Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Not every one that saith … – The Saviour goes on to say that many, on the ground of a mere profession such as he had just referred to, would claim admittance into his kingdom. Many would plead that they had done miracles, and preached or prophesied much, and on the ground of that would demand an entrance into heaven. The power of working miracles had no necessary connection with piety. God may as well, if he chooses, give the power of raising the dead to a wicked man, as the skill of healing to a wicked physician. A miracle is a display of his own power through the medium of another. An act of healing the sick is also a display of his power through the agency of another. In neither of these cases is there any necessary connection with moral character. So of preaching or prophesying. God may use the agency of a man of talents, though not pious, to carry forward His purposes. Saving power on the mind is the work of God, and he may convey it by any agency which he chooses. Accordingly, many may be found in the day of judgment who may have been endowed with powers of prophecy or miracle, as Balaam or the magicians of Egypt; in the same way as many people of distinguished talents may be found, yet destitute of piety, and who will be shut out of his kingdom. See Mat 7:21; 1Co 1:26; 1Co 13:1-3. In this last place Paul says that, though he spoke with the tongue of angels, and had the gift of prophecy, and could remove mountains, and had nor charity or love, all would be of no avail. See the notes at 1Co 13:1-3.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mat 7:21
Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord.
The connection between holy obedience to the will of God, and the happiness of heaven
I. Description of the character of those who make an external profession of religion, but walk unworthy of its precepts, connected with the impossibility of their entering in such a state into the kingdom of heaven.
1. It is evident that a person may have much which bears the semblance of piety, while he is far from feeling its genuine influence.
2. The text may refer to the lukewarm and indifferent.
II. THE connection between the character of those who not only profess Christianity, but adorn it by a suitable conversation, with the reward which is held out for their encouragement.
1. The will of God is a term of vast extent.
2. It is easy to see the connection between the character of those who do the will of their Father who is in heaven, and the prospects of future bliss.
Learn:
1. That active obedience to the precepts of Christianity is the surest mark of a genuine Christian believer.
2. The necessity of unremitting endeavours, relying on the strength of Divine grace to qualify us for admission into heaven. (D. Kelly, M. A.)
I. A great truth proclaimed. The religion of Christ is to be practised,
1. For the teachings of Jesus are only understood as they are put into practice.
2. They are only honoured as they are put into practice.
II. A great error perpetrated-mere profession.
1. This error is common.
2. It is displeasing to Christ.
3. It injures the individual who practises it.
4. It is a misrepresentation of Christianity.
III. A great duty. (U. R. Thomas.)
I. The true qualification for admission into the kingdom of heaven. He that doeth the will, etc.
II. The delusive hopes which many will cherish as to admission into Christs kingdom by means of other qualifications.
1. The first having made a strong and ambitious profession of His name.
2. Arising from a life of practical usefulness to others.
III. These hopes wilt, destroyed. (G. T. Noel.)
Profession and practice
Let us observe the kingdom of God in the light of this text.
1. It is a kingdom of fruit, not of thorns, not of leaves.
2. We see that the faith which is so essential to it is an active grace. The proof of sincerity is doing. It is not a mere emotion destitute of energy.
3. That every one that cometh into it must do Gods will. Active trust not enough; it must be in the proper direction. The world is a great law-keeper. Even Christ did the will of His Father.
Learn:
1. That active obeying the will of God is the decisive test of being in the kingdom of God.
2. That it is one thing to hear and another to do the will of God.
3. Nor is confidence sufficient. The Pharisees were sure that they were on the rock. (T. L. Cuyler, D. D.)
The disowned
I. They went a long way in religion.
II. They kept it up a long while.
III. They were fatally mistaken.
IV. They found it out in a terrible way. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Self-confidence no security
You remember the lighthouse that was built off the coast of England by Winstanley. The architect was confident that the structure was strong, and laughed at the criticisms upon it. To show his confidence, he took up his abode in the building. In the midst of that fearful November storm, how little that confidence availed him as the structure was caught in the grasp of the winds and shaken to pieces! Now another lighthouse stands there well founded, well builded, and lights the mariner to the safe harbour. So that character that is rightly founded and builded in Christ will not only be secure itself, but light others to security, (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Sincere obedience necessary to our acceptance with God
I. Explain the false pretences to the favour of God and the kingdom of heaven.
1. The first pretence is saying to Christ, Lord, Lord -a mere profession of Christianity.
2. The second founded on the gift of prophecy-that is to propagate Christianity and promote edification, separable from a holy life.
II. To illustrate that only solid ground of hope which our Lord establishes.
1. The will of God is revealed plainly.
2. In what sense is it to be done? Infirmity cleaves to us all; the gospel of pardon in Christ requires sincerity in doing His will; a partial obedience will not please Him.
3. There must be a persevering continuance in well doing. This the only ground of hope. (J. Abernethy, M. A.)
The final rejection of false professors
I. The qualifying terms of our admission to heaven-He that doeth the will, etc.
II. The opposite grounds of dependence which many prefer:-
1. National privilege and profession. With such persons religion is a question of geography; they are Christians because born in a land of knowledge.
2. Splendid professions of zeal.
3. Deeds of charity and mercy.
III. The final rejection of all who place their confidence on these insufficient grounds.
1. The period.
2. The dignity of the Son of God at that time.
3. The nature of the profession itself-I never knew you.
4. The designation given to those unhappy men-Workers in iniquity. (J. E. Good.)
The danger of formality and hypocrisy
1. That in the great day there will be an earnest desire in many to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
2. A mere profession of religion will then be found insufficient.
3. All true and obedient believers will be admitted into the heavenly kingdom. (G. Burder.)
Christian profession easy
It is easy enough to assume the character and manner of a Christian, but to live the Christian life is not so easy. A man can make a sham diamond in a very short time, but the real gem must lie for ages in the earth before it can sparkle with perfect purity. We have far too many of these quickly made Christians amongst us, who have never brought forth fruits meet for repentance, nor gone through the fire of trial, and sorrow, and self-sacrifice. Do not trust to feelings, or words, in yourselves or others, look at your life; a real and a false diamond are very much alike, and yet there is all the difference in the world in their value. (Wilmot Buxton.)
Christian profession partial
There is a variety of mineral which, when held before the light, exhibits translucency only on its edges. They are dark in the centre; such are marble, flint, or hornstone. It is so with some men; the light of Christianity has shone upon them and modified much of their external conduct, and produced a considerable regard for piety, but within, the centre of their being, remains in the darkness of sin. (Professor Hitchcock.)
There are many men like ponds, clear at the top, and mud at the bottom; fair in their tongues, but foul in their hearts. (Swinnock.)
Like a beautiful flower, full of colour, but without scent, are the fine but fruitless words of him who does not act accordingly. (Buddha.)
The testimony of works more reliable than that of words
Actions are a greater discovery of a principle than words. The testimony of works is louder and clearer than that of words, and the frame of mens hearts must be measured rather by what they do than by what they say. There may be a mighty distance between the tongue and the heart, but a course of action is as little guilty of lying as interest is, according to our common saying. All outward impieties are the branches of an atheism at the root of our nature, as all pestilential sores are expressions of the contagion in the blood. Mens practices are the best indexes of their principles. The current of a mans life is the counterpart of the frame of his heart; who can deny an error in the spring or wheels when he perceives an error in the hand of the dial? Who can deny atheism in the heart when so much is visible in the life? The taste of the water discovers what mineral it is strained through. (Charnock.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 21. Not every one] , a Hebraism, say some, for no person. It is a Graecism and a Latinism too: , not ALL of the gods, i.e. not ANY of the gods, HOM. Odyss. Z. 240. So TERENCE Sine omni periclo, without ALL danger, i.e. without ANY danger. And JUVENAL: Sine omni labe, without ALL imperfection, i.e. without ANY. See more in Mr. Wakefield. The sense of this verse seems to be this: No person, by merely acknowledging my authority, believing in the Divinity of my nature, professing faith in the perfection of my righteousness, and infinite merit of my atonement, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven-shall have any part with God in glory; but he who doeth the will of my Father-he who gets the bad tree rooted up, the good tree planted, and continues to bring forth fruit to the glory and praise of God. There is a good saying among the rabbins on this subject. “A man should be as vigorous as a panther, as swift as an eagle, as fleet as a stag, and as strong as a lion, to do the will of his Creator.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Some that say unto Christ, Lord, Lord, shall be saved, being the true disciples of Christ; but every one that owneth Christ by an external profession as his Lord, every one that prayeth, though he doth it often, and with some appearing zeal and importunity, shall not be saved, nor doth by it approve himself a true disciple of Christ; but he alone who doth endeavour to fulfil the whole will of God, both by faith and holiness, Rom 2:13; 1Th 4:3; Jam 1:22,23. True religion lies sin obedience to the whole will of God.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. Not every one that saith untome, Lord, Lordthe reduplication of the title “Lord”denoting zeal in according it to Christ (see Mr14:45). Yet our Lord claims and expects this of all Hisdisciples, as when He washed their feet: “Ye call me Master andLord: and ye say well; for so I am” (Joh13:13).
shall enter into the kingdomof heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is inheaventhat will which it had been the great object of thisdiscourse to set forth. Yet our Lord says warily, not “the willof your Father,” but “of My Father”;thus claiming a relationship to His Father with which His disciplesmight not intermeddle, and which He never lets down. And He so speakshere to give authority to His asseverations. But now He rises higherstillnot formally announcing Himself as the Judge, butintimating what men will say to Him, and He to them, when Hesits as their final judge.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord,…. Not every one that calls Christ his Lord and Master, professes subjection to him, or that calls upon his name, or is called by his name; or makes use of it in his public ministrations. There are many who desire to be called, and accounted Christians, and who make mention of the name of Christ in their sermons, only to take away their reproach, to cover themselves, and gain credit with, and get into the affections and goodwill of the people; but have no hearty love to Christ, nor true faith in him: nor is it their concern to preach his Gospel, advance his glory, and promote his kingdom and interest; their chief view is to please men, aggrandize themselves, and set up the power of human nature in opposition to the grace of God, and the righteousness of Christ. Now not everyone of these, no, not any of them,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is to be understood not of the outward dispensation of the Gospel, or the Gospel church state, or the visible church of Christ on earth, in which sense this phrase is sometimes used; because such persons may, and often do, enter here; but of eternal glory, into which none shall enter,
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. This, as it may regard private Christians, intends not merely outward obedience to the will of God, declared in his law, nor barely subjection to the ordinances of the Gospel; but more especially faith in Christ for life and salvation; which is the source of all true evangelical obedience, and without which nothing is acceptable to God. He that seeth the Son, looks unto him, ventures on him, commits himself to him, trusts in him, relies on him, and believes on him for righteousness, salvation, and eternal life, he it is that does the will of the Father, and he only; and such an one, as he is desirous of doing the will of God in all acts of cheerful obedience to it, without dependence thereon; so he shall certainly enter the kingdom of heaven, and have everlasting life; see Joh 6:40 but as these words chiefly respect preachers, the sense of them is this, that only such who are faithful dispensers of the word shall enter into the joy of their Lord. Such do the will of Christ’s Father, and so his own, which are the same, who fully and faithfully preach the Gospel of the grace of God; who declare the whole counsel of God, and keep back nothing that is profitable to the souls of men; who are neither ashamed of the testimony of Christ, nor afraid of the faces of men; but as they are put in trust with the Gospel, so they speak it boldly, with all sincerity, not as pleasing men, but God, and commend themselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God: such as these shall have an abundant entrance into the kingdom and glory of God. The Vulgate Latin adds this clause, “he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven”, and so does Munster’s Hebrew edition of the Gospel according to Matthew.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| The Sermon on the Mount. |
| |
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
We have here the conclusion of this long and excellent sermon, the scope of which is to show the indispensable necessity of obedience to the commands of Christ; this is designed to clench the nail, that it might fix in a sure place: he speaks this to his disciples, that sat at his feet whenever he preached, and followed him wherever he went. Had he sought his own praise among men, he would have said, that was enough; but the religion he came to establish is in power, not in word only (1 Cor. iv. 20), and therefore something more is necessary.
