Section 13:22–30

The entrance to the kingdom of God is like a narrow door

In this section Jesus advised people to do their best to enter the kingdom of God while there was still time. He spoke figuratively about this, using the figure of entering through the narrow door. After the owner of the house closed the door, many would try to enter but they would not be able to do so.

Some other headings for this section are:

Jesus warned that many people would not be able to enter the kingdom of God

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 7:13–14 and 21–23.

Paragraph 13:22–27

In this paragraph someone asked Jesus a question. He replied indirectly by telling the people a parable.

13:22a

Then: The Greek text connects this section to the previous section with the conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then. Many English versions do not translate it explicitly. Jesus was continuing his journey to Jerusalem that he had begun in 9:51. Connect this section to the previous section in a way that is natural in your language.

Jesus traveled throughout: The form of the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as traveled throughout indicates continuing action. It refers to traveling through places on a journey to somewhere else. For example:

He continued his journey through towns and villages (Revised English Bible)

the towns and villages: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the towns and villages refers generally to the “cities/towns” and “towns/villages” of various sizes that Jesus went through on his way to Jerusalem.

If you have words or expressions in your language for urban areas of different sizes, you may use them here. For example:

cities and villages (King James Version)
-or-
one city and village after another (God’s Word)
-or-
big and small towns (Translator’s Reference Translation)

13:22b

teaching: In some languages it may be necessary to provide an object and say whom Jesus was teaching. He taught the people who lived in the towns and villages that he was passing through. For example:

teaching the people (Good News Translation)

as He made His way toward Jerusalem: Jesus was continuing a journey he had started earlier. It is implied that in each town or village where he arrived, he stayed long enough to teach the people and then traveled to the next place.

In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. Otherwise, the translation may imply that Jesus walked through the towns without stopping and taught people as he walked along. See the first example under the General Comment below.

General Comment on 13:22a–b

In some languages it may be necessary to reorder the phrases in this verse. For example:

As Jesus continued on his way to Jerusalem, he kept stopping at the various towns that he went through in order to teach ⌊the people⌋.
-or-
As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he taught the people in the towns and villages. (Contemporary English Version)

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