Explain Jesus' teaching: Will only a few be saved?

[Bruce]

Luke 13:23-30: Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"

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

"Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'

"But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!'

"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. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last."

[River 2 Electric Boogaloo]

Sounds like someone invented an exclusive club for devout believers only...

And propagated it through ignorance and fear...

[Hallie W]

Salvation

Definition: Preservation or deliverance from danger or destruction. That deliverance may be from the hands of oppressors or persecutors. For all true Christians, Jehovah provides through his Son deliverance from the present wicked system of things as well as salvation from bondage to sin and death. For a great crowd of faithful servants of Jehovah living during “the last days,” salvation will include preservation through the great tribulation.

Will God, in his great mercy, eventually save all humankind?

Does 2 Peter 3:9 indicate that there will be universal salvation? It says: “The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish [“he does not want anyone to be destroyed,” TEV], but that all should reach repentance.” (RS) It is God’s merciful desire that all of Adam’s offspring repent, and he has generously made provision for forgiveness of the sins of those who do. But he does not force anyone to accept that provision. (Compare Deuteronomy 30:15-20.) Many reject it. They are like a drowning man who pushes away a life preserver when it is thrown to him by someone who desires to help. It should be noted, however, that the alternative to repentance is not an eternity in hellfire. As 2*Peter 3:9 shows, those who do not repent will perish, or “be destroyed.” Verse 7 (RS) also refers to “destruction of ungodly men.” There is no thought of universal salvation here.—See also the main heading “Hell.”

Does 1 Corinthians 15:22 prove that all humans will eventually be saved? It says: “As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (RS) As shown in the surrounding verses, what is under discussion here is resurrection. Who will be resurrected? All whose death is attributable to Adamic sin (see verse 21) but who have not also personally committed the willful transgressions set forth in Hebrews 10:26-29. As Jesus was raised from Hades (Acts 2:31), so all others who are in Hades will be “made alive” by means of the resurrection. (Rev. 1:18; 20:13) Will all of these gain eternal salvation? That opportunity will be open to them, but not everyone will take hold of it, as is indicated at John 5:28, 29, which shows that the outcome to some will be adverse “judgment.”

What about texts such as Titus 2:11, which refers to “the salvation of all men,” according to the rendering of RS? Other texts, such as John 12:32, Romans 5:18, and 1 Timothy 2:3, 4, convey a similar thought in RS, KJ, NE, TEV, etc. The Greek expressions rendered “all” and “everyone” in these verses are inflected forms of the word pas. As shown in Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (London, 1962, Vol. I, p. 46), pas can also mean “every kind or variety.” So, in the above verses, instead of “all,” the expression “every kind of” could be used; or “all sorts of,” as is done in NW. Which is correct—“all” or the thought conveyed by “all sorts of”? Well, which rendering is also harmonious with the rest of the Bible? The latter one is. Consider Acts 10:34, 35; Revelation 7:9, 10; 2 Thessalonians 1:9. (Note: Other translators also recognize this sense of the Greek word, as is shown by their renderings of it at Matthew 5:11—“all kinds of,” RS, TEV; “every kind of,” NE; “all manner of,” KJ.)

Are there scriptures that definitely show that some will never be saved?

2 Thess. 1:9, RS: “They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” (Italics added.)

Rev. 21:8, RS: “As for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.”

Matt. 7:13, 14, RS: “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.”

Once a person is saved, is he always saved?

Jude 5, RS: “I desire to remind you, though you were once for all fully informed, that he who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.” (Italics added.)

Matt. 24:13, RS: “He who endures to the end will be saved.” (So a person’s final salvation is not determined at the moment that he begins to put faith in Jesus.)

Phil. 2:12, RS: “As you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (This was addressed to “the saints,” or holy ones, at Philippi, as stated in Philippians 1:1. Paul urged them not to be overly confident but to realize that their final salvation was not yet assured.)