I. He shows, by a plain remonstrance, that an outward profession of religion, however remarkable, will not bring us to heaven, unless there be a correspondent conversation, v. 21-23. All judgment is committed to our Lord Jesus; the keys are put into his hand; he has power to prescribe new terms of life and death, and to judge men according to them: now this is a solemn declaration pursuant to that power. Observe here,
1. Christ’s law laid down, v. 21. Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, into the kingdom of grace and glory. It is an answer to that question, Ps. xv. 1. Who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle?–the church militant; and who shall dwell in thy holy hill?–the church triumphant. Christ here shows,
(1.) That it will not suffice to say, Lord, Lord; in word and tongue to own Christ for our Master, and to make addresses to him, and professions of him accordingly: in prayer to God, in discourse with men, we must call Christ, Lord, Lord; we say well, for so he is (John xiii. 13); but can we imagine that this is enough to bring us to heaven, that such a piece of formality as this should be so recompensed, or that he who knows and requires the heart should be so put off with shows for substance? Compliments among men are pieces of civility that are returned with compliments, but they are never paid as real services; and can they then be of an account with Christ? There may be a seeming importunity in prayer, Lord, Lord: but if inward impressions be not answerable to outward expressions, we are but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. This is not to take us off from saying, Lord, Lord; from praying, and being earnest in prayer, from professing Christ’s name, and being bold in professing it, but from resting in these, in the form of godliness, without the power.
(2.) That it is necessary to our happiness that we do the will of Christ, which is indeed the will of his Father in heaven. The will of God, as Christ’s Father, is his will in the gospel, for there he is made known, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: and in him our Father. Now this is his will, that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is his will, even our sanctification. If we comply not with the will of God, we mock Christ in calling him Lord, as those did who put on him a gorgeous robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews. Saying and doing are two things, often parted in conversation of men: he that said, I go, sir, stirred never a step (ch. xxi. 30); but these two things God has joined in his command, and let no man that puts them asunder think to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
2. The hypocrite’s plea against the strictness of this law, offering other things in lieu of obedience, v. 22. The plea is supposed to be in that day, that great day, when every man shall appear in his own colours; when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifest, and among the rest, the secret pretences with which sinners now support their vain hopes. Christ knows the strength of their cause, and it is but weakness; what they now harbour in their bosoms, they will then produce in arrest of judgment to stay the doom, but is will be in vain. They put in their plea with great importunity, Lord, Lord; and with great confidence, appealing to Christ concerning it; Lord, does thou not know, (1.) That we have prophesied in thy name? Yes, it may be so; Balaam and Caiaphas were overruled to prophesy, and Saul was against his will among the prophets, yet that did not save them. These prophesied in his name, but he did not send them; they only made use of his name to serve a turn. Note, A man may be a preacher, may have gifts for the ministry, and an external call to it, and perhaps some success in it, and yet be a wicked man; may help others to heaven, and yet come short himself. (2.) That in thy name we have cast out devils? That may be too; Judas cast out devils, and yet was a son of perdition. Origen says, that in his time so prevalent was the name of Christ to cast out devils, that sometimes it availed when named by wicked Christians. A man might cast devils out of others, and yet have a devil, nay, be a devil himself. (3.) That in thy name we have done many wonderful works. There may be a faith of miracles, where there is no justifying faith; none of that faith which works by love and obedience. Gifts of tongues and healing would recommend men to the world, but it is real holiness or sanctification that is accepted of God. Grace and love are a more excellent way than removing mountains, or speaking with the tongues of men and of angels,1Co 13:1; 1Co 13:2. Grace will bring a man to heaven without working miracles, but working miracles will never bring a man to heaven without grace. Observe, That which their heart was upon, in doing these works, and which they confided in, was the wonderfulness of them. Simon Magus wondered at the miracles (Acts viii. 13), and therefore would give any money for power to do the like. Observe, They had not many good works to plead: they could not pretend to have done many gracious works of piety and charity; one such would have passed better in their account than many wonderful works, which availed not at all, while they persisted in disobedience. Miracles have now ceased, and with them this plea; but do not carnal hearts still encourage themselves in their groundless hopes, with the like vain supports? They think they shall go to heaven, because they have been of good repute among professors of religion, have kept fasts, and given alms, and have been preferred in the church; as if this would atone for their reigning pride, worldliness, and sensuality; and want of love to God and man. Bethel is their confidence (Jer. xlviii. 13), they are haughty because of the holy mountain (Zeph. iii. 11); and boast that they are the temple of the Lord, Jer. vii. 4. Let us take heed of resting in external privileges and performances, lest we deceive ourselves, and perish eternally, as multitudes do, with a lie in our right hand.
3. The rejection of this plea as frivolous. The same that is the Law-Maker (v. 21) is here the Judge according to that law (v. 23), and he will overrule the plea, will overrule it publicly; he will profess to them with all possible solemnity, as sentence is passed by the Judge, I never knew you, and therefore depart from me, ye that work iniquity.–Observe, (1.) Why, and upon what ground, he rejects them and their plea–because they were workers for iniquity. Note, It is possible for men to have a great name for piety, and yet to be workers of iniquity; and those that are so will receive the greater damnation. Secret haunts of sin, kept under the cloak of a visible profession, will be the ruin of the hypocrites. Living in known sin nullifies men’s pretensions, be they ever so specious. (2.) How it is expressed; I never knew you; “I never owned you as my servants, no, not when you prophesied in my name, when you were in the height of your profession, and were most extolled.” This intimates, that if he had ever known them, as the Lord knows them that are his, had ever owned them and loved them as his, he would have known them, and owned them, and loved them, to the end; but he never did know them, for he always knew them to be hypocrites, and rotten at heart, as he did Judas; therefore, says he, depart from me. Has Christ need of such guests? When he came in the flesh, he called sinners to him (ch. ix. 13), but when he shall come again in glory, he will drive sinners from him. They that would not come to him to be saved, must depart from him to be damned. To depart from Christ is the very hell of hell; it is the foundation of all the misery of the damned, to be cut off from all hope of benefit from Christ and he mediation. Those that go no further in Christ’s service than a bare profession, he does not accept, nor will he own them in the great day. See from what a height of hope men may fall into the depth of misery! How they may go to hell, by the gates of heaven! This should be an awakening word to all Christians. If a preacher, one that cast out devils, and wrought miracles, be disowned of Christ for working iniquity; what will become of us, if we be found such? And if we be such, we shall certainly be found such. At God’s bar, a profession of religion will not bear out any man in the practice and indulgence of sin; therefore let every one that names the name of Christ, depart from all iniquity.
II. He shows, by a parable, that hearing these sayings of Christ will not make us happy, if we do not make conscience of doing them; but that if we hear them and do them, we are blessed in our deed, v. 24-27.
1. The hearers of Christ’s word are here divided into two sorts; some that hear, and do what they hear; others that hear and do not. Christ preached now to a mixed multitude, and he thus separates them, one from the other, as he will at the great day, when all nations shall be gathered before him. Christ is still speaking from heaven by his word and Spirits, speaks by ministers, by providences, and of those that hear him there are two sorts.
(1.) Some that hear his sayings and do them: blessed be God that there are any such, though comparatively few. To hear Christ is not barely to give him the hearing, but to obey him. Note, It highly concerns us all to do what we hear of the saying of Christ. It is a mercy that we hear his sayings: Blessed are those ears,Mat 13:16; Mat 13:17. But, if we practise not what we hear, we receive that grace in vain. To do Christ’s sayings is conscientiously to abstain from the sins that he forbids, and to perform the duties that he requires. Our thoughts and affections, our words and actions, the temper of our minds, and the tenour of our lives, must be conformable to the gospel of Christ; that is the doing he requires. All the sayings of Christ, not only the laws he has enacted, but the truths he has revealed, must be done by us. They are a light, not only to our eyes, but to our feet, and are designed not only to inform our judgments, but to reform our hearts and lives: nor do we indeed believe them, if we do not live up to them. Observe, It is not enough to hear Christ’s sayings, and understand them, hear them, and remember them, hear them, and talk of them, repeat them, dispute for them; but we must hear, and do them. This do, and thou shalt live. Those only that hear, and do, are blessed (Luk 11:28; Joh 13:17), and are akin to Christ. ch. xii. 50.
(2.) There are others who hear Christ’s sayings and do them not; their religion rests in bare hearing, and goes no further; like children that have the rickets, their heads swell with empty notions, and indigested opinions, but their joints are weak, and they heavy and listless; they neither can stir, nor care to stir, in any good duty; they hear God’s words, as if they desired to know his ways, like a people that did righteousness, but they will not do them,Eze 33:30; Eze 33:31; Isa 58:2. Thus they deceive themselves, as Micah, who thought himself happy, because he had a Levite to be his priest, though he had not the Lord to be his God. The seed is sown, but it never comes up; they see their spots in the glass of the word, but wash them off, Jas 1:22; Jas 1:24. Thus they put a cheat upon their own souls; for it is certain, if our hearing be not the means of our obedience, it will be the aggravation of our disobedience. Those who only hear Christ’s sayings, and do them not, sit down in the midway to heaven, and that will never bring them to their journey’s end. They are akin to Christ only by the half-blood, and our law allows not such to inherit.
2. These two sorts of hearers are here represented in their true characters, and the state of their case, under the comparison of two builders; one was wise, and built upon a rock, and his building stood in a storm; the other foolish, and built upon the sand, and his building fell.
Now, (1.) The general scope of this parable teaches us that the only way to make sure work for our souls and eternity is, to hear and do the sayings of the Lord Jesus, these sayings of his in this sermon upon the mount, which is wholly practical; some of them seem hard sayings to flesh and blood, but they must be done; and thus we lay up in store a good foundation for the time to come (1 Tim. vi. 19); a good bond, so some read it; a bond of God’s making, which secures salvation upon gospel-terms, that is a good bond; not one of our own devising, which brings salvation to our own fancies. They make sure the good part, who, like Mary, when they hear the word of Christ, sit at his feet in subjection to it: Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.
(2.) The particular parts of it teach us divers good lessons.
[1.] That we have every one of us a house to build, and that house is our hope for heaven. It ought to be our chief and constant care, to make our calling and election sure, and so we make our salvation sure; to secure a title to heaven’s happiness, and then to get the comfortable evidence of it; to make it sure, and sure to ourselves, that when we fail, we shall be received into everlasting habitations. Many never mind this: it is the furthest thing from their thoughts; they are building for this world, as if they were to be here always, but take no care to build for another world. All who take upon them a profession of religion, profess to enquire, what they shall do to be saved; how they may get to heaven at last, and may have a well-grounded hope of it in the mean time.
