The path to Heaven is the Narrow Gate

I wrote the welcome post for Seek the Narrow Gate and said I would discuss later why I chose the name. The name is based on verses from Matthew where Jesus Christ states that the path to heaven is the narrow gate.

¹³  “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it”.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

Sermon on the Mount

These verses are part of what is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount. The Gospels record this teaching event as a time when Jesus sat with his disciples to teach them many things. The word disciple is translated from the Koine Greek word mathētḗs (μαθητής) and means follower or student. Disciples of a teacher were a common phenomenon in 1^st Century Palestine and the term was used for followers of other prominent teachers, including some Pharisees. Jesus sat down and was teaching his disciples, including the twelve Apostles, sharing with them a huge set of theological ideas. He explained things about blessings, sin, how to live in the world in a way that pleases GOD and many other things. The most critical lesson Jesus taught there may have been his explanation of the narrow gate and the broad gate.

The Narrow Gate

We have explored the background that the Sermon on the Mount presents when Jesus was teaching his disciples. Jesus taught about many different subjects during the Sermon on the Mount but let’s dig a little deeper into these two verses, Matthew 7:13-14. This is one of many occasions when the Lord was teaching the teachers who would carry the gospel to the world and this time He described two paths, only one of which leads to heaven. Jesus begins to turn his teaching to future events and prophecy, describing the path to heaven and the path to hell in verses 13 & 14. He uses the analogy of a narrow gate and path that is a difficult way leading to life and an image of a broad way and wide gate leading to destruction. Jesus goes on to say that “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV). Who is being described here? What sort of person could be one who thinks they have served Jesus Christ and been faithful to the commands and teachings of the Lord but who will be turned away in the day of judgment?
The path to Heaven is the narrow gate but few will enter there.

Scriptures, Books, Copyists and Context

Let’s look a little at how the Bible was transmitted to us from those times to help us understand where we should look for an answer to these questions. The original manuscripts were written when there were no word processors, no typewriters and no printing presses. Professional scribes in the 1st century would often copy documents by hand, the only way to write or reproduce any letter or book. Laymen who could write might also copy letters and all of the original manuscripts of the New Testament were written in this way, many by the author in their own hand.

There was no need for someone to reference a verse or chapter for others to find that place in their book so verse numbers and chapters would not have served the purpose for which we use them today. Scrolls and codices (a codex is what we would call a book and was much easier to use than scrolls which had to be unrolled in order to read) were expensive and rare and often not available to the regular populace. What does this mean to us today?

We should remember when we read the Bible not to take it verse by verse. The original texts had no chapters and no verse numbers. Translators and printers added these later as a way of helping readers find their way to the same place in scripture as a group, each reading within their own Bibles. Modern readers have a tendency to break up the text based on the way it is presented, because when we write today, we normally separate subjects by starting new paragraphs. We should avoid doing this when we study the Bible and always read the context to discover the true meaning and its applications. Matthew 7:13-14 is one example of this, where the very next verse begins with “Beware of false prophets …” and teaches us about one way some will be led astray onto the broad path.

The Broad Gate

We can see from this analysis that the narrow gate is the path to life, the broad gate is the path to destruction and that false prophets are one way that some people will be led astray. Many people in the world spend their lives doing what is right in their own eyes while others profess various religious beliefs. Some belief systems worship false gods and not the one true GOD. Other beliefs are Christian in fact while some are Christian in name only. Jesus tells us that few will find the narrow gate. The broad way described by Jesus includes all of these other belief systems. Other things may lead people away from the path to life but Jesus chose to mention this specific problem, false prophets; those who promote beliefs that are Christian in name but not in fact. It makes sense that someone could follow a false doctrine accurately and believe they are a saved child of GOD but be completely wrong because the doctrine is wrong. There is never a time it is too late to turn from the broad path and step foot on the narrow way but this is a decision that comes through personal conviction of the sin in our lives and a genuine desire to seek salvation from our sins and embrace GOD’s will in our lives. You will find a simple road map to the narrow path here.

The Choice

This is the background about why the name Seek the Narrow Gate was chosen but we haven’t really answered that question yet. I began to see, several years ago as of this writing, the number of people preaching and teaching who were clearly not promoting the true gospel. The leaders of prominent multi-million dollar religious organizations and random individuals lead others along the broad path just as they have been misled themselves. I am not alone in my efforts to point out theses false teachings and many others are more qualified than I am.

The mission of Seek the Narrow Gate is to promote and share the true gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. The true gospel is the good news that we are sinners but GOD loves us anyway and wants to save us from our sins. Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life as a man and died as punishment for our sins so that we do not have to. Whoever believes in Jesus and His atoning sacrifice can be saved from their sins and have eternal life. That is the one and only path to heaven. Jesus described this way to heaven as a narrow gate and a difficult path but said eternal life is available to those who trust and believe. I created this website as part of that effort to begin my own ministry for Christ. I will share what I believe and why I believe it, backed up with references to GOD’s Word, with anyone who will read or listen. There is no better title for a website promoting the truth that the path to heaven is the narrow gate than the Lord’s own words and thus the name: Seek the Narrow Gate.

Come on in, look around, engage in the comments, visit us on our YouTube page where we will soon begin to share regular installments of an apologetics series.

GOD Bless and Seek the Narrow Gate