But I say to you, my friends, Fear not those who kill the body and after this have no more that they can do.

'And I say to you, my friends, be not afraid of those killing the body, and after these things are not having anything over to do;

"But to you who are my friends I say, "'Be not afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do nothing further.

And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that.

So I say to you, my friends: Do not be fearful of those who kill the body, and afterwards have no more that they can do.

To you who are my friends I say, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but after that can do no more.

Kill the body - See on Matthew 10:28 (note).

(2) And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
(2) Although hypocrites have princes to execute their cruelty, yet there is no reason why we should be afraid of them, even by the smallest amount that may be, seeing that they can do nothing except that which pleases God, and God does not will anything that may be against the salvation of his elect.

And I say unto you, my friends,.... Whom he dearly loved, and had taken into the greatest intimacy and familiarity; making known to them whatever he had heard from his Father; giving them the best instructions, the most faithful and friendly advice, and proper precautions; all which, and more, showed them to be his friends, and for whom he after laid down his life:
be not afraid of them that kill the body; though he would have them beware of the Pharisees, he would not have them be afraid of them; he would have them know them, and avoid their hypocrisy, and guard against it; but not fear them, or the worst they could do unto them, which was to kill the body; and that they had no need to be afraid of, since at death, their souls would be immediately happy, in the enjoyment and vision of God; and their bodies would sleep in Jesus, and be raised in the resurrection morn, and be united to their souls, and be both for ever blessed:
and after that have no more that they can do; they have nothing more to kill, or which they can put to pain or misery; the soul is out of their reach, is an immortal spirit, and cannot be hurt or destroyed by them.

I say, &c.--You will say, That may cost us our life. Be it so; but, "My friends, there their power ends." He calls them "my friends" here, not in any loose sense, but, as we think, from the feeling He then had that in this "killing of the body" He and they were going to be affectingly one with each other.

But I say to you, Fear not - Let not the fear of man make you act the hypocrite, or conceal any thing which I have commissioned you to publish.