Mark 8:35

35 For ¹whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake ²and the gospel's will save it.

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Mark 8:35 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 8:35

For whosoever will save his life
Life is a valuable thing, and all that a man has he will give for it; self preservation is a principle in nature; and it becomes every man to take all lawful methods to save his life, when it is threatened, or is in danger: but whoever is willing to save it, when it is called for to be laid down for Christ's sake; and rather than lay it down, will deny Christ, and give up a profession of him, and his Gospel,

shall lose it:
he shall not enjoy it with honour and comfort now, and much less with peace, pleasure, and happiness hereafter, but shall be under the power of the second death:

but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's;
that is, shall willingly part with it when he is called to it, rather than deny Christ and his Gospel,

the same shall save it:
though he will lose it now, he will find it again in the resurrection of life; for he will rise to eternal life; when such, who have apostatized from Christ, will rise to shame, and everlasting contempt: this man will have greatly the advantage over such; they will die the second death, or be destroyed soul and body in hell; and he will live for ever with Christ, in endless pleasure and glory; (See Gill on Matthew 16:25).

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Mark 8:35 In-Context

33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Cross References 2

1. [See ver. 34 above]
2. Mark 10:29; [1 Corinthians 9:23; 2 Timothy 1:8; Philemon 13]

Footnotes 1

[a]. The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and once in verse 36 and once in verse 37

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.