Albert Barnes Commentary Mark 9:49

"For every one shall be salted with fire." — Mark 9:49 (ASV)

Every one shall be salted with fire. PERHAPS NO PASSAGE IN THE New Testament has given more perplexity to commentators than this; and it may be impossible now to fix its precise meaning. The common meaning attributed to it has been, that as salt preserves from decay, so fire, applied to the wicked in hell, will have the property of preserving them in existence, or they will be preserved amid the sprinkling of fire, to be continually, in their sufferings, a sacrifice to the justice of God.

But this meaning is not quite satisfactory. Another opinion has been, that as salt is sprinkled on the victim preparatory to its being devoted to God (Leviticus 2:13), so the apostles should, by trials, calamities, etc., represented here by fire, be prepared as a sacrifice and offering to God. Probably the passage does not refer at all to future punishment; and the difficulty of interpreting it has arisen from supposing it connected with verse 48, or given as a reason for what is said in that verse, rather than considering it as designed to illustrate the general design of the passage.

The main scope of the passage was not to discuss future punishment. That is brought in incidentally. The chief object of the passage was:

1. To teach them that other people, not with them, might be true Christians (Mark 9:38–39).
2. That they should be inclined to look favorably on the slightest evidence that they might be (Mark 9:41).
3. That they ought to avoid offending such weak and obscure Christians (Mark 9:42).
4. That everything calculated to cause offense or to dishonor religion should be removed (Mark 9:43).
5. That everything which would endanger their salvation should be sacrificed; that they should deny themselves and practice all self-denials to obtain eternal life.

In this way they would be preserved to eternal life. The word "fire" here, therefore, denotes self-denials, sacrifices, and trials in keeping ourselves from the gratification of the flesh.

It is as if he had said: "Look at the sacrifice on the altar. It is an offering to God, about to be presented to him. It is sprinkled with salt, emblematic of PURITY, of PRESERVATION, and of fitting it, therefore, for a sacrifice. So you are devoted to God. YOU are sacrifices, victims, offerings to him in his service. To make you acceptable offerings, everything must be done to preserve you from sin, to purify you, and to make you fit offerings. Self-denials, subduing the lusts, enduring trials, removing offenses, are the proper preservatives in the service of God. Doing this, you will be acceptable offerings and be saved; without this, you will be unfit for his eternal service and will be lost."