Christianity
Matthew
“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:”
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ParallelsA comparative study
ChristianityIslamJudaism
On Strait Is the Gate
This parallel examines the motif of the restricted entrance to the divine realm, contrasting the ethical exclusivity found in the Synoptic Gospels with the eschatological procession into the opened gates of Paradise in the Qur'an and the liturgical invocation of gates in the Psalms. While Christianity emphasizes the difficulty of entry as a function of moral rigor and the singular nature of the path, Islamic texts focus on the divine initiative of opening the gates for the righteous, often accompanied by angelic salutations. Jewish tradition, particularly in the Psalms, utilizes the gate imagery primarily in a liturgical context for the entry of the King of Glory, though later rabbinic exegesis sometimes interprets the 'gates of righteousness' as requiring specific ethical preparation.
What every account tells.
- iThe existence of a specific, bounded entrance to the divine presence or salvation.
- iiThe implication that not all may enter through this gate, suggesting a distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous.
- iiiThe gate serves as a threshold between the profane world and the sacred realm.
- ivDivine agency is required to facilitate or permit passage through the gate.
How each tradition tells it.
Christianity
The gate is characterized by its narrowness and the difficulty of the path, emphasizing human effort ('strive') and moral exclusivity. The imagery is often Christological, identifying Jesus himself as the door or the way to the Father.
Islam
The gates of Paradise are depicted as numerous and opened by divine command for the believers, shifting the focus from the difficulty of the gate itself to the state of the soul entering. The entry is marked by a greeting of peace from angels, emphasizing divine mercy and the reward of the righteous.
Judaism
In the Psalms, the lifting of the gates is a call for the entrance of the King of Glory, functioning more as a liturgical drama than a soteriological constraint. While later tradition interprets the 'gates of righteousness' as requiring ethical conduct, the primary text focuses on the majesty of the entering deity rather than the narrowness of the path.
Read the passages as one.
Islam
Surah 39: Az-Zumar (The Troops)
وَسِيقَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ رَبَّهُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَنَّةِ زُمَرًاۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتۡ أَبۡوَٰبُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلَٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ طِبۡتُمۡ فَٱدۡخُلُوهَا خَٰلِدِينَ
“But those who feared their Lord will be driven to Paradise in groups until, when they reach it while its gates have been opened and its keepers say, "Peace be upon you; you have become pure; so enter it to abide eternally therein," [they will enter]”
Judaism
Psalms
“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”