Matthew 7:13

CONCLUSION AND EFFECT OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. (Mat. 7:13-29)

Enter ye in at the strait gate--as if hardly wide enough to admit one at all. This expresses the difficulty of the first right step in religion, involving, as it does, a triumph over all our natural inclinations. Hence the still stronger expression in Luke (Luk 13:24), "Strive to enter in at the strait gate."

for wide is the gate--easily entered.

and broad is the way--easily trodden.

that leadeth to destruction, and--thus lured "many there be which go in thereat."

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat_7:13-14

Enter ye in at the strait gate.

The strait gate not a shut gate

I. The faithfulness of a holy God. God has told us the way is difficult. It is against nature.

II. The tenderness of a merciful father.

1. There is a gate.

2. The gate leadeth unto life. If the pleasures of sin must be left behind, the pleasures of holiness await.

3. Those who enter neither make nor open the gate; they only find it. Men cannot make ways of peace for themselves; they cannot force, but find the way.

4. He who made the way, and keeps it open now, is glad when many go in thereat. (W. Arnot.)

Salvation: joy that the gate is open

If some of the Queens soldiers were taken prisoner by the enemy, and confined in a fortress far in the interior of a foreign land; and if an intimation were conveyed to the captives by a friendly hand that, at a certain part of their prison walls there is an opening to liberty and home, but that the opening is narrow and the path beyond it rough, their hearts would forthwith till with joy. They would feel already free. Strait gate! what do they care for its straitness?-enough for them that there is a gate. Ere that setting sun get round to gild the east again, many long miles will be between them and the house of bondage. Surer and safer is their outgate, if slaves to sin were as willing to be free. (W. Arnot.)

Salvation: the gate cannot be forced

Outside the frowning barrier swarm the multitudes of all kindreds and tongues, who strive to be their own saviours. One will give ten thousand rivers of oil. Another, more alarmed, and more in earnest, will give the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul. Another will waste or wound his own flesh at the bidding of a priest who will assure him of an entrance. Another, without the intervention of any human mediator, will, under the spur of an alarmed but unenlightened conscience, abandon this life to blank, slavish fear, not daring to enjoy any comfort or any hour, in order that he may more surely propitiate the judge, and finally make his way into heaven. It is all labour lost. There is no gate on that side, and you cannot make one. (W. Arnot.)

The supreme importance of personal salvation

I. The facility of attaining destruction. Will appear from the following considerations:-

1. Temptation to evil.

2. Mans susceptibility to temptation.

3. The large numbers who tread this way.

4. The needlessness of effort to tread this way.

II. The difficulty of attaining salvation. The attainment of salvation demands

(1) The resistance of temptation;

(2) The exercise of self-denial;

(3) The overcoming of difficulties.

III. The duty of striving to attain salvation.

1. Strive to trust in God.

2. Strive to watch and work. (William Jones.)

The difficulty of salvation

We wish not to discourage, but awaken Christians from their languor.

1. The figures Christ has employed set forth the difficulty of salvation. A warfare in which we must engage; a building we must erect.

2. Perhaps the places where Christ speaks without figures will be less severe. The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

3. The exalted perfection of the law of Jesus Christ joined to the extreme weakness of man in the state of corrupt nature.

4. What shall I say of outward obstacles?

5. Those who have been influenced by sincere desire to work out their salvation have perfectly understood its difficulty.

6. Wily has God made the way to heaven so difficult?

(1) It does not belong to us to cult God to account.

(2) The difficulty comes from man, to whom God has given all necessary strength to do well.

(3) All good men have had other sentiments on this alleged difficulty, wonder that God for so few things should save His people.

(4) When a thing is not absolutely necessary difficulty may dishearten; but when of indispensable necessity, there is nothing that we ought not to surmount.

(5) Above all, we must have recourse to God with this prayer, Lord, save us, or we perish. (Cheminais.)

The strait gate and the wide; the narrow way and the broad

1. They all produce destruction of peace.

2. Some of its paths lead to destruction of character.

3. Some of its paths lead to destruction of health.

4. Some of these paths lead to the destruction of life.

5. They all lead to the destruction of the soul. (J. Gwyther, B. A.)

The broad way

I. The place they enter-wide gate.

1. Wide enough to admit spiritual ignorance.

2. Wide enough for inconsistency and sloth.

II. The road they travel.

III. The numbers which bear the ungodly company.

IV. The end to which they come. (D. Moore, M. A.)

I. A contrast with respect to the entrances-strait, wide.

II. Two ways contrasted-broad, narrow.

III. A contrast as to the number that journey in these ways.

IV. A contrast as to the ends to which these ways lead. (Garrard.)

I. The idea which our Lord gives of future misery-destruction. Although the powers of the soul will be preserved in all their might, yet the sources of sensual gratification will be destroyed. It is a positive penalty inflicted by the justice of God. The ruin is complete, often sudden, certain, eternal.

II. A confirmation of the statement made concerning it. The gate is wide, etc. The way of sin is broad, considering the ease with which it is found. Broad by its enticements. So broad as to admit persons of all descriptions, etc. What entering in at the strait gate implies. Inducements to comply with this admonition. (R. Treffry.)

I. The sinners imminent danger. Great, certain, near, hastening.

II. The sinners immediate duty. To search the Scriptures, self-examination, prayer, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. The destruction of sinners will be charged to themselves. If you are in the narrow way be thankful. (Dr. J. Matthews.)

The way to life and the way to destruction unfolded

I. An exhortation and warning, how to direct our course for the other world, which this life is but the avenue to.

1. The safe course.

2. The unsafe course.

3. Our duty and interest with respect to these gates.

II. A reason for this exhortation and warning. That though the other gate is easy and much frequented, yet it is most dangerous. The nature of the gate opposite to that we are called to enter in by, and of the way of joining it.

1. It is wide.

2. It is broad. They are not hampered by conscience, Bible etc.

3. The use made of it. There are many dispositions of carnal men.

4. The end of it.

The safe way:-

1. The gate is strait.

2. The way is narrow. It is like a strait shoe that presses the foot. It is not easy walking in it. Afflictions and temptations beset it.

3. The ungrequentedness of it.

4. The happy tendency and end of it. (T. Boston, D. D.)

What makes the gate strait?

1. The mighty contrariety of our nature to it.

2. The various lusts hanging about the soul.

3. The keen opposition made by Satan to the souls entry.

4. The enmity of the world against religion.

5. The nature of the thing makes it a strait gate.

The entering in by the strait gate

What they enter into by it:

1. A new road (2Co_5:17).

2. A safe road (Pro_1:33).

3. Into a house all ease and comfort (Rev_21:7).

How do they enter in by this gate?

1 Coming out of themselves.

2. Coming to Christ in the free promise of the gospel faith.

3. Coming unto God by Christ.

What this entering bears

1. A discerning of the gate.

2. A finding of an absolute necessity of entering by it.

3. Resoluteness for a happy arrival.

4. A contentment to forego our present ease.

5. Nobody walking carelessly will get a safe arrival.

6. They must begin well who would end well.

The wide gate

1. It is a deceitful way.

2. It is an unprofitable way.

3. It is a trifling way.

4. It is a restless way.

5. It is a disappointing way.

6. It is easy to fall on it.

7. It is easy walking in it.

8. It is not easy to get off it.

This way leads to destruction

1. This is the constant voice of the word of God.

2. The rectorial justice of God demands it.

3. The nature of things manifests it.

4. The voice of the natural conscience confirms it.

The multitude in the broad way

1. Seen in the universal corruption of human nature.

2. The constant call to the multitude to repent.

3. The judgments God has sent on the world.

4. From our own observation.

5. It is the most agreeable way to the corrupt nature.

6. The blindness of the human mind.

7. Prejudices against the way.

8. The broad way is easiest.

9. Satan influences thereto it.

10. Example contributes to it.

11. Also want of consideration. (T. Boston, D. D.)

The facility with which sinners go to destruction

This will appear-

I. From the fact that it is agreeable to the nature of man to pursue a sinful course.

II. From the spiritual sloth of the transgressor.

III. The blindness of the carnal mind.

IV. The strength of unbelief, the allurements of the world, and the devices of Satan.

V. The effect of things present, compared with the influence of things distant.

VI. The imperfections and sins of professing Christians. VII. The example of the multitude. These obstacles must be overcome, or we inevitably perish. (W. Mitchell, A. M.)

The broad and the narrow way

I. The way of destruction.

1. The gate into it is wide.

2. The way itself is broad.

3. It is the way along which the great bulk of mankind are travelling.

II. The way of life.

1. The gate into it is strait.

2. The way itself is narrow.

3. It is a way little travelled.

III. Let us judge as to which way we are walking in. (E. Cooper.)

The two ways

I. The way of sin which we are directed to avoid.

1. The gate is wide. It requires no difficulty.

2. It is broad. It is lawless.

3. It is crowded.

4. Its termination.

II. The path of Christian holiness which we are to pursue.

1. Its entrance.

2. Its dimensions.

3. Its paucity of passengers.

4. Its blissful end.

III. Relections.

1. There is an inseparable connection between the present and the future.

2. There is no middle path in religion.

3. Never suffer the world to be your authority in matters of religion.

4. Strive to enter in at the strait gate. (J. E. Good.)

The narrowness of the gospel

I know nothing broader than Christianity; not one of the ideas of which it has taken hold that it has not enlarged in infinite proportions. Take the ideas of God, humanity, and destiny of man. Yet it is accused of narrowness. The cause not in any weakness, but in the gospel itself. It is narrow-

I. Because it is the way of truth. It can tolerate no other way. Truth alone is good. In science men prefer it: why not in religion? Because morally inconvenient.

II. Because it is the way of holiness. Each would like to retain his favourite inclination. It will not let our vices pass.

III. Because it is the way of humility. It is closed even to virtuous pride, to fancied merits.

IV. Because it is the way of love. The Divine love is narrow in that it rejects all that is contrary to it. Your love is narrow, and seeks the welfare of its object. But none can reject the privations of this narrow way. (E. Bersier, D. D.)

The gate of salvation too narrow for the self-righteous

See in the middle of the night a house on which fire has caught. Everywhere the flame breaks out with the rapidity of lightning. Cries of alarm are raised, for there is an unfortunate sleeper above this furnace which is going to consume him. He awakes, he turns his scared looks everywhere. Before him a single passage remains open, narrow, but sufficient to save his life. What does he do? With a grasping and feverish hand he gathers all that he can save of his goods, and laden with his treasures, bending under his burden, he arrives at this door which refuses to give him passage. For me, he cries then, for me! the door is too narrow. Ah! poor idiot! leave there thy treasures which will cost thee thy life, strip thyself of that which prevents thy progress, consent to sacrifice all; thy salvation is only at that price. You have understood me, brethren. This house which is falling in is our life; this devouring flame is the judgment of the holy God; this open door is pardon; and these treasures which will ruin you, are those qualities, those virtues, those merits, which you wish to preserve at all cost. Yes, the door of heaven is too narrow for the selfrighteous, and because of this the Gospel raises so much repugnance and irritation amongst them. (E. Bersier, D. D.)

Salvation: its difficulty argues its worth

The difficulty of obtaining shows the excellency; and, surely, if you consider but what it cost Christ to purchase it; what it costs Gods Spirit to bring mens hearts to it; what it costs ministers to persuade to it; what it costs Christians, after all this, to obtain it; and what it costs many a half-Christian that, after all, goes without it; you will say that here is difficulty, and therefore excellency. Trifles may be had at a trivial rate, and men may have damnation- far more easily. Conclude, then, it is surely somewhat worth that must cost all this. (Baxter.)

Salvation: its difficulty the law of entrance to it and all other kingdoms

Into what kingdom is it that you are anxious now to enter? Above all things you wish to enter into the kingdom of music. Very well. This is the New Testament doctrine concerning the kingdom of music. Strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto excellence in music, and few there be that find it. You have to study night and day, you have no time for yourself, you are at it, always at it, or getting ready for it, criticizing or being criticized, repeating, rehearsing, going over it again and again, still higher and higher. If that is the law of your little kingdom of music, why should it not be the law of the larger kingdom of life which includes all beauty and learning and music, and power? (J. Parker, D. D.)

The world way

All the world is a way. It is so broad that the whole generation for the time travel abreast upon it. (W. Arnot.)

The way of sin easy

You have nothing more to do than lie like a Withered leaf upon the stream, and without a thought or an effort you are carried quickly down. Sinners do not find it difficult to sin. (W. Arnot.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 7:13. Enter ye in at the strait gate — The gate of true conversion, of self-denial, mortification, and universal holiness; the gate in at which few, comparatively speaking, are inclined to enter. “How strait,” says Erasmus, in his paraphrase on the place, “is the gate, how narrow the way that leadeth to life! In the way, nothing is to be found that flatters the flesh, but many things opposite to it, poverty, fasting, watching, injuries, chastity, sobriety. And as for the gate, it receives none that are swollen with the glory of this life; none that are elated and lengthened out with pride; none that are distended with luxury; it does not admit those that are laden with the fardels of riches, nor those that drag along with them the other implements of the world. None can pass through it but naked men, who are stripped of all worldly lusts, and who, having, as it were, put off their bodies, are emaciated into spirits, which is the reason that it is sought after by so few.” For wide is the gate — The gate of impenitence and unbelief, of carnal affections and fleshly lusts. This gate is obvious to all, and there is no need to seek it: men come to it of course; and broad, ευρυχωρος, spacious, is the way — Of vanity and sin, of evil dispositions, words, and actions; and many there be which go in thereat — Many, yea, the greater part of mankind, evidently appear to enter in at that gate, and to walk in that way. Because strait is the gate — Here our Lord assigns the reason why so many enter in at the wide gate, and walk in the broad way: it is because the other gate is strait, and the way narrow, therefore they do not love either the one or the other; they prefer a wider gate, and a broader way; a gate which is entered without difficulty, and a way in which men may walk without either self-denial or taking up the cross, and in which they find abundance of company.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(3.) Enter the strait gate, avoiding false guides, Mat_7:13-20.

13. Enter… strait gate… wide the gate — Strait and narrow here are the exact opposites of wide and broad. Like a close portal, from which a narrow path leads to a magnificent palace, is the Gospel way to everlasting life. Like a broad, open archway, through which a magnificent thoroughfare, well trodden and popular, leads to the precipice of destruction, is the way of sin.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

CRITICAL NOTES

Mat_7:13. Destruction.—The word implies, not annihilation, but waste (Mat_26:8; Mar_14:4), perdition, i.e. the loss of all that makes existence precious. I question whether a single passage can be adduced in which it means, in relation to material things, more than the breaking up of their outward form and beauty, or, in spiritual things, more than what may be described as the wretchedness of a wasted life (Plumptre).

Mat_7:14. Narrow is the way.—Literally, pressed or hemmed in between walls or rocks, like the pathway in a mountain gorge (ibid.).

Mat_7:15. Beware of false prophets.—The sequence again is below the surface. How was the narrow way to be found? Who would act as guide? Many would offer their help who would simply lead men to the destruction which they sought to escape (ibid.).

Mat_7:16. Thorns.—Any land of prickly plant (Brown). Thistles.—Rather caltrop, a prickly water-plant (Carr).

Mat_7:22. In that day.—The day of judgment. This is a forecast far into the distant future, when it would be worth while to assume Christianity, when hypocrisy would take the form of pretending to be a follower of the now despised Jesus (ibid.).

MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.—Mat_7:13-23

True discipleship.—The end of this passage may be taken as a kind of key to all its earlier part. What is said about beginning the journey in Mat_7:13, must be compared with what is said of the result of it in Mat_7:22-23. “In that day” there will be “many” men claiming to be the Saviour’s disciples, to whom He will testify that He “never knew” them, notwithstanding that claim. How are His true disciples to be distinguished from these? In three principal ways, viz:

1. By the decision of their choice.

2. By the carefulness of their judgments.

3. By the consistency of their lives.

I. The decision of their choice.—See, for example, what such persons select. They select the “gate” which is “strait” (Mat_7:13), in other words the gate which is easily over looked unless looked for; which can only be passed through with a good deal of effort; and which allows little more than the man himself to pass through. They select, also, the “way” which is “narrow.” In other words, the way of restriction, both on this side and on that; the way, therefore, from which much is shut out; the way of exactness; the way of limitation; and not, therefore (at any rate in appearance) the way of free will. Not many travel this road, for there is a “broad” way without these restrictions, which they can easily travel instead. Not many enter that gate; for there is a wide gate very much nearer, through which many are always entering; and which, therefore, as it were, thrusts itself on their notice. All the more manifest, therefore, is the earnest purpose of those who “find” that strait “gate” and pass through to its “way.” They are men, indisputably, even so far, who have “made up their minds.” See, also, what such persons refuse. They pass by that “wide gate” with all its facilities. They turn from that “broad road,” with all its allurements. They give up its apparent liberty; its many apparent enjoyments; its jolly companionships; its sure popularity; its resounding mirth; its appearance of ease. All this, and much more than this, which that “strait gate” will not allow to pass through, they leave behind when they begin this “way.” Doubly evident, therefore, is their resolution of purpose. Alike what they do not, and what they do; alike what others do, and what is done by themselves; prove that their minds are made up (cf. Gen_5:22; Gen_7:1; Jos_24:15; Daniel 1; Daniel 3; Daniel 6; 1Ki_18:21; Joh_6:67-69, etc.).