[2.] That there is a rock provided for us to build this house upon, and that rock is Christ. He is laid for a foundation, and other foundation can no may lay,Isa 28:16; 1Co 3:11. He is our Hope, 1 Tim. i. 1. Christ in us is so; we must ground our hopes of heaven upon the fulness of Christ’s merit, for the pardon of sin, the power of his Spirit, for the sanctification of our nature, and the prevalency of his intercession, for the conveyance of all that good which he has purchased for us. There is that in him, as he is made known, and made over, to us in the gospel, which is sufficient to redress all our grievances, and to answer all the necessities of our case, so that he is a Saviour to the uttermost. The church is built upon this Rock, and so is every believer. He is strong and immovable as a rock; we may venture our all upon him, and shall not be made ashamed of our hope.
[3.] That there is a remnant, who by hearing and doing the sayings of Christ, build their hopes upon this Rock; and it is their wisdom. Christ is our only Way to the Father, and the obedience of faith is our only way to Christ: for to them that obey him, and to them only, he becomes the Author of eternal salvation. Those build upon Christ, who having sincerely consented to him, as their Prince and Saviour, make it their constant care to conform to all the rules of his holy religion, and therein depend entirely upon him for assistance from God, and acceptance with him, and count every thing but loss and dung that they may win Christ, and be found in him. Building upon a rock requires care and pains: they that would make their calling and election sure, must give diligence. They are wise builders who begin to build so as they may be able to finish (Luke xiv. 30), and therefore lay a firm foundation.
[4.] That there are many who profess that they hope to go to heaven, but despise this Rock, and build their hopes upon the sand; which is done without much pains, but it is their folly. Every thing besides Christ is sand. Some build their hopes upon their worldly prosperity, as if they were a sure token of God’s favour, Hos. xii. 8. Others upon their external profession of religion, the privileges they enjoy, and the performances they go through in that profession, and the reputation they have got by it. They are called Christians, were baptized, go to church, hear Christ’s word, say their prayers, and do nobody any harm, and, if they perish, God help a great many! This is the light of their own fire, which they walk in; this is that, upon which, with a great deal of assurance, they venture; but it is all sand, took weak to bear such a fabric as our hopes of heaven.
[5.] That there is a storm coming, that will try what our hopes are bottomed on; will try every man’s work (1 Cor. iii. 13); will discover the foundation, Hab. iii. 13. Rain, and floods, and wind, will beat upon the house; the trial is sometimes in this world; when tribulation and persecution arise because of the word, then it will be seen, who only heard the word, and who heard and practiced it; then when we have occasion to use our hopes, it will be tried whether they were right, and well-grounded, or not. However, when death and judgment come, then the storm comes, and it will undoubtedly come, how calm soever things may be with us now. Then every thing else will fail us but these hopes, and then, if ever, they will be turned into everlasting fruition.
[6.] That those hopes which are built upon Christ the Rock will stand, and will stand the builder in stead when the storm comes; they will be his preservation, both from desertion, and from prevailing disquiet. His profession will not wither; his comforts will not fail; they will be his strength and song, as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast. When he comes to the last encounter, those hopes will take off the terror of death and the grave; will carry him cheerfully through that dark valley; will be approved by the Judge; will stand the test of the great day; and will be crowned with endless glory, 2Co 1:12; 2Ti 4:7; 2Ti 4:8. Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he comes, finds so doing, so hoping.
[7.] That those hopes which foolish builders ground upon any thing but Christ, will certainly fail them on a stormy day; will yield them no true comfort and satisfaction in trouble, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment; will be no fence against temptations to apostacy, in a time of persecution. When God takes away the soul, where is the hope of the hypocrite? Job xxvii. 8. It is as the spider’s web, and as the giving up of the ghost. He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand,Job 8:14; Job 8:15. It fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another: when a wicked man dies, his expectation perishes; then, when he thought it would have been turned into fruition, it fell, and great was the fall of it. It was a great disappointment to the builder; the shame and loss were great. The higher men’s hopes have been raised, the lower they fall. It is the sorest ruin of all that attends formal professors; witness Capernaum’s doom.
III. In the Mat 7:28; Mat 7:29, we are told what impressions Christ’s discourse made upon the auditory. It was an excellent sermon; and it is probable that he said more than is here recorded; and doubtless the delivery of it from the mouth of him, into whose lips grace was poured, did mightily set if off. Now, 1. They were astonished at this doctrine; it is to be feared that few of them were brought by it to follow him: but for the present, they were filled with wonder. Note, It is possible for people to admire good preaching, and yet to remain in ignorance and unbelief; to be astonished, and yet not sanctified. 2. The reason was because he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. The scribes pretended to as much authority as any teachers whatsoever, and were supported by all the external advantages that could be obtained, but their preaching was mean, and flat, and jejune: they spake as those what were not themselves masters of what they preached: the word did not come from them with any life or force; they delivered it as a school-boy says his lesson; but Christ delivered his discourse, as a judge gives his charge. He did indeed, dominari in conscionibus–deliver his discourses with a tone of authority; his lessons were law; his word a word of command. Christ, upon the mountain, showed more true authority, than the scribes in Moses’s seat. Thus when Christ teaches by his Spirit in the soul, he teaches with authority. He says, Let there be light, and there is light.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Not–but (–‘). Sharp contrast between the mere talker and the doer of God’s will.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
THE DANGER AND PERIL OF FALSE PROFESSION
V. 21-23
1) “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,” (ou pas ho legon moi kurie kurie) “Not everyone who repeatedly says to me Lord, Lord”, (contrast Judas saying (Gr. Rabbi) Rabbi or respected master,) Mr 14:45, in expressing excitement, impulsive, or an emotional fervor or zeal, often mere lip service, a false profession, disapproved of the Lord, Isa 29:13; Eze 33:31; Luk 6:46. Talk is cheap and a sham, when unaccompanied by holy living and service, to God and ones neighbors,
2) “Shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;” (eiseleasetai eis ten basileian ton ouranon) “Will enter into the kingdom of heaven,” will commit himself, of his own accord, to the work of the church, which is referred to by Matthew only as the “kingdom of heaven;” Some thirty times the term is used restrictedly to mean only those saved, baptized, and having entered into a local body of Christ or the church, Mat 16:18; Mat 18:17.
3) “But he that doeth the will,” (all’ ho poion to thelema) “But (in contrast) the one who does continually as a pattern of life, the strong will,” Eph 5:17; Jas 1:22; Jas 1:25. Words of Christian profession must be accompanied by helpful deeds as leaves must be accompanied by fruit.
4) “Of my Father which is in heaven.” (tou patros mou tou en tois ouranois) “Of my Father whose will exists (is being done) in the heavens;” Note, Jesus refers not to their father, but to “my Father”, whose work and will I have indicated, in constituting you all here into the church, “my” Father’s Glory Body or agency in this age, Eph 3:21; 1Jn 3:23-24. Jesus referred to God as “my Father” here, for the first recorded time.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Mat 7:21
. Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord. Christ extends his discourse farther: for he speaks not only of false prophets, who rush upon the flock to tear and devour, but of hirelings, who insinuate themselves, under fair appearances, as pastors, though they have no feeling of piety. (478) This doctrine embraces all hypocrites, whatever may be their rank or station, but at present he refers particularly to pretended teachers, (479) who seem to excel others. He not only directs his discourse to them, to rouse them from the indifference, in which they lie asleep like drunk people, but also warns believers, not to estimate such masks beyond their proper value. In a word, he declares that, so soon as the doctrine of the Gospel shall have begun to bear fruit by obtaining many disciples, there will not only be very many of the common people who falsely and hypocritically submit to it, but even in the rank of pastors there will be the same treachery, so that they will deny by their actions and life what they profess with the mouth. (480) Whoever then desires to be reckoned among the disciples, must labor to devote himself, sincerely and honestly, to the exercises of a new life.
In the Gospel of Luke, it is a general reproof: Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? But as this corruption proceeds, for the most part, from pretended teachers, and easily finds its way from them into the whole body, so, according to Matthew, our Lord expressly attacks them. To do the will of the Father not only means, to regulate their life and manners, (as philosophers talked (481)) by the rule of virtues, but also to believe in Christ, according to that saying,
“
This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life,” (Joh 6:40.)
These words, therefore, do not exclude faith, but presuppose it as the principle from which other good works flow.
(478) “ Combien qu’au dedans ils n’ayent point d’affection de crainte de Dieu;” — “though at bottom they have no feeling of the fear of God.”
(479) “ Les docteurs feints et doubles;” — “reigned and deceitful teachers.”
(480) “ Ce qu’ils enseignent et confessent de bouche;” — “what they teach and confess with the mouth.”
(481) “ Comme les philosophes ont voulu enselgner le monde;” — “as the philosophers wished to teach the world.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
F. THE DANGERS FACING THE WISE AND GODLY MAN
(Mat. 7:1-27; Luk. 6:37-49)
7. THE DANGER OF SELF-DECEPTION.
(Parallel: Luk. 6:46)
TEXT: 7:21-23
21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?
23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
a. Would God empower an unconverted worker of iniquity to prophesy, cast out demons and do many mighty works? What makes you think so?
b. Does the phrase, I never knew you, indicate that the condemned miracle-workers, exorcists and prophets never had been Christians? Prove your answer.
c. In what sense, then, did Jesus never know them?
d. Do you think these who make this protest to Jesus about their past ministry in His Name, were sincere in their protest? In other words, do you think they are genuinely surprised that the verdict has gone against them? Or do you suppose them to be rising to the height of hypocrisy, hoping even to deceive the Judge into believing in their fakery by accepting their word about miracles which they did not, in fact, perform by His power. Do you think they did miracles rather by trickery with intent to deceive others through mention of the Lords respectable Name?
e.
If you think the condemned were actually inspired and empowered by the Lord to do these wonders, what, then, is the basis of Jesus verdict that they were, in the end, workers of iniquity?
f.
What is the relationship between the miracles (prophecies, casting out of demons, etc.) wrought by someone, and his personal morality and consequent salvation?
g. What is the relation between this section and that which precedes it? Or is there any such connection?
PARAPHRASE AND HARMONY
It is not every one who keeps addressing me as Lord, Master, that will get into Gods kingdom, but only those who actually do the will of my heavenly Father. What is the use of calling me Lord and Master, if you do not do what I tell you? On the Day of Judgment, many will protest to me: But, Lord, did we not proclaim divine revelations in your name? Did we not cast out demons in your name? Did we not many miracles in your name? Indeed we did, Lord! Then I will tell them to their face, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who work iniquity!
SUMMARY
The final test of character and the first requirement for entrance into Gads kingdom is willing obedience. That religion is nothing but a sham which will not make a man obey God, regardless of all its other pretences to orthodoxy. Even great evidences of Gods personal intervention through the life of a Christian are not necessary evidence of that mans personal conversion and consequent salvation, for he may be finally rejected because of his personal refusal to respond to his own preaching.
NOTES
This section has a natural connection with that which precedes it: if the false prophets will be recognized by the fruit of their lives, what does the fruit of my life indicate about me? Jesus argument is driving ever closer to the conscience of His disciple:
My friend, the false teachers will be damned, it is true, on the basis of their deeds, but what about you? What of your deeds? There are many border-line disciples who would never be called false prophets and would never wilfully seek to do what a savage wolf in sheeps clothing intends to do. Probably they are decent, law-abiding citizens of their community, good church-goers but have not done the one thing essential to entrance into Gods kingdom.
