Luke 18:18 kjv
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luke 18:18 nkjv
Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18:18 niv
A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18:18 esv
And a ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18:18 nlt
Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: "Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"
Luke 18 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mt 19:16-22 | Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing... | Parallel account, identical request. |
| Mk 10:17-22 | As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and knelt before him... | Parallel account, similar encounter. |
| Lk 18:23 | When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. | Immediate follow-up, ruler's response to Jesus's challenge. |
| Lk 18:24-25 | Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich... | Immediate follow-up, Jesus's teaching on wealth. |
| Lk 18:26-27 | Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" He replied, "... | Immediate follow-up, human impossibility, divine possibility. |
| Jn 3:3-5 | Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom... | Requirement of new birth for spiritual inheritance. |
| Rom 3:20 | Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the... | Salvation not through law-keeping. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not... | Salvation is a gift of grace, not by works. |
| Tit 3:5 | he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because... | Salvation not by works, but God's mercy. |
| Mt 22:37-40 | Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God...’...‘Love your neighbor as...’ | Core commandments Jesus emphasized, fulfilling the law. |
| Deut 6:5 | Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and... | Foundation of the first great commandment. |
| Lev 19:18 | “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge... Love your neighbor as...’ | Foundation of the second great commandment. |
| Ex 20:12-16 | “Honor your father and your mother... You shall not murder. You shall... | Key commandments Jesus lists for the ruler. |
| Jas 2:10 | For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is... | Failure to keep the whole law makes one guilty. |
| Phil 3:7-8 | But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of... | Renouncing earthly gain for spiritual gain in Christ. |
| Lk 14:33 | In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has... | Discipleship requires renouncing possessions. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many... | Warning against the dangers and love of money. |
| Mt 6:24 | “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love... | Cannot serve both God and wealth. |
| Prov 23:4-5 | Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust in your own cleverness... | Wisdom about the fleeting nature of wealth. |
| Jer 32:27 | "I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" | Divine omnipotence to accomplish the impossible. |
| Mt 19:29 | And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father... | Promise to those who sacrifice for the Kingdom. |
| Heb 9:15 | For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those... | Christ as the way to obtain eternal inheritance. |
Luke 18 verses
Luke 18 18 Meaning
Luke 18:18 presents a significant encounter between Jesus and a rich ruler who earnestly seeks to understand how to inherit eternal life. The verse establishes the ruler's initial query, expressing a desire for the ultimate spiritual gain, yet rooted in a works-based understanding of righteousness.
Luke 18 18 Context
Luke 18:18 appears shortly after Jesus blesses little children (Lk 18:15-17) and before He once again predicts His suffering and resurrection (Lk 18:31-34). The immediate preceding verses highlight humility and childlike faith as prerequisites for entering the Kingdom of God, starkly contrasting with the ruler's reliance on his status and perceived merit. The interaction with the rich ruler is one of the most memorable and poignant in the Gospels, paralleled in Matthew 19 and Mark 10. Historically and culturally, wealth in ancient Israel was often seen as a sign of divine blessing, leading many to believe that rich individuals were inherently favored by God and thus righteous. The ruler's question reflects a common approach to righteousness, focusing on external deeds and adherence to the law as a means to achieve salvation or eternal life. Jesus's response challenges this notion by pointing to the heart's true allegiance.
Luke 18 18 Word analysis
- And (καὶ, kai): Connects this episode to the previous ones, showing a continuous narrative of Jesus's encounters and teachings, often linked to the nature of the Kingdom of God.
- a ruler (ἄρχων, archōn): Denotes a person of authority or influence, possibly a member of the Sanhedrin or a leader in a synagogue. This highlights his status and assumed righteousness in society. His position would have typically commanded respect and power.
- asked Him (ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν, epērōtēsen auton): Implies an earnest, direct inquiry. The ruler sought an answer directly from Jesus, acknowledging His reputation as a teacher.
- saying (λέγων, legōn): Indicates the immediate address.
- “Good Teacher” (διδάσκαλε ἀγαθέ, didaskale agathe): A respectful and honorific address, recognizing Jesus's teaching authority and moral character. However, Jesus's response (Lk 18:19) implicitly challenges the depth of the ruler's understanding of "goodness," subtly pointing towards God as the ultimate standard of goodness, and by extension, prompting the ruler to consider who Jesus truly is if he uses such an absolute descriptor. This challenges a superficial recognition.
- what (τί, ti): Poses an open-ended question about actions.
- must I do (ποιήσας, poiēsas): Emphasizes an action-oriented or works-based approach to salvation, common in Jewish thought of the time. The ruler believed that some specific deed or set of deeds was necessary to secure eternal life. This reflects a deep-seated human inclination to earn one's way to God.
- to inherit (κληρονομήσω, klēronomēsō): "To inherit" implies receiving an allotted portion or property, typically passed down from parents to children, suggesting a right or an entitlement. Here, it refers to gaining eternal life, conceptually similar to inheriting an estate. It points to a deep longing for a share in God's promises and the life of the age to come.
- eternal life? (ζωὴν αἰώνιον, zōēn aiōnion): This phrase signifies a life that transcends earthly existence, a quality of life experienced in the presence of God. It is not merely endless existence but a particular kind of life characterized by relationship with God. It represents the highest spiritual aspiration. The phrase captures the eschatological hope for the Messianic age and participation in God's unending kingdom.
Words-group analysis:
- "A ruler asked Him, saying, 'Good Teacher'": This combination of high social standing (archōn) with an acknowledgment of Jesus as a respected teacher reveals the universal human search for spiritual truth, even among those outwardly prosperous. His approach is polite and respectful, reflecting a sincere quest.
- "What must I do to inherit eternal life?": This pivotal question encapsulates the core tension between human effort (ti poiēsas) and divine provision (klēronomēsō). The ruler seeks to do something to gain what ultimately can only be a gift or an inheritance. His focus on action, typical of legalistic understanding, contrasts with Jesus's teaching on radical discipleship and divine grace later revealed.
Luke 18 18 Bonus section
The term "inherit" (κληρονομήσω, klēronomēsō) suggests that eternal life is a gift, an unearned legacy, rather than a wage for services rendered. The ruler’s question "what must I do to inherit?" therefore contains a subtle tension between earning and receiving. True inheritance, in the biblical sense, comes by promise and relationship, not by labor or merit. This misunderstanding of how eternal life is obtained forms the very crux of the ruler's spiritual dilemma, highlighting a common human inclination to earn what only God can freely give.
Luke 18 18 Commentary
Luke 18:18 introduces a profound spiritual inquiry from a rich ruler who genuinely sought eternal life, yet approached it from a mindset of merit-based acquisition. His address, "Good Teacher," initially seems respectful, but Jesus's response (in the subsequent verse, Lk 18:19) cleverly challenges the ruler to consider the source of goodness, subtly pointing to God and thereby pressing the ruler to ponder Jesus's own divine nature. The ruler's question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?", is a deeply human one, reflecting the universal desire for meaning and eternal existence, yet reveals his belief that this ultimate prize could be earned through human effort or a specific set of actions. This encounter sets the stage for Jesus to expose the ruler's true idol (his wealth) and to teach on the radical demands of the Kingdom of God, where entrance is not a reward for accumulated deeds, but a divine gift received through surrender and trust, impossible for man, yet possible for God (Lk 18:27).