II. The carefulness of their judgments.—This goes, in great measure, with what we have said already. A man who is thus resolute and determined will feel it only right to be correspondingly careful. Careful, on the one hand, as to the guides he follows. He will be aware, as implied in Mat_7:15, that there are many “false prophets” abroad in the world. The very conviction which has made him so decided—the conviction that he is dealing with a matter of the intensest importance—will make him feel this to be true. The more valuable the coin, the more numerous its counterfeits. For the same reason he will be the more anxious to avoid being cheated by them. The more in value such counterfeits ought to be, the more he loses by accepting them. The more they look precious, the more they injure. As the Saviour here says, looking like “sheep” (Mat_7:15), they are not only “wolves”—they are “ravening” wolves—rejoicing to slay. On every ground, therefore, such “disciples”—such true learners—will desire to be taught only by teachers of truth. Every such true disciple will be equally careful, on the other hand, as to the kind of test he employs. How are teachers of truth to be known? This is what the great Teacher here teaches us next. “They are to be known by their fruits.” This is the beginning (Mat_7:16), and this the end (Mat_7:20) of what He says on the point. Nature, He reminds us, teaches us this (end of Mat_7:16). Nature teaches us that this is always the case (Mat_7:17). Nature teaches us that it cannot be otherwise (Mat_7:18). Even the absence of good fruit on a tree is evidence enough, on the same authority, that it is only fit for “the fire” (Mat_7:19). Every one who knows what “godliness” is will know this to be true, because he will know for himself what godliness does. He will know that it changes the life. Only, therefore, to teachers with “changed lives” will he look for his light. His spiritual “instinct”—if he be a true man—will make him act thus.

III. The consistency of their conduct.—What such a man looks for in others he will seek for himself; and will attain to, also, as a true scholar of the teachers of truth. Two great mistakes on this point are named, next, by our Lord. The true disciple will prove his consistency by avoiding them both. He will not mistake profession for practice. “Saying Lord, Lord” (Mat_7:21), is only saying it, if there be nothing beside. Professing subjection is not subjection itself. To do homage is not of itself to be loyal. Merely to call the Saviour King is not to belong to His kingdom. There may be any amount of such “calling” without any result; any result but that of exposing the caller, and proving him nothing better than a traitor in heart, and, therefore, still outside the kingdom to which he claims to belong. The true disciple, the man within the kingdom, will know this to be so; and will, therefore, act accordingly in all that he does. Facta non verba, in short—deeds not words—will be the rule of his life. Also, he will not mistake work for obedience (Mat_7:22)—a more subtle form of deception. There are those who, besides saying “Lord, Lord,” besides always saying it, so the repetition may mean, really labour much for Christ in their way. They prophesy about Him; they prophesy for Him; they make Him known; they do so with diligence; they do so with power; they accomplish His work; they vanquish His enemies; they fill the world with surprise (Mat_7:22). All this the Judge Himself does not appear to deny. Yet all this may be in combination with not doing His will; these works of “power” with works of “iniquity,” or direct opposition thereto. The true disciple will be aware of this, and will avoid this, of himself; for his chief desire will be, instinctively, to accomplish that will. For what is a “disciple”? Is he not one who learns? And what has he learned if he has not learned to put his Master’s will first?

The one lesson to be laid to heart from this is that of keeping the heart (Pro_4:23; Psa_51:6). From the heart come our words and our deeds (Mat_15:19). By the character of these will all be tested at last (Mat_25:40; Mat_25:45). Nothing can be more public than the issue of all (Mat_25:31-32). It is wide as the sea (Psa_104:25). Nothing more secret than the beginning of all. Far away inland, in the depths of the forest, in the solitude of the mountains—in the innermost man—is the beginning of all. The beginning of search, therefore—the beginning of cleansing, the beginning of amendment, the beginning of life, the beginning of eternity—must be at that source (see Psa_139:23-24).

HOMILIES ON THE VERSES

Mat_7:13-14. The broad and narrow ways.—

I. What is meant by the broad and narrow way.—By “the strait gate,” and “the narrow way,” are meant the difficulties both of the first entrance upon a serious course of life, according to our Saviour’s precepts, and the difficulties of continuing steadfastly in it. And by the “wide gate” and the “broad way,” are meant this way of vice which offers itself and allures us both with a more easy entrance into it, and with its greater agreeableness to our corrupt inclinations.

II. How little company there is in the narrow way of duty, and how much in the broad way of sin.

1. The truth of this assertion.

2. The danger we run from the prevalence of evil example.—Two duties are naturally consequent upon this observation:

(1) caution;

(2) courage.

III. The different ends to which these ways lead.

1. Destruction.—When we speak of an enemy’s destroying a country, we mean only that he makes it very miserable by all the calamities of war.

2. Life.—The union of the soul with God (1Jn_5:12). It is called “life” by way of excellency, as signifying a happy life.

(1) The body will be greatly improved (1Co_15:53-54).

(2) So will the soul.

(3) Such happiness shall be provided for us as shall answer the utmost capacities of such a perfect and glorified creature. These different states result from the different courses of life of good and bad men—“leadeth.”

IV. The great duty here enjoined.—“Enter ye in,” etc. See also Luk_13:24.—Jas. Blair, M.A.

The two ways.—“The way” was one of the earliest designations for the Christian life. Our Lord here contrasts the two courses of discipleship and of worldliness in four particulars:—

I. The contrast of the entrances.

II. The contrast of the ways.

III. The contrast of the ends.

IV. The contrast of the travellers.—A. Maclaren, D.D.

Two gates and two ways.—In all times and all languages human life has been likened to a journey. There is no difficulty in understanding that when Jesus Christ employed in His teaching the illustration of two gates and two roads, He meant to indicate two modes and tendencies of human life. In fact, He put vividly before His audience the same alternative which a great painter put on the canvas in the rival persuasions of Minerva and Venus—wisdom and pleasure—appealing from opposite sides to inexperienced and impulsive youth. It is a bold and comprehensive generalisation. As they appear to us, the paths of human conduct are very various; but under all the moral shades and circumstantial diversities of human life, our Lord saw two opposite lines of tendency, and only two.

I. A wide gate lying open invites your entrance, and a broad, smooth avenue gives promise of leading you to some mansion, castle, or pleasure-ground. Such is the gate, and such is the way of self-indulgence. The pleasure indeed is only for a season. The way becomes rough, and for one who continues on it smiling to the last you may find seven grumbling and out of humour. The road of pleasure is infested with stinging nettles of pain. Wounded pride, satiated appetite, foiled ambitions, disappointed plans, gnawing jealousies, spoil everything this world can furnish. It is one of the inducements to men to enter the wide gate, that “many go in thereat.” Men are very gregarious, and the crowd always draws a greater crowd. “Leadeth to destruction.” So said the faithful and true Witness. He did not set Himself to prove the statement, or enter into any argument to show that such is the necessary conclusion to a life of self-seeking and self-indulgence. He was not a reasoner, but a revealer. He saw the end from the beginning, and declared it with the calm authority of one who had complete cognisance of the issues of life in good and evil, in weal and woe. From this there is a possibility of escape; but at the beginning, not at the end. If one has unhappily entered the gate and proceeded on the way, he must, at the warning of Christ, be converted.

II. A narrow gate is overlooked by the crowd, or is avoided because it opens on a mere footpath closely hedged or walled in on either side. The presumption is that it leads to a poor man’s cottage or a cattle-shed. True, that over the gate indicated by Christ those who believe His word may see an inscription, “To the palace of the King.” But the heedless multitude do not see this inscription; or if their attention is called to it, make light of it, persuading themselves that there must be much easier and more conspicuous avenues to the palace. Mark the entire frankness with which Jesus Christ proclaimed the difficulty of being one of His disciples and walking in the way of His steps. Evidently He was conscious of a right to command the allegiance of men at whatever cost, and of a power to recompense those who might suffer for His name and “for righteousness’ sake.” Yet what mournful words are these that follow! “Few there be that find it.” There are two mistakes opposite to each other, to be avoided:

1. That the saved of the Lord in every generation must be few. Christ stated a melancholy fact in regard to His own generation, who “received Him not,” but did not predict that the same state of matters would last throughout all generations.

2. They err on the other side who think it due to charity to suppose that all, or nearly all men are to be saved.—D. Fraser, D.D.

The strait gate and the narrow way to the kingdom.—The text is the beginning of the epilogue. The peroration begins by proclaiming the hearty, free, and universal invitation of the gospel to all to enter into the kingdom, and enjoy its privileges, and joyfully anticipate the glorious end. In other words, Jesus Christ earnestly presses His audience to “lay hold of eternal life.”

I. The two entrances.—The gate suggests two important truths:—

1. That the beginning of true discipleship is not easy to flesh and blood.—

(1) The attainment of salvation is difficult. The gate can be none other than repentance.

(2) The attainment of salvation demands the exercise of self-denial. Everything good has its price.

(3) The attainment of salvation demands singularity. You must leave the multitude and follow the few.

(4) To attain salvation there is an inducement. Though the gate is strait it is always open. If some of Her Majesty’s soldiers had been taken prisoners by an enemy and confined in a fortress far in the interior of a foreign land, and if an intimation were given them by a merciful and friendly hand that at a certain point of the prison walls there was an opening, but it was strait and narrow, and the path beyond not very smooth, what do you think they would do? Would they mind the narrowness of the hole through which they might gain their liberty, or the roughness of the path beyond? Nay; they would leap for joy and push through, having the joy of liberty in prospect.

2. That the entrance to a sinful life is wide.—Above the entrance there is written by the enemy of our souls, “Do as you like.”

II. The two courses of conduct.—“The narrow way” and “the broad way.” From this we learn:—

1. That there are but two ways for human conduct.—There is no middle way; there is no such thing as neutrality.

2. There is only one way to eternal life.—It is the way of Jesus Christ; the way of truth; the way of humility; the way of holiness. It cannot tolerate self-pride, self-righteousness, and sin; it is the path of practical obedience to God.

3. That there is but one way to ruin.—“the broad way.” This is easy. The train will run down an incline without steam.

III. The two destinies.—“Life” and “destruction.”—J. Harries.

The narrowness of the gospel.—You are surprised at the expression. The narrowness of the church, the narrowness of Christians—such phrases excite no surprise, they are justified by facts; but the narrowness of the gospel? It is not narrowness you associate with the teaching of Christ, but breadth and breeziness, light and gladsomeness. It is true there is an extraordinary breadth in Christ’s teaching, but at the same time, and from another point of view, it is also true that there is an extraordinary narrowness in the gospel.

I. It is not easy to be a Christian.—You cannot fall into the Christian life by chance. A strait gate faces you which you cannot enter save by effort and sacrifice and self-surrender. The great tasks of human life are accomplished not by triflers, but by enthusiasts, who know how to spend themselves on their work. To be a Christian—that is the hardest and greatest work that is set before you, and for it you need enthusiasm, devotion, and self-sacrifice. Christ knows what forces there are in your heart warring against His claim on you. The broad way is just the way where spiritual struggles cease. The narrow way is known by its aspirations—its aspirations after Christ and the life of Christ.

II. You have a choice to make.—The narrow path is rough and steep; you will sometimes find yourself alone; Christ demands the devotion of your heart, and that devotion will cost you dear. It means that you crucify your evil passions, that you forego many a pleasure you love, that you let some of life’s prizes go past you, that you be willing to part with what the world counts success. The other path is easier—at least, it seems easier at the start. It is easy to let passion master you, easy to yield to the love of pleasure, of excitement, of position, of money, of self. On the broad path there is no panting for breath, no straining of the muscle, and there is no lack of company. But on that path you will lose your life—in that way lies death.—D. M. Ross, M.A.

Mat_7:13. The wicket gate.—(To children). At the great Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia there were a number of little turnstile gates by which people went into the grounds. These gates would only admit one at a time. Every time a person entered, the gate clicked and registered the number of persons; and in this way, at the end of the day, by counting up the sum total of all the numbers of the register of the gates, the officers in charge knew just how many people had been admitted for the day. But when the time came for closing the gates, the great fog-horn sounded, and then wide doors were thrown open on all sides, and the people within the grounds flocked forth by hundreds and thousands. People entered at the narrow gate, and went out at the broad way. It would have been impossible for them to have gone in at the wide doors and come out at the narrow turnstile gate, one at a time. Each person who wanted to go into the grounds had to take his turn at the narrow turnstile gate. Every one was registered as they went in. Now, our Lord, in His Sermon upon the Mount, told those who were listening to Him that they must seek to enter in at the strait gate, or the narrow gate. What our Lord meant by entering in at the narrow gate, was getting started right for heaven. And the right gate to begin the Christian life with, is the strait or narrow gate of obedience to the will of God. When we go with the crowd, and please only ourselves, we are walking in the broad way. In Bunyan’s story of “Pilgrim’s Progress” Christian is represented as beginning his journey to heaven by entering in at the wicket-gate. Before this he had not been considered as fairly on the way to the celestial city. The old motto says, “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead!”

I. We must find out what this strait gate is.—Our Lord Himself tells us, “I am the Door.” “I am the Way.”

II. We must find out why the gate is so narrow.—Even Jesus found the way of submission to the will of God a strait or narrow way. Gethsemane. It is always a hard or narrow way when we have to give up our own wills for the sake of another.

III. We are to find out why it is that we must enter in at this gate.—Just as surely as we must take the train south when we want to go south, and not the train for the north, just so surely must we enter in at the strait gate of obedience to Jesus Christ, if we want to get started right for heaven!—Sermons for Boys and Girls.

Mat_7:13-14. The great choice.—In Xenophon’s Memoirs there is a striking story told by Socrates, the story known as the “Choice of Hercules.” The young Hercules, emerging from boyhood into manhood, is pondering how he is to shape his life. Two women appear before him—one voluptuous in form and luxurious in dress, the other severe and strict in mien, and clothed in a simple white garment. The name of one is Pleasure, the name of the other is Virtue. The one promises to lead the young Hercules by the shortest road, and without any toil, to the enjoyment of every pleasure. The other beckons him along another path—a path where he will meet labours and suffering, but where alone he will find a beautiful and good life worthy of his manhood. An old parable which is ever new, and an old parable which is made more meaningful by the words of our Lord.—D. M. Ross, M.A.

Mat_7:15-20. Trees and their fruit.—The comparison of men to fruit-trees is a very obvious one, and of frequent occurrence in the Bible. Every tree brings forth after its kind. Every man acts according to his prevailing disposition and will. One of the chief dangers which beset primitive Christianity was the intrusion of false prophets. The Epistles are full of allusions to such men, as misleading the churches. The delusive professions of the false prophets and teachers were only so much “sheep’s clothing” worn for a purpose. The early churches were required to protect themselves from the false teachers. Apostles could not be everywhere to test every one who claimed to address the Christian assemblies. So the brethren were to exercise a wise and necessary caution, and not hearken to every teacher or believe every spirit. The development of doctrine had not proceeded far when our Lord taught on the mount, and His reference to the fruit-trees indicates a practical and not a dogmatic test. See how it applies:—

I. To the teachers of religion.—We do not admit that there were no doctrinal tests in the apostolic times (see Gal_1:8; 1Jn_4:1). But the moral test was a primary one, and could be applied by any man with a correct sense of right and wrong, even though he might not be much versed in theology. And the Apostles followed their Master in urging on the churches the application of this moral test.

II. To religious systems.—Religion, however taught, must stand or fall according to the moral effect it produces on those who embrace and obey it. On this principle Christianity may boldly invite comparison with any form of heathenism, with Mohammedanism, or with the negation of religion. The imperfection with which Christianity has been illustrated and obeyed by its own adherents may be cited as one of the proofs of its lofty origin. It is comparatively easy to be a thorough exponent and example of heathenism or Mohammedanism; but where can you find a perfect Christian? There is a consummate Christ, there are no consummate Christians. But in so far as men follow Christ and are imbued with His Spirit, they are good, virtuous, righteous. On the other hand, you cannot say that the more thoroughly heathen a man is, or the more intensely Mohammedan, or the more decidedly materialistic and secularistic in his convictions, the more sure he is to be good, virtuous, righteous. The same test will lead to just conclusions regarding the rival forms of Christianity, provided always that a sufficiently large induction of instances be taken, and that time enough has been given for the working out of genuine results.