Mat. 7:21 Not every one that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Not every one: but some will enter the kingdom. To say to Jesus, Lord, Lord, is equivalent to calling Him the Master of ones life. It is claiming that relation to Jesus expressed in the title. (See Mal. 1:6) Luke (Luk. 6:45) abbreviates this dictum in the form of a hard-hitting rhetorical question: Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I say? But as Matthew records the saying, He is not denying that the claimants are His servants or that they adhere to the orthodox teaching He gave them or that they are sincere. Their one grave fault was that they did not DO the Fathers will. (Cf. Mat. 21:28-32; Mat. 25:11-12; Rom. 2:12-13; Jas. 1:22-25; Jas. 2:14; 1Jn. 2:17) Only he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven shall enter into the kingdom. (Study Joh. 5:29; Joh. 8:51; Joh. 12:26; Joh. 12:44-50; Joh. 14:15; Joh. 14:21; Joh. 14:23-24; Joh. 15:14; 2Ti. 3:5) There are those who would be quick to subscribe to the Lordship of Jesus in order to receive the benefits of such a relationship, but they do not often actually try to adopt Jesus way of thinking, which is, after all, the essence of the will of God (or the kingdom of God, see on Mat. 6:9) . They might even crucify those who tried to live like Jesus. But, for Jesus, performance and production, not profession and pious prayers, is the test of membership in His kingdom. Too often a clear intellectual grasp of truth is divorced from its practical expression. Paul personally feared this possibility (1Co. 9:27).
There is important psychological insight in Chambers observation (88,100) that
There is a great snare in the capacity to understand a thing clearly and to exhaust its power by stating it . . . To say things well is apt to exhaust the power to do them, so that a man often has to curb the expression of a thing with his tongue and turn it into action, otherwise his gift of facile utterance may prevent his doing the thing he says. . . . The frank man is the unreliable man, much more so than the subtle, crafty man, because he has the power of expressing a thing right out and there is nothing more to it,
To have given expression to some truth. such as Jesus Lordship, without acting upon its clear implications is self-deception, even to those who are involved in His service in some special way, (Mat. 7:22-23) Here is another clear principle on how to judge righteous judgments: in judging yourself and your works, do not judge only on the basis of external evidences and appearances and forget the reality of your inward relation to God through real obedience!
The will of my Father is a most significant phrase in this critical moment, because He hereby pronounces Himself Son of the Father in a unique sense, in a relationship shared by none. Shortly (Mat. 7:24-27) He will praise obedience to His message as the epitome of wisdom and He will denounce failure to build ones life on His word as the height of folly. In a very thinly veiled manner, Jesus is claiming that His words are the very words of God, the obedience to which determines entrance into Gods kingdom. Here He proclaims Himself Judge and Lord before whom all must appear in judgment, Neither Moses nor the prophets could speak this way. These great judgments put the rest of the Sermon which precedes them into a different category, completely separate from all brilliant ethical systems constructed by carefully reasoning. For these words alone are the utterances of our Judge. It is with HIS words, and His alone, that we will have to deal! (Cf. Joh. 6:45; Joh. 8:24; Joh. 8:31-32; Joh. 8:47; Joh. 8:51; Joh. 12:47-48)
Mat. 7:22 Many will say to me in that day. Jesus begins to emphasize the theme with which He will terminate the Sermon: I am Judge, my Word is the final standard. But He does this not merely to assert His deity, but to give present moral guidance to His disciples in the face of moral failure of former disciples. look at Jesus! (Heb. 12:1-4; 2Ti. 2:8 f) We tend to panic as some saint we thought secure goes down in sin. We must not repose our confidence in the best man or woman we have ever met! We must trust only the Lord Jesus. In that day: see Mat. 10:15; 2Th. 1:7-10; 2Ti. 1:12; 2Ti. 4:6-8.
Many will say . . . Lord, did we not? Their question implies that they expected an affirmative answer. There is nothing in the context to indicate that these who so address themselves to Jesus are sheer hypocrites or necessarily false prophets, although they could well be this also. (Cf. Mat. 25:11 ff; Luk. 13:25 ff for examples of such judgment-scene conversations.) Did we not:
1. Prophesy by thy name? i.e. utter divine revelation and explain its implications. (Cf. Num. 24:2; Num. 24:4; 2Ki. 22:5-20, esp. 1Ki. 22:11; Jer. 23:17; cf. Jer. 23:16)
2. By thy name cast out demons? (Cf. Mar. 3:14; Mar. 3:19; Mar. 6:7; Mar. 6:13; Luk. 10:17-20)
3. By thy name do many mighty works? (Cf. Mar. 13:22; 1Co. 13:2)
Some of the above-cited references generally prove that even unconverted men have been granted the power to prophesy, exorcize demons and work miracles. Even the Mosaic Law admitted the possibility that true miracle-working power be evidenced even in false prophets (Deu. 13:1-5). Jesus does not call these claims false and does not deny that the claimants actually did what they said. Whether these claimants be those who sincerely thought they had a right to claim Him as their Lord and reap the benefit of the relationship involved in this title, or whether these are hypocritical false prophets who actually worked miracles in Jesus name, does not matter greatly in reference to the principle involved, for the result and the verdict is the same. The principle involved is that even the obvious witness of the Holy Spirit, given through such mighty gifts as prophecy, demon-exorcism and mighty signs, is no evidence of personal conversion! (Cf. 1Co. 12:14) But, some would ask, would God give such powers to those whom He could foresee would show up so badly at the final judgment? (Ye workers of iniquity) But this is just the point: until the final judgment there is yet mercy which leaves the opportunity available to every Christian to do the will of God or to apostasize. Judas Iscariot is a key example. (Study Mat. 10:1-4; Mat. 10:7-8; Mar. 3:14; Mar. 3:19; Mar. 6:7; Mar. 6:13) Jesus knew from the beginning what Judas end would be, but He empowered him to work right along with the others, God is able to make an instrument of His service even those who may not necessarily remain His willing servants. It is too easy to use Jesus message and miracles to correct the lives of others without responding personally to the implications of the message ourselves. He is pointing to the possibility of moral failure for the true prophet, the failure to live up to the stringent ethical requirements of his own divinely-attested message, Lord, Lord is not the anguished cry of false prophets, but of miracle workers who were once true disciples but did not remain faithful to the God who had empowered them. Their final rejection is stated, not on the ground that their claims are false, but that their failure to do the will of God (Mat. 7:21) was equivalent to working wickedness (Mat. 5:23; cf. Jas. 4:17).
Mat. 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Cf. Mat. 25:12; Mat. 25:41; Mat. 13:41; Luk. 6:26; Luk. 13:27; 1Jn. 3:4) This verse does not disclaim authorization of their miracles and ministry, nor does it deny the reality of their having performed such a ministry, nor does it affirm that it had been pretence all along as merely a ruse to deceive the unwary, Nor is there any indication that they had used their miracles to attest false propaganda, Jesus verdict involves:
1. His plain declaration: I never knew you, (Cf. 1Co. 8:3; 2Ti. 2:19) They knew Him and were depending upon this knowledge of Him to save them (cf. Luk. 19:22-23; Luk. 13:25-26). They had thought of Him as Lord, Lord and were counting upon this relationship to save them. But they had not done what their knowledge and professed allegiance should have caused them to do. Thus, their claim of intimate acquaintance of Jesus went against them, because, for all that, they should have done better and, hence, were all the more responsible for their failure. I never knew you is not a confession of ignorance of their life and ministry, for the Lord knew all about them. He never knew them in the sense that He recognizes as genuine no disciple who does not fix his heart upon doing what God wills. Within the limits of the information offered in this text, it is possible to view these claimants as Christian servants who began to serve Jesus, yes, even worked great signs and wonders, but did not connect their own morality to their true religion and thus failed so miserably to do Gods will, Despite all their professions, they had really been evil because their religion was totally expended in prayers, portents and preachments; it had no practice.
2. His rejection of their company for eternity: Depart from me! (Cf. Mat. 25:41; Mat. 25:46 a)
3. The justification of the verdict: they had really been workers of iniquity. If these are false prophets whom He thus addresses, there is no problem, for their doom is clear and needs no explanation. But if these condemned men were once disciples, an explanation is in order. Jesus finishes this section and moves smoothly into the final illustration with which He closes this tremendous Sermon. But there is a clear connection that runs from Mat. 7:21 to Mat. 7:27 and provides explanation of the phrase at hand: ye workers of iniquity. That clear connection is the ethical problem of not living up to the light we possess, because of the simple (but also profound) failure to do what we have heard in Gods Word. (Jas. 1:16-25) Therefore, Jesus is regarding anyone-be he a true disciple, true prophet or false-who stops at hearing and knowing His word, short of full-souled obedience, as a worker of iniquity, for the result is practically the same as if he had never known the way of righteousness.
The formula is as simple as the warning is severe:
1. Only calling Jesus Lord is not doing Gods will.
2. Only hearing Jesus will it not obedience.
3. Only working miracles is not obedience.
4. Only doing Gods will is obedience.
5. ALL else is disobedience and worthy of severest condemnation.
FACT QUESTIONS
1. To whom is reference made in the phrase: every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord?
2. What does Jesus mean by the kingdom of heaven? (Mat. 7:21) What then, is meant by entering it?
3. What is the one requirement Jesus mentions for entrance into the kingdom?
4. What does it mean to address Jesus as Lord, in the negative sense in which some would do so but not enter His kingdom?
5. What does it mean to address Jesus as Lord in the normal, right sense?
6. By the repetition of the double vocative, Lord, Lord, does Jesus mean to identify those in Mat. 7:21 who do not do the will of the Father, with those in Mat. 7:22 who claim to have worked miracles in Jesus name?
7. What is so important to the success of the miracle-workers protest that they argue that their works were done in thy name? Note that the phrase, in thy name, is repeated each time,
8. What false ideas is Jesus correcting by His remarks about His rejection of certain prophets, certain exorcists and certain miracle-workers?
9. Name some obviously unconverted men who really worked God-given miracles or prophesied under the inspiration of the Spirit of God.
10. As a matter of fact, did Jesus deny that the condemned workers of iniquity had really done miracles, cast out demons or prophesied in His name?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(21) He that doeth the will of my Father.The continued stress laid on the ethical side of religion, on the nullity of the confession of a true faith (as embodied in the Lord, Lord) without doing the will of God, more than confirms the interpretation of Mat. 7:16 above given. A further development of the same thought is found in Joh. 7:17, and we are taught that it is by doing the will of God ourselves, or rather by willing to do it, that we gain the power to distinguish, so far as we need distinguish, truth from error, mans teaching from Gods.
The previous words imply that the disciples had already begun to use the title Lord () in speaking to their Master (comp. Luk. 5:8); but as that word was at the time in common use as one of courtesy (Mat. 8:2; Mat. 8:6; Joh. 20:2), it would not necessarily follow that they had used it in all the later fulness of its meaning.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(4.) Mere profession no assurance in judgment, Mat 7:21-23.
21. Not every one Our Lord takes a farther step toward the time of final discrimination.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord,
Will enter into the Kingly Rule of Heaven,
But he who does the will of my Father,
Who is in heaven.
