For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
Parallel translations
- WEB For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it.
- BSB For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- NKJV For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- NASB For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
- NLT If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus says whoever saves his life will lose it, but whoever loses it for his sake will find it. It matters because it reveals the great paradox of the gospel.
Overview
True life is found not by self-preservation but by giving oneself up for Christ. Clinging to this life leads to ultimate loss, while surrendering it for Jesus secures eternal life. This paradox overturns the world's wisdom about self-interest. It promises that what is given up for Christ is gained back immeasurably in him.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Matt 10:39He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
- Rev 12:11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
- Mark 8:35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
- John 12:25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
- Luke 17:33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
- Acts 20:23–24Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.
- Esth 4:16Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
- Esth 4:14For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 16:25 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.