The Narrow Door and the Cost of Entry
Luke 13:22-30
Luke.13.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- διεπορευετο: VERB,impf,mid,ind,3,sg
- κατα: PREP
- πολεις: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- κωμας: NOUN,acc,pl,f
- διδασκων: VERB,pres,act,ptc,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- πορειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- ποιουμενος: VERB,pres,mid,part,nom,sg,m
- εις: PREP
- Ιεροσολυμα: NOUN,acc,pl,n
Parallels
- Matthew 9:35 (verbal): Summarizes Jesus' activity with nearly identical wording: 'went through all the cities and villages, teaching...'—a direct verbal and functional parallel to Luke's description of itinerant teaching.
- Luke 8:1 (verbal): Earlier in Luke, Jesus 'went on through cities and villages, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God,' a close verbal and thematic echo within the same Gospel.
- Luke 9:51 (structural): Luke's narrative frame of Jesus 'setting his face to go to Jerusalem' furnishes the programmatic journey-to-Jerusalem motif that underlies Luke 13:22's reference to moving toward Jerusalem.
- Mark 10:32 (thematic): Mark records Jesus and the disciples 'on the road, going up to Jerusalem,' paralleling Luke 13:22's emphasis on travel toward Jerusalem and the movement toward the passion.
- Matthew 4:23 (thematic): Matthew's summary of Jesus' ministry—'teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel, and healing' as he moved through towns—parallels Luke's depiction of itinerant teaching in towns and villages.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way toward Jerusalem.
- He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, as he made his way toward Jerusalem.
Luke.13.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- δε: CONJ
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- αυτω·Κυριε: PRON,dat,sg,m
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- ολιγοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- σωζομενοι: PART,pres,pas,nom,pl,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- ειπεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- προς: PREP
- αυτους·: PRON,acc,pl,m
Parallels
- Luke 13:24-30 (structural): Immediate continuation of Jesus' reply about entering by the narrow door and who will be admitted—directly answers the question about how many are saved.
- Matthew 7:13-14 (thematic): Jesus' teaching about the narrow gate and difficult way that few find parallels the concern whether many or few are saved.
- Matthew 22:14 (verbal): The saying 'many are called, but few are chosen' echoes the idea that only a minority attain final salvation.
- Matthew 25:1-13 (thematic): Parable of the ten virgins emphasizes preparedness and exclusion of some from the kingdom—similar theme of some being left out.
- Matthew 7:21-23 (thematic): Jesus' warning that not everyone who speaks of him will enter the kingdom (and will be rejected) relates to the question of who will be saved.
Alternative generated candidates
- And someone said to him, 'Lord, are those who are saved few?' He said to them,
- Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people to be saved?"
Luke.13.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Αγωνιζεσθε: VERB,pres,mid,imp,2,pl
- εισελθειν: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- δια: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- στενης: ADJ,gen,sg,f
- θυρας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- οτι: CONJ
- πολλοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- λεγω: VERB,pres,act,ind,1,sg
- υμιν: PRON,dat,pl,2
- ζητησουσιν: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,pl
- εισελθειν: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- και: CONJ
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ισχυσουσιν: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Matthew 7:13-14 (verbal): Uses the same gate/door imagery and contrast between a broad way many take and a narrow way few find; similar exhortation about the difficulty of entry.
- John 10:9 (allusion): Jesus as 'the door'—entrance and access imagery; entering through the door as the means of salvation echoes Luke's imperative to enter.
- Matthew 25:1-13 (thematic): Parable of the ten virgins: preparedness for the coming bridegroom; some are shut out despite seeking entry—theme of missed entry into the kingdom.
- Matthew 22:11-14 (thematic): Parable of the wedding feast where a guest is cast out for lacking the proper garment and Jesus concludes 'many are called, few chosen'—parallels the warning that many will seek to enter and not be able.
- Hebrews 12:14 (verbal): Calls believers to pursue/strive for holiness, adding that without it 'no one will see the Lord'—echoes Luke's imperative to strive to enter.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.'
- He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for I tell you, many will seek to enter and will not be able."
