Matthew 7:13-14
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The verse contrasts two paths, but the real insight is that the gate itself is the decisive point of entry, not just the road you're on. This means the crucial choice isn't about how you walk, but about which entrance you commit to, since the "wide gate" leads to an "easy" path that few even consider choosing.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just delivered the Golden Rule and spoken about the prophets. He then pivots to warn his listeners that the path to true life, marked by obedience and self-denial, begins with a difficult, narrow gate. This stands in stark contrast to the wide, easy gate and broad road that most people follow, leading directly to destruction.
Jesus describes a 'narrow gate' leading to a 'narrow way.' But where do these actually lead?
The imagery of a gate and a way is foundational here. Notice that Jesus says 'Enter by the narrow gate.' This gate isn't the final destination, but the entrance to the path. Similarly, the 'broad way' is also an entrance into a path. The crucial point is that both the gate and the way are before the ultimate outcome.
Think of it like choosing a road trip. The 'gate' is the starting point, and the 'way' is the journey itself. Jesus is telling us that the path leading to destruction begins with a wide, easy entrance and continues on a broad, simple road. The path leading to life, by contrast, starts with a narrow gate and continues on a narrow way.
The 'narrowness' and 'difficulty' aren't about the final end-point, but about the beginning and the process of choosing the right direction from the outset.
What does Jesus mean by 'destruction'? It's a word that carries significant weight, but not always in the way we might assume.
The Greek word for 'destruction' (apoleia) doesn't simply mean ceasing to exist. While it can involve the loss of life, it carries a deeper sense of ruin, loss, and perishing.
Think of it as a total loss of value or purpose. A valuable object that is broken beyond repair is 'destroyed.' A business that goes bankrupt experiences 'destruction.' It's about coming to a state of utter ruin and waste.
When Jesus speaks of the broad way leading to 'destruction,' He's describing a path that results in the ultimate loss of everything that truly matters – your relationship with God, your eternal destiny, and the fullness of life God intended. It's a state of irreversible ruin, not necessarily instant non-existence.
Ask a follow-up
Why do so many people choose the 'wide gate' and 'broad way' if it leads to ruin?
Jesus points out a stark reality: 'many' are the ones who enter the wide gate and walk the broad way. This isn't accidental. The 'wide gate' and 'broad way' are characterized by ease, popularity, and conformity.
Ease: They require no significant effort, self-denial, or difficult choices. You can go with the flow, follow your natural desires, and take the path of least resistance. As one commentator noted, 'men come to it of course.'
Popularity: The sheer number of people on this path makes it seem normal, even right. It’s the 'great highway' where you find abundance of company. There's a powerful psychological pull to be with the majority, to not stand out or be 'singular' and 'unfashionable' as some scholars describe.
Jesus’ call to the narrow gate is a call to counter-cultural living. It demands intentionality, a willingness to go against the grain, and a commitment to a path that might feel solitary but is the only one leading to true life.
Understand the original words
stenēs pylēs · Greek Noun phrase
A metaphorical entryway representing the singular, exclusive path of salvation and discipleship. It signifies the difficult, intentional commitment required to follow Christ.
apōleian · Greek Noun
The ultimate state of spiritual death and eternal separation from God’s presence. It is the consequence of rejecting the narrow path of obedience and repentance.
zōēn · Greek Noun
The state of eternal communion and union with God, made possible through Jesus Christ. It is the restoration of the purpose for which humanity was created.
This passage echoes Jesus's warning with a similar plea to 'strive' to enter through the narrow door, emphasizing the effort required for salvation as opposed to the ease of destruction.
Proverbs 14:12This proverb presents a stark contrast between a path that seems right to a person, leading to death, and the ultimate outcome, mirroring the 'wide gate' leading to destruction.
John 10:7Jesus identifies Himself as the 'door' into the sheepfold. This connects to Matthew 7:13 by showing that the narrow gate isn't just a difficult path, but is specifically entering into Christ Himself.
Galatians 5:17This passage describes the ongoing conflict between the desires of the flesh and the Spirit, illustrating the internal struggle that makes the 'narrow way' difficult and the 'wide way' so appealing.
1 Corinthians 1:18The 'message of the cross' is described as foolishness to those who are perishing but the power of God to believers, highlighting how the 'narrow way' of Christ is rejected by the many on the 'wide way'.
vincentMatthew 7:13: "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:"
Strait gate (στενῆς πύλης)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 befo…
bensonMatthew 7:13: "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:"
Matthew 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…
The verse contrasts two paths, but the real insight is that the gate itself is the decisive point of entry, not just the road you're on. This means the crucial choice isn't about how you walk, but about which entrance you commit to, since the "wide gate" leads to an "easy" path that few even consider choosing.
Jesus has just delivered the Golden Rule and spoken about the prophets. He then pivots to warn his listeners that the path to true life, marked by obedience and self-denial, begins with a difficult, narrow gate. This stands in stark contrast to the wide, easy gate and broad road that most people follow, leading directly to destruction.
Jesus has just delivered the Golden Rule and spoken about the prophets. He then pivots to warn his listeners that the path to true life, marked by obedience and self-denial, begins with a difficult, narrow gate. This stands in stark contrast to the wide, easy gate and broad road that most people follow, leading directly to destruction.
"“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." — The verse contrasts two paths, but the real insight is that the gate itself is the decisive point of entry, not just the road you're on. This means the crucial choice isn't about how you walk, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026
