Matthew 19:25 · Bible study
Matthew 19:25 Commentary: Who Then Can Be Saved?
Greek · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
The disciples' shock at Jesus' words about the rich reveals their assumptions about salvation. Explore why they asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Research Summary
- Meaning: The disciples ask if anyone can be saved when even the wealthy, who seemed most blessed, cannot enter by their own power.
- Key words: exeplēssonto (were astonished), struck out of composure; sphodra (exceedingly), an intensifier showing total shock; ara (then), a logical conclusion drawn from the dilemma.
- Main debate: Did the disciples mean temporal deliverance (Gill) or eternal salvation (most others)? The text allows both, and the answer in v.26 addresses God's power over all impossibilities.
- Theological theme: Salvation is by God's power alone, not human status, wealth, or merit. Human impossibility becomes the stage for divine possibility.
- Best use: Humble assurance, the same verse that causes shock also points to the only source of hope: God who makes the impossible possible.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”
KJV King James Version 1769
When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And when the disciples heard it, they were astonished exceedingly, saying, Who then can be saved?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And his disciples having heard, were amazed exceedingly, saying, `Who, then, is able to be saved?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And when the disciples heard [it] they were exceedingly astonished, saying, Who then can be saved?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered much, saying: Who then can be saved?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Mas sus discípulos, oyendo estas cosas, se espantaron en gran manera, diciendo: ¿ Quién pues podrá ser salvo?
Quando os discípulos ouviram isso ,espantaram-se muito, e disseram: Quem, pois, pode se salvar?
Les disciples, ayant entendu cela, furent très étonnés, et dirent: Qui peut donc être sauvé?
Da das seine Jünger hörten, entsetzten sie sich sehr und sprachen: Ja, wer kann denn selig werden?
Zijn discipelen nu, dit horende, werden zeer verslagen, zeggende: Wie kan dan zalig worden?
I suoi discepoli, udito questo, sbigottirono forte e dicevano: Chi dunque può esser salvato?
Co usłyszawszy uczniowie jego, zdumieli się bardzo, mówiąc: Któż tedy może być zbawion?
Услышав это, ученики Его весьма изумились и сказали: так кто же может спастись?
門徒 聽見這話，就希奇 得很，說：「這樣 誰 能 得救呢？」
And the disciples, hearing this, were greatly surprised, saying, Who then may have salvation?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Matthew 19:25
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree the disciples' astonishment exposes a deep assumption: they believed wealth marked God's favor and that rich people would naturally inherit the kingdom. Calvin notes they did not break away from Christ but, though trembling, sought to conquer despair. Clarke adds that the disciples likely defined a rich man as anyone who keeps surplus while others lack necessities, making the question acute for anyone with means.
Wesley concludes bluntly that a poor peasant or beggar has a better chance than the rich. Gill, however, thinks the disciples feared temporal destruction, that if wealthy men opposed the Messiah, poor followers would be crushed. Whether eternal or temporal salvation, the core shock is the same: if the rich cannot be saved, who can? Jesus redirects that despair toward divine possibility.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Temporal deliverance view: Gill argues the disciples feared physical destruction from rich opponents, so 'saved' means temporal safety in the Messianic kingdom.
- Eternal salvation view: Calvin, Wesley, and most others interpret the disciples as asking about eternal salvation, shocked that even the righteous rich cannot earn it.
What is clear: The disciples were astonished because Jesus' teaching dismantled their assumption that wealth guaranteed entrance into God's kingdom, leading to the shared recognition that only divine power can accomplish salvation.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Why the disciples were astonished | All traditions agree the disciples were stunned because they assumed wealth indicated God's favor and a sure place in the kingdom. | The extent of their misunderstanding: some argue they thought only the very rich were excluded (Clarke), while others see a deeper crisis, if the rich can't enter, no one can (Wesley, Calvin). |
| Meaning of 'saved' | The term 'saved' points to entering the kingdom of God, which includes both present deliverance and eternal life. | Gill reads it as temporal safety from persecution by rich enemies; most other commentators see eternal salvation. The grammar allows both, but the broader context (vv.28-29) leans toward eternal inheritance. |
| How to define a 'rich man' | Jesus contrasts earthly wealth with kingdom entrance, creating tension for all who have possessions. | Clarke argues 'rich' means having more than necessary and keeping surplus while others lack; others take it more broadly as anyone with significant means who trusts in them (Poole, Gill). |
Historical & Cultural Context
In first-century Judaism, wealth was widely seen as a sign of divine blessing, following promises in Deuteronomy 28 that obedience brings prosperity. The rich young ruler who just walked away (v.22) embodied that assumption, he had kept the commandments, yet Jesus called him to sell everything. The disciples are stunned because their cultural framework offered no category for a wealthy person being excluded from the kingdom they expected.
Matthew's gospel presents the kingdom as both a present spiritual reality and a future reign. The disciples still thought in political terms, a restored Israel where prominent men would lead. As the Cambridge Bible notes, salvation seemed to belong by right to rulers of synagogues and other rich people. The gospel's announcement to the poor was counterintuitive.
Jesus' hyperbolic image, a camel passing through a needle's eye, was a known proverb for the impossible. The disciples' question in v.25, then, is not just about rich people but about the whole enterprise of salvation: if those with every earthly advantage cannot enter on their own terms, what hope is there for anyone? Their astonishment voices the despair that comes when human merit fails.
