Luke 12:4 (GNV)

Passage

And I say vnto you, my friendes, be not afraide of them that kill the bodie, and after that are not able to doe any more.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:2 For there is nothing couered, that shall not bee reueiled: neither hidde, that shall not be knowen.

Luke 12:3 Wherefore whatsoeuer yee haue spoken in darkenesse, it shall be heard in the light: and that which ye haue spoken in the eare, in secret places, shall be preached on the houses.

Luke 12:4 And I say vnto you, my friendes, be not afraide of them that kill the bodie, and after that are not able to doe any more.

Luke 12:5 But I wil forewarne you, who ye shall feare: feare him which after hee hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say vnto you, him feare.

Luke 12:6 Are not fiue sparowes bought for two farthings, and yet not one of them is forgotten before God?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "vnto", "friendes", "afraide", "kill", "bodie", "after", and "able". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "vnto" and "friendes", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Wherefore whatsoeuer yee haue spoken in darkenesse..." into verse 5's "But I wil forewarne you who ye...", so "vnto" and "friendes" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "vnto" and "friendes" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.