The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Luke 13:22-30 Someone asks Jesus if only a few will be saved

against Universalism, you"]Luke 13:22-30 Someone asks Jesus if only a few will be saved.

While Jesus has the Jewish nation in mind, the gospels are written to a universal audience. Furthermore Jesus isn’t asked if only a few Jewish people will be saved but if only a few will be saved.LOL, I remember you telling me I wasn’t allowed to use Romans universally, as it was written to just Christians :smiley: However, I agree, I still hold that by-enlarge the NT, in particular, is written for a universal audience.

, Luke"]22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

26 “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

27 “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

28 “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”Anyway, I do think someone asks Jesus if only a few will be saved, but that He doesn’t directly answer, but says “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door” i.e. don’t sit around, or worse continue sinning, just waiting to be automatically saved because you think you’re the “elect” (something the Jews strongly held).

The parable (a genre where hyperbole is more common) shows v25b is hyperbole because v26 explains the owner “ate and drank” with with them, and “taught” them (also as the owner is God, v29, He actually does know everyone).

v28 shows the audience is the Jews, and that Jesus is forewarning them of what Paul expands on in Romans. i.e. that the Jews will be “thrown out”, cut off for awhile, so that all the Gentiles from everywhere v29 will come in. v30 The Jews are the “first” who become “last” i.e. after the Gentiles have come in.

I think Jesus gives quite a clear answer.

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."

Part of reading the Bible carefully is paying attention to clues genre gives us. Epistles are letters written to people that have subsequently been made public. Gospels, don’t have a similar audience. It’s still quite a remarkable claim to say Romans applies to everyone, Christian or non-Christian.

By our own efforts alone all (except Christ!) won’t be able to enter. However, I think we can with the Holy Spirit’s help. i.e. “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

For sure.

Although even within the letters it talks about how they were shared around. Also we use 1 Cor 13 even at secular weddings because it is speaking something universally true, not just something true for Christians.

There are parts of Romans which are explicitly universal e.g God handing everyone over to disobedience (the Fall) so He may have mercy on everyone. There are also bits specifically addressed to Christians. It also contains principles which can apply to anyone. e.g. sin leads to death