III. To all men.—In this sense the saying is often applied, and has become a sort of moral adage—“The tree is known by its fruit.” Application of such a text to our fellow men must of course be with caution and charity.

1. Let us be sure of our facts; then, if it is our duty to judge at all, let us proceed on those facts as the evidences of character. Let us look not at leaves, but at fruit. And let us not be too severe on youthful faults. Trees sometimes yield poor and even bitter fruit when they are young which give sweet and finely flavoured fruit when they come to maturity.

2. Some estimate of our fellow-men we must form in order to guide our own behaviour towards them, and to warrant our trust or distrust. Then let our estimate depend not on professions, words, or appearances, all of which may be deceptive, but on solid actions and the sustained tenor of life.

3. The same test may be used in self-judgment. An honest man, trying to prove and judge himself, may be perplexed. It is hard to know the predominant motive or to detect the relative strength of desires that have twined together in the mind. Then comes in well this practical test, What, on the whole, is the bent of the character and will? What are the ends for which one lives day after day?—D. Fraser, D.D.

The true test of character in the kingdom of God.—Our Lord has just said that there are a few that find “the strait gate,” and that walk in “the narrow way” “which leadeth unto life.” But having said that He proceeds to warn His hearers against such as might mislead them. Hence the caution—“Beware of false prophets.” The text suggests:—

I. The true and false in human life.—“Beware of the false!”

1. In all ages the false has followed the true.—False money is never coined except where good money exists. Quack doctors obtain patronage only because there are true physicians. False remedies are sold only because there are good remedies. False diamonds could not be sold were there no real diamonds. Of course, the nearer the false approaches the true the more dangerous it is.

2. The Scriptures treat largely of the false, that we may be on our guard.—

(1) False gods.

(2) False doctrines.

(3) False hopes.

(4) False teachers. What irony! A prophet false? Yes. Such are found all along and down the line of history. “Mere talent,” says Mr. Spurgeon, “ought not to attract us. Carrion, well dressed and served on Palissy ware, is still unfit for men. As we would not be fascinated by the azure hues of a serpent, so neither should we be thrown off our guard by the talents of an unsound theologian.”

3. Seek the good, the real, and the durable.—There is a true God; there are true doctrines; there are true and blessed hopes and promises; there are true teachers—the chief of which is Jesus Christ; there are true Christians and true characters.

II. The infallible test by which the true and false may be distinguished, and therefore detected.—“Ye shall know them by their fruits,” by the practical results of their life and teaching.

1. Fruit is the natural production of life.

2. Fruit develops according to the nature of its root.—As in the natural world so in the spiritual, every species brings forth fruit “after its kind.”

3. Fruit may be seen as it tells on the future.—J. Harries.

Mat_7:16. The test of fruit.—

I. There is a necessary distinction to be made between true and false teachers.

II. The making of this distinction falls within the duty and capacity of private Christians.—“Ye shall know them.”

III. What fruits these are from which even private Christians may know the difference between true and false teachers.—By their fruits, I think, must be meant the natural tendency and consequents of their corrupt doctrines, both on themselves and others, which are visible, and so may be easily known.—Jas. Blair, M.A.

Mat_7:20. By their fruits.—One can hardly make this figure plainer than it is. It is by the produce of the tree only that its innermost nature is revealed. Appearances may deceive. The thorns to which our Saviour referred bore a small black berry, very much like the grape, and the thistles put forth a flower closely resembling that of the fig-tree. So far as the show of things went, the worthless plants indeed had the advantage. It was the ripe, rich fruit alone that proved the generous quality of the tree. And so, says Christ, are the false prophets to be known from the true, and thus are religious professions to be tested, and religious systems, and everything that either is, or pretends to be, of God. That form of Christianity which shows the largest proportion of strong, unworldly, self-forgetting lives is proved by that fact to have most of the mind of Christ. Our common Christianity must always depend upon this in the long run.

I. We are witnessing a deliberate attempt in many quarters to prove that the moral fruits of Christianity owe nothing to its beliefs.—That were the creed of Christianity gone, its works might and would survive; that men of the most opposite schools, from the extreme Calvinist to the extreme agnostic, are equally lovable in character and equally great and generous in their devotion to self-denying aims and labours for human good; that men can be Christians in act and fact though they deny almost every truth which Christians have held sacred; and that, in fact, what we call religious beliefs may be put aside and yet leave all that is most attractive and generous in human nature. This is the insidious teaching of the books which are having a popular run—“Robert Elsmere,” “John Ward, Preacher,” “A Story of a South African Farm,” and in a somewhat less degree Edna Lyall’s works—all of them full of pure and tender thought, suffused with the finest Christian sentiment, and pointing to unexceptionable moral ideals.

II. There are a few who have cut themselves off from the original source of inspiration, yet carry with them still some, or all, of its moral effects, and unbelievers point to them and say: “See what great and generous and true lives men can live without your Christian beliefs!” But what was it that made those lives great and true? Many a man remains noble, though the mother who trained him to that nobility is dead. But is any one so foolish as to say that the mother had nothing to do with it because she is no longer present to influence that life? Last year one of my plum trees had a branch laden with fruit nearly smitten off by the storm. It hung on by a mere strip of fibre and bark, yet the fruit showed no decay. I gathered it a month afterwards sweet and ripe. But what insanity it were to suppose that the fruit owed nothing to its living connection with the tree. The effects of forces often remain long after the forces have ceased to operate. The locomotive does not suddenly stop when the steam is shut off; the tidal wave still flows for a while, though the attraction of the moon is no longer felt; and the glory of a summer evening lingers on, gliding into tremulous and beautiful twilight, long after the sun, which was the source of the illumination, has vanished below the horizon. The fruits of Christianity are often found in those who have drifted from Christian beliefs.

III. The instant Christianity and unbelief are brought face to face in this way and challenged to show their respective fruits, the question is settled beyond all doubt. Which of the two classes contains the high-minded and honourable members of the community? Who fill the positions of trust? Where do the active philanthropists come from except from the churches? Who are foremost in all educational matters? From what homes do the sober and industrious young men go forth, and the maidens who make the sweetest and the most helpful wives? Really, it is almost absurd to ask the question, because the answer is so self-evident. We are always confessing our inconsistencies as Christians, always lamenting that our churches are not sufficiently awake to their calling, that our church members fall far below their professions; and this is right. It is a necessity of our position. Our ideal is so great that the performance must always seem poor and incomplete. We are always apologising for the scantiness of our service, because we set it against the claim of a perfect Master. But set the church against the world and it has no need to apologise at all. If a Christian falls and becomes a scandal a thousand voices proclaim it. It was so unexpected there; yet the same thing is happening every day in the ranks of unbelievers, and the world takes it as a matter of course. No one looked for any particular fruits of righteousness there. So, also, we grieve over the want of unity in the church, over the jealousies and divisions in the church. Yet are there not more and far bitterer divisions, hatreds, and class alienations outside the church? And what brotherhoods are equal to those of the church—the staunch friendships, the lovely sympathies, the care and interest for each other? And, finally, where do you find the happy, joyous, patient, and serene lives, rounded off with sweet content, and holy calm, and strong hopefulness?—J. G. Greenhough, M.A.

Mat_7:21-23. The true qualification for admission into the kingdom.—

I. That true religion is not a mere profession.—“Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord,” etc.

1. True discipleship is not merely nominal.

2. True discipleship is not merely official.—“Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, etc.” These words suggest,

(1) that teaching and active zeal for Christ is no guarantee for a holy life. Moreover, these words suggest

(2) a religion of merit. “May we not merit the favour of God by what we have done?” say many. The religion of merit is the religion of self-conceit, and self-deception.

3. True discipleship is not merely orthodoxy.—We may be up in theory but down in practice. We may be thoroughly versed in the principles of music, and yet not able to perform a single note. We may be able to teach grammar and rhetoric, and yet be very feeble and clumsy speakers. A clear-headed doctor of divinity may be able to work out the stiffest truth in theology, as he would reason out a syllogism in logic or a problem in Euclid, but yet lack experimental knowledge of the truth. A brilliant poet may rhyme admirably the virtues of the gospel, and yet be himself sadly wanting in a virtuous life. A physician may prescribe to others and restore them, and yet die himself for the want of taking the same prescription. A preacher may preach to others, and yet he himself become a castaway.

II. That true religion is real and practical.—“He that doeth the will,” etc.

1. Obedience to God is the sum of religion.

2. Obedience to God is faith in action.

3. Obedience is the test of love.—A child was told to bring her father’s slippers, but she wanted to play. At length she does it, but unwillingly, saying, “I’s b’ing ’um, papa; but I guess you needn’t say thank you, ’cause I only did it with my hands; my heart kept saying, I won’t.” Those who wish to see a splendid programme of a perfect obedience must begin at Bethlehem, and follow on the life of Christ to Calvary, “obedient unto death.”

III. The danger and doom of pretence and formality.—“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ” etc.

1. Deception exposed.—“I never knew you.”

2. Deception denounced and doomed.—“Depart from Me.” There are limits to Divine long-suffering and mercy.—J. Harries.

Mat_7:21. Solemn warnings.—The gate to righteousness is a strait gate; the way to righteousness is a narrow way; it is the gate and way of obedience to the laws of God, for these are the laws of spiritual well-being. No man can violate the laws of health either in body or soul and preserve a strong constitution by morning and evening prayers. One of his contemporaries says of Cardinal Lorraine that he was avaricious, malignant, cruel, and deceitful, but “full of religion.” In no age of the world have there been wanting false prophets to tell men how they might have the Cardinal’s religion; how they might lie, cheat, rob, murder, how they might indulge their ambition, their avarice, their animal nature, and yet be secure of heaven. Sometimes these false prophets have told their hearers:—

I. To pay the church and the ministry liberally. E.g., Tetzel.

II. To join the church.

III. That a mystic rite brings salvation.

IV. That since God is merciful He will bring into the kingdom of heaven, every one, whether he has sought or not.—The condition of attaining the character of a child of God is twofold:

1. A high, spiritual aspiration—a seeking of glory, honour, and immortality.

2. That aspiration made the impulse and motive of lofty and persistent practical endeavour, manifested in a life of patient continuance in well-doing.—L. Abbott, D.D.

The great test.—Alas, for many hearers of the word! Alas, for many admirers of the Sermon on the Mount! Where will they be when everything turns on the question “Wert thou a doer of it?”—J. M. Gibson, D.D.

Mat_7:22-23. Self-deception.—

1. There is a day of judgment appointed for all men when Christ shall sit as Judges 2. Many build hopes of heaven upon great gifts and employments in the ministry, given to them with some success, who shall be rejected of Christ.

3. All men have need to beware lest they deceive themselves in the matter of their own salvation, when they hear that preachers and prophets and workers of miracles deceive themselves, and may be destitute of saving faith and sound repentance, which they do preach to others.

4. Such as Christ shall reject at the last day were never endued with saving grace, or accounted by Him for true believers, for He saith, “I will profess unto them, I never knew you.”

5. Such as are destitute of true faith and repentance, however specious their gifts and outward conversation seem to themselves or others, are in Christ’s account but workers of iniquity, and shall not dwell in His company in heaven.—David Dickson.

The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary (gen. ed. Joseph S. Exell; Funk & Wagnalls, c. 1892) — public domain (pre-1929). A full-Bible homiletical/sermon-outline anthology covering 65 of 66 books (2 John is absent from the source module). Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 7:13-29.

Sermon On The Mount. Concluding Exhortations To Practice As Well As Hear And Profess. Effect Produced

The Sermon on the Mount is now drawing to a close. Its leading thoughts have been presented, and there has been a general encouragement to seek help from God, and a general rule for regulating our conduct, which covers the whole ground of the discourse. It is manifest to every hearer or reader that the requirements which have been made are very rigorous, in their profound spirituality and vast compass. Our Lord does not soften this rigor at all, but goes on to declare that the way pointed out by him is indeed one hard to find and follow, and that there is great danger of being deceived by false guides, and of self-deception; yet he does not present these facts as an excuse for shrinking back, nor even say that in spite of these things we must make the effort, but urges the very difficulties as a reason for going forward. We cannot drift with the crowd, without purpose or effort, through the narrow gate; to act thus would lead through the wide gate to destruction. Heedfully and diligently we must go in through the narrow gate, along the straitened and difficult way, which leads to life. Gloss. (in Aquinas): "Though it be hard to do to another what you would have done to yourself, yet so must we do, that we may enter the strait gate."

We may mark, as containing distinct though closely-related topics, Mat 7:13 f.; Mat 7:15-20, Mat 7:21-28, Mat 7:24-27; and the concluding statement in 28 f. The apophthegmatical form of expression, which we have already noticed at Mat 7:1, Mat 7:6, Mat 7:7. is continued, and hence there is no conjunction connecting Mat 7:13 with what precedes, while the general relation of the thoughts is obvious, as just pointed out.

Mat 7:13-14. Enter ye in, viz., into life, (Mat 7:14) as in Mat 18:8 f.; Mat 19:17; or, into the Messianic kingdom, as in Mat 5:20, Mat 7:21, Mat 18:3, Mat 19:23 f. The comparison of Mat 19:17 with Mat 19:23 shows that the two expressions are equivalent. See also Mat 25:21-23. At the strait—or through the narrow—gate. The English word ’strait’ is derived (through the French) from the Latin strictum, and is thus a different word from straight, which is an old form of stretched. The two are popularly confounded in quoting this passage, "The straight and narrow way," although it is not at all said that tile way is straight. The word ’strait’ is now little used except in Geography, and in such phrases as strait-laced and straitjacket. For wide is the gate. It is quite possible that ’the gate’ should here be omitted (as in margin Rev. Ver.).[1] There would be nothing lost from the substantial meaning (see below). The word rendered broad is a peculiar and strong term, ’broad-spaced,’ ’spacious,’ describing the way as having plenty of room in it. Destruction. The Greek word is translated (Rev. Ver.) ’perdition’ in Joh 17:12; Php 1:28, Php 3:19; 1Ti 6:9; Heb 10:39; Rev 17:8, Rev 17:11; ’destruction’ in Rom 9:22; 2Pe 2:1, 2Pe 2:3, Rev. Ver.; 2Pe 3:16. Go in—or—enter in, same Greek word as at the beginning of the sentence. Thereat, literally, ’through it,’ would more naturally make us think of passing through the gate, but would also apply to the way or road, as in ’pass along through that road.’ (Mat 8:28) Instead of because, (Mat 7:14) there is much authority for a reading which would mean ’how,’ (instead of) making it an exclamation, ’How narrow is the gate!’ It is extremely difficult to decide which is the correct reading.[2] As to the sense ’because’ would make this a reason why many enter the broad road, and an additional reason (compare ’for,’ Mat 7:13) for the opening injunction to enter in by the narrow gate. The rendering in the Common Version ’because’ (the Greek word in the text followed being the same as in ’for,’ Mat 7:13) obscures the fact that these are two parallel reasons for the injunction. The reading ’how’ does not present this formally as a reason, but states solemnly and impressively the fact, which he designs to act as a motive for entering in by the narrow gate. An impassioned exclamation would here be less strange than it might at first sight appear, because the fact that so few are saved might well awaken profound emotion in the Saviour’s bosom.[3] The word rendered narrow, or in Rev. Ver. straitened, signifies pressed, pressed together, cramped; a Greek writer uses it when he describes one as occupying "a straitened cell"; so it implies not merely that the road is narrow, but, as it were, cramped, confined, so that there is difficulty in passing along it. This word is thus the precise opposite of the term ’spacious,’ applied to the other road. In the one, men can wander heedlessly, and roam about at pleasure in the broad spaces; the other requires to be pursued with great care and exactness. Life is here first used, as meaning spiritual and eternal life, in our Lord’s Galilean ministry; but previously in his early Judean ministry. (Joh 3:15 f; Joh 4:14, Joh 4:36) Leadeth is literally leadeth away, perhaps implying a long course. Though the expressions in 2Pe 3:14 are precisely parallel to those in 2Pe 3:13, there is a striking exception at the close; he does not say, ’few are those that enter in through it,’ but ’few are those that find it.’ Our attention is thus strongly called to the fact that this narrow gate and way is likely to be overlooked, and so it should be carefully searched for and diligently entered.

