Mark 9:49

This verse evidently alludes to Leviticus 2:13 (cf. Exodus 30:35; Ezekiel 43:24). The "everyone" in view could refer to unbelievers who enter hell. Unbelievers are the immediate antecedent of this verse. As salt preserves food, so God will preserve them forever in torment.

A second possibility is that "everyone" refers to believers living in a hostile world. Jesus’ believing disciples were those to whom He addressed these words. As the Old Testament priests salted the animal sacrifices, so God will season His living sacrifices with fiery trials to purify their faith (cf. 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Peter 4:12). [Note: Hiebert, p. 234; Lane, p. 349; Lenski, pp. 410-11; Cranfield, pp. 315-16; Taylor, p. 413; Cole, p. 224.]

A third interpretation is that "everyone" refers to every person, unbelievers and believers alike. God will subject everyone to fiery trials. He does this to believers and unbelievers alike during their earthly lives (James 1:1-18). He will also do this to believers’ works when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ (cf. Matthew 25:14-46; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). He will do this to unbelievers when they stand before Him at the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). This seems to me to be the best interpretation. It takes "everyone" literally and is consistent with other revelation. The point is that everyone should realize that divine testing is an inevitable part of life. [Note: H. A. W. Meyer, "Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Gospels of Mark and Luke," in Meyer’s Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, pp. 120-23, listed 15 different interpretations.]

Since this verse appears only in Mark it must have had special significance for the original readers. If they were Roman Christians, it would have encouraged them to realize that the fires of persecution were part of their calling. Everyone will experience trials (cf. James 1:1-18). We sometimes say that into every life a little rain must fall. We could change that a little and say that into every life a little salt of testing must fall.