Luke.13.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αφ᾽ου: PREP
- αν: PART
- εγερθη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- οικοδεσποτης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- αποκλειση: VERB,pres,act,subj,3,sg
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- θυραν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- αρξησθε: VERB,pres,mid,imp,2,pl
- εξω: ADV
- εσταναι: VERB,perf,act,inf
- και: CONJ
- κρουειν: VERB,pres,act,inf
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- θυραν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- λεγοντες·Κυριε: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,pl,m
- ανοιξον: VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- ημιν·και: PRON,dat,pl,1
- αποκριθεις: VERB,aor,pass,ptc,nom,sg,m
- ερει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- υμιν·Ουκ: PRON,dat,pl
- οιδα: VERB,perf,act,ind,1,sg
- υμας: PRON,acc,pl,2
- ποθεν: ADV
- εστε: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,pl
Parallels
- Matthew 25:10-12 (quotation): Parable of the ten virgins: the bridegroom comes, the door is shut, latecomers knock saying 'Lord, Lord, open to us,' and are refused with the words 'I do not know you'—a near verbal parallel to Luke 13:25.
- Matthew 7:21-23 (verbal): Jesus warns that many who call him 'Lord' will be rejected; the declaration 'I never knew you' echoes Luke 13:25's judgment on those who are excluded.
- Luke 13:24-27 (structural): Immediate context: the call to strive to enter the narrow door and the prediction that many will seek to enter and be unable to do so culminates in the scene of the shut door and refusal in verse 25.
- Revelation 3:20 (allusion): Contrasting door/knock motif: here Christ stands at the door and knocks seeking entry, which highlights the inverse image in Luke where the householder has shut the door and denies admission to those outside.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'When the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, "Lord, open to us," he will answer and say to you, "I do not know you."'
- When once the householder has risen and shut the door, and you stand outside and begin to knock, saying, 'Lord, open to us,'
Luke.13.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- τοτε: ADV
- αρξεσθε: VERB,fut,mid,ind,2,pl
- λεγειν·Εφαγομεν: VERB,pres,act,inf + VERB,aor,act,ind,1,pl
- ενωπιον: PREP
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,2
- και: CONJ
- επιομεν: VERB,impf,act,ind,1,pl
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- πλατειαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- εδιδαξας·: VERB,aor,act,ind,2,sg
Parallels
- Matthew 7:22-23 (verbal): People appeal to their deeds done in Jesus' name, and the Judge replies 'I never knew you; depart from me'—language and the theme of presumed association but rejected at judgment closely parallel Luke 13:26–27.
- Matthew 25:11-12 (thematic): In the parable of the ten virgins the unready are told 'I do not know you' and excluded—the theme of presumed closeness to the Lord without true preparedness or obedience echoes Luke 13:26–27.
- Luke 7:34 (allusion): Jesus is described as 'the Son of Man came eating and drinking'—the eating/drinking motif connects to the claim 'We ate and drank in your presence' in Luke 13:26 and to perceptions of Jesus' social behavior.
- Luke 13:27 (structural): Immediate continuation of v.26 in which Jesus answers the claim with 'I tell you, I do not know you; depart from me'—a direct verbal and judicial response paralleling the same judgment language found elsewhere (e.g., Matt. 7:23).
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Then you will begin to say, "We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets."' But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know you; depart from me, all you workers of lawlessness.'
- he will answer, 'I do not know where you are from,' and you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.'
Luke.13.27 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ερει: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,sg
- λεγων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,m,sg
- υμιν·Ουκ: PRON,dat,pl,2 + PART,neg
- οιδα: VERB,perf,act,ind,1,sg
- ποθεν: ADV
- εστε·αποστητε: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,pl + VERB,aor,act,imp,2,pl
- απ᾽εμου: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,1
- παντες: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- εργαται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- αδικιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 7:23 (verbal): Almost identical saying in the Sermon on the Mount: 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness'—same condemnation formula and wording.
- Psalm 6:8 (verbal): Psalms (MT/LXX) reads 'Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity'—a likely Old Testament verbal background echoed in Jesus' judgment formula.
- Matthew 25:41 (thematic): Final-judgment scene where the condemned are sent away ('Depart from me, you cursed...') into punishment—shares the theme of sovereign exclusion and condemnation.
- Matthew 13:42 (thematic): Parable-judgment image of the wicked being thrown into a furnace 'there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth'—parallels Luke 13:27–28's motif of exclusion and torment at the eschaton.
Alternative generated candidates
- There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves are cast out.
- But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know you; where you are from.'
