What does Matthew 16:26 mean?
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Quick answer
‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’—nothing outweighs the value of one’s eternal soul.
What it means
Jesus presses the ultimate priority: worldly gain is worthless if it costs your soul, which nothing can buy back.
It calls us to weigh temporary success against eternal reality and to follow Christ above all.
Common questions
What is Jesus teaching in Matthew 16:26?
That the soul’s eternal destiny matters more than any worldly gain; losing your soul is a loss nothing can repay.
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Original BibleDawn explanation · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.