Matthew 7

Click link to the next study in my sequential chapter study through the Gospel of Matthew. https://www.mymorningmanna.com/matthew-8

“The demand for the superior righteousness of the kingdom… (5:17–20), has called forth warnings against hypocrisy (6:1–18) and the formulation of kingdom perspectives (6:19–34). But there are other dangers...” (The Expositor's Bible Commentary by D. A. Carson)- like “how disciples should respond to others in the community who appear to fall short of these standards. Such apparent failure on the part of the ‘brother/sister’ to meet the demands of the kingdom may naturally prompt an attitude of condemnation (Mt 7:1-5). But Jesus prohibits a judgmental spirit, for such would involve usurping the role of judgment that belongs to God alone, and will consequently result, in accord with divine justice, in the disciple being on the receiving end of an equally strict judgment by God. Moreover, such a judgmental spirit is inherently unjust, since it entails condemning others by a higher standard than one is apt to apply to oneself (Mt 7:3-5), a practice that blinds one to significant breaches in one’s own life, thus preventing the necessary repentance of these violations (Mt 4:17).” (The Gospel of the Son of God by David R. Bauer)

“‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’ (1) “There is abundant need for a right and sound judgment, illumined by the Spirit of truth; but there is a world of difference between it and the censorious and critical opinions which we are apt to form and utter about others. Human nature is fond of climbing up into the judgment seat and proclaiming its decisions, without hearing both sides or calling witnesses. Beware of basing your judgment on idle stories and gossip.” (F. B. Meyer) “‘Then He justified this principle theologically (Matthew 7:2).” (Dr. Thomas B. Constable)-

“‘For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged;’ (2a) Still more seriously, behind the passive verbs lies the judgment of God, who maintains impartial justice. ‘You will be judged’ looks beyond social criticism to God’s ultimate verdict.” (The NI Commentary on the NT by R. T. France)- “’ and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?- that of hatred which is encased in your heart. “’Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.’ (2b-5) Thus, we should judge sin indeed. “Let me at least honestly judge and turn from the serious evil in my own life, before rebuking a trivial thing in another. In fact, rather than judging, if one is overtaken in a fault, ‘ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted’ (Col 6:1).” (L. M. Grant) “If the saint but judges himself he will surely not be forever occupied with seeing the mote in the brother’s eye. He will be patient, loving and not surmise always evil. ‘Love does not impute evil ... beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things’ (1 Cor 13:1-13)." (Arno Gaebelein)

“‘Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.’ (6) “On the other hand, we must be careful also of our words in speaking to the ungodly, for they are no more to be pandered to than they are to be judged. Dogs and swine are unclean animals, typical of unclean men (though they may have at one time professed Christianity-2 Pet 3:22). The precious truths of Scripture applying to Christians (holy things and pearls) will be both misunderstood and treated with contempt by ungodly men. Christians have too frequently attempted to import Christian principles into the world's religion and the world's government. These do not mix, for Christianity is heavenly, not earthly. Men of the world need simply the elementary gospel of the grace of God. This will require first the facing of the guilt of their own sins and their need of mercy. If this is absent, it is senseless to try to persuade them of the preciousness of the great blessings found in Christ Jesus that are the portion of believers. We shall suffer for such indiscretion, as well as the truth suffering.” (L. M. Grant)

Jesus said: “‘Ask, and it’— the keys of the the kingdom here portrayed as eternal life, exemplified in both the desire to know and to do the will of God— ‘will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ (7) Run to the great Doctor of the Church, as Agur did to Ithiel and Ucal, Proverbs 30:1, and he will teach you; seek his face and favour, and ye shall surely find it; knock at the beautiful gate of heaven with the hand of faith, and it shall open unto you (as the iron gate did to Peter) of its own accord, Acts 12:10.” (John Trapp)— “‘For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.’ (8) “'Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?' (10)

We need life. “Can you imagine any father could be so unnatural as to deny necessary supplies to his hungry child; and instead thereof give him what would be useless or hurtful, would starve or poison him?” (Joseph Benson) “'If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!' (11) His gifts of knowledge and power will lead to eternal life, if observed. Be like your God Father in heaven. “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (12) How many, Jews and Christians, “have told us that this is the religion they believe in. It is even claimed that in the ‘sacred’ books of the East, the religious products of Buddhism and Brahmanism, something similar is found. Jews claim the same for the Talmud because Hillel taught ‘What thou wouldst not wish for thyself, do not unto thy neighbor. This is the whole law.’ -- Talmud, Sabb. 31).” (Arno Gaebelein) But none are able to do it without Jesus as a guide through His Spirit.

