are destroyed.

Third: "Fear not them that kill the body but are not able to kill
the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and
body in Gehenna." A similar use of figurative language, in a still
bolder manner, is found in Isaiah. Intending to say nothing more
than that Assyria should be overthrown and crushed, the prophet
bursts out, "Under the glory of the King of Assyria Jehovah shall
kindle a burning like the burning of a fire; and it shall burn and
devour his thorns and his briers in one day, and shall consume the
glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and
body." Reading the whole passage in Matthew with a single eye, its
meaning will be apparent. We may paraphrase it thus. Jesus says to
his disciples, "You are now going forth to preach the gospel. My
religion and its destinies are intrusted to your hands. As you go
from place to place, be on your guard; for they will persecute
you, and scourge you, and deliver you up to death. But fear them
not. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master; and
if they have done so unto me, how much more shall they unto you!
Do not, through fear of hostile men, who can only kill your bodies
and are not able in any wise to injure your souls, shrink from
danger and prove recreant to the momentous duties imposed upon
you; but be inspired to proclaim the principles of the heavenly
kingdom with earnestness and courage, in the face of all perils,
by fearing God, him who is able to plunge both your souls and your
bodies in abomination and agony, him who, if you prove unfaithful
and become slothful servants or wicked traitors, will leave your
bodies to a violent death and after that your souls to bitter
shame and anguish. Fear not the temporal, physical power of your
enemies, to be turned from your work by it; but rather fear the
eternal, spiritual power of your God, to be made faithful by it."

Fourth: "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye
compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and, when he is made,
ye make him twofold more a child of Gehenna than yourselves." That
is, "Ye make him twice as bad as yourselves in hypocrisy, bigotry,
extortion, impurity, and malice, a subject of double guilt and of
double retribution."

Finally, Jesus exclaims to the children of those who killed the
prophets, "Serpents, brood of vipers! how can ye escape the
condemnation of Gehenna?" That is to say, "Venomous creatures, bad
men! y