Luke 9:24-25

9:24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, ¹  but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 9:25 For what does it benefit a person ²  if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?

Matthew 10:39

10:39 Whoever finds his life ³  will lose it, ⁴  and whoever loses his life because of me ⁵  will find it.

Matthew 16:25

16:25 For whoever wants to save his life ⁶  will lose it, ⁷  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Mark 8:35-37

8:35 For whoever wants to save his life ⁸  will lose it, ⁹  but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. 8:36 For what benefit is it for a person ¹⁰  to gain the whole world, yet ¹¹  forfeit his life? 8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life?

John 12:25

12:25 The one who loves his life ¹²  destroys ¹³  it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards ¹⁴  it for eternal life.

Revelation 2:10

2:10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown ¹⁵  into prison so you may be tested, ¹⁶  and you will experience suffering ¹⁷  for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. ¹⁸ 

[9:24]  ¹ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[9:25]  ² tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.

[10:39]  ³ tn Grk “his soul,” but ψυχή (yuch) is frequently used of one’s physical life. It clearly has that meaning in this context.

[10:39]  ⁴ sn If there is no willingness to suffer the world’s rejection at this point, then one will not respond to Jesus (which is trying to find life) and then will be subject to this judgment (which is losing it).

[10:39]  ⁵ tn Or “for my sake.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1).

[16:25]  ⁶ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).

[16:25]  ⁷ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[8:35]  ⁸ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 35-37).

[8:35]  ⁹ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[8:36]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.

[8:36]  ¹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[12:25]  ¹² tn Or “soul.”

[12:25]  ¹³ tn Or “loses.” Although the traditional English translation of ἀπολλύει (apolluei) in John 12:25 is “loses,” the contrast with φυλάξει (fulaxei, “keeps” or “guards”) in the second half of the verse favors the meaning “destroy” here.

[12:25]  ¹⁴ tn Or “keeps.”

[2:10]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “is about to throw some of you,” but the force is causative in context.

[2:10]  ¹⁶ tn Or “tempted.”

[2:10]  ¹⁷ tn Or “experience persecution,” “will be in distress” (see L&N 22.2).

[2:10]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “crown of life,” with the genitive “of life” (τῆς ζωῆς, th" zwh") functioning in apposition to “crown” (στέφανον, stefanon): “the crown that consists of life.”