[1] The omission in Mat 7:13 is supported by à and the Old Latin, and "many Greek and Latin Fathers, early and late"; in Mat 7:14 the evidence for omitting is weaker. The state of the evidence is readily explained by the supposition that ’the gate’ is genuine in Mat 7:14 and spurious in Mat 7:13, and is not easily explained otherwise. W. H. adopt this view in text and Appendix. Tisch. bracketed in both places.

[2] The evidence hoti for being B à X, many cursives, a few Latin copies, Egyptian, and Origen, is considered decisive by Westcott Hort (according to their theory as to B à) so that they do not even mention the other reading. Yet the latter, besides the support of all other uncials (C and D are here wanting), numerous cursives, nearly all Old Latin and the Vulgate, Old Syriac, Peshitta and Harklean, other versions and various Fathers has strongly in its favour the internal evidence. If ti was the original reading, it was quite unusual in such a connection and looked strange, and so might very easily have been changed into the familiar hoti. But why should be changed into? It is very difficult to suppose the change accidental. The repetition of hoti in the successive clauses gives but slight trouble as to the sense; and even if there was trouble, it would be at once greatly increased by changing to ti, which would here have so rare and strange a use. In the present state of Text-criticism, the question can hardly be settled.

[3] ’How’ would be a very unusual meaning of ti, but not unexampled, see Grimm, and Moulton in Winer, p. 562; a corresponding Hebrew word is repeatedly employed in that sense.

Is the narrow gate at the beginning of the way or at the end of it? Many have taken the former view, understanding by the gate conversion, or the beginning of the Christian life, and by the way its subsequent prosecution. (So Bunyan, in Pilgrim’s Progress.) A larger number of expositors urge that it is more natural to conceive of a road leading to a gate, by which we enter the city; and they quote (Wet.) as similar in expression and sentiment the saying of Cebes (pupil of Socrates): "Do you see a certain little door, and a certain road before the door, which is not much crowded, but very few are journeying on it?.... This is the road that lead, to true instruction." But it is also easy enough to conceive of a gate opening into a spacious avenue, and a smaller one into a narrow path, which conducts to the mansion. There is a much more serious objection than this to the common view. If passing through the narrow gate is conversion, to what does passing through the wide gate correspond? There is no marked transition made by all unconverted persons from one state to another, which can be compared to passing through a gate into a new road. If, on the other hand we understand the gate as at the end of the way, why is it put first in the statement? The difficulties on both sides are thought to be obviated by the following explanation: Our Lord, on a subsequent occasion, (Luk 13:24) uses the simple image of entering the narrow gate, expressions similar to which are common in Jewish and classical writers. But here he expands the image, representing not only a narrow gate, but a narrow and difficult road, and so as to the wide gate and spacious road. We have thus no occasion carefully to mark off the gate, as lying either at the beginning or the end of the road, but both together serve to set forth more strongly than the simple idea of a gate would do, the comparative ease of reaching perdition, and the difficulty of reaching life. (So, in substance, Chrys., Jerome, Tholuek, Weiss, Keil.) And accordingly ’enter in through it’ (Mat 7:13) and ’find it’ (Mat 7:14) need not be specially assigned to the gate or the way, being applicable to either, and thus to both. If ’the gate’ be omitted after ’wide’ in Mat 7:13 (see above), there will, according to this view, be nothing lost of the substantial meaning. Achelis takes ’find it’ as meaning find life, which is grammatically possible, but does not suit the connection; and to find a road is, in itself, a much more natural expression than to find life. It is misleading interpretation to say (Plumptre) that Christ himself is here the way and the gate, because of Joh 14:6, Joh 10:7. Must a familiar image be supposed to have everywhere in the Bible the same application?

The comparative ease and difficulty of the two gates and ways may be regarded as due both to external influences and to ourselves. Men in general do not interrupt our progress to destruction, but much of their influence tends to make it easier; the crowd are going that way, and mankind have a deplorable tendency to follow the crowd. (Compare Exo 23:2) At the same time, our sinful propensities are numerous and powerful, and incline us in that same direction. On the other hand, the way to life is fenced in on either side by God’s requirements, (Deu 5:32; Pro 4:27; Isa 30:21) while sometimes persecutions, (1Pe 4:17 f.) and always the thousand forms of temptation, unite with our own sinful reluctance to do right, and make the gate very narrow, the way exceedingly straitened. None the less is it true that Christ’s people are the happy ones, (Mat 5:3-12) that wisdom’s "ways are ways of pleasantness ", (Pro 3:17) and that God’s "commandments are not grievous"; (1Jn 5:3) because all this refers to such as are born again, and holds good of them just in proportion as they are deeply pious. (Joh 14:15-17) See interesting parallels to this image of the gate and the way in Ecclus. Sir 21:10; Sirach 2 Est 7:6-10. Images somewhat corresponding are also quoted from Hesiod : "Evil we may seize upon even in multitudes with ease; the way to it is smooth, and it lies very near. But the immortal gods have placed sweat at the entrance to virtue, and long and straight is the path to it, and rough at first; but when you come to the summit, then it grows easy." Pythagoras (Corn. a Lap.) said "that at first the path of virtue is narrow and confined, but afterwards it becomes wider by degrees; the way of pleasure, on the other hand, is not wide at the beginning, but afterwards it becomes more and more straitened." Philo : "A road worn by men and beasts, and suited for riding horses and driving chariots, is very similar to pleasure; while the ways of prudence and temperance, and the other virtues, even if not impassable, are yet wholly unworn, for small is the number of those who walk on them."

Mat 7:15. Beware of false prophets. In your efforts to find and enter the narrow gate, the straitened way, beware of those who would mislead you. Alas! it is not enough that we have personally so much difficulty in finding the way to life, and that so many set us a bad example; there are others who deliberately attempt to lead us astray. For the term ’prophets,’ see on "Mat 7:22". There were already false teachers among the Jews, sanctimonious (Mat 6:2) and hypocritical. (Joh 10:1, Joh 10:10) And our Lord may be referring immediately to these (Weiss); but he is also preparing for the future, as he will do still further near the close of his ministry. (Mat 24:11, Mat 24:24) So we find Paul speaking of hypocritical false teachers as early as A. D. 50, (Gal 2:4) warning the Ephesian elders in A. D. 58 against grievous wolves, (Act 20:28-31) and a few years later giving many such warnings in the Pastoral Epistles; as Peter and John also do in their Epistles. Few things are so painful to the teacher of truth as to know that others will be busily teaching the same persons ruinous error. In sheep’s clothing means, of course, clothed like sheep, looking like sheep, just as in Aesop’s fable of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The idea of some that it means clothed in woollen garments, resembling a supposed style of garment worn by prophets, is unfounded, and very nearly ridiculous. Ravening, rapacious, snatching at everything to devour it. (Joh 10:12) Henry : "Every hypocrite is a goat in sheep’s clothing, but a false prophet is a wolf in sheep’s clothing; not only not a sheep, but the worst enemy the sheep have, that comes not but to tear and devour, to scatter the sheep, to drive them from God and from one another into crooked paths."

Mat 7:16-20. Our Lord here shows how these false teachers may be detected, viz., by their fruits. Know is in the Greek a compound, meaning recognize, or fully know. Ye shall know (in Greek simply the future tense) is here not a command, but an assurance. Do men gather, literally, they, precisely like our impersonal expressions, "they say," etc. (Compare on Mat 5:10) The Greek introduces the question by a particle which strongly implies that the answer must be negative. James (Jas 3:12) uses the same image, probably having this passage in mind; for, as already remarked, he often refers to the Sermon on the Mount. Even so, (Mat 7:17) i. e., as we do not gather one kind of fruits from another kind of tree, so it is also true that fruits are good or had according as the tree is sound or unsound. Here, and in Mat 7:18, the originalis plural, ’good fruits,’ ’bad fruits’; in Mat 7:19 it is singular-mere variations for the sake of variety. Corrupt is, literally, decayed, rotten, and then unsound in general—a tree in a decayed or unhealthy condition, such that its sap is diseased, and it cannot produce good fruits. Mat 7:17 states the actual fact of nature; Mat 7:18, that it cannot be otherwise, from the constitution of things; Mat 7:19 that men are accustomed to act accordingly; Mat 7:20 is a repetition of what was said in Mat 7:16, made for the sake of greater impressiveness, and presented as a conclusion from what has been said in Mat 7:16-19. A good many copies of the Greek introduce Mat 7:19 by ’therefore,’ and Mat 7:15 by ’but’—from not perceiving the apophthegmatical character of the style. With Mat 7:18 compare Mat 12:33, where the same image is employed by our Lord in another connection; with Mat 7:19 compare the words-of John the Baptist in Mat 3:10, which many present had probably heard him speak. Hewn down (Mat 7:19) is literally, cut out, i. e., from its place in the orchard. It is a matter of common observation that men do actually cut out and burn trees that do not produce good fruit.

There has been much discussion as to whether the ’fruits’ by which we are to judge, represent the life or the teachings of the teachers in question The latter view prevailed widely until Bengel, and the passage was freely used as authority for punishing heretics. By comparing the whole connection, especially the phrases, ’doeth the will’, (Mat 7:21) ’work iniquity’, (Mat 7:23) ’doeth them’, (Mat 7:24) we see the application here is to their works, their life. On the other hand, in Luke’s sketch of the discourse, (Luk 6:43) the special application is to the idea that as a good tree produces good fruits, etc., so a good man will put forth good teachings, and these will have a good effect upon his pupils, and a bad man the reverse; and similar is the application when our Lord uses the image again. (Mat 12:33) May it not be that he here indicated an application both to their life and the character and effect of their teachings; and that Matthew’s incomplete sketch gives prominence to the one, Luke’s to the other? (There seem to be several such cases in the two reports of this discourse.) In both respects false prophets would pretend to be members of the flock; making great pretence both to a holy life and to sound teaching. But is their life holy, is their teaching sound, and does it make their pupils wiser and better? Those tests will show what they are inwardly and really. Jerome: "For it behooves the servants of God that both their works should be approved by their teaching, and their teaching by their works." It is not meant that every separate item of false teaching will be attended by some distinct evil practice; their evil conduct in general will show them to be bad men, and so to be unsafe teachers. When some teachers of ruinous heresy are men of scrupulous conduct and pleasing general character, and even very devout, this may usually be ascribed to their religious education and early habits, or to the religious atmosphere they breathe, or to a real piety which their theories cannot destroy in them, however hurtful to others.

Mat 7:21. The test of false prophets, their fruits, (Mat 7:16, Mat 7:20) naturally leads to the kindred thought that the followers of the true prophet, the Saviour himself, will be known not by their professions of devotion to him, but by their fruits, their doing the will of his Father. That this is true in general is strikingly shown by declaring (Mat 7:22 f.) that even many who have prophesied and wrought miracles by his name, will be finally rejected as having never really been his people. Much more, then, is that possible and likely in the case of such as have given less evidence of really being his followers. This passage (Mat 7:21-23) is thus seen to be naturally suggested by the preceding warning against false prophets, but to be widened into a solemn admonition to all, as to the danger of self-deception; and this again will naturally lead to the conclusion in Mat 7:24-27. Not every one, but only some of them, only those of them who do the will of God. (Compare Luk 9:59, Luk 9:61) Lord, Lord, the repetition expressing earnestness in addressing him, which might, of course, be either real or assumed. Similarly in Mat 7:22, Mat 25:11, and compare "Master, Master" in Luk 8:24. For the exact meaning of ’Lord’ see on "Mat 8:19". It conveys the idea of rightful master, ruler, sovereign. If we call Jesus ’Lord,’ and do not what he says, (Luk 6:46) or, what is the same thing, do not the will of God, it is a flagrant inconsistency—to pretend that he is our Master, and yet not obey him. Enter into the kingdom of heaven, see on "Mat 5:20". The kingdom of heaven is here understood with reference to its consummation, its eternal, glorious rewards. (See on "Mat 3:2".) He that doeth the will of my Father. This is the first time in the Galilean ministry that Jesus speaks of God as his Father. It is previously found only in Luk 2:49 Joh 2:16. Compare as to ’life,’ in Mat 7:14. ’Will’ is here especially what God requires; and to ’do’ the will of God is to obey his commands. So also in Mat 12:50 and Mat 21:31. In Mat 6:10, the idea is quite different, viz., literally, ’Let thy will (desire, wish) come to pass.’ In 1Co 12:3, Rev. Ver., Paul declares that "no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith, Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit."He evidently supposes the utterance to be a sincere one, while the Saviour is here speaking of persons with whom it is all talk and outside. Distinct from both these cases is the future universal confession of Php 2:11.

Mat 7:22-23. For the connection see on "Mat 7:21", at the beginning. In that day, the well known day, often spoken of, and familiar to the minds of all. It is a phrase frequently employed by the O. T. prophets to designate the time of Messiah in general; as used in the N. T., it looks especially to the consummation of Messiah’s kingdom (compare on Mat 6:10), and thus denotes the day of judgment. (see Luk 10:12, 2Th 1:10, 2Ti 1:12, 2Ti 1:18, 2Ti 4:8 Rev 16:14) Our Lord here begins to educate his hearers to that conception, as in like manner he thus early intimates that he is to be the Judge, an idea brought out more fully in Joh 5:22, Joh 5:27 Mat 25:31 ff. Throughout the discourse it is evidently assumed that he is the Messiah, though not expressly so declared, and it is therefore not strange that he should assume to be the final judge. Similar is the Lord, Lord, as addressed to him; for this cannot be here the mere polite form of address, (Mat 8:6 Act 16:30) since (Achelis) no one could imagine that he would be saved for merely speaking politely to Jesus. Here is a touch of the ’authority’ which so impressed his hearers. (Mat 7:24) Have we not prophesied. The Hebrew word which we render ’prophet’ signifies one who speaks under a divine influence, speaks as he is moved to speak by a divine power, and so is the ambassador of God to men, the revealer and interpreter of his will. To foretell things future was thus only a part of the prophet’s office; he was the inspired and authoritative religious instructor of the people, whether as to things past, present, or future. The Greek word prophetes which we borrow, is now explained as meaning not one who foretells, but (Liddell & Scott) one who for-tells, who speaks for God, or (Grimm, Cremer) one who speaks openly, an interpreter (of the Deity); it thus corresponds closely to the Hebrew word. To prophesy in the New Testament, is always to speak by divine inspiration, though not always concerning the future. It is a mistake to say that it sometimes signifies merely to teach. Even in 1Co 14:1 ff., the apostle is not contrasting the gift of tongues with ordinary teaching, but with inspired teaching in the common language. In the present passage it is evident that to prophesy is regarded as a remarkable thing. In—or by—thy name, is the simple instrumental (wrongly called dative) case of the noun without a preposition.[1] ’Thy’ is emphatic in the original. It was by means of his name that they performed these wonders, and this is repeated three times; surely then he would not reject them. Compare Act 3:16, Act 19:13; which last shows that the name of Jesus was sometimes actually called out. For the Scripture use of the word ’name’ see on "Mat 28:19"; as to casting out demons, see on Mat 8:28. Wonderful works. Mighty works is better. Tyn. has ’miracles,’ followed by Great Bible, Gen., Rheims. It would be better to render this word (powers) uniformly by ’miracles,’ as Com. Vet. nearly always does in the Acts and Epistles. Compare on Mat 12:38. Profess, see on "Mat 10:32". They were professing to have been his followers, and he will, on the contrary, profess—openly and plainly declare—that such they never really were. The Rev. Ver. here rightly retains ’profess’ (instead of ’confess’), as also in Tit 1:16; might it not better have done likewise in Heb 4:14, Heb 10:23? (Compare below, on Mat 14:7). I never knew you. The word rendered ’never’ is very strong, not even at any time nearly equivalent to our ’never, never.’ ’Knew,’ i. e., as mine, as my people. So in Mat 25:12, where the bridegroom says to the foolish virgins, ’I know you not’; Joh 10:13, Rev. Ver., ’I know mine own, and mine own know me’; Gal 4:9, Rev. Ver., ’To know God, or rather to be known of God’; 1Co 8:3, Rev. Ver., ’If any man loveth God, the same is known of him’; Amo 3:2, ’You only did I know, out of all the families of the earth.’ Here, as constantly in Scripture, God is spoken of in language derived from men. A man knows some persons, and does not know others; and only the former can enjoy any privileges which may pertain to his acquaintance. Suppose a prince to have formerly sojourned in a distant province, and now to ascend the throne. Various persons come from that province, claiming to have been his acquaintances, and hoping to enjoy the advantages of a residence at court. But among them are some whom he repulses, saying,"I never knew you." They may insist upon various things as showing that they were his acquaintances, and rendered him important service; but he replies,"I never at any time knew you—go away from me." Such is the kind of image here involved in the Saviour’s language. (Compare Mat 25:31, Mat 25:41, 2Ti 2:19) And not in all the passages above quoted, nor elsewhere, is there occasion for the oft-repeated arbitrary notion derived from the Father, that ’know’ conveys the additional idea of approve or regard. The Bible is simply speaking of God after the manner of men, and using the term to denote acquaintance, together with all its pleasures and advantages. Depart from me, compare Mat 25:41 Luk 13:24. Ye that work iniquity, is quoted from Psa 6:8. The Greek word signifies transgression of law, or lawlessness, and the same phrase occurs in 1Jn 3:4. Whatever the talk of these men, their doings were wicked; they did not do the will of God, (Mat 7:21) did not bring forth good fruits, (Mat 7:18) did not work the righteousness he required. (Mat 5:20, Mat 6:33) And Jesus not only does not know them now, he never did know them, not even when working miracles by his name. Some translate, ’Because I never knew you, depart from me,’ etc. The Greek will bear this rendering, but less naturally, nor does it suit so well the connection and the general tone of the passage.

