Luke 9:25

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(25) And lose himself, or be cast away.—Better, destroy himself, or suffer loss. The first word expresses a more direct act, as of self-destruction, and the second (see Note on Matthew 16:16) implies the thought of the forfeiture of something precious rather than of being absolutely rejected. It presents, so to speak, a slightly softened aspect of the previous words.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

9:18-27 It is an unspeakable comfort that our Lord Jesus is God's Anointed; this signifies that he was both appointed to be the Messiah, and qualified for it. Jesus discourses concerning his own sufferings and death. And so far must his disciples be from thinking how to prevent his sufferings, that they must prepare for their own. We often meet with crosses in the way of duty; and though we must not pull them upon our own heads, yet, when they are laid for us, we must take them up, and carry them after Christ. It is well or ill with us, according as it is well or ill with our souls. The body cannot be happy, if the soul be miserable in the other world; but the soul may be happy, though the body is greatly afflicted and oppressed in this world. We must never be ashamed of Christ and his gospel.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The Christ of God - The "Anointed" of God. The "Messiah" appointed by God, and who had been long promised by him. See the notes at Matthew 1:1.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. will save—"Is minded to save," bent on saving. The pith of this maxim depends—as often in such weighty sayings (for example, "Let the dead bury the dead," Mt 8:22)—on the double sense attached to the word "life," a lower and a higher, the natural and the spiritual, temporal and eternal. An entire sacrifice of the lower, or a willingness to make it, is indispensable to the preservation of the higher life; and he who cannot bring himself to surrender the one for the sake of the other shall eventually lose both.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Matthew 16:26", See Poole on "Mark 8:36".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world,.... Or what profit will it be unto him? all the honours, riches, and enjoyments of it will be of no use and service to him if he himself is lost:

and lose himself; or his own soul; for he that loses his soul, which is his better and immortal part, loses himself:

or be cast away: finally, and eternally, or "suffer loss" of eternal happiness and glory; that is, perishes, and is destroyed with an everlasting destruction; See Gill on Matthew 16:26.

Geneva Study Bible

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Luke 9:25. ἑαυτὸν ἀπολέσας ἢ ζημιωθείς = losing, or receiving damage in, his own self (Field, Ot. Nor.). The idea expressed by the second participle seems to be that even though it does not come to absolute loss, yet if gaining the world involve damage to the self, the moral personality—taint, lowering of the tone, vulgarising of the soul—we lose much more than we gain.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

25. if he gain the whole world] It was by the constant repetition of this verse that Ignatius Loyola won the life-long devotion of St Francis Xavier.

lose himself or be cast away] Rather, destroy himself, and suffer loss.

Bengel's Gnomen

Luke 9:25. Ἀπολέσας, having destroyed himself) when he might have been saved [Luke 9:24].—ζημιωθεὶς, having incurred loss [having become a castaway]) when he might have gained [Luke 9:25] himself.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 25. - For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? Godet's comment here is pithy and quaint: "Jesus supposes, in this twenty-fifth verse, the act of saving one's own life accomplished with the most complete success... amounting to a gain of the whole world. But in this very moment, the master of this magnificent domain finds himself condemned to perish! What gain to draw in a lottery a gallery of pictures... and at the same time to become blind!" "O flesh," writes Luther (quoted by Dr. Morrison), "how mighty art thou, that thou canst still throw darkness over those things, even to the minds of the holy!" Luke 9:25

Vincent's Word Studies

Gain (κερδήσας)

A merchant's word. Jesus is putting the case as a common-sense question of profit and loss.

Lose (ἀπολέσας)

"When he might have been saved" (Bengel). This word, in classical Greek, is used: 1. Of death in battle or elsewhere. 2. Of laying waste, as a city or heritage. 3. Of losing of life, property, or other objects. As an active verb, to kill or demolish. 4. Of being demoralized, morally abandoned or ruined, as children under bad influences. In New Testament of killing (Matthew 2:13; Matthew 12:14). 5. Of destroying and perishing, not only of human life, but of material and intellectual things (1 Corinthians 1:19; John 6:27; Mark 2:22; 1 Peter 1:7; James 1:11; Hebrews 1:11). 6. Of losing (Matthew 10:6, Matthew 10:42; Luke 15:4, Luke 15:6, Luke 15:8). Of moral abandonment (Luke 15:24, Luke 15:32). 7. Of the doom of the impenitent (Matthew 10:28; Luke 13:3; John 3:15; John 10:28; 2 Peter 3:9; Romans 2:12.

Cast away (ζημιωθείς)

Another business term. The word means to fine, amerce, mulct; to punish by exacting forfeit. Hence Rev., correctly, forfeit his own self. See on win your souls, Luke 21:19. Also on Matthew 16:26.