Answer # 59

This verse says that even though one person may kill another, the killer cannot cause the ultimate destruction of life. Humans can destroy human life, but God has ordained that everyone is going to be resurrected at a future time (John 5:28-29). God alone is the ultimate judge and reserves to Himself the right to absolutely extinguish life permanently if He deems it necessary in any given case.

The meaning of Matthew 10:28 is clouded because the word soul has lost its true meaning because of religious confusion and misunderstanding. Actually, soul simply means "life." Once this meaning is understood, Jesus' statement becomes clear.

The English word soul is translated from the Greek word psuche and the Hebrew word nephesh, both of which mean a living, breathing creature, whether referring to man or animal. Soul never means something immortal in man or animal. It simply pertains to the life of all physical creatures.

In Leviticus 17:11 the word translated "life" comes from the same Hebrew word elsewhere translated "soul." The verse can be just as accurately rendered, "For the soul of the flesh is in the blood." Jesus gave His life (translated from the same Greek word meaning "soul") a ransom for us (Mark 10:45) by pouring out His soul (lifeblood) in payment for sin (Isaiah 53:12).

Soul, then, refers to the physical life in man or animals.

The soul is something that can be destroyed. Ezekiel twice said, ."The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:4, 20, Authorized Version).

God can destroy the physical body and the soul or life. Luke quotes Jesus as saying, "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell [the lake of fire - the final, second death]" (Luke 12:5).

God allows man the power to take physical life. But such an act only causes a temporary cessation of life - the first death (Hebrews 9:27).

God has the power to resurrect and, if He then judges a person unworthy to be in His Kingdom, the condemned will be thrown into a lake of fire to be utterly consumed. This is the second death from which there will be no resurrection (Revelation 20:14-15, Malachi 4:1). The body and life (soul) of the incorrigibly wicked will be destroyed forever by hell fire.