darkness, you say in the light, and what you hear in your ear proclaim it from the rooftops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body, but who are unable to kill the soul. But fear, rather, the one able to destroy both the soul and the body in Gehenna. 29 Aren’t two sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And even all your hair on your head are numbered. 31 Therefore, do not fear. You are much more valuable than sparrows!
32 Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me in front of people I will also acknowledge him in front of my Father in heaven. 33 And whoever denies me in front of people I also will deny him in front of my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 10:26-33)
Comments:
26-27:
“Therefore”: this pericope continues on from the last one. It is all about opposition and persecution, so Jesus intends to teach his followers not to fear people, even if they kill the body. Also, this passage tells us that the teachings that Jesus gives his disciples in private (“in darkness” and “in your ear”) is now to be proclaimed. The good news is not to be concealed or hidden away. It is now time to go public with this.
“in darkness”: it does not, of course, mean moral darkness, but off in a corner that is not public and the lighting is not good. Maybe a room at night with one candle is the right image. They probably did find a room for the night and he taught them there. But of course the text is silent on that, so let’s not speculate too far.
In the rest of the next verses, he is telling us that when we go public with this, we may face martyrdom. Are we ready?
28:
“fear”: BDAG is considered the authoritative lexicon of the Greek NT, and it defines the verb as follows: (1) “to be in an apprehensive state, be afraid”; people can become “frightened.” “Fear something or someone.” (2) “to have a profound measure of respect for, (have) reverence, respect”; a person like God or a leader can command respect.
The Shorter Lexicon says adds nuances (1) “be afraid … become frightened … “fear something or someone” (2) “fear in the sense of reverence, respect.”
The first definition fits in the first half of this verse, but in the second half of this verse, fearing God, the second definitions work best.
“soul”: it is the noun psuchē (pronounced ps-oo-khay, and be sure to pronounce the p and s-, and our word psychology comes from it). It can mean, depending on the context: “soul, life” and it is hard to draw a firm line between the two. “Breath, life principle, soul”; “earthly life”; “the soul as seat and center of the inner life of man in its many and varied aspects, desires, feelings, emotions”; “self’; or “that which possesses life, a soul, creature, person.”
A little systematic theology:
Most Renewalists believe in the three parts of humanity: body, soul and spirit (1 Thess. 5:23 and Heb. 4:12 and other verses). Other Renewalists believe that humans are two parts: body and soul / spirit (2 Cor. 4:16). Spirit and soul are just synonyms, like heart and spirit / soul are synonyms. Surely there are not now four parts, are there (body, soul, spirit, heart)?
Word Study on Spirit, Soul, and Body
Here in this verse it means soul.
“destroy”:
This verse is about the afterlife and what happens there, so the best translation is destroy. God is the one who does the destroying at judgment.
“Gehenna”: it is related to the Valley of Hinnom, which over the centuries was a garbage heap where things rotted and burned, even bodies. Evil acts were done there, like sacrificing children. It was outside Jerusalem. The name got tweaked into Gehenna, and in Jesus’s day it was an image or metaphor for punishment and a hellish place. At this dump wicked kings of Israel / Judea worshipped Baal-Molech, including offering children in fiery sacrifices—they put children to the flames (2 Kings 16:3; 23:10; 2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6; Is. 66:24; Jer. 7:31-32; 19:4-6; 32:34-35). So it is apt to say that Gehenna is the place where people go who have done wicked deeds and are not saved, after final judgment.
See my post about the Bible basics on hell:
See v. 15 for more comments and some links.
29:
“sparrows” it could be translated as “small birds,” but sparrows were caught for food for the poor in the Near East, so “sparrows” is a sound translation. Sparrows were sold for two assarias, which is one-sixteenth of a denarius, and a denarius was typically a day’s wage for an agricultural worker. So each sparrow was valued at a few Roman pennies.
Yet when one of them dies, this happens under the watchful eye of God.
