Fear and Ability (Matthew 10:28)

[And] do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. —Matthew 10:28

In the verses leading up to our passage Jesus is preparing his disciples to go into hostile environments (Matthew 10:17-19). He seems to presume that they will have fear toward someone, either people who kill the body but not the soul, or God, who can destroy both in hell.

In this context, the fear Jesus is talking about involves a reverence and respect that has a decisive influence on our behavior. Notice the limitations of human authorities that Jesus presumes. Surely they “kill the body.” Though elsewhere Jesus says can (or cannot) kill, but here He simply says “kill.” Perhaps He assumes that they do in fact do it already, and the disciples know about it. Yet the influence of the killers is severely limited. They cannot touch the soul. The exhortation not to fear people is due in part to the limited extent of their influence or ability. Their jurisdiction is limited to physical life and bodily well-being. It does not extend to heavenly things, such as the soul of a believer in Christ (cf. Matthew 6:19-21).

The exhortation not to fear them is contrasted with an exhortation about whom disciples are to fear: God. In contrast to human authorities, the One whom disciples are to fear “can destroy” not simply the body (as in the human authorities), but also the soul (which the human authorities cannot touch). The location of God’s destruction of some is “in hell.” God alone has jurisdiction over such outcomes, and therefore He alone is to be feared in every aspect of life, especially our witness to others.

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