What does Luke 21:19 mean? Commentators are divided.
Marshall denies that this refers to winning your continued physical life: “Ktēsasthe gives the force ‘you will win your lives’, i.e. participate in eternal life, rather than ‘you will preserve your earthly life’…At least some of the disciples will not survive to the end (v. 16)” (Luke, p. 770). He seems to be saying that to retain eternal life, one must persevere.
Similarly, Stein comments, “Here Luke described how not a hair of their heads would perish [21:18]. By faithfully enduring (cf. Luke 8:15) in this time of persecution, the believer gains for himself or herself eternal life (cf. 9:24)” (Luke, p. 518).
Butler agrees: “You are to remain true to me through all persecution and catastrophe. Only by such perseverance can you gain your life for eternity” (Luke, Vol. 3, p. 352, italics added).
Fitzmyer probably takes the same view, suggesting that psychē refers to “real life”: “‘in your persistence win (impv.) your souls.’ The condition for deliverance is…persistent endurance. So one will acquire, procure (real) life” Luke X-XXIV, p. 1341).
Lange and van Oosterzee use the same language as Fitzmyer: “By endurance they were to preserve this true life, even if they for it should lose the life of the body” (Luke, p. 320, italics added).
Valdés, however, says this refers to Jewish believers during the Tribulation who will need to endure the end to be saved from physical death:
This statement pertains to believers who already possess eternal life as a guaranteed gift. Further, it deals with a future reality brought about by the believer’s endurance. Although they would certainly receive God’s help (see vv 13–14), they would have to show personal faithfulness in the context of persecution (cf. Luke 21:20 with Matt 24:15–28 and Mark 13:14–23) (“Luke” in GNTC, p. 334, italics added).
The leading Greek dictionary, BDAG, says concerning Luke 21:19, “you will win your lives by your endurance” (p. 572).
This passage is Luke’s version of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25). Luke 20:19 is parallel to Matt 24:13 and Mark 13:13b. Both read, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” In both contexts, salvation means physical survival of the Tribulation. Note Matt 24:22, the only other reference to salvation in the Olivet Discourse: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” Mark 13:20 says the same thing, though with slightly different wording. The elect refers to God’s chosen people, Israel. If every single Jew died during the Tribulation, there would be no chosen people left to go into the Millennium in natural bodies, and therefore no one to build the nation of Israel up to its promised size—like the sands of the seashore and the stars of the sky.
This will be the only time in recorded history—other than when the eight people emerged from Noah’s ark—that all living adults are faithful believers.i The point of these verses is that any non-persevering believers, whether Jewish or Gentile, will die before the end of the Tribulation (see Matt 25:31-46).
Of course, as Marshall pointed out, some faithful believers will be martyred during the Tribulation. But that doesn’t change the fact that 100% of the surviving adult believers will have persevered to the end. (Both believing and unbelieving children will survive the Tribulation and go into the Millennium in natural bodies. But children are not in view here.)
Those who do not believe the promise of life as found in John’s Gospel are likely to misinterpret Luke 21:19 and scores of other discipleship verses in the Synoptic Gospels. Sadly, many think that people need to win everlasting life by persevering through persecution in faith and good works. But the Lord Jesus promises that the sole condition of everlasting life is faith in Him (John 3:16; 6:47; 11:25-27). On the other hand, perseverance is required for eternal rewards. At the end of the Tribulation, every surviving adult believer will be one who persevered in faith and good works to the end.
Luke 21:19 should be translated, “By your patience [or endurance] possess [or win] your [physical] lives.”
Keep grace in focus, and you will keep on persevering.
i I suppose Adam and Eve were likely faithful believers after they came to faith when they heard Gen 3:15. So that is probably a third time in human history when all living adults were faithful believers.