[1] This construction is not elsewhere found with this word in the New Testament, (Mar 9:38 has a preposition in the correct text) and appears to have been borrowed from Jer 27:15. The Gothic takes pains to express it here like the Greek, without a proposition, which it regularly employs where the Greek does. The Latin has inserted ’in.’

It need not surprise us to find that men whom Jesus ’never knew’ yet claimed to be workers of miracles. In some cases, no doubt, the claim was without foundation. But Balaam was, for a season, truly inspired as a prophet, though he was very wicked, and died in his iniquity. Judas doubtless wrought miracles, as well as his associates, when they were sent out to preach and heal. (Mat 10:4-8) Compare also the supposed case in 1Co 13:2. It is hardly probable that the person spoken of in Luk 9:49 (Mar 9:38 f.) was really a Christian, though he was helping the Saviour’s cause. Yet below, in Mat 17:19, the failure of the disciples to work a miracle is ascribed to their ’little faith’; and the sons of Sceva (Act 19:14) failed, not from lack of power in i the name they spoke, but because they themselves were unsuitable persons. We perceive therefore that wicked men were sometimes allowed to work miracles (compare also the Egyptian magicians, Exo 7:12, Exo 7:22), but that some required great faith, and even special preparation by prayer. (Mar 9:29) These facts do not take away the evidentiary power of miracles. (Joh 3:2) The miracles, the character of those who wrought them, and the nature of their teachings, all three concurring, confirmed each other. But if men could speak by inspiration and work miracles without being truly pious, how great the danger that one may be a fervent and successful preacher, and yet not a Christian. Many take success as a divine attestation to them and their work; but it is not a certain proof; (comp 1Co 9:27) nor does an apparent want of success certainly prove the opposite. We cannot question that the preaching of Judas had some good results, as we sometimes see happening now, with men who afterwards show that they never were really Christians. Observe that the persons described in this passage carry self-delusion into the other world, even to the Day of Judgment. So in Mat 25:44.

Mat 7:24. We have now, (Mat 7:24-27) in the shape of an inference from what has been said, a general conclusion to the whole discourse. Since professions will be of no avail, unless one does the will of God, (Mat 7:21-23) therefore whoever hears these words and does them, will be a prudent man, and whoever neglects the doing will he a fool. Jesus knows that many will treat him as Ezekiel was treated. (Eze 33:31 f.) These sayings of mine refers immediately to the Sermon on the Mount, but of course the same holds true of his other sayings (compare Luk 6:47) And doeth them, compare ’doeth the will’ in Mat 7:21, ’work iniquity’ in Mat 7:23, and ’fruits’ in Mat 7:16. James refers to this passage in his Epistle. (Jas 1:22-25) The Mishna, Aboth: "To learn is not the main thing, but to practice." I will liken, etc., or, he shall be likened. It is hard to decide between this reading of the Greek, and that of the Com. Ver. There is of course no substantial difference.[1] It does not mean, as some explain, that he will be made like at the Day of Judgment (compare the futures in Mat 7:22 f.), but either ’will be like’ in character (as in Mat 6:8), or, will be compared in the teaching of Jesus, and in the estimation of those who learn his teaching; compare Luk 6:47, ’I will show you to whom he is like’; compare also Mat 11:16 Mar 4:30 Luk 13:18 Lam 2:13. Wise is more exactly ’sensible,’ ’prudent,’ as in Mat 10:16, Mat 25:2 Luk 16:18. Upon a rock. Rather, the rock, as in Luk 16:26, ’upon the sand.’ In a limestone country like Galilee, it is only necessary to dig some distance, and you are apt to find a stratum of solid rock. It is very common in that region now to dig down to the rock, and lay the foundation of a house on it. Compare the expressions in Luke’s sketch of the discourse, ’dug, and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock’; (Luk 6:48) compare also Eph 3:18, literally, ’rooted and foundationed in love.’ It is idle to say that ’the rock’ here means Christ, because he is elsewhere often called a rock. Must the image of rock always mean the same thing? The thought here obviously is that a man rests his salvation on a good foundation by actual obedience, and not mere profession; by not simply hearing the Saviour’s teaching, but acting it out in character and life.—Observe that this passage is really a parable. Compare on Mat 13:10.

[1] For ’shall be likened,’ B à Z, a dozen or more cursives, the Vulgate, Sahidic, Armenian, some Fathers. The old Latin copies and the two Egyptian versions are divided. All the Syriac versions agree with C. L. and the other uncials, most cursives, and some Fathers, in supporting ’I will liken him.’ It is much more probable that this was changed into the other to suit Mat 7:26 than contrariwise to suit Mat 11:16 and Luk 6:47. Thus internal evidence is here again opposed to the authority of B. à and others.

Mat 7:25. Throughout Mat 7:24-27 the symmetrical structure of sentence, and the exact correspondence between the two comparisons, give a solemn dignity and impressiveness to this striking conclusion. Many writers distinguish the rain as affecting the roof, the floods the bottom, and the winds the sides of the house; but it cannot be that these are meant as distinct assaults upon it, for the power of the roof to resist rain would not depend on the solidity of the foundation. We must understand this as simply a detailed description of the overthrow. The rain descended, and (in consequence thereof) the rivers came (mountain torrents, rushing down the ravines, and swelling up to the site of the house), and these washed around the building, and would have washed the earth from under its foundations, had they rested mainly on the loose surface of the ground, and then the winds would have blown it down; but this house did not fall, for its foundation was laid upon the rock. Beat upon is, literally, ’fell upon’ or ’fell against,’ as when a man hurls himself headlong against something.[1] There may be (McClellan) a play upon the words, ’fell upon that house, and it fell not.’ Founded, was derived by Com. Ver. from the Romish versions, and is better than the ’grounded’ of Tyndale and his successors. The exact meaning would be expressed by ’foundationed,’ if we had such a word. Some elements of the illustration our Lord here employs, may be found in Pro 12:7; Isa 28:16 f.; Eze 13:10-16.

[1] Compare the same Greek word in Mar 3:11

Mat 7:26-27. Here the phraseology exactly corresponds to Mat 7:24-25, except beat upon, here literally, smote upon, which is a mere variation of the expression, without substantial difference. The sand refers to the loose surface of the ground, or perhaps to the sand accumulated in some part of a mountain ravine, which looks smooth and firm, but is liable to be swept away by the next flood. Great. The foundation being swept away, the whole house would fall in one mighty crash and complete wreck.

This beautiful illustration makes its own impression: he who hears the words of Christ, and does them, is safe against all the evil influences of the world, safe forever; he who simply hears, and does not do, is doomed to fail of salvation, and be crushed in utter destruction. To find some special spiritual meaning in every particular, as "the rain of temptation," "the floods of persecution," "the wind of divers and strange doctrines," is pure fancy-work. The Mishna, Aboth, has a somewhat similar illustration: "A man who has good works, and learns the law much, to what is he like? To a man that builds with stones below, and afterwards with bricks; and though many waters come and stand at their side, they cannot remove them out of their place. But a man who has no good works, and learns the law, to what is he like? To a man that builds with bricks first, and afterwards with stones; and though few waters come, they immediately overturn them." Again: "A man richer in learning than in good works is like a tree with many branches and few roots—the first wind overthrows it; but a man whose actions are greater than his learning is like a tree with few branches and many roots—all the winds of the world may storm against it, but cannot move it from its place." There is mournful danger in every age, that men will hear Christ’s servants preach, and will themselves read in his written word, and stop at that, without doing according to what they read or hear. As the Lord’s Prayer is often used in the way of that "vain repetition" to which it was given as a contrast and corrective, so this closing illustration is often greatly admired by persons who hear and do not. It is a most momentous question for every one of us, Am I doing the sayings of the Lord? Colton ("Lacon "): "Men will wrangle for religion; write for it; fight for it; die for it; anything but—live for it."

Mat 7:28 f. Concluding remarks of the Evangelist as to the effect of this great discourse. These sayings, viz., the whole discourse, as in Mat 7:24-26. The people, more exactly, the crowds, the same term as in Mat 5:1, and naturally leading the mind back to the state of things described before the opening of the discourse. Com. Ver. obscures this link of connection in the narrative, as it so often does, by unnecessary variation of the rendering where the original has the same word (compare everlasting and eternal for the same Greek word in Mat 25:46). Were astonished. We may suppose that at the close of the discourse expressions of astonishment broke forth among the hitherto silent crowds. Stier: "But, alas! the mere ’were astonished’ in which the whole terminated with regard to most, transmits to us a melancholy example of that hearing and not doing, with warning against which the sermon closed." In Mar 1:22 Luk 4:32; and in Mat 22:33 (Mat 13:54) we have the same expression used with reference to the effect of our Lord’s teaching on other occasions. At his doctrine—or, teaching. The English word ’doctrine’ ought to be still a correct rendering here, but in present use it suggests exclusively the thing taught, and not also the act or manner of teaching.[1] It is evident that both ideas are here present, as shown by the reason for astonishment given in the next verse. Bengel: "You would wonder why, in this discourse, Jesus has not spoken more clearly concerning his own person. But (1) he has so excellently set forth the teaching itself, that they would thence form an estimate of the excellence of the teacher. (2) His person was now sufficiently manifest. (3) In the discourse itself, he sufficiently intimates who he is, viz., ’the coming one,’ the Son of God, the Judge of all." (Mat 5:11, Mat 5:17, Mat 5:22, Mat 7:21 ff.) Taught. The imperfect tense of the Greek does not here denote habitual teaching, but simply describes him as engaged in teaching. Authority is the proper meaning of the word. In some cases authority carries with it the necessary power; but the term does not directly mean power. The same word will meet us in Mat 8:9, Mat 9:6, Mat 9:8, Mat 10:1, Mat 21:23-24, Mat 21:27, Mat 28:18. In all these Rev. Ver. properly translates by ’authority,’ except Mat 9:6, Mat 9:8, and there places it in the margin. The Scribes. Their Scribes is the correct reading; and the expression resembles ’Scribes of the people’ in Mat 2:4. The Scribes (see on "Mat 2:4") made it their business simply to state, to explain, and to apply the teachings of the Old Testament, together with the decisions of Jewish tribunals, and the sayings of famous teachers in past generations, as handed down by tradition. Seeing that for several centuries no prophet had appeared, it was very proper that they should confine their religious ideas to the authority of the Old Testament; but, in addition to this, they tied themselves to past teachers, and instead of forming their own opinions as to the meaning of Scripture, were always quoting some Rabbi of former generations. All this appears plainly from the Talmud; e.g., "R. Eliezer boasted that he had never said anything which he had not heard from his teacher." Thus the Scribes could not speak as instinct with the conviction of ascertained truth, could not speak with the dignity and strength of assured personal knowledge. Our Saviour spoke as no other teacher would have a right to do, as himself possessing ’authority’ to declare, on his own responsibility, what was true and right. Even the prophets usually prefixed to their utterances, "Thus saith the Lord "; while the words of Jesus are, "Verily I say to you." (See on "Mat 5:18, Mat 5:22".) And he quietly asserts the tremendous fact that men’s future destiny will depend on their relation to him, (Mat 7:23) on their doing his words. (Mat 7:24) His mode of teaching being thus in contrast with that proper for uninspired men, and even with that of the prophets, the contrast must have been all the more striking when it was compared with such teaching as the multitudes were accustomed to hear from ’their scribes.’ Many persons are found now who teach precisely as these scribes did, not merely going back to Scripture as the final authority for all religious truth—which is what they ought to do—but going back to "the Fathers," or to some great teacher or convocation of the last three or four centuries, as authority for the correct interpretation and just application of Scripture. It is the part of wisdom, as well as of modesty, to give no small weight to the opinions of men whose abilities, learning, and piety have made them illustrious; but if a man is not accustomed to come for himself to the Bible, and form his own judgment of its meaning, his teachings, whatever else they may possess, will have little of living power to sway men’s souls.

[1] Humphrey says the Rev. Ver. has endeavoured to render didache uniformly by ’teaching’ and didaskalia by ’doctrine.’ This is generally a proper distinction, but the Rev. Ver. has not been able to carry it through, for in Rom 16:17 and 1Ti 4:13 the renderings are interchanged; and in fact the distinction is not absolute either between the two Greek or the two English words. In this passage ’teaching’ is much better, because it includes both the manner and the matter, both the substance and the tone, and doubtless both contributed to the astonishment.

Homiletical And Practical

Mat 7:13 f. The broad road: (1) Men are in it without finding or entering; (2) They pursue it without difficulty or effort; (3) They have plenty of company; (4) But it leads them to perdition.—Luther: "What makes the way so narrow? Nothing but the world, the flesh, and the devil." Schaff: "Contrasts: The narrow and wide gates; the straitened and broad ways; the good and corrupt trees, with their fruit; saying and doing; active in Christ’s name, yet working iniquity; the rock and the sand; standing the storm, and falling in the storm; teaching with authority, and teaching as their scribes." Chrys.: "For the way is strait, and the gate narrow, but not the city. Therefore must one neither look for rest here, nor there expect any more aught that is painful." Stier: "The narrow way to life is broad enough for men who carefully, steadily walk in it. That is the consolation, which even this rigorous saying contains. What more is wanting than a way wherein I may have room, and a gate that will let me through?" Dykes: "Amid the endless varieties to be found in life’s broad road, there is but this single mark by which to recognize all travellers: they take the path which seems right in their own eyes." (Compare Pro 14:12) Henry: "No man, in his wits, would choose to go to the gallows, because the way to it is smooth and pleasant, nor refuse the offer of a palace and a throne, because the way to it is rough and dirty; yet such absurdities as these are men guilty of in the concerns of their SOULS." Calvin: "Whence comes it that men knowingly and willingly rush headlong to ruin with a feeling of security, unless it is from thinking they are not perishing so long as they are perishing in a great crowd?" Stier: "The foolish world, indeed, loves the wide and the broad, and the numbers—delights in the majorities." Thomas: "Man will follow the multitudes as the tides follow the moon. The social force of numbers has ever been against holiness in the world." Dykes: "The mass of one’s neighbours is large enough to generate a public opinion against which it is hard to contend. Among the crowds who affect no Christian isolation or peculiarity, there are so many whom, on other grounds, one must love and venerate, that it is hard always to feel sure that one is right, and they all wrong.... To sensitive natures with a broad humanity, there is even a fixed pain in being profoundly out of harmony with the bulk of their fellow-men.... The isolation of the true Christian is, in our age, more an inward than an outward isolation."—Some may like to illustrate the two ways by the well-known story of the Choice of Hercules.

Mat 7:15-20. Two methods of testing a religious teacher. (1) By the effect of his teachings upon his own character and life; (2) By the effect of his teachings upon those who receive them. st. bernard (Lange): "False teachers are sheep in clothing, foxes in cunning, wolves in cruelty." Chrys.: "Let us not he troubled when we see many heretics and hypocrites even now. Nay, for this too Christ foretold from the beginning." Dykes: "When the path he leads in is discovered to be so strait and steep, it presently begins to be said, or imagined, that life may be had on easier terms. The original gospel of the King undergoes some modification. Teachers who profess to teach still in the name of Jesus point men to a path which looks deceptively like the narrow way, and appears to conduct to a similar issue; only it is not so narrow—and it does not really lead to life." Draseke (Lange): "The desire to appear good: (1) Its nature; (2) Its origin; (3) Its moral character; (4) Its unavoidable dangers."

Mat 7:21-23. Lost notwithstanding: (1) Loud professions; (2) Great advantages; (3) Striking performances; (4) Persistent self-Delusions. one may have (1) much outward knowledge of Jesus, (2) much outward activity, apparently, in his service, (3) yet have no interior relation to him at all, and (4) be at last ignominiously disavowed. Chrys: "Better surely to endure a thousand thunderbolts, than to see that face of mildness turning away from us, and that eye of peace not enduring to look upon us."

