matthew-7:13-8:34

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - Matthew 7:13

AVOIDING THE WAY OF THE MANY‘Enter ye in at the strait gate,’ etc. Matthew 7:13 Our Lord here gives us a general caution against the way of the many in religion. It is not enough to think as others think, and do as others do. It must not satisfy us to follow the fashion, and swim with the stream of those among whom we live. I. The two ways.—He tells us that the way that leads to everlasting life is ‘narrow,’ that ‘few’ travel in it; He tells us that the way that leads to everlasting... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 7:13-14

a Enter you in by the narrow gate, b For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, b And many are those who enter in by it, a For narrow is the gate, and hemmed in is the way, that leads to life, a And few are those who find it. Jesus commences with the command to ‘enter by the narrow gate’. As elsewhere He speaks of ‘ entering the Kingly Rule of Heaven’ we may probably be seen as intended to see the one as resulting in the other (Matthew 5:20; Matthew 7:21;... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 7:13-27

Exhortation to Choose the Right Way and Produce Good Fruit by Full Obedience to His Words So As To Enter Into Life and Avoid Destruction (7:13-27). We now move on to the application part of the Sermon, and we soon find that it is applied with a punch. For from here to Matthew 7:27, in contrast with His opening words in Matthew 5:3-16, where it was solely God acting in blessing on His people that was emphasised, Jesus now puts what He has said against the background, first of calls to life... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Matthew 7:13-27

Matthew 7:13-Daniel : . Epilogue.— Warnings and exhortations close the new Law, like the old ( Exodus 23:20 ff.). Matthew 7:13 f. The Two Gates and the Two Ways ( Luke 13:24).— The picture is based on Jeremiah 21:8, and is frequent in Jewish and Christian writings. The way that leads to life (the word has eschatological force) involves difficulties and tribulation ( cf. Acts 14:22). Matthew 7:15-Isaiah : . Fruit the Test of Profession.— Lk. ( Luke 6:43-1 Corinthians :; Luke 13:26 f.) speaks... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - Matthew 7:13-14

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... read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - Matthew 7:13-23

CRITICAL NOTESMatthew 7:13. Destruction.—The word implies, not annihilation, but waste (Matthew 26:8; Mark 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).Matthew 7:14. Narrow is the way.—Literally, pressed or... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:13-14

Matthew 7:13-14 There are only two ways the broad and the narrow. Along one or other of these has every mortal pilgrim gone. By one or other of these is every living man travelling now. I. Look first at the broad way. It is the most manifest and obtrusive, and the nearest to us naturally. (1) It has a gate. A gate is a place of entrance to a city, or a field, or a country. As a religious term it means the beginning of a course or onward career. It points to the great moral truth, that there are... read more

Charles Simeon

Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae - Matthew 7:13-14

DISCOURSE: 1331THE STRAIT AND NARROW WAYSMatthew 7:13-14. 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.AN idea of candour and philanthropy leads many to adopt sentiments directly repugnant to the Scriptures. They imagine that few, if any, perish; and that, though the bulk of mankind live in a... read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - Matthew 7:1-29

Matthew 7:1-29I believe that it goes without saying that Jesus Christ was certainly the greatest teacher who ever lived and it is interesting to study his teaching habits. And He used the method of declaring a principle, amplifying it and then illustrating it. He declares a truth. It's important that we have certain principles established within our life by which we live. We need to know why we live by these principles and that's understood by having them illustrated for us. And so He follows... read more

Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - Matthew 7:1-29

Matthew 7:1 . Judge not, that ye be not judged. This refers to private and censorious reproaches of others. We must judge nothing before the time. It is better that ten bad men pass for innocent, than one innocent man be unjustly censured. Slander exasperates the injured to judge us again with great wrath, and it exposes us to the judgment and displeasure of God. Matthew 7:6 . Give not that which is holy to the dogs. A proverbial expression, importing that some men cannot be reformed by... read more