For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
What does Mark 8:36 mean?
Frequent notice is taken of the great flocking there was to Christ for help in various cases. All are concerned to know this, if they expect him to heal their souls.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Mark 8:34-38 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Mark 8:36
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Context in Mark 8
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Mark 8 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as rising conflict and parables. Mark is the swiftest and starkest Gospel, presenting Jesus as the mighty Son of God whose mission reaches its center in suffering, abandonment, and resurrection. Read this chapter with the wider themes of discipleship, the cross, and secrecy in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Bible verses about suffering and trials
Key passages on grief, endurance, lament, divine mystery, and the Christian claim that suffering is neither final nor meaningless.
Who quoted Mark 8:36?
Find out who used Mark 8:36 in their speeches and writings. Which famous people quoted Mark 8:36?
Quotes found on Wikiquote (match for «what shall it profit a man»):
Czech proverbs · Dutch proverbs · French proverbs · Italian proverbs · Materialism · Polish proverbs · Profit · R. H. Tawney · Religious views on capitalism · Soul · World domination