Mat 7:22 f. Bib. Comm: "The spirit of the warning extends far beyond the extraordinary cases actually mentioned, and applies to all those in all ages who, whether teachers or hearers, nominally profess Christian doctrine without holiness of life."—Mat 7:21-27. Thomas: "Four kinds of religion: (1) The religion of profession, Mat 7:21. (2) The religion of merit, Mat 7:22. (3) The religion of hearing, Mat 7:26. (4) The religion of doing, Mat 7:24."

Mat 7:24-27. A religious teacher is apt to have two great causes of grief: that so many will not hear him at all, and that so many who hear, and perhaps admire, will not do. (Compare Eze 33:31 f.) Parker: " (1) All men are building. (2) All builders have a choice of foundations. (3) All foundations will he tried. (4) Only one foundation will stand." Dykes: "The whole drift and movement of this long discourse has carried us forward with it to one most weighty practical conclusion—that, after all, he only is a Christian who does what Christ bids him."

Mat 7:27. Hark to the mighty crash in every age and every land, of religious constructions that fall for lack of foundation! Reflections: "This is the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, and we are left with an impression of fear; it began with blessings, but its end is stern and severe?"

Mat 7:28 f. The moral teachings of Jesus, (1) Commend themselves to us as containing the highest human wisdom—surpassing ancient sages and modern philosophers; (2) Come to us with superhuman authority—that of him who is the Son of God, (Mat 7:21) and will be our judge (Mat 7:22); (3) Are embodied in an actual character—the peerless character of the Teacher himself; (4) Bring with them the offer of help in living up to them—that of the Holy Spirit.—Distinguishing (Luk 11:13) features of Christ’s ministry. (1) Those which cannot be imitated—his originality, miracle-working, authority. (2) Those which must not be imitated—his positiveness, self-assurance, self-representation. (3) Those which should be imitated—his naturalness, variety, suggestiveness, catholicity, spirituality, tenderness, faithfulness, devoutness.

In our devotional study of this great discourse, we should not be thinking too much of its special adaptation to the Jews, but should read it as addressed to ourselves. Imagine that you stand amid the crowd and listen, and ever and anon his mild eye falls upon you. Hear him telling you who are the happy under his reign, and how great, if you are one of his, is your responsibility as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Hear him explaining how spiritual and rigorous is that morality which he requires of you, in all your relations and duties; enjoining that your deeds of righteousness shall not be performed ostentatiously, but with supreme regard to God, and that, serving God and trusting his care, you need not be anxious about the things of this life. Listen closely, and humbly, while he rebukes censoriousness, while he encourages to prayer, while he urges the danger lest you fail to be saved, and looking you solemnly in the face declares that you must not merely hear these words of his, but do them. And then turn thoughtfully away, with the "Golden Rule" hid in your heart, and the gracious assurance ever sounding in your ear, "Ask, and it shall be given you."

John A. Broadus, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew (American Baptist Publication Society, 1886) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7:13-27 The Sermon on the Mount closes with a call to decide about Jesus and his teaching (see 4:23; 9:35). Those who hear Jesus’ message regarding the Kingdom must follow him to obtain eternal life or disown him and experience God’s condemnation. There is no middle way (Deut 30:15-20; Ps 1; Prov 12:28; Jer 21:8).

7:13 Entering through the narrow gate refers to the decision to follow Jesus as the Messiah. The wide gate and broad highway refer to the decision not to follow Jesus and his teachings. • Hell refers to being thrown into the fire, not entering the Kingdom of Heaven, being banished from the presence of Jesus, and being ruined (7:19-23, 27).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mat 7:13. Εἰσέλθετε, enter ye in) Make it the object of your constant and earnest endeavours (Id agite) really to enter.[318] This presupposes that they are attempting to walk on the narrow way. Observe the antithetical relation between εἰσέλθετε,” “enter ye in” [in the first], and οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι”—“they which go in” [in the last clause of this verse].—στενῆς, strait) sc. of righteousness.—πύλη, the gate) This is put before the way; the gate therefore in this verse signifies that, by which a man begins in any manner to seek for the salvation of his soul; as in the next verse the gate is that, by which true Christianity is received.—ἀπάγουσα, which leadeth away) from this short life. So also in the next verse.—πολλοὶ, many) See 2Es 9:15; 2Es 9:17.—οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι, they which go in) There is no need that they should find it, for they spontaneously fall into destruction. Cf. v. 14.—δἰ αὐτῆς through it) sc. the gate.

[318] Into life, into the kingdom of heaven.—V. g.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat_7:13. There now follow some additional concluding exhortations and warnings, which in Luke are partly omitted, partly scattered and displaced (in answer to Calvin, Keim) and abridged. With Mat_7:13 comp. Luk_13:24. The thought is one of the fundamental thoughts of the Sermon on the Mount.

εἰσέλθετε] where the entering leads to is not stated till Mat_7:14.

ὅτι] assigning the reason e contrario.

εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν] i.e. to eternal death, as being the punishment of such as are condemned in the Messianic judgment. Php_1:28; Heb_10:39; 2Pe_3:7; 2Pe_3:16. The opposite is ζωή, the eternal life of felicity in the kingdom of the Messiah. Wide gate and broad way; figures representing the pleasures and excesses of sin and wickedness. Strait gate and narrow way; representing, on the other hand, the effort and self-denial which Christian duty imposes. It is only when regenerated that a man comes first to experience the lightness of the yoke (Mat_11:29), and of the commandments (1Jn_5:3), and all the more the further progress he makes in the love of Christ (Joh_14:15 ff.).

ἡ ἀγάπ. εἰς τ. ἀπώλ.] refers equally to ἡ πύλη (Kühner, II. 1, p. 70 f.), to which again the διʼ αὐτῆς belongs. There is a similar construction in Mat_5:14, where αὐτήν in like manner refers to πύλη.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mat 7:13-14 . The two ways (Luk 13:23-25 ). From this point onwards we have what commentators call the Epilogue of the sermon, introduced without connecting particle, possibly no part of the teaching on the hill, placed here because that teaching was regarded as the best guide to the right way. The passage itself contains no clue to the right way except that it is the way of the few . The allegory also is obscure from its brevity. Is the gate at the beginning or end of the way, or are gate and way practically one, the way narrow because it passes through a narrow doorway? Possibly Christ’s precept was simply, “enter through the narrow gate” or “door” ( θύρα , Luke’s word), all the rest being gloss. πύλης , the large entrance to an edifice or city, as distinct from θύρα , a common door; perhaps chosen by Lk. because in keeping with the epithet στενῆς . ὅτι , etc.: explanatory enlargement to unfold and enforce the precept. ἡ ὁδὸς : two ways are contrasted, either described by its qualities and end. The “way” in the figure is a common road, but the term readily suggests a manner of life. The Christian religion is frequently called “the way” in Acts (Mat 9:2 , Mat 19:9 , etc.). The wrong road is characterised as πλατεῖα and εὐρύχωρος , broad and roomy, and as leading to destruction ( ἀπώλειαν ). The right way (and gate, ἡ πύλη , is to be retained in Mat 7:14 , though omitted in Mat 7:13 ) is described as στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη , narrow and contracted, and as leading to life. ζωήν , a pregnant word, true life, worth living, in which men realise the end of their being the antithesis of ἀπώλεια . The one is the way of the many, πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερ .; the other of the few, ὀλίγοι … οἱ εὑρίσκοντες . Note the word “finding”. The way is so narrow or so untrodden that it may easily be missed. It has to be sought for. Luke suggests the idea of difficulty in squeezing in through the very narrow door. Both points of view have their analogue in life. The practical application of this counsel requires spiritual discernment. No verbal directory will help us. Narrow? Was not Pharisaism a narrow way, and the monastic life and pietism with its severe rules for separation from the “world” in amusement, dress, etc.?

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Example of life must not be taken from a multitude.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate] Our Saviour seems to allude here to the distinction between the public and private ways mentioned by the Jewish lawyers. The public roads were allowed to be sixteen cubits broad, the private ways only four. The words in the original are very emphatic: Enter in (to the kingdom of heaven) through THIS strait gate, δια της στενης πυλης, i.e. of doing to every one as you would he should do unto you; for this alone seems to be the strait gate which our Lord alludes to.

For wide is the gate] And very broad, ευρυχωρος, from ευρυς, broad, and χωρος, a place, a spacious roomy place, that leadeth forward, απαγουσα, into THAT destruction, εις την απωλειαν, meaning eternal misery; intimating, that it is much more congenial, to the revengeful, covetous heart of fallen man, to take every advantage of another, and to enrich himself at his expense, rather than to walk according to the rule laid down before, by our blessed Lord, and that acting contrary to it is the way to everlasting misery. With those who say it means repentance, and forsaking sin, I can have no controversy. That is certainly a gate, and a strait one too, through which every sinner must turn to God, in order to find salvation. But the doing to every one as we would they should do unto us, is a gate extremely strait, and very difficult, to every unregenerate mind.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) Enter ye in at the strait gate.—The figure was possibly suggested by some town actually in sight. Safed, the “city set on a hill,” or some other, with the narrow pathway leading to the yet narrower gate, the “needle’s eye” of the city, through which the traveller entered. Such, at any rate, was the picture which the words presented. A like image had been used before, with a singular coincidence of language, in the allegory known as the Tablet of Cebes, the Disciple of Socrates: “Seest thou not a certain small door, and a pathway before the door, in no way crowded, but few, very few, go in thereat? This is the way that leadeth to true discipline” (c. 16). The meaning of the parable here lies on the surface. The way and the gate are alike the way of obedience and holiness, and the gate is to be reached not without pain and effort; but only through it can we enter into the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem. A deeper significance is, however, suggested even by our Lord’s own teaching. He Himself is the “way” (Joh_14:6), or with a slight variation of the imagery, He is the “door,” or gate, by which His sheep enter into the fold (Joh_10:7). Only we must remember that His being thus the “way” and the “gate” does not mean that we can find, in union with Him, a substitute for holiness, but indicates simply how we are to attain to it.

That leadeth to destruction.—The question, which has been much discussed lately, whether this word “destruction” means the extinction of conscious life—what is popularly called annihilation—or prolonged existence in endless suffering, is one which can hardly be settled by mere reference to lexicons. So far as they go, the word implies, not annihilation, but waste (Mat_26:8; Mar_14:4), perdition, i.e., the loss of all that makes existence precious. I question whether a single passage can be adduced in which it means, in relation to material things, more than the breaking up of their outward form and beauty, or in spiritual things, more than what may be described as the wretchedness of a wasted life. The use of the cognate verb confirms this meaning. Men “perish” when they are put to death (Mat_22:7; Act_5:37; et al.). Caiaphas gave his counsel that one man should die for the people, that the whole nation perish not (Joh_11:50). The demons ask whether the Christ has come to destroy them (Mar_1:24). The sheep are lost when they are wandering in the wilderness (Mat_15:24; Luk_15:6). The immediate context leads to the same conclusion. “Life” is more than mere existence. “Destruction,” by parity of reasoning, should be more than mere non-existence. On the other hand, the fact of the waste, the loss, the perdition, does not absolutely exclude the possibility of deliverance. The lost sheep was found; the exiled son, perishing with hunger, was brought back to his father’s house.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. The broad and the narrow way, Luk_13:24-25. The illustration seems to be drawn from a mansion having a large portal at which many enter, and a narrow entrance known to few.

strait = narrow.

(c) The narrow entrance to the Kingdom, 13, 14

These verses are linked to the preceding by the thought of prayer, for it is by prayer chiefly that the narrow entrance must be gained.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,.... And so, difficult to enter in at; and when entered, the way is unpleasant to the flesh to walk in, being hedged up on each side with afflictions and tribulations; and moreover, is like the "narrow place", or , "the strait place", as the Septuagint in Num 22:26 render it; in which the angel that met Balaam stood; and in which there was no turning to the right hand or the left; and such is the way to eternal happiness. The great encouragement to walk on in it is, because it is that way

which leadeth unto life: unto eternal life: it certainly leads thither; it never fails of bringing persons to it; believers in Christ, all that walk in Christ the way, though they are said to be "scarcely" saved, by reason of their afflictions and trials, they meet with in their way to the kingdom; yet they are, and shall be certainly saved: they shall be safely brought to glory; which will be an abundant recompense for all the troubles and sorrows that have attended them in their journey.

And few there be that find it; the way, and so consequently the life it leads to. "The gate is strait"; small and little, and so unobserved: there is but one way to heaven, and the generality of men neglect it. "The way is narrow", and so disagreeable; the company few, and not engaging. Men choose large gates, broad ways, and much company. The flesh loves to walk at liberty, unconfined, and uncontrolled, and with a multitude to do evil: hence, Zion's ways are thin of passengers; a small number, comparatively speaking, walk thereto, and will be saved; a remnant, a little flock, a little city, and few men in it. It is asked in the Talmud (q),

"why is the world to come created with "jod?" (the least of the letters in the "Hebrew alphabet") the answer is, because , "the righteous which are in it are few".''

Some read the words, as the Syriac, Arabic, and Vulgate Latin, with a note of admiration, "how strait is the gate!" &c. and so some copies.

(q) T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 29. 2.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Ver. 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate] Our Saviour having hitherto pointed out the right way of well doing, and showed how to steer a straight course to the haven of happiness; now gives warning of certain dangerous rocks (against the which divers have dashed, to their utter destruction, and are therefore) carefully to be declined. Of these, the first he nameth is, the following of a multitude to do evil, the joining hand in hand with the rude rabble that are running apace toward the pit of perdition, which is but a little before them; the doing as most men do, which is to be utterly undone for ever. {a} The wicked (though never so many of them) go down to hell, and whole nations that forget God, Psa 9:17. Hence the gate thereto is grown so wide, and the way so well beaten. But none that go that way return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. "Enter therefore in at the strait gate," saith our Saviour. {b} Vive ut pauci, &c. Live as those few live that enter into life eternal, saith Cassianus; for if you will needs imitate the multitude, saith Austin, ye shall not be numbered among the living in Jerusalem, Isa 4:3-4 "Save yourselves from this untoward generation," saith St Peter; shine amidst them as lamps, saith St Paul, as Abraham’s lamp that shone out in the smoky furnace; as the wise men’s star, that showed itself in the midst of darkness; like the moon that holds on her course, though the dogs bark at her never so long, never so loud; like the sun that rejoiceth as a bridegroom to run his race, though the Atlantes (a certain people) curse him at his rising, because scorched with his heat; or rather like God himself, who then doth his best works when men are worst, overcoming our evil with his good, and not suffering men’s perverseness to interrupt the course of his goodness. Swim not down the stream of the times as dead fishes do; neither be carried along by the swing and sway of the place you dwell in. {c} Let not your lips be polluted by living among a people of polluted lips with Isaiah, swear not with Joseph, curse not with Peter, comply not with the common sort, learn not the manners of the mad multitude. {d} The worse they are, the better be you; the more outrageous they, the more courageous you, violent for heaven, and valiant for the truth; therefore walking exactly, and therefore "redeeming the time, because the days are evil," and most men walk at all adventures. To walk with God (saith Bishop Babington) is a precious praise, though none do it but myself; and to walk with man, with the world, with a town or parish, in wicked ways, is a deadly sin, though millions do it besides. And it matters not (saith Nicholas, Bishop of Rome) how small the number be, if godly, nor how great, if ungodly. {e} Noah condemned a world of wicked people by his contrary courses, "and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith," Heb 11:7, while he continued righteous, even in his generation, and kept himself unspotted in so foul a season. The apostle telleth us that to live according to the common course of the world is no better than to be acted and agitated by the devil, Eph 2:2. But God hath promised to take this unclean spirit out of the land, Zec 13:2. Fiat, Fiat. Do it, Do it. And when Christ bids us enter in at the strait gate, we must know that his words are operative, to cause us to enter, as when he said, "Lazarus, come forth," and in the creation, "Let there be light." His word and Spirit go together. He works all our works for us, Isa 26:20-21

For wide is the gate] It may fitly be called the dismal gate, as that porta scelerata gate of wickedness, in Rome, so named because 300 gentlemen going out thereby to fight with some neighbouring enemies, perished.

And broad is the way, &c.] A dolorous way, as that way is at this day called, whereby our Saviour went bearing his cross to Calvary.

{a} Infernus ab inferendo dicitur, quia ita inferuntur et praecipitantur, ut nunquam ascensuri sint.

