I remember John MacArthur trying to explain the "eye of a needle" as being a really small gate in the wall around Jerusalem.

My first thought when I saw the original post was, "I remember when my pastor tried to tell me it was a gate too small for camels..."-no doubt because he had read it in a MacArthur book.

In fairness, that’s repeated in a bunch of old commentaries. It’s not true—it’s a misunderstanding that includes elaborating on something that happens later in history—but it certainly doesn’t start with MacArthur. (Again, that’s interpretation is 100% incorrect and unbiblical)

That’s a common tale that I’ve heard since I was a kid, but totally bogus. Others say, “well, it really meant a rope, not a camel.” Nope, not that either!

Absolutely. I think my bullshit meter was going off as a kid when I heard that.

I don’t think Jesus was talking about the afterlife, but about the kingdom of God in our hearts here and now.

I often read the Kingdom as a both/and on that front. Eternal living that begins today. Especially since it’s in response to inheriting eternal life… so I think Jesus’s response goes beyond the here and now.

Yeah evangelicals will really try to say that we have to take the Old Testament literally (e.g. young earth creationism) but then insist that the camel verse is a metaphor. It’s totally not.

We shouldn’t take any supposed biblical literalists seriously who don’t have a gouged out eye and a hook hand.

The "Bible is clear" crowd doesn't seem to think that verse is clear lol