Can Your Soul Be Killed?
Can your soul be killed? No, but it can be destroyed by God alone in Gehenna. Consider Matthew 10:28.
and you do not be afraid of the ones killing the body, but not being able to kill soul. You should fear rather the One being able both soul and body to destroy in Gehenna.
Jesus made three points about your soul in this verse.
1. Do not be afraid of the body killers.
Jesus commanded His disciples not to fear the body killers. 1Matthew provided: Καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποκτεννόντων (present active participle, genitive masculine plural) τὸ σῶμα φοβεῖσθε (present middle/passive imperative 2p). Matthew used a very common word for kill the body, but used a present participle to emphasize the immediate action of bodily death. We could translate it as a substantive, the killers. They act on earth in the here and now. Jesus dealt with the fear of the disciples by using a simple, direct command not to fear. Jesus always provided all the spiritual power necessary to keep His commands. He never commanded us to do things we lack the power to do. Therefore, we know that body killers may kill people, but Jesus commanded us not to fear them.
2. The body killers have no power to kill the soul.
Jesus explained the the body killers have no power to the kill the soul. 2Matthew provided: τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι (aorist active infinitive). The μὴ δυναμένων (present passive/middle participle, genitive masculine plural) describes the lack of power now or ever to kill the soul. The aorist infinitive ἀποκτεῖνα describes the use of the power. We must not fear the body killers, because they cannot kill the soul. The soul departs the body at death and goes to either Paradise (believers) or to Hades (unbelievers) at death (see Afterlife). The body killers under no circumstances have the power to kill the soul. In other words, after your body dies on earth, the soul departs the body. The body killers have no ability to kill the soul, because it is separate from the body composed of flesh.
3. Fear the One With Power to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna.
Jesus commanded His disciples to fear the One with Power to destroy body and soul in Gehenna. 3Matthew provided: φοβεῖσθε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον (present middle/passive participle genitive masculine plural) καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ. God alone has the power to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna (see Afterlife). Therefore, we know that bodies go to Gehenna along with souls. The bodies in Gehenna do not have flesh, but are resurrected bodies that endure flames without being burned up. They continue suffering the flames of Gehenna indefinitely.
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