 | "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." |
 | 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: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. |
 | Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." |
| Matthew 7:13-14 |
Commentary
Christ is drawing the line as clearly as possible between the way that leads to destruction and the way which leads to life. Both the narrow gate and the wide gate are assumed to provide the entrance to God's kingdom. Two ways are offered to people. The narrow gate is by faith, only through Christ, constricted and precise. It represents true salvation in God's way that leads to life eternal. The wide gate includes all religions of works and self-righteousness, with no single way (cf. Acts 4:12), but leads to hell, not heaven. 7:14 difficult is the way.
Christ continually emphasized the difficulty of following Him (10:38; 16:24, 25; John 15:18, 19; 16:1-3; cf. Acts 14:22). Salvation is by grace alone, but is not easy. It calls for knowledge of the truth, repentance, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word.
MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Mt 7:13). Nashville: Word Pub
Believer's Study Bible. 1997, c1995. C1991 Criswell Center for Biblical Studies. (electronic ed.) (Mt 7:13). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.