Matthew 24:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

NIV: but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

NASB: But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved.

CSB: But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

NLT: But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

KJV: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

NKJV: But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Jesus is answering a question from His disciples. They've asked about when judgment will come from God and what the signs of the end of the age will be. He has said that sometime after He leaves them (John 16:5–7) and before the end comes (Revelation 19:11–15), many presumed followers of Jesus will fall away. Moral chaos will increase, and Christian love will seem to fade out of the world (Matthew 24:3–12).

That leads to one of Christ's most hotly debated statements: His connection between enduring and being saved. As with any statement of Scripture, taking this verse out of context leads to misinterpretation. The immediate context of Christ's remark is the state of the world immediately prior to His second coming (Matthew 24:14). The broader framework of His teaching is found in other lessons (John 5:24; 10:28–29).

Interpreters offer three basic possibilities for Jesus' meaning here. One is that those who remain faithful to Christ until death will see eternal salvation—meaning those who fall away will lose their salvation. Second is that lifelong faithfulness is a sign of true salvation. Third is that those who survive the catastrophic events leading up to Christ's second coming will be spared from death and be physically present in His earthly kingdom.

Given the end-times context of this passage, the most likely meaning is the third: that those who survive the tribulation will be "saved" in the sense of being "spared," and will continue to live in the millennial kingdom. The idea that apostasy disproves earlier claims to faith is biblical (1 John 2:18–19) but does not seem to be the point of this exact verse. The concept that one could lose or walk away from eternal life is contrary to other teachings of both Christ and the apostles (1 John 3:14; 5:11–12).

Matthew 24:1–14 follows Jesus and the disciples out of the temple. This comes after His devastating criticism of the scribes and Pharisees in chapter 23. Christ predicts a moment when the temple will be destroyed without one stone left on another. Later, His disciples ask for more information about these future events. Jesus describes a season in which the world will be in turmoil but that alone will not be proof that the end has come. His disciples will be persecuted, killed, and hated for His name's sake. False prophets will rise and some with them will fall away from the faith.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.