Note how this echoes the Lord’s Prayer. ‘Hallowed be Your Name (Lord, Lord), Your Kingly Rule come (will enter into the Kingly Rule of Heaven), your will be done (he who does the will of My Father), on earth as it is in Heaven (Who is in Heaven).’ It is those who in response to this prayer have entered under His Kingly Rule, and have commenced doing His will on earth, who are truly His. It is not enough to call Him ‘Lord, Lord’. There must be a personal response in the heart. They must have experienced the powerful activity of His righteousness in their lives (Mat 6:33).
So Jesus now faces all His disciples with the question of their genuineness. It is not sufficient to call Him ‘Lord, Lord’. (He repeats the words, and then the idea, twice for emphasis). Words and outward gestures are not sufficient, even when they demonstrate a kind of submission to Him. For if they would enter into the Kingly Rule of Heaven it involves submission to His Father’s will. That is actually only commonsense. For entering under the Kingly Rule of Heaven must involve precisely that, submission to His Father’s Kingly Rule.
Here in this verse ‘Lord, Lord’ does not necessarily indicate more than the respect due to a revered Teacher, although its repetition indicates urgency. But it is in Mat 7:22-23 that it clearly signifies more. Thus He is simply pointing out here that acknowledgement of Him is no guarantee of their security. The only security lies in a genuineness of heart that results in a genuinely changed life.
Note the change to ‘My Father’. All the way through the Sermon it has been ‘your Father’. But here He is dealing with matters of distinction between true and false disciples, and He does not want there to be any doubt about the fact that God is only the Father of those who are truly disciples (they are sons of His Kingly Rule in contrast with the sons of the evil one – Mat 13:38). We have here therefore here a distinct indication of His own uniqueness (compare ‘My Father and your Father’ (Joh 20:17)). In such circumstances He never says ‘our Father’. The use is building up to what follows, which is the result of the very fact that His position before the Father is unique. Thus He wants them to recognise that the Father is not their Father in the same way as He is His Father (compare Mat 3:17; Mat 4:3; Mat 4:6). It would not necessarily be something that they would grasp straight away. But remembering His words they would eventually recognise more and more of their meaning.
But one question that may be asked is, Does this mean entry into the present Kingly Rule, or the future? There is no question that elsewhere He does teach that men can ‘enter the Kingly Rule of Heaven’ now. In Joh 3:3; Joh 3:6 seeing and entering under the Kingly Rule of God results from being born of the Spirit, a present experience. In Mat 18:4 the one who humbles himself as a little child is the greatest in the Kingly Rule of Heaven. The assumption is that he is already in it. And his entry into it has resulted from ‘turning and becoming as a little child’ (Mat 18:3). Compare Mar 10:15 where ‘receiving the Kingly Rule of God as a little child’ results in entry to it. Mat 19:23 gives the impression that the rich young man had failed at that stage to enter into the Kingly Rule of Heaven because his riches held him back. That is then followed by the general proposition that entry under the Kingly Rule of God was hard for any rich person (Mat 19:24), although thankfully even that was possible for God (Mat 19:26). Furthermore the parallel we detect with the Lord’s Prayer also connects it with the present rolling into the future. Thus it would seem that Jesus’ point here is that those who would now enter under the Kingly Rule of Heaven must do so, not just by calling Jesus ‘Lord, Lord’, but by submitting to His Father’s will. For their righteousness for the purpose must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Mat 5:20). It must be an inworked righteousness (Mat 6:33).
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
It Is Not Enough To Say ‘Lord, Lord’. The Test Of Men Is Found In Doing The Will Of God (7:21-23).
Jesus now widens His words to include all who profess to be disciples. He declares that a man may be totally orthodox in what he says, but that that is not enough. The true test of whether a man is acceptable to God will come out in his life. A faith that does not result in obedience is no faith at all (compare Rom 6:1-2; Jas 1:22-24; Jas 2:14-16; Jas 2:26). These are solemn words of Jesus and we dare not water them down. (Calvin put it more theologically when he said, ‘We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is not alone’).
We should, however, also note the significance of His words. It is not so much the title ‘Lord, Lord’ (which could in another context simply mean ‘teacher, teacher’) which draws attention to His uniqueness, but the quiet claim that His decision at the day of Judgment will in some way determine the destiny of men. It is He Who will say ‘depart from Me ’. The truth or otherwise of their relationship to Him will settle once and for all their eternal destiny.
Analysis.
a
b But he who does the will of my Father, Who is in heaven (Mat 7:21 b).
c Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord’ (Mat 7:22 a).
b Did we not prophesy by your name, and by your name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works? (Mat 7:22 b).
a And then will I profess to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who work iniquity (Mat 7:23).
Note that in ‘a’ calling Him ‘Lord, Lord’ does not bring men into The Kingly Rule of Heaven now, while in the parallel He will therefore in the future, ‘in that Day’, command them to depart from Him. In ‘b’ entry into the Kingly Rule of Heaven necessarily requires doing the will of His Father in Heaven, while in the parallel what they think of as enough to guarantee their entry will prove not to be so. Central in ‘c’ is their false claims ‘in that Day’, claims that will fail.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Glorification: Entering the Promised Land by Doing the Will of the Father ( Luk 13:22-30 ) In Mat 7:21-23 Jesus Christ teaches on the subject of how to enter into our future glorification in Heaven. It is only those who stay on course and do the will of the Father who will enter into Heaven. Jesus will expound upon this topic in His Olivet Discourse (Mat 24:1 to Mat 25:46).
Mat 7:21-23 teaches us to learn to hear the voice of the Father and to do His will. This is the only way to avoid being misled by false prophets. According to the parallel passage in Luke, these verses in Matthew’s Gospel are simply a continuation of the passage on the narrow gate in Mat 7:13-14.
This teaching to the Jews is telling them that by their traditions no man is justified before God. Many people today spend their entire lives within the framework of a church denomination that does not emphasize the need to be saved, or born again. Just as the Jews in the time of Jesus trusted in their ancient heritage and traditions and good works, so do many church members believe that they are going to Heaven because they have been a member of a church and lived a relatively good life. I have asked people of denominations that do not emphasize the born again experience, such as many Anglican and Catholics churches, about what it takes to get to Heaven. They reply, “If I am a good person,” or, “If I attend church regularly.” They base their relationship with God on good works; and this the exact mentality we see in those who come to Jesus in Mat 7:22 as they declare their good works before Him. However, the theme of the Sermon on the Mount is a discourse on true righteousness before God, which takes place only in the lives of those with a pure heart who put their faith and trust in Him.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:21
Luk 6:46, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:22
Mar 9:39, “But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.”
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Mat 7:23
Eze 33:12, “Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.”
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
False discipleship:
v. 21. Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. False teachers have been characterized, spurious disciples are here described. Not all of those that make a practice of public confession are in truth confessors. They may try to cover their hypocrisy by publicly acknowledging and professing Jesus as the Lord, thus apparently giving Him divine honor and glory, which is implied in this appellation. But a mouth-Christianity can never be a valid substitute for heart-Christianity. The fact that the lips readily form the name of Christ the Lord, make a practice of repeating it, will bring no one into the kingdom of heaven nor let him enter into the blessed communion of those that are one with Christ. Even a mere listening to His teaching with admiration and appreciation will avail nothing. But among those that profess Christ there are also others, such as have received Christ in faith and have by Him been renewed in heart and mind. They receive spiritual power from Him continually and are thus enabled to carry out the will of the heavenly Father in their lives. The performing of the will of God thus becomes the criterion by which the sincerity of their discipleship is tested. Christ calls God “My Father. ” In His deep humility He is not seeking His own glory. He has the right to bear the name Lord and to demand obedience to His will. But He impresses upon His hearers the sacredness of the revealed will of God; that should find expression in their lives.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 7:21. Not everyone that saith, &c. That is, “Among those who acknowledge me for the Messiah, none but such as do the will of God shall be admitted into his kingdom:” not a bare profession of religion, but a conscientious performance of the duties of it, as the fruits of living faith in him, will stand the test in the great day of account. Here the kingdom of heaven must signify that of glory above. Compare ch. Mat 8:11. Luk 13:28 and Olearius on the text.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Mat 7:21-23 . Jesus now states in literal terms what He meant to convey through the simile of the fruit . There is much that is arbitrary in the way this passage is dealt with by those who, from their having supposed the . of Mat 7:15 to be Jews, are under the necessity of adopting a different explanation in the present instance. De Wette, going against the context, sees a gradual transition from teachers who teach what is unsound (Mat 7:15-20 ) to such (teachers and others) as are satisfied with the mere acknowledgment of their belief . That it is still the same false prophets against whom the warning in Mat 7:21-23 is directed, appears from the use of in Mat 7:22 , and of . . in Mat 7:23 , the latter further showing that is to be understood as denoting the characteristic mark of such prophets.
] not, no one (Elsner, Fritzsche), but, not every one , 1Co 15:39 . Winer, p. 161 [E. T. 214]. Not all who acknowledge me as their teacher will enter the Messianic kingdom, only those among them, and so on. Many will not enter therein. Therefore it is not the case that the teachers are not referred to till Mat 7:22 , according to the idea of gradation which de Wette introduces into that verse: “ even those who work in my name,” and so on.
, ] In addressing their teachers, the Jews employed the title or . Accordingly it came to be used as a title in addressing the Messiah (Joh 13:13 f.), and in the church itself came to be regarded as the summary of belief, inasmuch as it contained the full recognition of the majesty of Jesus’ person (1Co 12:3 ; Phi 2:11 ). Christ Himself called no man master. It is on this occasion, and while applying to Himself this Messianic title, that He also says for the first time, (comp. Mat 3:17 ). The twice repeated is meant to convey the idea of earnestness. See Bornemann, Schol. in Luc. p. 53, and in the Stud. u. Krit. 1843, p. 124. Comp. Mat 25:11 ; Add. ad Esth. iii. 2, 3; LXX. Psa 71:5 ; Psa 71:16 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
DISCOURSE: 1333
THE NATURE AND IMPORTANCE OF TRUE RELIGION
Mat 7:21-23. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
THE criterion, by which we are to judge of our spiritual state, is precisely the same as that whereby we determine the nature and value of things around us. As we know the different kinds and comparative excellence of trees by their fruits, so we may ascertain by our works whether we be real, or only nominal, Christians. It is by these that we shall be tried in the last day; and, according as they have been conformable or not to the will of God, will our eternal doom be fixed. Of this we are plainly warned in the words before us; which, as they cannot be rendered more intelligible, but would rather be enervated, by any attempt to explain them, we shall endeavour to impress on our minds by an application of them to our hearts and consciences. There are three distinct characters, to whom, in prosecution of our purpose, we shall address ourselves:
I.