{b} Per viam publicam ne ingredere. Pythag. Si turbam imitari volueritis, inter paucos angustam viam ambulantes non eritis. Aug.

{c} Argumentum turpissimum est turba. Seneca.

{d} Isa 6:5. Τι ως ζωντες εν κοσμω, δογματιζεσθε, Col 2:20.

{e} Numerus, pusillus non obest, ubi abundat pietas, nec multiplex prodest, ubi abundat impietas.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Enter ye in at the strait gate - Christ here compares the way to life to an entrance through a gate. The words “straight” and “strait” have very different meanings. The former means “not crooked;” the latter, “pent up, narrow, difficult to be entered.” This is the word used here, and it means that the way to heaven is “pent up, narrow, close,” and not obviously entered. The way to death is open, broad, and thronged. The Saviour here referred probably to ancient cities. They were surrounded with walls and entered through gates. Some of those, connected with the great avenues to the city, were broad and admitted a throng; others, for more private purposes, were narrow, and few would be seen entering them. So, says Christ, is the path to heaven. It is narrow. It is not “the great highway” that people tread. Few go there. Here and there one may be seen - traveling in solitude and singularity. The way to death, on the other hand, is broad. Multitudes are in it. It is the great highway in which people go. They fall into it easily and without effort, and go without thought. If they wish to leave that and go by a narrow gate to the city, it would require effort and thought. So, says Christ, “diligence” is needed to enter life. See Luk 13:24. None go of course. All must strive, to obtain it; and so narrow, unfrequented, and solitary is it, that few find it. This sentiment has been beautifully versified by Watts:

“Broad is the road that leads to death,

And thousands walk together there;

But wisdom shows a narrower path,

With here and there a traveler.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Enter ye in at the narrow gate, &c. The doctrine of these two verses needs no commentary, but deserve serious attention. (Witham)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Our Saviour having in this sermon delivered many hard sayings to flesh and blood, here obviates a twofold temptation they might have to the neglect of them:

1. From their difficulty.

2. From the paucity of them who live according to these rules.

He here compares heaven to a house, a stately house, into which a

strait gate leadeth to a city, the way to which is a

narrow way. There is nothing more ordinary in holy writ, than to call a common course of men’s actions a way. It is also compared to a

gate. The sum of what our Saviour here saith is this: There are but two ultimate ends of all men, eternal destruction and eternal life. The course that leadeth to destruction is like a broad way that is obvious to all, and many walk in that. That course of life and actions which will bring a man to heaven is strait, unpleasing to flesh and blood, not at all gratifying men’s sensitive appetites, and narrow, (the Greek is, afflicted), a way wherein men will meet with many crosses and temptations; and there are but a few will find it. You must not therefore wonder if my precepts be hard to your carnal apprehensions, nor be scandalized though you see but few going in the right road to the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 13-27. (4) Epilogue. (cf. Mat_5:3, note) Dare to take up this position, which has been laid down in Mat 5:21-7:12, involving though it must separation from the majority of men (vers. 13, 14); and this notwithstanding the claim of others to reveal the Lord"s mind, whose true nature, however, you shall perceive from their actions (vers. 15-20); they that work iniquity have neither present nor future union with me (vers. 21-23). Finally a solemn warning (vers. 24-27).

For vers. 13, 14, cf. Luk_13:23, Luk_13:24, which, however (notwithstanding the similarity of vers. 25-27 to our vers. 21-23), were probably spoken later, and were perhaps suggested to both the disciples and the Master by this earlier saying. On the other hand, our ver. 14 seems so direct an answer to Luk_13:23 that it is not unlikely that this is one of the many passages placed by St. Matthew, or the authors of his sources, out of chronological order. Enter ye in. Show immediate energy and determination. Observe:

(1) In Luke, "strive (agwnizesye) to enter in"; here, "enter at once.

(2) In Luke, "through the narrow door" into, apparently, the final abiding-place; here, "through the narrow gate" into apparently the (perhaps long) road which takes us at last to full salvation. Thus in Luke our Lord speaks of continued striving; here, of immediate decision, in which, however, lies the assurance of ultimate success. (cf. ver. 14, end; also 1Jn_2:13) At the strait gate; Revised Version, by the narrow gate the entrance resembling the road (ver. 14, note). Chrysostom (in lot. ), contrasting present trials with future happiness, says, "straitened is the way and narrow is the gate, but not the city. " For wide is the gate, and Broad is the way. So also the Revised Version, but the Revised Version margin has, "some ancient authorities omit is the gate. " (For a full discussion on the difficult question of the genuineness of h pulh here, vide Westcott and Hort, "App.") Westcott and Hort omit it, with a, Old Latin, and many Greek and Latin Fathers, and say that, though h pulh is probably genuine in ver. 14, "till the latter part of the fourth century the first h pulh has no Greek or Latin patristic evidence in its favour, much against it." They think this is "one of those rare readings in which the true text has been preserved by a without extant uncial support.... It was natural to scribes to set ver. 13 in precisely antithetic contrast to ver. 14; but the sense gains in force if there is no mention of two gates, and if the contrast in ver. 13 is between the narrow gate and the broad and spacious way." There must be a definite entering upon the right way; no entrance upon the wrong way is necessary, men find themselves upon it only too easily, and it is "made level with stones" (Ecc 21:10). Wide... broad. The second epithet (eurucwrov) lays stress on there being plenty of space to walk in (Latt., spatiosa). That leadeth to destruction (eiv thleian); that "perishing" in which "the sons of perishing" perish. (Joh_17:12) And many there be which; Revised Version, more exactly, and many be they that (kai polloi eisin oi eisercomenoi). Our Lord says that they that are perishing are many (cf. ver. 14, note). Go in; Revised Version, enter in; keeping up the allusion to "enter ye in." Observe, however, that if h pulh (vide supra) is false, the thought here is of entrance into the final issue of the way h apwleia . Thereat; Revised Version, thereby; i.e. by the way.

Vers. 13, 14. The two ways.

The idea of "the two ways" seems to have laid hold of the mind of the early Church very strongly; a treatise known by that name was in use among the primitive Christians, and the first part of the recently discovered Church manual, entitled, "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles," embodies that treatise. It was not thought easy to be a Christian in the heroic days of persecution; it is not really any easier to-day, when the difficulty comes rather from the all-pervading atmosphere of worldliness.

I THE ENTRANCE. The gate of the one way is narrow, the gate of the other wide. We are directed to think of beginnings. This is a subject to be studied in early life. It comes up at the great moment of decision. We must just think of the gate, for until we have passed through we cannot be in the way at all.

1. The straitness of the first gate. No one can become a Christian without an effort. We do not drift into the kingdom, nor do we grow up in it unconsciously. Even the children of Christian homes need to come to decision and make a deliberate choice. Moreover, there are sins to be repented of, evil habits to be renounced; pride must be humbled, and the simple trust of a little child attained. We become Christians by complete surrender to Christ.

2. The width of the second gate. We do not need to make any choice of evil. Evil is all around us. We have but to let ourselves go, and we shall be swept through the wide gate. This is so very wide that we cannot miss it if we merely permit ourselves to go with the crowd.

II THE WAY. Life is more than its beginnings. We have to consider its whole course. But that course is likely to resemble its commencement. The strait gate leads to the narrow way, the wide gate to the broad way. The whole life has a character of its own.

1. Why the right way is narrow. This is not because there is a virtue in restraint on its own account.

(1) There is but one right way, while there is an infinite diversity of wrong ways. At every moment there is just one thing needful, one thing that it is our duty to do then and there. If we neglect that, we can make our choice out of any number of things that ought not to be done.

(2) Righteousness involves self-denial. We have to take up the cross to follow Christ.

2. Why the wrong way is broad. The very variety of evil makes it so. Then there is no law in sin. Sin is lawlessness. (1Jn_3:4) Thus the way of evil is one of wild self-will; it is every one turning to his own way. (Isa_66:3) A track across open country, if much used, tends to become wider and wider as each fresh traveller chooses what seems to him the best bit of ground on which to walk.

III THE END. The two ways keep apart from beginning to end; neither issues in the other. The broad way is not a short cut to the narrow way. Each has a separate destination. We do not all come to the same end. But the character of the end is determined by the character of the way. This makes the way of great importance. It is not a city in which we dwell, nor even a temporary camping-ground on which we rest for a night. We are always moving along it. The great question is Whither does it tend? Christ sets the alternative before us very clearly eternal life or destruction. Here is reason for rousing ourselves and listening to the urgent entreaty of the Saviour, "Enter ye in," etc. W.F.A.

Vers. 13, 14. The noblest provocation to sanctified imagination.

Supposing that it was certain that we were intended to have, in the recorded sayings of the discourse of the mount, a closely connected discourse, we might feel it difficult to pronounce with any confidence on the connection of this thrilling passage, and feel anxious and grieved proportionately that we could not discharge more satisfactorily the responsibility herein which lay on us. Both for extent and for significance and commanding point of view, what a domain this passage has conquered for its own in its journey down the unrolling Christian centuries! What thoughts, what feelings, what facts and illustration from life, do now, with solemn rich sadness, cluster round it! Though difference of opinion may justly prevail as to the link of connection between the matter we have here and all that precedes, or whether there be any specific link at all, yet it may safely be generally remarked that, nearing the end of the discourse, it speaks appropriately enough more directly of the things that near the end of life, that solemn end, regard it as we may. The great bulk of the matter of the discourse graciously and condescendingly and practically affects the conduct of life; but here, and in the two great following and closing sections of the discourse, the solemn event of all here, of all the passing, the fleetly passing present, seems to be intentionally borne upon our heart and conscience, fear and hope. It may further be well to note that, if in all three of the clauses concerned, the gate" comes first, and in the two in which the "way" is spoken of it follows distinctly the "gate," nevertheless the "gate" is that which must be found after traversing the way, and at the end of it, as surely as the grave or gate of death is at the end of life. (see Luk_13:23, Luk_13:24) And, once more preliminarily, hold up prominently to view this instructive and impressive fact that the Light and the Love of the world, the Power and the Salvation of heaven in the world, thought fit to challenge, and did boldly challenge, thus suddenly the ignorance of those his first hearers, their surprised ignorance, as matter of fact (and leaving out all count of the causes of it, or the greater or less guilt of it), with these detached proclamations of eternal truth, as unseen by ordinary eye, and as unthought of as they were and ever are of matchless significance. What a model for the pronounced, dogmatic preaching of the Church to-day and for ever! From the Model how far in some quarters has the departure travelled! The many-sided, massive heart of the subject of these verses may then be treated thus. Invite to a reverent, humble attempt to meditate, to ponder, however afar off from the magnificent subject

I THE GREAT MYSTERY OF THE GATE THAT LEADETH TO LIFE.

1. How really great this mystery is; because we know so little of it; because we grasp so little of it; because, probably, we can at present grasp only so little of it!

2. How glorious the mystery is, as measured (with power to measure, which we do possess, which we certainly can command) by the mere subject of it gate that leadeth to life"! What a gate this must be, what a way, out of all the dull, toilsome, overshaded, contrast, which we struggle on with here!

3. How wakening, rousing, fascinating, to the imagination, which herein has offered to it its supremest employment! Everything conspires to this end. The conterminousness and the coincidence in time of this "gate" of life, in its last and highest expression, with certain grossest facts of our experience, which tyrannize over us under the name of death and its gate, offer the noblest provocation to an imagination though only ever so partially to be called a "sanctified" imagination. Invite to a humble, penitential meditation of

II THE CAUSES WHY THIS GATE IS CALLED, AND IS, STRAIT. It is all even too certain that it is strait, and must be so, or evil and sin and misery would be perpetuated, not stayed; propagated on infinite scale and to infinite proportions, not cut off. The straitness of the gate secures that only those shall pass back again into the life of Eden yes, yet higher and better life than that in whom is left no love of these, no seeds of these, no infection of them those only in whom have died the deadly fruits, the vain flowers, the subtle growths of them, by reason of

(1) penitence unfeigned;

(2) repentance practical and thorough;

(3) mortification of self, through sanctification of the Spirit.

If the "gate that leadeth into life" were not strait with this straitness, it would be another and yet blanker abortion of life, misnamed, to which it would conduct. Necessities, absolute and essential, rule the straitness of this gate. And the transformation that sincerity, and truth, and purity, and the denial of the bodily self, and the denial of certain passions of the spiritual self, and the abhorring of all the cursed inspirations of the devil the transformation that all these accomplish in one and another man, alike vindicate the straitness of the "gate," and pass him blessedly through it. Insist on the fact that

III THE STRAIT GATE IS ONLY TO BE COME AT BY THE NARROW WAY. This life not left to drift, not treated defiantly, not wasted recklessly, not passed in an ungodly, unrighteous, unsober temper this life it is which must choose between the broad way or the narrow way, and which must "find" and follow the narrow way, if it is to find and enter through the strait gate into the city of life and of splendour "which is not strait." The narrow way is one of sorrow and carefulness, of confession oft and watchfulness constant, of severest self-condemnings, and of humblest clinging to Christ and obedience renewed again and again to a slighted and injured Holy Spirit. "But," said Chrysostom (fourteen centuries ago), "let us not be sad when many sorrows befall us here; for the way is strait, but not so the city; neither rest need we look for here, nor anything of sorrow, fear, there. B.

Vers. 13, 14. Sermon on the mount: 7. "Enter ye in at the strait gate.

That is to say, life is difficult, not easy. To be saved is an exceptional thing. It is an unwelcome, saddening intimation; yet it is uttered by lips that spoke more comfortingly and more hopefully to men than any others dared. It is the Saviour of the world who admits that, in spite of all he does, many are destroyed. Our nature makes a strong resistance to such ideas. There is that in us which always says Do not put yourself about; you may surely run the chance other men are running. These warning voices are but the moanings of fear or the ravings of fanaticism. It is manifestly absurd to suppose we are placed in a world in which our first duty is to begin to correct everything; that a life is granted to us which is but a veiled death, and of which the first strength must he given to altering the entire course and character it would naturally take. But notwithstanding the antecedent unlikelihood of our being born at such a disadvantage, the conclusion that it is so is forced on every one who has observed what men make of life.

The terms on which the lower animals maintain life affords corroborative evidence. It is only with a struggle they keep their place in life at all. And, in fact, the truth is recognized by teachers beyond the Christian pale. Badness," says Hesiod, "you may have easily, and abundance of it; for the path is plain, and she dwells close at hand. But before excellence God has placed toil and labour; long and steep is the road that leads to her, and very rough it is at first." The broad road and the narrow is an image that suggests itself to the serious observer of life the broad, easy meadow-path in danger at last of being swallowed up by the stream which runs by it; and the narrow, upward path difficult and sometimes dangerous, but leading to prospects unconceived before. What do they say who have entered the narrow way and pursued it? Ask Paul; ask the most eminent of saints if they found the following of Christ easy? Best of all, ask the Leader himself whether the path was not easier than his words imply. What, then, mean those nights spent in prayer, the wrestling with temptation in the wilderness, and the strong crying and tears that escaped him? If his strength was taxed to the uttermost, will life be easy, safe, and victorious for us? We may say Christians take life much as other people, and anything like cross-bearing and resolved self-mastery are quite exceptional. But our own experience can scarcely fail to have shown us this difficult, arduous life in actual example. Have we not seen righteousness preferred to advancement in life, the narrow way to the broad, inflexible self-discipline maintained that the power of sin might be broken? It was not that the persons who did so had more or deeper corruptions than others, but simply that they were in earnest, and recognized what the case required. It is vain to tell them to relax their vigilance; they know that there is no easier way. What constitutes the straitness of the gate, the narrowness of the way? Radically, just what the figure implies that sin is easy and natural, holiness difficult because contrary to our propensity. Or, as our Lord says elsewhere, "He that will be my disciple must deny himself must be prepared to accept another guide and law than his natural inclination." It is long before we get the idea thoroughly wrought into our lives that lawless life is simply destruction. Self-denial, therefore, is an absolute requisite of entrance into the kingdom.

I IT IS FOR WANT OF SELF-DENIAL THAT SOME FAIL EVEN TO MAKE GOOD THEIR ENTRANCE TO THE KINGDOM. They acknowledge that outside there is no life; they see that there is something out of joint between God and their soul, and that it is largely due to their own shortcomings; and they think much and perhaps do what they can to bring about a change. But they lack the one essential thing a true and clear submission of themselves to Christ; a deliberate and pronounced renunciation of self, in every form, self-government especially.