Heb. 10:26, 27, RS: “If we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries.” (Thus the Bible does not go along with the idea that no matter what sins a person may commit after he is “saved” he will not lose his salvation. It encourages faithfulness. See also Hebrews 6:4-6, where it is shown that even a person anointed with holy spirit can lose his hope of salvation.)

Is anything more than faith needed in order to gain salvation?

Eph. 2:8, 9, RS: “By grace [“undeserved kindness,” NW] you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God—not because of works, lest any man should boast.” (The entire provision for salvation is an expression of God’s undeserved kindness. There is no way that a descendant of Adam can gain salvation on his own, no matter how noble his works are. Salvation is a gift from God given to those who put faith in the sin-atoning value of the sacrifice of his Son.)

Heb. 5:9, RS: “He [Jesus] became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” (Italics added.) (Does this conflict with the statement that Christians are “saved through faith”? Not at all. Obedience simply demonstrates that their faith is genuine.)

Jas. 2:14, 26, RS: “What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead.” (A person does not earn salvation by his works. But anyone who has genuine faith will have works to go with it—works of obedience to the commands of God and Christ, works that demonstrate his faith and love. Without such works, his faith is dead.)

Acts 16:30, 31, RS: “‘Men, what must I do to be saved?’ And they [Paul and Silas] said, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’” (If that man and his household truly believed, would they not act in harmony with their belief? Certainly.)

[Derek]

Yes, it is explaining people who don't know themselves don't know god. Only a few that ate with him sat and understood him because they listened.

[Maria]

he wont know them because they are without the garment of sanctifying grace without which no one will be saved unless they have that life in their souls at the moment of death.
who are the many who will try to get in but will be unable to do so? those who presume on salvation---- without taking the proper steps one needs/is required to take, for instance, doing works of love prompted by grace, becoming holy, childlike, acquiring the virtues Jesus had, patience, mildness, meekness, long suffering, fortitude, temperence,
also, those who believe they are beyond the forgiveness of Jesus as tho' they commited sins all their life and now are in despare of ever being forgiven, loose hope, dont ask Jesus to forgive them to show his mercy to them and then stop sinning. If they dont do these things God almighty himself cannot save us, NOT without our cooperation with his grace.
at the feast, those dressed improperly and were thrown out were those who did not have sanctifying grace in their souls. Jesus said to have this "life" we have to eat the flesh of the son of man, if not, we will not have his life, that is grace, in our souls.
Abraham was saved by faith because the new covenant law had not even been established yet, so we cant compare ourself to them who lived before the sanctifying new law of grace established by Christ.
I dont know if I explained it that good. choose the one who got to the point 100percent.

[cafegroundzero]

As many as G-d wants.

Of course this depends on you too.

[love_life]

Whoever wants to will be saved. As long as they call on
Jesus.

[Granny]

And YOU will be objects of hatred by all people on account of my name; but he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved. Matthew 10:22.

[peacablewoman]

The bible teaches that" HE THAT ENDURETH TOTHE END SHALL BE SAVED" THEREFORE THEIR MUST BE A WORKING AT YOUR SALVATION.
Just because you said the sinners prayer does not mean you are in the end going to be saved. There is more to Salvation than that! The word of God also states, To WORK out your own SALVATION with fear and trembling. Meaning that we must always work toward allowing God to change our ives to fulfill scripture. Galatians 5:19 - 24. Also to be ye HOLY for I am HOLY.
Le t me ask you this.....Do you think that the ways that you live now would allow you into heaven according to Revelation21: 6 - 8. Have you been able to become clean in the bloodof the LAMB.

Sraight is the gate and Narrow is the way and FEW therebe that find it!

But Jesus said COME UNTO ME...Keep your life through prayer and reading the Word of God and follow it, you'll make it!!

[Meatwad]

God saved those he predestined. Those of us that are saved were predestined in the beginning of time to be saved. All others are going to hell.

In love (5) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— (6) to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.