To those who make a profession of religion, but walk unworthy of it
[Our Lord not only intimates, but expressly declares, that there are many who deceive themselves in the matter of religion. It is of infinite importance therefore that we should have just and accurate notions of vital godliness; and that we should bring our experience of religion to the touchstone of Gods word. It is evident that a person may have much, which bears the semblance of piety, while he is far from feeling its genuine influence. He may say, Lord, Lord, that is, he may not only profess to believe in Christ, and to submit to his authority, but may profess it with considerable zeal and confidence; he may also preach, and even work miracles, in the name of Christ, and yet be destitute of that, which alone can prove him to be a true Christian. The examples of Simon Magus, and of Judas, sufficiently confirm this melancholy truth [Note: Act 8:13; Act 8:23. Joh 6:70-71. For further instances of false confidence, see Psa 78:35-36. Jer 7:4. Joh 8:39; Joh 8:41; Joh 8:44.]. It becomes us therefore to inquire, not only what notions we entertain, but what effects they produce on our hearts and lives? Are we doing the will of God? Are we doing it cheerfully, uniformly, progressively? Do we walk with God, setting him constantly before us, endeavouring to approve ourselves to him in all we do, and worshipping him statedly in the Church, the family, and the closet? Do we act towards our neighbour, as we, in a change of circumstances, should expect him to act towards us? Do we pay a strict regard to truth and honesty in all our dealings? Do we exercise candour in judging, patience in forbearing, kindness in pardoning, generosity in relieving? In short, is love the principle, that regulates all our conduct? And are we conscientiously discharging all our relative duties, as husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants, magistrates and subjects? Are we, moreover, duly attentive to the workings of our own hearts, in order to suppress the motions of pride, envy, malice, covetousness, impurity, or whatever else may defile the soul? Are we studious to mortify sin in the thought and desire no less than in its outward actings? Now such is the true way to judge of our state: for only in proportion as we are enabled to practise these duties, have we any scriptural evidence of our acceptance with God. We do not mean that the performance of these duties constitutes the whole of religion: but that our faith in Christ is of no farther value than as it manifests itself by these fruits. If we have not oil in our lamps, whereby we are enabled to make our light shine before men, we shall, like the foolish virgins, be excluded, however confidently we may knock at the gate of heaven in expectation of admittance [Note: Mat 25:11-12. Luk 13:25-27.].]
II.
To those who neither practise religion nor profess it
[The text, though not so directly applicable to persons of this description, may yet suggest to them abundant matter for most serious reflection. While some deceive themselves by a mere profession of religion, there are others who are satisfied with declaiming against hypocrites: who, because they do not pretend to any serious religion, imagine themselves absolved from all obligations to it. But if our Lord does not approve of those who externally honour him, because their lives do not correspond with their professions, can we suppose that he approves of those who openly dishonour and despise him? If they be excluded from his kingdom, shall not these also? If they be disappointed in their expectations, must not the hope of these also be as a spiders web? If they who can appeal to the judge himself that they have done much for him, be bidden to depart, shall those, who have never done any thing for him, find a favourable acceptance? Let such persons then learn, that to hate hypocrisy in others is to little purpose, unless they hate it also in themselves. The same rule of judgment is established for all. We shall all receive according to what we have done, whether it be good or evil. There shall be one doom for those who abused the Gospel, and for those who rejected it. If to the former it shall be said, Depart, I never knew you; of the latter it will be said, Bring hither those that would not that I should reign over them, and slay them before me.]
III.
To those, who both profess religion, and adorn it by a suitable conversation
[Our Lord expressly declares, that they, who do the will of his Father, shall enter into his kingdom: and his testimony is confirmed by numberless other passages of Holy Writ [Note: Psa 15:1-2; Psa 24:3-4. Heb 5:9.]. Persons of this description are extremely different from the self-deceiving professors, not only in their practice, but also in their spirit and temper. Instead of making an ostentatious parade of their religion, they are intent rather on cultivating the inward principle: instead of hastily entertaining an assured confidence, they are jealous over themselves with a godly jealousy: and instead of being forward to boast of what they have done for Christ, they are ashamed of their best services, and ready rather to dread his displeasure for what they have omitted, than to claim his favour for any thing they have done. They still have indeed many infirmities: and it is their view of these that keeps them low, and perhaps sometimes fills them with doubts and fears. But God will easily distinguish between the allowed sins of the most specious hypocrite, and the lamented infirmities of the weakest of his children: and while he says to one, Depart accursed, he will address the other in terms of approbation and complacency. Though neither leavened or blemished offerings should be presented in sacrifice to God, yet, if presented as free-will offerings, they were accepted [Note: Compare Lev 2:11. with 7:13 and 22:2123.]. Thus shall the imperfect services of his people, if offered with a willing mind, come up with acceptance before him, and be recorded at the day of judgment as evidences of their faith and love. Let the believer then go on in a course of uniform and unreserved obedience: and let him not be discouraged because he does not possess talents that attract the admiration of men: but rather let him study to approve himself to God; and he who seeth in secret, will ere long reward him openly.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Ver. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter, &c. ] Not every verbal professor or forward pretender to me and my truth, shall be saved. That son of perdition called Christ Lord, Lord, yet betrayed him with a kiss; and is gone to his place. How many Judases have we, that speak Christ fair, but by their loose and lawless lives deliver him up to the scoffs and buffetings of his enemies! that bow the knee to him, and bid “Hail, King of the Jews!” yet smite him on the face, and bid him prophesy who smote him; that put a reeden sceptre in his hand, and make him a titular Lord only; having no more than a form of knowledge,Rom 2:20Rom 2:20 , a pretence of piety, 2Ti 3:5 , and a semblance of sanctimony,Luk 8:18Luk 8:18 , contenting themselves with the name of Christians; as if many a ship had not been called Safe Guard or Good Speed, and yet fallen into the hands of pirates. These are blots of goodness, botches of the Church, as Augustus was used to term his three untoward children, tres vomicas, tria cariomata, mattery imposthumes, ulcerous sores. Epictetus complained that there were many would be philosophers, as far as a few good words would go; a but were nothing for practice. Socrates made no distinction between and , knowing and doing. So to know good as to practise it, and evil as to avoid it, this he esteemed the only wisdom. Such as say well and do well, are to be embraced, saith Aristotle: b but their very profession is to be suspected that second it not with a suitable practice. Nesciunt insani nesciunt, , qui non vivunt honeste, saith another. There are those who speak like angels, live like devils; that have Jacob’s smooth tongue, but Esau’s rough hands. Audi, nemo melius: specta, nemo peius: Loquitur hic ut Piso, vivit ut Gallonius. All men admire Cicero’s tongue, saith St Austin, not so his practice. c Seneca could give excellent counsel to others, which himself did not take. d He is much taxed for flattery, luxury, covetousness, &c., and something he confesseth hereof (though covertly) in that sentence of his, in his book de Tranquillitate, Nec aegroto, nec valeo, I am neither sick nor sound. Lilies are fair in show, but foul in scent. Coin is white in colour, but draws a black line after it. Glow worms seem to have both light and heat; but touch them only, and it will appear they have neither. Livy saith that the Athenians waged war against Philip of Macedon with letters and words. e So do many against the devil; they defy him with their mouths, but deify him in their lives; they spit at his name, but admit his suggestions; they call Christ Lord, Lord, but in truth, and upon the matter, the devil is their good lord; for his servants they are to whom they obey. They lean upon the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come unto us,”Mic 3:11Mic 3:11 . But he shall shake them off with a discedite, depart ye. He likes not this court holy water, as they call it, these fair professions and deep protestations of love, when men’s hearts are not with him, when there is not the power of religion, the practice of godliness. The leaves of profession he dislikes not, for as they are of medicinable use,Eze 47:12Eze 47:12 , so they are good inducements to force a necessity of more fruit. But he looks for more than leaves. He goes down to his garden to see how it comes forward, in righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost; in meekness, tender heartedness, love; in patience, humility, contentedness; in mortification of sin, moderation of passion, holy guidance of the tongue; in works of mercy, truth, and justice; in self-denial, love of enemies, life of faith; in heavenly mindedness, sweet communion with God, comfortable longing for the coming of Christ, &c. These be those fruits, and that doing of God’s will, without the which our Saviour here averreth there is no heaven to be had, no, though men profess largely, preach frequently, pray ardently, eat and drink at his table, dispossess devils in his name, &c. Judas did all this and was damned. f Shalt thou to heaven that doest no more? no, nor so much? Woe to all careless professors and carnal gospellers! The Lord will make all the Churches know that he searcheth the hearts, Rev 2:23 , and will not be beguiled with the fig leaves of formality. And for those that carry it more cleanly, as they conceive, and can walk undiscovered, let them know that God (that he may make the name of the wicked to rot) many times so detects their guile, that their wickedness is shown to the whole congregation, Pro 26:26 . Or if not so, yet certainly he will do it at that general judgment, that great assize (as it follows in the next verse), when it shall be required of men, non quid legerint, sed quid egerint; non quid dixerint, sed quomodo vixerint, not how much they have talked of heaven, but how well they have walked in the way to heaven; not a proffering of words, but an offering of works, as Agapetus hath it. g The foolish virgins were found with their sic dicentes, such talking, but the good servants with their sic facientes such doing.
a .
b , . Ethic.
c Ciceronis linguam omnes fere mirantur, pectus non ita. Confess. iii. 4.
d In plerisque, contra facere visus est Seneca quam philosophabatur. Dio.
e Athenienses literis verbisque bellum adversus Philippum Persei patrem gesserunt.
f Cainistae sunt offerentes non personam, sed opus personae. Luther.
g .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
21. ] The doom of the hypocritical false prophets introduces the doom of all hypocrites, and brings on the solemn close of the whole, in which the hypocrite and the true disciple are parabolically compared .
Observe that here the Lord sets Himself forth as the Judge in the great day, and at the same time speaks not of . , but . : an important and invaluable doctrinal landmark in this very opening of His ministry in the first Gospel.
is not here ‘ no one ,’ as some (Elsner, Fritzsche) have interpreted it. That meaning would require .
The context must rule the meaning of such wide words as . Here it is evidently used of mere lip homage; but in , 1Co 12:3 , the “ saying ” has the deeper meaning of a genuine heartfelt confession. To seek for discrepancies in passages of this kind implies a predisposition to find them: and is to treat Holy Scripture with less than that measure of candour which we give to the writings of one another.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 7:21-23 . False discipleship . From false teachers the discourse naturally passes to spurious disciples. Luke’s version contains the kernel of this passage (Luk 6:46 ). Something of the kind was to be expected in the teaching on the hill. What more likely than that the Master, who had spoken such weighty truths, should say to His hearers: “In vain ye call me Master, unless ye do the things which I say”? As it stands here the logion has probably, as Weiss suggests (Matt. Evang., p. 219), undergone expansion and modification, so as to give to the title “Lord,” originally = , Teacher, the full sense it bore when applied to Christ by the Apostolic Church, and to make the warning refer to false prophets of the Apostolic age using Christ’s name and authority in support of anti-Christian tendencies, such as anti-nomianism ( , Mat 7:23 ).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Mat 7:21 . , : Of all, whether disciples or teachers, the principle holds good without exception that not saying “Lord” but doing God’s will is the condition of approval and admittance into the kingdom. Saying “Lord” includes taking Jesus for Master, and listening to His teaching with appreciation and admiration; everything short of carrying out His teaching in life. In connection with such lofty thoughts as the Beatitudes, the precept to love enemies and the admonition against care, there is a great temptation to substitute sentimental or sthetic admiration for heroic conduct. . Christ’s sense of His position as Master or Lord was free from egotism. He was simply the Son and Servant of the Father, whose will He and all who follow Him must obey; my Father here for the first time.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 7:21-23
21″Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? 23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'”
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me” This is a present active participle which speaks of continuing action. They said these words again and again.
“Lord, Lord” The rabbis said that the doubling of a name shows affection (cf. Gen 22:11).
