And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Luk 12:4-5
Be not afraid of them that kill the body
The fear of God
Be not afraid of them that kill the body
The fear of God
"Even the friends of God are commanded to fear God, as a being who has authority to send both body and soul into hell. Therefore it is proper even for the most holy persons to maintain a fear of God, as the punisher of all unrighteousness. A man has but one life to lose, and one soul to save; and it is madness to sacrifice the salvation of the soul to the preservation of the life. "[Adam Clarke]
"Fear him who hath power to cast into hell - Even to his peculiar friends, Christ gives this direction. Therefore the fearing of God as having power to cast into hell, is to be pressed even on true believers." [John Wesley]
"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear, I will be your monitor, and direct you to the proper object of fear and reverence, and whom you should be careful to displease and offend:
fear him, which after he hath killed; your body, as the Persic version adds; hath taken away the life of it, by separating soul and body asunder, by sending one disease or another, or death in one shape or another:
hath power to cast into hell; your soul, as the above version also adds; yea, to destroy both body and soul in hell, as in See Mat_10:28.
yea, I say unto you, fear him; and none else, not with a servile, but with a filial fear." [John Gill]
"Fear him who hath power to cast into hell - Even to his peculiar friends, Christ gives this direction. Therefore the fearing of God as having power to cast into hell, is to be pressed even on true believers." [John Wesley]
"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear, I will be your monitor, and direct you to the proper object of fear and reverence, and whom you should be careful to displease and offend:
fear him, which after he hath killed; your body, as the Persic version adds; hath taken away the life of it, by separating soul and body asunder, by sending one disease or another, or death in one shape or another:
hath power to cast into hell; your soul, as the above version also adds; yea, to destroy both body and soul in hell, as in See Mat_10:28.
yea, I say unto you, fear him; and none else, not with a servile, but with a filial fear." [John Gill]
Fearing God More Than Man
I. CONSIDER THE POWER OF MAN, AND WHAT HE CAN DO.
1. He can kill the body, and take away our lives, which includes a power of doing whatever is less.
2. He can do not even this, however, without the Divine permission.
3. If permitted to do his worst, he can do but this. “After that they have no more that they can do.”
(1) “They can but kill the body,” that is, they can only injure the worst and least considerable part of us.
(2) When they have killed the body, by doing this, they do but prevent nature a little, they do but antedate an evil a few moments, and bring our fears upon us a little sooner; the:; kill that which must die within a few days, though they should let it alone; they do but cut asunder that thread which would shortly break of itself by its own weakness and rottenness.
(3) “They can but kill the body”; and what argument of power is this, to be able to kill that which is mortal? as if you should say, “ They can break a glass; they can throw down that which is falling.”
(4) The killing of the body does not necessarily signify any great mischief or harm in the issue and event. “They can kill the body,” that is, they can knock off our fetters, and open the prison doors, and set us at liberty; they can put us out of pain, thrust us out of an uneasy world, put an end to our sins and sorrows, to our misery and fears; they can “give the weary rest,” and send us thither where we would be, but are loath to venture to go.
(5) “They can but kill the body”; when they have done that, they may give over, here their proud waves must stop; here their cruelty and malice, their power and wit, must terminate, for they can reach no farther.
(6) “They can but kill the body,” they cannot do the least harm to the soul, much less can they annihilate it, and make it cease to be.
(7) And lastly, “They can but kill the body,” that is, they can but inflict temporal misery upon us; their power, as it is but small, so it is of a short continuance, it reaches no farther than this life, it is confined to this world.
II. CONSIDER HOW MUCH THE POWER OF GOD EXCEEDS THE POWER OF MAN; which our Savior declares in these words, “Who, after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.” Which in general signifies, that His power is infinite and unlimited.
1. God’s power is absolute, and independent upon any other.
2. His power reaches to the soul as well as the body.
3. In the other world He can raise our bodies again, and reunite them to our souls, and cast them into hell, and torment them there.
4. God can punish for ever.
(Archbishop Tillotson.)
1. He can kill the body, and take away our lives, which includes a power of doing whatever is less.
2. He can do not even this, however, without the Divine permission.
3. If permitted to do his worst, he can do but this. “After that they have no more that they can do.”
(1) “They can but kill the body,” that is, they can only injure the worst and least considerable part of us.
(2) When they have killed the body, by doing this, they do but prevent nature a little, they do but antedate an evil a few moments, and bring our fears upon us a little sooner; the:; kill that which must die within a few days, though they should let it alone; they do but cut asunder that thread which would shortly break of itself by its own weakness and rottenness.
(3) “They can but kill the body”; and what argument of power is this, to be able to kill that which is mortal? as if you should say, “ They can break a glass; they can throw down that which is falling.”
(4) The killing of the body does not necessarily signify any great mischief or harm in the issue and event. “They can kill the body,” that is, they can knock off our fetters, and open the prison doors, and set us at liberty; they can put us out of pain, thrust us out of an uneasy world, put an end to our sins and sorrows, to our misery and fears; they can “give the weary rest,” and send us thither where we would be, but are loath to venture to go.
(5) “They can but kill the body”; when they have done that, they may give over, here their proud waves must stop; here their cruelty and malice, their power and wit, must terminate, for they can reach no farther.
(6) “They can but kill the body,” they cannot do the least harm to the soul, much less can they annihilate it, and make it cease to be.
(7) And lastly, “They can but kill the body,” that is, they can but inflict temporal misery upon us; their power, as it is but small, so it is of a short continuance, it reaches no farther than this life, it is confined to this world.
II. CONSIDER HOW MUCH THE POWER OF GOD EXCEEDS THE POWER OF MAN; which our Savior declares in these words, “Who, after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.” Which in general signifies, that His power is infinite and unlimited.
1. God’s power is absolute, and independent upon any other.
2. His power reaches to the soul as well as the body.
3. In the other world He can raise our bodies again, and reunite them to our souls, and cast them into hell, and torment them there.
4. God can punish for ever.
(Archbishop Tillotson.)
THE SECRET OF FEARLESSNESS
"The program of this paragraph seems dark. The leaven of evil always at work; the body tortured and killed; confession difficult, denial easy; the trials before synagogues and rulers; the anxiety of witnessing a good confession. The Lord never hesitated in stating the heavy tribulation through which His disciples must come to the Kingdom.
But what infinite compensations! Not forgotten by God; our hairs numbered; confessed before the angels; taught how to speak; all sin forgiven! With such comforts, who of us need fear, except only the power of Satan! What infinite sympathy and care our Father has for us! He knows our sorrows, marks every lurch of the boat, and will supply His gracious comfort and help. Why should we flinch before a world in arms, so long as the Son of man stands for us, as He did for Stephen, at “the right hand of God?” The outward man may decay, but the inward man is renewed day by day."
[F.B. Meyer]
Corresponding verses:
Mat 10:28 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.
Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Mat 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
But what infinite compensations! Not forgotten by God; our hairs numbered; confessed before the angels; taught how to speak; all sin forgiven! With such comforts, who of us need fear, except only the power of Satan! What infinite sympathy and care our Father has for us! He knows our sorrows, marks every lurch of the boat, and will supply His gracious comfort and help. Why should we flinch before a world in arms, so long as the Son of man stands for us, as He did for Stephen, at “the right hand of God?” The outward man may decay, but the inward man is renewed day by day."
[F.B. Meyer]
Corresponding verses:
Mat 10:28 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.
Mat 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
Mat 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Mat 10:31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
Mat 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