Poole's annotations on similar passages add that trusting in riches, placing happiness in them and promising security from them, makes salvation hard. The disciples' shock, then, opens the door for Jesus' answer in v.26: what is impossible with men is possible with God.
Textual Notes
No significant textual variants are discussed in the supplied sources for this verse. The wording is consistent across the major manuscript traditions.
Reception History
Early Christian writers, such as Clement of Alexandria in his sermon On the Salvation of the Rich Man, used this passage to show that wealth is not condemned but the attitude of clinging to it is. Monastic movements interpreted the verse as a call to literal poverty. The Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, emphasized that salvation is impossible by human effort, rich or poor, and is entirely God's work, seen in v.26. Wesley's notes echo this by redirecting the disciples' shock toward grace. In modern evangelical and Catholic teaching, the passage warns against materialism and invites trust in God's power alone for salvation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Hurdle Revealed. Jesus says a rich man enters the kingdom with difficulty, a hard saying for a culture that equated wealth with blessing.
- The Shock of Discipleship. The disciples are astonished, a reaction that shows they had never questioned their own assumptions about who belongs.
- The Question That Opens Faith. “Who then can be saved?”, asked in despair, it becomes the very question that leads to dependence on God's power, not human status.
Five-point outline
- Context: The rich young ruler leaves sorrowfully (v.22), and Jesus declares the impossibility of the rich entering the kingdom (vv.23-24).
- The Disciples' Astonishment: They are “exceedingly amazed”, the Greek verb ekplēssō means struck out of self-possession, shocked.
- Their Question: “Who then can be saved?”, this reveals they thought salvation belonged to the wealthy. If not them, nobody.
- Jesus' Correction: He looks at them (v.26) and shifts the frame from human ability to God's power. Salvation does not depend on our resources.
- The Comfort: Peter's follow-up (v.27) shows the disciples begin grasping that total dependence on God brings reward, not loss.
Illustration hooks
- The candidate expected to win every poll, who loses on election night, supporters are stunned because they trusted in the wrong advantage.
- A star athlete who has everything, talent, training, endorsements, yet fails at the critical moment, showing that success depends on more than visible strengths.
- A person who has followed all the church rules since childhood and suddenly realizes that doesn't guarantee a close relationship with God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does Jesus want us all to sell everything and become poor?
- If being good and religious isn't enough, what else is needed?
- How do I know if I am among the “few” who are saved (Luke 13:23)?
Leading a Discussion
This passage confronts the comfortable assumption that outward blessings equal inward standing with God. The disciples' question, “Who then can be saved?”, is the cry of people who realize their own resources are insufficient. Use the questions below to unpack that realization.
Discussion questions
- Read Matthew 19:23-26. What do you think the disciples expected when they heard Jesus teach about the kingdom? Why were they so astonished?
- In what ways do we still assume wealth, success, or respectability indicate God's favor?
- Verse 25 ends with the question “Who then can be saved?”, what answer does Jesus give in verse 26? How does he reshape their understanding?
- Gill suggests the disciples feared temporal destruction from rich enemies. Could the question have layers, both physical safety and eternal destiny? How do we separate those fears?
- How does this passage challenge the idea that we can earn or deserve salvation by our moral effort?
- Jesus says “with God all things are possible.” What impossible thing do you need to entrust to God this week?
- Peter's response in verse 27 shows he still thinks in transactional terms. How do we move from counting our sacrifice to trusting God's grace?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 24:22 | Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened. |
| Mark 13:20 | Unless the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved; but for the sake of the chosen ones, whom he picked out, he shortened the days. |
| Luke 13:23 | One said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?” He said to them, |
| Luke 13:24 | “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. |
| Romans 10:13 | For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” |
| Romans 11:5 | Even so too at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. |
| Romans 11:7 | What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that a rich person in Jesus's sense is not merely someone with more money than others. Rather, it is someone who has more than enough for their own needs yet hoards the surplus while the poor lack basic necessities. Such a person, he insists, cannot enter God's kingdom.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin notes that the disciples were astonished by Christ's words but did not walk away like the rich young ruler. Instead, they trembled and asked who could be saved, showing a desire to overcome despair. For Calvin, fearing God's warnings is beneficial when it arouses rather than discourages.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And whe his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amased, saying, Who then can be saued?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the disciples were shocked because they still thought the Messiah's kingdom would be a wealthy earthly one. When Jesus' proverb made rich people's entry seem impossible, their amazement grew not from eternal concerns but from fear that rich opponents would crush them and end any hope of safety in that kingdom.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the young man was not simply a self-righteous hypocrite—he genuinely felt a spiritual lack. Christ's command to sell everything was a legal test meant to expose his idolatry of riches and awaken repentance, not a literal rule for all. The young man's sorrow, though dangerous, showed an inward conflict that could lead to grace.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry draws from this encounter a pastoral lesson for Christ's poor disciples: their lack of worldly wealth is no disadvantage but rather removes a major obstacle to heaven. He notes that the less they have of earthly riches, the less hindrance they face on the path to salvation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses the disciples' amazement that even the wealthy, with all their advantages, cannot be saved. His blunt answer is that a poor person, a peasant or beggar, has a far better chance: ten thousand such people before one rich person.