Mark 8:36

36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Read Chapter Compare

PREVIOUS Mark 8:35 NEXT Mark 8:37

Mark 8:36 in Other Translations

KJV

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

ESV

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

NLT

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

MSG

36 What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?

CSB

36 For what does it benefit a man to gain the whole world yet lose his life?

Mark 8:36 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man
In the long run, in the issue of things, who by denying Christ, and his Gospel, may not only save his life for the present, but procure for himself great riches and wealth:

if he shall gain the whole world;
were that possible to be done, and which the ambitious, worldly man is desirous of; yet supposing he: had his desire, of what avail would this be in the upshot of things, should the following be his case, as it will,

and lose his own soul?
which is immortal and everlasting, when the world, and the glory of it pass away, and so is of more worth than the whole world. The world can only be enjoyed for a season, and that with a great deal of fatigue and trouble; but the soul continues for ever; and if it is lost and damned, its torment always abides, and the smoke of it ascends for ever, its worm never dies, and its fire is never quenched; (See Gill on Matthew 16:26).

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Mark 8:36 In-Context

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

35 For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”