The Greek word kurios was used in several distinct ways in the first century. It could simply mean (1) “sir” ; (2) “master” ; (3) “owner” ; or (4) ” husband.” But, in theological contexts, it is usually interpreted with its full meaning derived from the OT translation of the name YHWH (cf. Exo 3:14). In this context these men were making a theological statement about Jesus, but did not have a personal relationship with Him. It is difficult at this early stage in Jesus’ ministry to know how much theological weight to attach to this term. Peter also used it early as a theological title for Jesus (cf. Luk 5:8), as did Luk 6:46, where Jesus links one’s verbal affirmations with obedience. However, in this context the scene is eschatological-these false prophets will be judged at the Second Coming.
Were they saved and fell away or were they never saved?
SPECIAL TOPIC: APOSTASY (APHISTMI)
“will enter the kingdom of heaven” This is a future indicative. The Kingdom was the central focus of the preaching of Jesus. It paralleled the phrase “the kingdom of God” used in Mark and Luke. Matthew, writing to Jews, used “heaven” as a circumlocution for “God.” This verse implies a future orientation, while Mat 3:2 implies a present orientation. The kingdom of heaven is the reign of God in human hearts now which one day will be consummated over all the earth. Jesus, in His model prayer of Mat 6:10, was praying for the coming of the Kingdom of God on earth.
“but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” This is a present active participle. The real focus of the next few verses is on those people who say they are kingdom people but live in ways that reveal they are not. This can be seen in the concluding portion of Mat 7:23, and in Mat 7:24; Mat 7:26. The stated will of God is that one believe on His Son (cf. Joh 6:29; Joh 6:39-40). This personal relationship was what these religious, false prophets lacked (cf. Mat 7:23).
This dialectic or paradoxical structure is so characteristic of biblical truth. God’s will is both an initial decision (gate) and a continuing lifestyle (way).
SPECIAL TOPIC: THE WILL (thelma) OF GOD
Mat 7:22 “Many will say to Me on that day” The structure of this Greek question expected a “yes” answer. The phrase “that day” referred to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This is often called Resurrection Day or Judgment Day, depending on whether you know Him personally or not.
“in Your name. . .in Your name. . .in Your name” This phrase implied “in your authority” or “as your disciple.” It is obvious from Mat 7:23 that they did not know Jesus in a personal way. Notice that the works they performed are godly works. But fruit without relationship is as abominable as relationship without fruit. These same types of miracles were performed by Jesus’ true disciples (cf. Mat 10:1-4), including Judas Iscariot! Miracles are not automatically a sign from God (cf. Mat 24:24 and 2Th 2:9-10). Religious self-deception is a tragedy.
“cast our demons” See Special Topics: Exorcism at Mat 10:1 and The Demonic at Mat 10:1.
Mat 7:23 “then I will declare to them” This Greek term meant “to profess” or “to confess” publicly (see Special Topic at Mat 10:32). The implication of this statement is that Jesus has the position and authority to judge and that judgment is in relation to personal faith in Him.
“I never knew you” This was a strong grammatical construction in Greek. The term “know” had an OT background meaning “intimate, personal relationship” (cf. Gen 4:1 and Jer 1:5). It is frightening to think that the religious activity of Mat 7:22 can be performed in such a self-deceiving way (cf. 1Co 13:1-3).
“depart from Me” This is a present active imperative, a continuing command rendered literally as “keep on departing from Me!” Thus the implied meaning is “you are already going away-just keep on going!” It is an allusion to Psa 6:8.
“you who practice lawlessness” It is shocking that these apparently effective religious leaders were totally independent of the power and person of Christ.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Lord, Lord. Note the Figure of speech Epizeuxis (App-6), for emphasis.
the kingdom of heaven. See App-114.
heaven = heavens. All the texts read “the heavens”. See notes on Mat 6:9, Mat 6:10.
will. Greek. thelema. See App-102.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
21.] The doom of the hypocritical false prophets introduces the doom of all hypocrites, and brings on the solemn close of the whole, in which the hypocrite and the true disciple are parabolically compared.
Observe that here the Lord sets Himself forth as the Judge in the great day, and at the same time speaks not of . , but . : an important and invaluable doctrinal landmark in this very opening of His ministry in the first Gospel.
is not here no one, as some (Elsner, Fritzsche) have interpreted it. That meaning would require .
The context must rule the meaning of such wide words as . Here it is evidently used of mere lip homage; but in , 1Co 12:3, the saying has the deeper meaning of a genuine heartfelt confession. To seek for discrepancies in passages of this kind implies a predisposition to find them: and is to treat Holy Scripture with less than that measure of candour which we give to the writings of one another.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 7:21. , …, not every one, etc.) for all in some manner say, and shall say so; see Mat 7:22, and cf. Luk 9:57; Luk 9:59; Luk 9:61.- , that saith) Put in opposition to , that doeth: cf. 1Co 9:27; 1Co 13:1-2.-, unto Me) The meaning is, unto Me and My Father; and again, My Fathers Will and Mine.-, Lord) Jesus acknowledged that this Divine appellation was due to Him. Many, even men of high rank, called Him LORD: He called no one so, not even Pilate.- , …, he that doeth, etc.) There is an antithesis between this and (that work), in Mat 7:23.- , …, the will, etc.) sc. that which I preach, the righteous will, which is declared in the Law: cf. v. 19.- ,[330] which is in heaven[331]) No one, therefore, who is contrary to God will enter heaven.- ,[332] ,[333] but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in Heaven,[334] he shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven[335]) These last words,[336] ipse intrabit in regnum clorum,[337] he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, are found in that most ancient authority, the Latin Vulgate,[338] and from it in both Hebrew editions[339] of St Matthew, in the Anglo-Saxon Version,[340] in Jerome, and in Lupus,[341] Ep. 84, and, perhaps from another version, in Cypria[342]. The copyists of later times, slipping from to , have omitted the clause. In antithetical passages of this character, the sacred writers frequently employ the figure entitled Plenus Sermo.[343]
[330-335] The word is in the plural number.-(I. B.)
[336] They are not found in E. M.-(I. B.)
[337] The word is in the plural number.-(I. B.)
[338] See p. 14, f. n. 1.-(I. B.)
[339] See Le Long, Bibliotheca Sacra, pt. II. Sect. 1, 4, 5, 6; and Bengels App. Crit. pt. I. Sect. 32, Obs. 6.-(I. B.)
[340] Supposed to have been executed in the eighth century. See Hartwell Horne, vol. II. Pt. I. chap. 3, Sect. iii. 4.-(I. B.)
[341] LUPUS SERVATIUS (or SERVATUS), a native of France, and disciple of the celebrated Aldric, who sent him to Fulda to study the Holy Scriptures under the famous Rabanus Maurus. He became Abbot of Ferriere A.D. 842, and distinguished himself both as a scholar and a theologian. His character stands high both as a man and an author.-(I. B)
[342] yprian (in the beginning and middle of the third century: a Latin father). Ed. Steph. Baluzii, Paris. 1726.
[343] i.e. give the words in full, even though any reader might have readily supplied them.-ED.
Vulg. abc Cypr. Hil. add ipse intrabit in regnum clorum: they moreover must read ipse, not as Beng. has it, hic, . BZ and most of the oldest authorities omit the clause.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
kingdom
(See Scofield “Mat 3:2”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
saith: Mat 25:11, Mat 25:12, Hos 8:2, Hos 8:3, Luk 6:46, Luk 13:25, Act 19:13-20, Rom 2:13, Tit 1:16, Jam 1:22, Jam 2:20-26
shall: Mat 18:3, Mat 19:24, Mat 21:31, Mat 25:11, Mat 25:12, Mat 25:21, Isa 48:1, Isa 48:2, Mar 9:47, Mar 10:23, Mar 10:24, Luk 18:25, Joh 3:5, Act 14:22, Heb 4:6
that: Mat 12:50, Mat 21:29-31, Mar 3:35, Luk 11:28, Joh 6:40, Joh 7:17, Rom 12:2, Eph 6:6, Col 4:12, 1Th 4:3, 1Th 5:18, Heb 13:21, 1Pe 2:15, 1Pe 4:2, 1Jo 3:21-24, Rev 22:14
my: Mat 10:32, Mat 10:33, Mat 16:17, Mat 18:10, Mat 18:19, Mat 18:35, Mat 26:39, Mat 26:42, Joh 5:17, Joh 10:29, Joh 10:30, Joh 14:7, Joh 15:23, Rev 2:27, Rev 3:5
Reciprocal: Exo 35:1 – do them Num 14:40 – rose up Deu 5:10 – showing Deu 11:32 – General Deu 13:18 – to keep Deu 30:14 – mouth Jos 1:8 – observe Job 20:5 – the joy Psa 15:5 – He that doeth Psa 119:48 – unto thy Eze 18:5 – if Eze 18:11 – that Mal 1:6 – and if Mat 5:20 – ye Mat 6:10 – Thy will Mat 7:22 – to me Mat 22:24 – Master Mat 25:24 – Lord Luk 8:21 – which Joh 13:13 – call 1Co 9:27 – lest Phi 4:9 – do Heb 4:1 – any Heb 4:13 – with Heb 6:4 – and have Heb 10:36 – after Jam 2:14 – though 1Jo 2:17 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
NOMINAL DISCIPLESHIP
Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:21
These words are familiar to us from their place among the offertory sentences in the Communion Service. Experience points to a broad correspondence between what men do and what they are; and, therefore, action is the true test of character upon the whole. It is very tolerable to most of us, to hear classes of people condemned for sins or inconsistencies which we have no chance of committing. Our Lord knew human nature too thoroughly to flatter one of the least amiable of its weaknesses, and He proceeds to show that His disciples might be men of profession without being strictly men of action.
I. The kingdom.What is here meant by the Kingdom of Heaven? Our Lord means, in the first instance, the new spiritual society of men which He was establishing under that name on the earth. But mere profession of adherence to Him, however reiterated, however enthusiastic, is to be no passport of entrance into the kingdom. And so, when the multitudes around Him, entranced by the power of His teaching, were visibly willing to make protestations of attachment and of service, He observed solemnly, Not every one but he that doeth.
II. The persons referred to.To what persons or what classes of persons does our Lord refer? We can scarcely doubt that He does refer to some bona fide hypocrites, who professed what they did not mean or feel; but our Lord speaks with a prophetical foresight to all the ages of His Church. There is much less temptation now to hypocrisy, in these days. A young man of education and ability knows perfectly well, if his highest object in life be money or distinction, there are better things to do with himself than to take Holy Orders; and in general society a man does not now lose caste, as he did twenty years ago, by avowing even his disbelief in Christianity. But our Lord includes another form of hypocrisybeing carried away by a torrent of enthusiasm into words and actions which, left to ourselves, we should not mean. A day must come when every soul must stand alone. Nothing will help us then which has not been made by Gods grace genuinely our ownour own in this sense, that we mean it, with all the purpose and intensity of the soul, whether others mean it or not.
III. The voice of feeling.Lord, Lord, is sometimes the voice of feeling as distinct from conviction. Feeling has its due sphere in the religious life of the soul, but feeling must follow conviction. If it precedes conviction it will soon get us into trouble. Our Lord would seem to be contrasting genuine religion with mere devoutness such as we see sometimes divorced from a religious sense of duty. There are lives in which passionate bursts of feeling, strong and tender, towards our Saviour alternate with disobedience, deliberate, repeated, to the known will of Godto the simplest duties. Why call ye Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Our business here is not to give up devotionGod forbidbut to be, by His grace, sincere about it.