II SUPPOSING THE GATE TO HAVE BEEN PASSED, NO PROGRESS IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT SELF-DENIAL. There is an old and true comparison, likening the soul to a chariot and the passions to horses. Only lay the reins on the necks of the horses, and the chariot is destroyed: only neglect self-denial, and the evil is done. For between indulgence and self-denial there is no middle place. And so it is that a man may seem not to be doing anything very sinful; he may even be denying himself much, and yet day by day tenderness of feeling departs, and a wall of separation seems to grow up between his soul and Christ. He has gone so far, but he has not been willing to go all lengths with Christ; and manifestly anything short of the self-denial which enables him to keep pace with Christ and hold fellowship with him is unavailing. This it is which constitutes the straitness of the gate, the narrowness of the way. And we may determine whether we are on the way or not by the self-denial and sacrifice it costs us to go forward. We can all recall the struggles we made, the hardships we endured, in gaming some position we sought. If we have no similar remembrances connected with our following of Christ, it is to be feared we have evaded the difficulties or diverged wholly from the path. If you have had no difficulties, no crosses, no struggles, where has been your self-denial? How have you found the way narrow? When we see clearly the unworldly, self-denying life to which Christ leads, we are tempted to think that in order to follow him we must change the whole frame and conditions of our life; we long to convince ourselves by some great sacrifice that we are truly his followers. And no doubt some are called to this; but for most of us there is enough in the small occasions of daily life to try our fidelity and test our self-denial. We shall find room enough for the exercise of these in striving to maintain habits of devotion, and to form our life throughout after the example of Christ.

III FINALLY, OUR LORD WARNS US OF THE DIFFICULTY OF THE WAY, not to discourage, but to stimulate; that we may not be dismayed when we find it hard to follow. We are in the same cause as he, and have all the help and encouragement and hope that are available in him. He means also that a thankful, watchful spirit should possess those who have found the way and are in it. If you are in the way, you have passed the grand difficulty in human life a difficulty which few pass. You may have much to contend with in life, but if this grace has come to you that you are brought into the way your Saviour trod, and that leads ever closer to him, no evil can permanently assail or oppress you. D.

Vers. 13-20. Two ways.

The course of human action is in Scripture called a way. Of these there are two the right and wrong, the good and the evil. There is no intermediate way. Here we have

I THE WAY OF DEATH.

1. It is broad.

(1) The "commandment" of God is "exceeding broad." It extends to all our works, words, and thoughts. No less broad is the way of transgression.

(2) It is even broader. There is but one way of keeping the commandments. The thing done must be right; so must be the manner of doing it; so also must be the circumstances. But there are many ways of breaking every commandment.

(3) The way widens as men walk in it. Restraints upon natural appetite are thrown off. The appetite becomes insatiable.

2. Its gate is wide.

(1) We need not seek it, for it is in our own minds. Self-indulgence opens it.

(2) We enter it by impenitence. Beware of the first temptation to sin. Let the young especially be cautioned.

(3) Return from the gate, that you may never walk in the way of persistent sinfulness.

3. Its company is large.

(1) The men of the world, who make no profession of religion, are in it. The atheist, the non-theist, the infidel, and the unconcerned.

(2) Nominal Christians are in it. Many who never enter a place of prayer. Many who enter to conform to custom. Men of pleasure. Men of "progress.

(3) How many! Of every age, rank, profession, employment. They go in it because it is "broad" Because the other way is "narrow.

(4) The good time is coming when the company will be great. (see Psa_37:9-11) Then will the words of the text be history.

4. Its end is destruction.

(1) The end of sin is the destruction of character. Vice intoxicates. It wrecks. Character is life.

(2) Sin is the gate of hell. Damnation is the closing of mercy"s gate to the sinner. (see Luk_13:22-28)

II THE WAY OF LIFE.

1. It is strait.

(1) It is straitened by the golden rule. (cf. Pro_14:12 Isa_35:8 Jer_6:16)

(2) The way of holiness has its difficulties. Its restraints. Its sacrifices. It calls for circumspection and perseverance.

(3) It is the way of poverty of spirit, meekness, holy mourning, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, mercifulness, purity of heart.

2. Its gate is narrow.

(1) Repentance cuts off every sin.

(2) Faith cuts off all self-righteousness.

(3) To some the gate is narrower than to others. "How hardly shall they that have riches enter!" How easy is the entrance to the child! The strength of our aversion to good makes the gate narrow.

(4) "Strive to enter in". (see Luk_13:24) Earnestness is required.

3. The company is select.

(1) "Few there be that find it." Majorities are not always right.

(2) How few be those who find the way even of heathen honesty!

(3) How few are free from unkindness!

(4) How few have hearts clean in the sight of God!

(5) How few have the courage to be singular! But the way of holiness is singularity all over to an ungodly world.

4. Its end is life.

(1) Existence is not life.

(2) Salvation from sin and death.

(3) Union with Christ.

(4) Holiness and heaven.

III WHICH WAY WILL YOU TAKE?

1. You have the option.

(1) None go the wrong way of necessity. God will be justified when he judges.

(2) None go the right way by compulsion.

(3) We are persuaded. Therefore the admonition:

2. Beware of false prophets.

(1) Those who produce false commissions. (Rev_2:2) Enthusiasts who pretend to revelations of which they give no proof.

(2) Those who preach a broad way to heaven. Who do not preach the narrow, strait, way.

(3) We may be false teachers to ourselves. Listening to prejudice. Listening to inclination.

(4) They are wolves in sheep"s clothing. They come with professions of innocence, of usefulness, of love. The man of sin has horns like a lamb. (cf. Isa_30:10 Rom_16:18 2Co_11:13, 14 Rev_13:11)

3. Test them by their fruits.

(1) The fruits of their faith may be tested by appealing to the Law and to the testimony. (cf. 1Th_5:21 1Jn_4:1) It is more important to test principles than persons.

(2) The fruits of their doctrine may be tested in their lives. The works of a man are the tongue of his heart. tie cannot be trusted to show the narrow way who is walking in the broad.

(3) Plain persons may judge a teacher by his fruit as they judge a tree. The bark and leaves may deceive. We judge character, not by its occasional, but by its habitual fruit.

4. Be warned of their doom.

(1) To be hewn down as useless.

(2) To be burned. J.A.M. (Dan_4:14 Eze_31:12, 13 Mat_3:10 Joh_15:6)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The strait gate - The holiness described in the foregoing chapters. And this is the narrow way. Wide is the gate, and many there are that go in through it - They need not seek for this; they come to it of course. Many go in through it, because strait is the other gate - Therefore they do not care for it; they like a wider gate. Luke xiii, 24.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

The Conclusion of the Sermon.

The two ways:

v. 13. Enter ye in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat;

v. 14. because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The Lord has finished the sermon proper, but He here adds, as a conclusion, a few warnings and gives a few hints with regard to various offenses in doctrine and life which His disciples are apt to meet with. Two ways are briefly sketched, leading from the present life to that beyond the grave. And the two ways are contrasted, either one being described by its distinctive marks and by its end. The one way is indeed a common road, no one is excluded from it. But it is narrow, with no room for frivolous liberties on either side. And it finally leads through a strait and narrow gate, which has nothing to commend it outwardly. Only comparatively few find this way. It is so untrodden that it may easily be missed. On the other hand there is a wide, broad, spacious, roomy road, with many factors that invite, that lead forward on that road. And at its end is a wide, welcoming gate. But this way and this gate, with all the qualities that commend them, with all the invitation to indulge in the free, unfettered life of the world, leads to destruction; its end is everlasting condemnation. There is no special warning necessary for the disciples of Christ. They shun that broad, inviting way as the way of the flesh, of the world, and of the devil. But the other way, which in itself offers no alluring promises, on which no noisy, jostling crowd beguiles the tediousness, nevertheless is the Lord’s choice. For it leads to life, to the true life, to the only life worth living, to the life everlasting with Him whose way was just as much a narrow pass, a rocky defile, but who has entered into the glory of His Father. Enter in at this gate, is His loving call. Conquer, in His strength, all weakness of the flesh. Overcome through Him all assaults of the world and Satan, no matter in what guise they may appear. The end is worth a thousand battles, Rev 2:10; Rev 3:11.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Observe here, 1. That every man is a traveller in a certain way.

2. That there are but two ways in which the race of mankind can travel;

the one strait and narrow, that leads to life and salvation;

the other broad and wide, which leads to hell and destruction.

3. That because of the difficulties in the way to salvation, and the easiness of the way to hell and destruction, hence it is that so few walk in the one, and so many in the other.

4. That Christians having the strait way to heaven revealed to them, in and by the word of God, should choose rather to go in that way alone to life, that to run with the multititude in the road way which leads down to the chambers of death and hell.

5. That the metaphor of a gate denotes our first entrance into a religious course of life, and its being strait denotes the difficulty that attends religion at first; evil habits to be put off, old companions in sin to be parted with; but when faith and patience have once smoothed our way, love will make our work delightful to us.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

J. W. McGarvey's The Fourfold Gospel [XLII. J. The Two Ways].

XLII. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. (A Mountain Plateau not far from Capernaum.) Subdivision J. THE TWO WAYS AND THE FALSE PROPHETS. aMATT. VII. 13-23; cLUKE VI.. 43-45.

a13 Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. 14 For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. [The Master here presents two cities before us. One has a wide gateway opening onto the broad street, and other a narrow gate opening onto a straitened street or alley. The first city is Destruction, the second is Life.] 15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. [From the two ways Jesus turns to warn his disciples against those who lead into the wrong path--the road to destruction. Prophets are those who lay claim to teach men correctly the life which God would have us live. The scribes and Pharisees were such, and Christ predicted the coming of others ( Mat_24:5, Mat_24:24), and so did Paul ( Act_20:29). Their fate is shown in Mat_7:21, Mat_7:22. By sheep's clothing we are to understand that they shall bear a gentle, meek, and inoffensive outward demeanor; but they use this demeanor as a cloak to hide their real wickedness, and so effectually does it hide it that the false prophets often deceive even themselves.] 16 By their fruits ye shall know them. Do i men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth [266] forth evil fruit. c43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth corrupt fruit; nor again a corrupt tree that bringeth forth good fruit. a18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. c44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. a19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [It is a law of universal application that whatever is useless and evil shall eventually be swept away.] 20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. c45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil: for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. [Teachers are to be judged by their conduct as men, and also by the effect of their teaching. If either be predominantly bad, the man must be avoided. But we must not judge hastily, nor by slight and trivial actions, for some specimens of bad fruit grown on good trees.] a21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. [To say, "Lord, Lord," is to call on the Lord in prayer. While it is almost impossible to overestimate the value of prayer when associated with a consistent life, it has been too common to attribute to it a virtue which it does not possess. The Pharisees were excessively devoted to prayer, and they led the people to believe that every prayerful man would be saved. The Mohammedans and Romanists are subject to the same delusion, as may be seen in their punctilious observance of the forms of prayer, while habitually neglecting many of the common rules of morality. It is here taught that prayer, unattended by doing the will of the Father in heaven, can not save us. Doing the will of God must be understood, not in the sense of sinless obedience, but as including a compliance with the conditions on which sins are forgiven. Whether under the [267] old covenant or the new, sinless obedience is an impossibility; but obedience to the extent of our possibility amid the weaknesses of the flesh, accompanied by daily compliance with the conditions of pardon for our daily sin, has ever secured the favor of God.] 22 Many will say to me in that day [the final judgment day], Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? [Jesus here prophetically forecasts those future times wherein it would be worth while to assume to be a Christian. Times when hypocrisy would find it a source of profit and of honor to be attached to Christ's service. In these days we may well question the motives which induce us to serve Christ. High place in the visible kingdom is no proof of one's acceptance with God. Neither are mighty works, though successfully wrought in his name. Judas was an apostle and miracle-worker, and Balaam was a prophet, yet they lacked that condition of the heart which truly allies one with God ( 1Co_13:1-3). Jesus says the number of false teachers is large. We must not carelessly ignore the assertion of that important fact. We should also note that Christ will not lightly pass over their errors on the judgment day, though they seem to have discovered them for the first time. Such truths should make us extremely cautious both as teachers and learners.] 23 And then will I profess [better, confess] unto them, I never knew you [never approved or recognized you]: depart from me [ Mat_25:41], ye that work iniquity. [This indicates that false teachers filled with a patronizing spirit toward the Lord, and with a sense of power as to his work, will be deceived by a show of success. Through life Christ appeared to them to be accepting them and approving their lives, but he now confesses that this appearance was not real. It arose from a misconception on their part and on that of others. Many works which men judge to be religious really undermine religion. The world esteems him great whose ministry begets Pharisees, but in Christ's eyes such a one is a worker of iniquity.] [268]

[FFG 266-268]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Enter ye in at the strait gate. The leading thought of the whole discourse is the kingdom of heaven and its conditions. Hence, when the Lord says, “Enter ye in,” he means into the kingdom of heaven. Nearly every town in Palestine is surrounded by walls and is entered by gates. The principal ones are wide, with double doors, closed with locks and fastened with iron bars. The “strait gates” are in retired corners, are narrow, and are only opened to those who knock.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

General Information:

This image of walking through a wide gate to destruction or a narrow gate to life represents how people live and the results of how they live.

General Information:

When you translate, use appropriate words for "wide" and "broad" that are as different as possible from "narrow" in order to emphasize the differences between the two sets of gates and ways.

Enter through the narrow gate ... few who find it

This is an image of people traveling on a road and going through a gate into a kingdom. One kingdom is easy to enter; the other is hard to enter. (See: Metaphor)

Enter through the narrow gate

You may need to move this to the end of verse 14: "Therefore, enter through the narrow gate."

the gate ... the way

Possible meanings are 1) "the way" refers to the road that leads to the gate of a kingdom, or 2) the "the gate" and "the way" both refer to the entrance to the kingdom.

to destruction ... to life

These abstract nouns can be translated with verbs. AT: "to the place where people die ... to the place where people live" (See: Abstract Nouns)

translationWords

gate

life

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

13. εἰσέλθετε for εἰσέλθατε was a change to a more regular form.

13. εἰσέλθατε … πύλης. Luk 13:24-25. The illustration seems to be drawn from a mansion having a large portal at which many enter, and a narrow entrance known to few, with broad and narrow ways leading respectively to each. One is the gate and the way of destruction (ἀπώλεια), the other is the gate and the way of life (ζωὴ or σωτηρία). Cp. the contrast between οἱ ἀπολλύμενοι, ‘those in the way of destruction,’ and οἱ σωζόμενοι, ‘those on the way of salvation or life,’ 1Co 1:18. The πύλαι are probably the palace or city gates, not, as some have inferred from the position of the words, the entrances to the two ways. πύλη is named before ὁδὸς according to a not uncommon Greek usage, as being first in thought though second in point of fact; cp. Plato, Apol. Soc. p. 18, where παῖδες is named before μειράκια, and p. 32, where ἠναντιώθην is named before ἐψηφισάμην.

To the use of ὁδὸς in this passage we may probably refer ἡ ὁδὸς and αὕτη ἡ ὁδός, meaning the Christian Church (Act 9:2; Act 19:9). Such usage was however influenced by the philosophic meaning of ὁδός, and the common Hebraisms ‘the way of the Lord,’ ‘the paths of righteousness,’ &c.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13-27.] The conclusion of the discourse:—setting forth more strongly and personally the dangers of hypocrisy, both in being led aside by hypocritical teachers, and in our own inner life. The πύλη stands at the end of the ὁδός, as in the remarkable parallel in the Table of Cebes, c. 16: οὐκοῦν δρᾷς θύραν τινὰ μικράν, καὶ ὁδόν τινα πρὸ τῆς θύρας, ἥτις οὐ πολὺ ὀχλεῖται, ἀλλʼ ὀλίγοι πάνυ πορεύονται: … αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἄγουσα πρὸς τὴν ἀληθινὴν παιδείαν.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13-14. The narrow gate. Cf. Luk 13:24.

(L)

13. Enter in through the narrow gate: because broad and wide is the way which leadeth to destruction, and many are they that go in through it.] Lk. has: “Strive to enter through the narrow door: because many, I say to you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able.”

(L)

13. ἡ πύλη] is omitted by א* a b c h k m for and by many Fathers. S1 is unfortunately wanting. The words have probably been inserted by the copyists to complete the parallelism with v. 14.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Strait gate [στενης πυλης] . Rev., narrow. A remarkable parallel to this passage occurs in the "Pinax" or "Tablet" of Cebes, a writer contemporary with Socrates. In this, human life, with its dangers and temptations, is symbolically represented as on a tablet. The passage is as follows : "Seest thou not, then, a little door, and a way before the door, which is not much crowded, but very few travel it? This is the way which leadeth into true culture."

Leadeth [απαγουσα] . Lit., leadeth away, from death, or, perhaps, from the broad road. Note that the gate is not at the end, but at the beginning of the road.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.