“without your Father knowing it”: the Greek does not have “knowing it.” It literally says “without your Father.” Yet that is not enough information in English. So it could be translated as “without your Father’s consent”; “without your Father’s care.” Luke 12:6 says, “not overlooked before God.” So this verb does not settle the issue, because he knows about the death of sparrows and he cares about them. Your translation will depend on your theology which you import to this verse. My interpretation: God did not cause their deaths; he didn’t even have to consent to it. Instead, he allowed nature to take her course. Birds don’t live forever. But he knows of their deaths.
30:
Now Jesus employs the image of numbering hairs. Today we might say God has every cell in your body numbered under his watchful gaze. In other words, he knows all about you. He has not forgotten you. He knows the life you lead right now, all the trials and persecutions.
31:
The argument goes from the lesser (sparrows) to the greater (humans). If God watches the lesser creatures, how much more does he watch the greater ones, us humans? We are much more valuable than sparrows.
Then once again Jesus ends with fear or reverential awe of God. This time he uses the present tense of the verb “fear.” So we should be in a continuous state or sense of reverential awe towards God or fear of him. Yes, have laughter in your life, but be mindful that God both loves you and is bigger than you are. He deserves respect, even fear.
Even Americans who go to Buckingham Palace should reverence the King and nod their heads (men) or do a quick curtsey (women) when she appears before them. You should follow their protocol. Wear the required clothes. Speak only when spoken to. Carry a respectful air about you.
God is much more important than any earthly monarch. He is the biggest and most majestic of all beings inside or outside the universe. That’s the reason why Scripture encourages us to fear God or simply describes people who fear God. They tremble when they catch a glimpse of him in his partial glory, as Peter, James, and John did on the mount of transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13). The shepherds feared when the glorious light shone around them (Luke 2:8-10). People today who claim to see the glory of the Lord manifest before them and do not have the initial response of fear and awe are missing something in their stories.
See my posts about God’s majesty and holiness.
Do I Really Know God? He Is Majestic
Do I Really Know God? He Is Holy
Word Study on Holiness and Sanctification
32-33:
These verses pose two opposites routes Jesus followers can take during stressful times of probable persecution. In light of the Father’s care and knowledge of his followers during tough times—even our hairs are numbered—what do we do when put on trial for their faith? Will they acknowledge and confess and profess Jesus or deny him. Jesus needs to strengthen us during those times. Recall that our Father will speak in us at our trials. So the Father is right there with us.
“acknowledges”: We must profess and acknowledge and praise Jesus in public. It is used twice in this verse, so do we dare say that Jesus would profess and praise us before his heavenly Father? Yes.
You can go online and see videos of poor Christians in Nigeria who have to rub shoulders with violent Muslims. One Christian denied Jesus because a hooded Muslim held a knife to his throat. After the Christian denied Jesus, the Muslim murdered him anyway. It’s best not to deny Jesus even during the worst time of your life. It is better to end your life with him, because eternity is endless. You will spend an endless, timeless duration with him, while our lives down here on earth last only eight to ten decades. Choose Jesus.
This warning not to deny Jesus is not theoretical or hypothetical. It has to mean something. It can actually happen. It is possible for a born-again, Spirit-filled, true follower of Jesus to deny him. It is unconvincing to say that when a man denies Jesus, he was not a true follower of Jesus. That sentence seems desperate, as if to protect the hypothesis at all costs. No. The potential can become actual in certain conditions.
Once again:
Possible Apostasy or Eternal Security?
Remaining a Christian or Falling Away?
The good news is that if someone does walk away, the Spirit can still woo him back. He can return, like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:17-24). He can be restored, as Peter was. He first denied Jesus (Matt. 26:69-75), but Jesus reinstated him (John 21:15-19). Jesus can also reinstate anyone today who denied Jesus and has repented.
God can redeem you too.
What Is Redemption in the Bible?
“people”: see v. 17 for more comments.
GrowApp for Matt. 10:26-33
1. Do you fear people more than God? How does this hinder your walk with him?
RELATED
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom.
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