WILL THE SOUL SURVIVE THE FIRST DEATH? An Exegetical Study of Matthew 10:28

Abstract

The statement of Jesus in Gospel of Matthew 10:28—“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna”—has been central to theological discussions concerning the nature of the soul and the destiny of human beings after death. While the passage has often been interpreted as support for the doctrine of the immortal soul, many modern scholars argue that it primarily concerns eschatological judgment rather than philosophical anthropology. This article analyzes Matthew 10:28 through literary context, Greek syntactical structure, lexical analysis of key terms (psychē and apollymi), comparison with the parallel passage in Gospel of Luke12:4–5, and the concept of Gehenna in Second Temple Judaism. Engaging with scholars such as Oscar Cullmann, Richard Bauckham, and N. T. Wright, the study argues that Matthew 10:28 does not necessarily affirm the inherent immortality of the soul but emphasizes God’s ultimate authority over the final destiny of the whole person.