Support First Things by turning your adblocker off or by making a  donation. Thanks!

Trevin Wax has a list of biblical or historical “facts” that you may have heard from the pulpit that happen to not be true:

1. The “eye of the needle” refers to a gate outside Jerusalem.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God,” says Jesus in Mark 10:25. Maybe you’ve heard of the gate in Jerusalem called the “eye of the needle.” The camel could pass through it only after stooping down and having all its baggage taken off.

The illustration is used in many sermons as an example of coming to God on our knees and without our baggage. The only problem is . . . there is no evidence for such a gate. The story has been around since the 15th century, but there isn’t a shred of evidence to support it.

Read more . . .

(Via: Justin Taylor )


Comments are visible to subscribers only. Log in or subscribe to join the conversation.

Tags

Loading...

Filter First Thoughts Posts

Related Articles