Luke.13.28 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- εκει: ADV
- εσται: VERB,fut,mid,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- κλαυθμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- βρυγμος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- οδοντων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- οταν: CONJ
- οψησθε: VERB,fut,mid,ind,2,pl
- Αβρααμ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- Ισαακ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- Ιακωβ: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- παντας: ADJ,acc,pl,m
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- προφητας: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- βασιλεια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- υμας: PRON,acc,pl,2
- δε: CONJ
- εκβαλλομενους: VERB,pres,pass,part,acc,pl,m
- εξω: ADV
Parallels
- Matthew 8:11-12 (verbal): Speaks of many reclining with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob in the kingdom and contrasts this with others being thrown into outer darkness where there is ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’—close verbal and thematic parallel to Luke 13:28–29.
- Matthew 13:42 (verbal): In the explanation of the parable, the wicked are consigned to the furnace where ‘there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,’ echoing Luke’s language about exclusion from the kingdom.
- Matthew 22:13 (verbal): Parable of the wedding feast ends with the improperly dressed guest bound and cast into outer darkness, ‘where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,’ using the same judgment imagery as Luke 13:28.
- Luke 13:29 (structural): Immediately follows Luke 13:28 in the same pericope: promises people coming from east and west to recline with the patriarchs in God’s kingdom—directly paired with the image of others being cast out.
- Luke 16:23-24 (thematic): The rich man in Hades sees Abraham (and is denied) and suffers torment—the motif of seeing Abraham and suffering exclusion/torment parallels Luke 13:28’s image of seeing the patriarchs in the kingdom while being cast out.
Alternative generated candidates
- And they will come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
- There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, yet yourselves thrust out.
Luke.13.29 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ηξουσιν: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,pl
- απο: PREP
- ανατολων: NOUN,gen,pl,f
- και: CONJ
- δυσμων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- απο: PREP
- βορρα: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- νοτου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- ανακλιθησονται: VERB,fut,pass,ind,3,pl
- εν: PREP
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- βασιλεια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Matthew 8:11 (verbal): Uses nearly identical language—‘many will come from east and west’—and the image of reclining at table with the patriarchs, a close Matthean parallel to Luke’s promise of people coming from the four directions to God’s kingdom.
- Isaiah 43:5-6 (thematic): God’s promise to gather his people ‘from the east and from the west’ echoes Luke’s motif of ingathering from the four quarters into God’s salvific community.
- Isaiah 49:12 (allusion): Speaks of people coming from ‘the north and the west’ (and others), a prophetic image of return from the four directions that Luke adapts to describe inclusion in the kingdom.
- Matthew 24:31 (thematic): The gathering of the elect ‘from the four winds, from the ends of the earth’ parallels Luke’s directional language and the eschatological image of assembled ones being brought into God’s reign.
Alternative generated candidates
- And behold, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.
- People will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and will sit down in the kingdom of God.
Luke.13.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- ιδου: PART
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- εσχατοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- εσονται: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,pl
- πρωτοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- πρωτοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- εσονται: VERB,fut,act,ind,3,pl
- εσχατοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
Parallels
- Matthew 19:30 (verbal): Uses nearly identical wording — the last will be first and the first last — presenting the same reversal-of-status saying in the Synoptic tradition.
- Matthew 20:16 (verbal): Verbatim parallel found in the parable of the laborers in the vineyard; expresses the same principle of divine reversal of human rank.
- Mark 10:31 (verbal): Close verbal parallel in Mark's version of sayings about the kingdom: 'But many who are first will be last, and the last first,' reflecting the same tradition.
- Luke 14:11 (thematic): Within Luke's Gospel a related teaching: 'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,' articulating the same theme of reversal and exaltation of the humble.
Alternative generated candidates
- Truly I tell you, there are those who are last who will be first, and those who are first who will be last.'
- Behold, there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.
And he passed through towns and villages, teaching as he made his way toward Jerusalem. And one said to him, "Lord, are there few who are to be saved?"
He said to them, "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for I tell you, many will seek to enter and will not be able."
When once the householder has risen and shut the door, you will stand outside knocking and say, 'Lord, open to us.' But he will answer, 'I do not know you, nor do I know where you come from.'
Then you will say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, 'I tell you plainly, I do not know you; depart from me, all you workers of lawlessness.'
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves cast out. And they will come from east and west, from north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Behold, some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.