“13 Enter by the narrow gate; for
wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction , and there are
many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is
the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 [NKJV]
When growing up in the church, I was taught
that the “narrow gate” refers to the difficult commands Jesus gave in
His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:12-7:12). In other words, believe in Jesus as
the Messiah and do all these things Jesus has just taught, and you will enter
into eternal life. The imagery was that of walking through the narrow gate and
continuing on this long, difficult and narrow path of obedience to Christ in
order to gain entrance into God’s kingdom. The “wide gate” then was
living a life of disobedience.
But since my youth, I have come to a more
nontraditional view of these verses which I believe is much more consistent
with the original language of these verses and the emphasis of the New
Testament.
Jesus said, “13
Enter (eiselthete) by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to (eis + accusative) destruction , and there are many who go in
(eiserchomenoi) by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult
(tethlimmene) is the way which leads to (eis + accusative) life, and there are
few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Jesus said in Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Christ is using the commands in the Sermon on the Mount to convict His unbelieving audience (the “multitudes” consisted of believers and unbelievers – Matthew 4:25- 5:2) of their inability to obtain the righteousness required to enter the kingdom of Heaven. These unbelievers must possess a righteousness that is greater than the most righteous people they know – “the scribes and Pharisees.” The only righteousness that God would accept as basis for entrance into His kingdom was the righteousness of God through faith alone in Jesus alone (Romans 3:21- 4:25). Jesus was using the Law and its application in the Sermon on the Mount to convict the unbelieving people of their inability to be righteous enough to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Christ brought them to the point of seeking a righteousness outside of themselves. Like a stern and demanding tutor, the Law was intended to lead people to faith in Christ (Galatians 3:19-24).
That Jesus is thinking specifically of the
unbelieving multitude who are standing off in the distance is seen in His
reference to kingdom entrance at the beginning (Matthew 5:20) and end of His Sermon
(Matthew 7:21). He is speaking in the context of eternity. The phrase “in
that day” (7:22) refers to the Day of Judgment for unbelievers. When Christ
speaks of entering into “life” or “destruction” (7:13-14), He is
thinking of eternal “life” or eternal “destruction.”
The word “difficult” (tethlimmene) in
Matthew 7:14 means “confined, narrow.” It has nothing to do with a
difficult lifestyle as some teach. The imagery is that you go through a gate
and you immediately arrive at the place of destination. In the imagery of that
day, you have the gate of a city that does not have a path on the other side of
it. The path goes underneath the gate but does not go beyond this point of
entrance. So the moment you go through the gate, you are in the city. There is
not a long path on the other side of the entrance leading to the city.
The word “enter” (eiserchomenoi) in
7:13 means to “go into.” Matthew never uses this word in this kind of
situation in terms of going toward something. It is always used of going
directly into something. This is confirmed by the use of the Greek preposition eis,
“into” with the accusative. If you were going to use a preposition in
the Greek text to talk about going toward something, you would most likely use
the word pros, “toward.” But the use of eis (“into”)
with eiserchomenoi (“go into”) indicates that you are going
through a gate which immediately brings you “into” your place of
destination. Jesus is not talking about entering onto a difficult path that
will lead to some other destination.
The “narrow gate” refers to the same
thing Jesus said in John 10:9 and 14:6:
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:9
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
The narrow gate is “narrow” because there is no other way to enter the kingdom of Heaven except through faith alone in Christ alone. The point of entrance is narrow because it alludes to faith in Jesus and no one or nothing else. The way is “confined” or “restricted” in that there is no other way which leads to the Father except through Christ. The “wide gate” in contrast, has many people entering through it because it is a wide entrance which leads immediately into eternal destruction. The “wide gate” represents all the other options in which men say life can be entered, especially confessing Jesus as Lord while relying on your good works (Matthew 7:21-22). But Christ is inviting His unsaved listeners to seek the “narrow gate” which happens to be Himself. There is only one way to Heaven which makes it “narrow.” That way is Jesus and Him alone.
In Matthew 18:3, Jesus responds to His disciples question about greatness in the kingdom by saying, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of Heaven.” In order for people to enter the kingdom of Heaven they must be “converted” or turned away from the cynicism and lack of trust that characterizes most adults and become like children who possess childlike faith. Little children must depend on others to do for them what they cannot do for themselves. Doing the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21) to gain kingdom entrance is choosing to place childlike faith in Jesus Christ to do for yourself what you could never accomplish on your own.
In the context, Jesus is talking about “false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (7:15). These false prophets are standing in front of the wide gate that leads into destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Outwardly they may look and sound like Christians (“come to you in sheep’s clothing”). But they are preaching many ways to Heaven except faith alone in Christ alone. Those who believe the false prophet’s message and never trust Christ alone as their only hope of Heaven, will be surprised in the day of judgment when the Lord Jesus says to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23)!
True prophets are standing in front of the “narrow gate” that leads into life (Matthew 7:13-14). They are preaching that the way that leads into eternal life is “narrow” (John 10:9; 14:6). Only faith alone in Christ alone leads to eternal life (John 3:16; 6:40, 47; 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:4-6).
Those who
teach a faith plus salvation are standing in front of “the wide gate”
that leads into eternal destruction. Jesus says, “there are many who go in by
it.” But those who teach a faith alone Gospel are standing in front of “the
narrow gate” which is too narrow to carry your works baggage through it. Christ
says, “there are few who find it.”
Just because a Bible teacher or theologian has a large following does not mean he or she is teaching the right message. There are many false religions in the world today that have millions of followers, but that does not mean they have found the “narrow gate” that leads into life everlasting. It is as if Jesus is saying, “Be careful about those who have a large following. They may be standing in front of the wide gate that leads into eternal destruction.”
On the other hand, if a Bible teacher or evangelist has a small following, that does not mean he or she is standing in front of the wide gate that leads to destruction. If his or her message emphasizes that the only condition for everlasting life is faith alone in Christ alone, then he or she is standing in front of the narrow gate that leads into life. Praise God for that person and pray for them to hold fast to the true gospel of Jesus Christ so that many more people can hear and believe it!
Prayer: Lord Jesus,
thank You for making it clear that You are the narrow gate that leads into life
everlasting. Only believing or trusting in You alone gains entrance into the
Father’s Kingdom. Help me to point others to You, the narrow gate, with my words
and my works as Your grace works within me. Please expose those who stand in
front of the wide gate for who they truly are – false prophets who inwardly are
ravenous wolves that deceive people to believe that entering Your kingdom is by
faith plus works. Please rescue these misled people by sending Your true prophets
to them so they may believe in Jesus alone for His free gift of salvation. In
Jesus’ name. Amen.