_
in a disembodied state."(1)

5. _Cannot Kill the Soul._--"Fear not them which kill the body, but are not
able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell." Matt. 10:28. We know what it is to kill the body;
and by association of ideas, it seems quite natural to form a like
conception of the soul as something that can be treated in the same way.
Then if the soul cannot be killed like the body, the conclusion seems easy
of adoption that it lives right on, with all sensations preserved, as it
was with the body before its death. If it were not for the pagan
definition of "soul," which here comes in to change the current of
thought, such conclusions drawn from this text would not be so prevalent;
and a little attention to the scope of Christ's teaching here will readily
correct the misapprehension. This is brought out clearly in verse 39: "He
that findeth his _life_ shall lose it: and he that loseth his _life_ for
my sake shall find it." This is easily understood. No one will question
what it is to lose his life; and Christ says that he who will do this for
his sake, shall find it. Any one who has been put to death for his faith
in the gospel has "lost his life" (had the body killed) for Christ's sake.
But Christ says, Do not fear them, even if they do this. Why?--Because ye
shall find it--the life you lost. When shall we find it?--In the
resurrection. John 6:40; Rev. 20:4-6. The expression, "shall find it,"
thus becomes the exact equivalent of the words, "are not able to kill the
soul;" that is, are not able to destroy, or prevent us from gaining that
life he has promised, if we suffer men, for his sake, to "kill the body,"
or deprive us of our present life. The correctness of this view is
demonstrated by the word employed in these instances. That word is {~GREEK SMALL LETTER PSI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH OXIA~}
(_psuche_). It is properly rendered "life" in verse 39, and improperly
rendered "soul" in verse 28. This lesson, that men should be willing to
lose their life for Christ's sake, was considered so important that it is
again mentioned in Matthew, and reiterated with emphasis by Mark, Luke,
and John; and they all use this same word {~GREEK SMALL LETTER PSI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH OXIA~}, which is rendered "life."
In one instance only in all these pa