“’Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.’ (13-14) "Traditionalists make much of the fact that Jesus talked about hell more than anyone else. But what did Jesus actually say about hell? Does the broad way lead to eternal torment? According to Jesus, destruction is the end of the unsaved. Death, perish, die, burn up, destruction—such are the biblical terms that describe the end of the impenitent. “ (Rescue from Death by Robert Taylor)

Traditionalist speak of the wicked “as ‘left behind to be consumed,’ when the saints are glorified; and yet to ‘be tormented to all eternity, and never be consumed.’ (Hist, of Redemption, pp. 505) William Ames speaks of the ‘consummation of death’ as an ‘incorruptibility of the damned, their immortality in death, and unto death.’ (Marrow of Theology, 1. 1, c. 16, § 6.) Truly does Dr. Dick say, ‘The final loss of a being destined to live for ever ... is an awful thought.’ He calls it a ‘living death,’ a ‘destruction’ not of persons, but of happiness (Thole. Lecture clvi.).” (Christ our life: the Scriptural argument for immortality through Christ alone by Charles Frederic Hudson)

Likewise, Edward White says, “My mind fails to conceive a grosser misinterpretation of language than when the five or six strongest words which the Greek tongue possesses, signifying ‘destroy,’ or ‘destruction,’ are explained to mean maintaining an everlasting but wretched existence. To translate black as white is nothing to this.” For example: “In Acts 8, we read of the intercourse of Simon Peter with Simon Magus at Samaria. The latter offers money to the apostles, in order that he may have bestowed upon him a power equal to theirs. He is met by the indignant rebuke from Peter: ‘Thy money perish with thee,’ literally ‘thy money go with thyself to destruction.’ Here we see Peter’s sense of destruction. It had the same meaning when applied to a man as it had when applied to metal: disorganization and wasting away until it should disappear, was the idea which Peter attached to it in both cases alike. The notion of the perpetual existence of anything which met with destruction was absent from his mind. From another example of the word in this book of Acts we find that such was the sense attached to it in the common usage, and accepted by the inspired writer, Luke (Acts 25:16). Festus here tells Agrippa that it was not the ‘manner of the Romans to deliver any man to death’ (literally, ‘to destruction’), before the accused had an opportunity of defending himself. Festus here calls the ‘destruction’ of a man his ‘death;’ and as Festus doubtless, with almost every man of his station at that time, ridiculed the very idea of any future life after this, he could only have intended by the ‘destruction’ of a man, the putting him out of all existence. Luke, by using, accepts the term in the sense of Festus, and we have thus in the usage of two of the inspired writers of the New Testament, Peter and Luke, the sense of ‘destruction’ established as the putting out of existence. Such, we are told, will be the end of the wicked.” (The Duration and Nature of Future Punishment by Henry Constable)

“‘Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.’ People full of hatred are in view. "They lurked nearby, ready to usher the gullible through the broad gate onto the wide road.” (Edward Fudge) “Here Jesus sets out not a doctrinal but an ethical test: ‘You will know them by their fruits.’ The fruits are not specified, but the idea is clearly that profession must be tested by practice. The image derives perhaps from the bad fruits of God’s vineyard in Isaiah 5:1–7 (cf. Jer. 2:21). ... The principle of v. 16a (repeated in v. 20) will determine men’s final destiny. Profession of discipleship alone will be no protection against the coming judgment.” (Tyndale NT Bible Commentary by R. T. France)

”’Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?’ The fruit determines the type of tree. “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. “Then Jesus speaks of their end: ‘Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’ (19).... The good tree is not cut down—the bad tree will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Casting into the fire parallels destruction (v. 13), rejection (v. 23) and the ruin of a house (v. 27). Baird concludes: ‘If one carries out the logical imagery here, the fire would seem to refer to the destruction of a tree already dead.’ ” (The Fire That Consumes by Edward Fudge)

