Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Keith Giles on Matthew 10:28




 . . . Jesus says that we should fear “the one who can destroy both soul and body . . .” can be destroyed in this place, not tortured there forever and ever. So, even if this were a verse about the afterlife, what it tells us is destruction, not conscious suffering.

But, if this is not about the postmortem condition of sinners, then what is the purpose of mentioning the destruction of the soul and the body?

Well, first of all, Jesus says that we should fear “the one who can destroy both soul and body . . .” but wants to point out that this does not mean both soul and body will be destroyed in Gehenna. The potential for destruction is what is suggested, but it is not necessarily guaranteed or automatic.

We should also point out that there is an assumption made by most New Testament translators that Jesus is referring to God in this passage when he speaks of “the one who can destroy both soul and body.” Some English translations even capitalize the word “One” here to signify that this is who Jesus who is speaking about. But that is not necessarily what Jesus means to suggest here.

If we notice that Jesus rather unexpectedly uses the phrase “soul and body” rather than the more natural order of “body and soul” it may be because he is quoting from Isaiah 10:18, which also uses that same odd phrasing to say:

“The glory of his forest and of his fruitful land
the Lord will destroy, both soul and body,
and it will be as when a sick man wastes away.”

In context, this verse in Isaiah is about God’s judgment on the nation of Israel, which is compared to a wildfire that burns down a forest. If this is what Jesus is doing here, then he is referencing a national judgment against Israel that would mirror the one in 70 AD, which would also make sense given that Jesus mentions Gehenna.

Therefore, it’s very likely that this verse—whatever it means—is not about a postmortem judgment but about a national judgment carried out by armies.

But, this still doesn’t explain why Jesus would speak as if this destruction of soul and body in Gehenna would be any worse than simply having one’s body destroyed.

Here’s how one Bible scholar explains it:

“To the Jewish hearer, having one’s corpse cast into the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna), rather than honorably buried, would suggest a dishonorable death under the judgment and displeasure of God. This would be a matter of greater concern in a shame/honor-based culture, like that of ancient Israel, than it would be among us.

“Jesus exhortations about not fearing those who can only kill the body is given in the context of their [the disciples] facing persecution and martyrdom at the hands of ungodly men. Those dying in this way are assumed to be dying honorably for their faithfulness to God. By contrast, being cast into Gehenna suggests a disgraceful death suffered under God’s judgment. (Steve Gregg, All You Want to Know about Hell, p. 95).
(Keith Giles, Jesus Undefeated: Condemning the False Doctrine of Eternal Torment [Orange, Calif.: Quoir, 2019], 88-89)