“Therefore by their fruits you will know them.’ (20) They will make true disciples of Jesus who obey His junctions. They will have a burden to convert not to judge. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.’ (21) False teachers are clearly religious persons, crying, ‘Lord, Lord.’ Their failure is not that of inactivity but indulgence in the wrong activity. They not only deceive but are themselves deceived, as appears in what follows. Their grand error is in doing their own will instead of Christ’s.” (Coffman Commentary) “Many will say to Me in that day,— “Εκεινη τη ημερα, in that very day, viz. the day of judgment” (Adam Clarke)— 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' (22)Not only the profession of discipleship, but even miraculous activity in the name of Jesus, is not enough to prove a genuine disciple. For the use of Jesus’ name by exorcists outside the disciple group cf. Mark 9:38; Acts 19:13ff. Prophecy, exorcism and miracles can be counterfeited. ‘Charismatic’ activity is no substitute for obedience and a personal relationship with Jesus. Nor, indeed, are any other ‘good works’ – cf. Bengel’s searching comment on this verse: “Add also: we have written commentaries and exegetical notes on books and passages of the Old and New Testaments, we have preached fine sermons, etc.’”-R. T. France

“‘And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (21) “Jesus presents Himself as the Judge at ‘that day’, when His hearers would have expected God to be mentioned. The claim is all the more striking for being assumed, not argued. Moreover, the criterion of judgment is their relationship with Him. For ‘I never knew you’ as a formula of repudiation see also 25:12, and cf. Peter’s denial, 26:70, 72, 74. ‘Depart from me, you evildoers’ is a quotation from Psalm 6:8, where it is the words of the pious sufferer to his persecutors...” (Tyndale NT Bible Commentary by R. T. France) “Jesus brings to mind false prophets about whom God told Jeremiah, ‘I did not send them, though they prophesied in the name of the Lord’ (Jer 14:14; 27:15). The person who does not know Jesus now will be turned away by Him at the judgment. Here he portrays their punishment as exclusion from the kingdom of heaven.…. His words, ‘depart from me,’ are in fact the citizen’s death sentence. This is true ontologically as well as judicially, for to be cut off entirely from God (in whose stead Jesus is pictured as judge) is to be severed from the only source of existence and ground of being. Professor Richard Bauckham… explains: ‘The New Testament uses a variety of different pictures to describe hell: fire is one of them, destruction another, exclusion from the presence of God another. Burning in fire for eternity is the picture which got fixed in much traditional teaching about hell as though it were a literal description. The New Testament does not require us to think of hell in this way. Hell is not an eternal chamber of horrors across the way from heaven. Hell is the fate of those who reject God’s love.” (The Fire That Consumes by Edward Fudge)

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.’ (24-25) Likewise, “Rabbi Eleasar said, ‘The man whose knowledge exceeds his works, to whom is he like? He is like a tree which had many branches, and only a few roots; and, when the stormy winds came, it was plucked up and eradicated.” (Adam Clarke) “’But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.’ (26-27) “That is the end of the house.” (An Advent Christian Systematic Theology by Jefferson Vann) “But he whose good works are greater than his knowledge, to what is he like? He is like a tree which had few branches, and many roots; so that all the winds of heaven could not move it from its place.” (Adam Clarke) “Jesus prophesied that it would not be able to resist violence of water but is undermined and overthrown.” (William Tyndale) “The wise man’s house is well-founded and withstands the storm, which destroys the foolish man’s house erected on sand” (R. T. France)

“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (29) He is none other than the Law Giver, as well as coming Judge. But the mainstream faith is not built on the destruction of the wicked taught in Matthew 7 by Jesus but on the immortality of the human soul. “When this comes to be acknowledged as a mere human conceit, many admired commentaries, treatises, sermons, confessions of faith, will be seen to have been based in great measure upon a foundation of sand. But the truth will shine out the clearer for all this. To the truth we are ready to sacrifice a whole hecatomb of human writings; and the truth is spreading far and wide.” (The Duration and Nature of Future Punishment by Henry Constable)