Canon Liddon.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
7:21
Lord is from KURIOS and means, “One who has control of a person, the master.” The mere addressing one as a master without doing what he expects of his servant is inconsistent. Such empty professors will not be admitted into the kingdom of heaven, because there will be things that need to be done by its citizens.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
THE Lord Jesus winds up the sermon on the mount by a passage of heart-piercing application. He turns from false prophets to false professors, from unsound teachers to unsound hearers. Here is a word for all. May we have grace to apply it to our own hearts!
The first lesson here is the uselessness of a mere outward profession of Christianity. Not every one that saith “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Not all that profess and call themselves Christians shall be saved.
Let us take notice of this. It requires far more than most people seem to think necessary, to save a soul. We may be baptized in the name of Christ, and boast confidently of our ecclesiastical privileges. We may possess head-knowledge, and be quite satisfied with our own state. We may even be preachers, and teachers of others, and do “many wonderful works” in connection with our church. But all this time are we practically doing the will of our Father in heaven? Do we truly repent, truly believe on Christ, and live holy and humble lives? If not, in spite of all our privileges and profession, we shall miss heaven at last, and be for ever cast away. We shall hear those awful words, “I never knew you: depart from me.”
The day of judgment will reveal strange things. The hopes of many, who were thought great Christians while they lived, will be utterly confounded. The rottenness of their religion will be exposed and put to shame before the whole world. It will then be proved, that to be saved means something more than “making a profession.” We must make a “practice” of our Christianity as well as a “profession.” Let us often think of that great day. Let us often “judge ourselves, that we be not judged,” and condemned by the Lord. Whatever else we are, let us aim at being real, true, and sincere.
The second lesson here is a striking picture of two classes of Christian hearers. Those who hear and do nothing,-and those who hear and do as well as hear,-are both placed before us, and their histories traced to their respective ends.
The man who hears Christian teaching, and practices what he hears, is like “a wise man who builds his house upon a rock.” He does not content himself with listening to exhortations to repent, believe in Christ, and live a holy life. He actually repents. He actually believes. He actually ceases to do evil, learns to do well, abhors that which is sinful, and cleaves to that which is good. He is a doer as well as a hearer. (Jam 1:22.)
And what is the result? In the time of trial his religion does not fail him. The floods of sickness, sorrow, poverty, disappointments, bereavements beat upon him in vain. His soul stands unmoved. His faith does not give way. His comforts do not utterly forsake him. His religion may have cost him trouble in time past. His foundation may have been obtained with much labor and many tears. To discover his own interest in Christ may have required many a day of earnest seeking, and many an hour of wrestling in prayer. But his labor has not been thrown away. He now reaps a rich reward. The religion that can stand trial is the true religion.
The man who hears Christian teaching, and never gets beyond hearing, is like “a foolish man who builds his house on the sand.” He satisfies himself with listening and approving, but he goes no further. He flatters himself, perhaps, that all is right with his soul, because he has feelings, and convictions, and desires, of a spiritual kind. In these he rests. He never really breaks off from sin, and casts aside the spirit of the world. He never really lays hold on Christ. He never really takes up the cross. He is a hearer of truth, but nothing more.
And what is the end of this man’s religion? It breaks down entirely under the first flood of tribulation. It fails him completely, like a summer-dried fountain, when his need is the sorest. It leaves its possessor high and dry, like a wreck on a sand bank, a scandal to the church, a by-word to the infidel, and a misery to himself. Most true is it that what costs little is worth little! A religion which costs us nothing, and consists in nothing but hearing sermons, will always prove at last to be a useless thing.
So ends the sermon on the mount. Such a sermon never was preached before. Such a sermon perhaps has never been preached since. Let us see that it has a lasting influence on our own souls. It is addressed to us as well as to those who first heard it. We are they who shall have to give account of its heart-searching lessons. It is no light matter what we think of them. The word that Jesus has spoken, “the same shall judge us in the last day.” (Joh 12:48.)
Fuente: Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels
Mat 7:21. A natural transition from false teachers to false profession and self-deception.
Not every one. The really pious profess Christ, but not all who profess are really pious. This answers a common objection urged against public profession from the number of hypocrites.
Lord, Lord, the repetition is emphatic. This word, probably already used by the disciples, is the germ of a Christian confession, centering in the acknowledgment of personal allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. Such acknowledgment in word (or subscription to an orthodox creed) is not enough for entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
But he that doeth, etc. Of all who thus confess, only those doing the will of God shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven. The contrast is not between hypocritical professors and holy non-professors, but between hypocrites and saints, all making the same outward profession.
My Father. The whole Gospel shows that this means a closer relation than that expressed by the phrases, your Father, our Father. Christ, the only begotten Son, always addresses God as Father, or my Father.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Section 7. (Mat 7:21-29).
The complete disciple.
7. (1) We have now pressed what the complete disciple is in contrast with the mere barren professor, and the man who does not in fact build upon the rock. The time surely comes when the reality under all appearances will be made evident, and nothing will stand but what is real. Empty profession will not do: the saying, “Lord, Lord,” is not necessarily subjection to Him. Prophesying, casting out demons, doing miracles, are no decisive proofs of true discipleship. For this there must be living acquaintance with Himself, that true knowledge without which, after all, the life will be lawless.
(2) The second illustration exhibits the true dependence of the soul on Him where He is known; in contrast with the false dependences which betray men to their ruin. In both cases we have pictured the builder of a house – the place of his affections and his rest, but above all, as it is viewed here, his shelter and refuge from the storm. Now for the stability of a house the foundation is the matter of first moment. If the foundation is not firm, no matter how solidly the house is built: it will go with the foundation. Christ and His words are here the rock that abides; all else, whatever be its nature, is but sand. He who puts His sayings livingly into practice shall build a house that will endure the storm. None else and nothing else will: while the fair weather lasts it is quite possible that this last may look better than the rock-set one, and the man who trusts it enjoy a passing triumph. Too soon! and when the storm shall come, too late to remedy it.
(3) No wonder that the multitudes were astonished; no wonder that they found this teaching different from the strange conceits, the externalism and traditionalism of the scribes. It was a Voice from another sphere than that of earth, and the strange authority that was in it suited it yet how well! Nothing else could have suited it: any other tone would have been the renunciation of His whole mission. This claim of authority demanded the miracles that accompanied it; and yet, on the other hand, rested itself not even upon these, but above all on the manifest holiness and love and truth which commanded mind, heart, conscience into His presence, compelling the whole man to reverence; where, at least, the man remained to recognize and answer such a claim.
Fuente: Grant’s Numerical Bible Notes and Commentary
Not every one; that is, Not any one that saith Lord, Lord, that is, that owneth me by way of profession, by way of prayer, and by way of appeal, shall be saved; But he that doeth the will of my Father sincerely and universally.
Learn hence, 1. That multitude at the great day shall be really disowned by Christ, as none of his servants, that did nominately own him for their Lord and Master: many that have now prophesied in his name, shall then perish in his wrath: many that have cast out devils now, shall be cast out to devils then: such as have now done many wonderful works, shall then perish for evil workers.
Note, 2. That a bare name and profession of Christianity, without the practice of it, is a very insufficient ground to build our hopes of heaven and salvation upon. A profession of faith and purposes of obedience, without actual obedience to the commands of God, will avail no person to salvation.
3. That gifts, eminent gifts, yea extraordinary and miraculous gifts, are not to be rested in or depended upon as sufficient evidences for heaven and salvation. Gifts are as the gold which adorns the temple, but grace is like the temple that sanctifies the gold.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 7:21. Not every one, &c. The Lord Jesus, having declared the whole counsel of God, with regard to the way of salvation, and observed the chief hinderances of those who desire to walk therein, now closes the whole with these and the following weighty words; thereby, as it were, setting his seal to his prophecy, and impressing his whole authority on what he had delivered, that it might stand firm to all generations: that saith, Lord, Lord That is, that makes a mere profession of my religion, that gives me the title of Lord and Master, or claims an interest in me as his Lord; that calls upon me and pretends to learn of me as a Teacher, to rely on me as a Saviour, to obey me as a Lawgiver, be subject to me as a King and Governor; shall enter into the kingdom of heaven Shall be acknowledged as a true member of the church militant, or be admitted into the church triumphant. Some that say unto Christ, Lord, Lord, shall be saved, being his true disciples; but every one that does so shall not: None, indeed, shall, as Christ here declares, but such as endeavour to fulfil the whole will of God in faith and holiness, viz., that will which is described in this sermon. They that make it their care to understand the doctrine here declared, to experience the graces here delineated, to perform the duties here enjoined, to shun the hinderances here guarded against, and to embrace the helps here recommended, they that thus comply with this holy, acceptable, and perfect will of God, shall be acknowledged loyal subjects of Christs kingdom here, and shall undoubtedly be admitted to reign with him hereafter.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
7:21 {7} Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(7) Even the best gifts that exist are nothing without godliness.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The two claims 7:21-23 (cf. Luk 6:46)
Mat 7:15-20 deal with false prophets, but Mat 7:21-23 deal with false followers. The repeated cry of these false disciples reveals their fervency.
"In Jesus’ day it is doubtful whether ’Lord’ when used to address him meant more than ’teacher’ or ’sir.’ But in the postresurrection period, it becomes an appellation of worship and a confession of Jesus’ deity." [Note: Carson, "Matthew," p. 192.]
Obedience to the Father’s will determines entrance into the kingdom, not professed admiration for Jesus. This is the first occurrence of the phrase "my Father" in Matthew. By using it Jesus was implicitly claiming to be the authoritative revealer of God. During Jesus’ ministry, doing the will of God boiled down to believing that Jesus was the Messiah and responding appropriately (Joh 6:29). [Note: See Robern N. Wilkin, "Not Everyone Who Says ’Lord, Lord’ Will Enter the Kingdom: Mat 7:21-23," The Grace Evangelical Society News 3:12 (December 1988):2-3.] Note that entrance into the kingdom was still future; the kingdom was not yet present. Judgment will precede entrance into the kingdom.
Jesus claimed to be the eschatological Judge (cf. John 6). This was one of Messiah’s functions (e.g., Psalms 2). "That day" (Mat 7:22) is the day Jesus will judge false professors. It is almost a technical term for the messianic age (cf. Isa 2:11; Isa 2:17; Isa 4:2; Isa 10:20; Jer 49:22; Zec 14:6; Zec 14:20-21). "In your name" means as your representatives and claiming your authority. Obviously it was possible for false disciples to prophesy, exorcise demons, and perform miracles in Jesus’ name (e.g., Judas Iscariot). The authority of His name (reputation) enabled them to do so, not their own righteousness or relationship to Him. Many onlookers undoubtedly viewed these works as good fruit and evidence of righteous character. However these were cases of tares that looked like wheat (cf. Mat 13:24-30).
Jesus Himself would sentence the hypocrites to depart from His presence (Mat 7:23). [Note: See Karl E. Pagenkemper, "Rejection Imagery in the Synoptic Parables," Bibliotheca Sacra 153:610 (April-June 1996):189-90.] Thus Jesus claimed again that He is the Judge who will determine who will enter the kingdom and who will not. This was a decidedly messianic function. The quotation from Psa 6:8 puts Jesus in the place of the sufferer whom God has vindicated and who now tells those who have done Him evil to depart from His presence. Moreover He will say He never knew these false professors. Many people deal with holy things daily yet have no personal acquaintance with God because they are hypocrites. It is their failure to bow before divine law, the will of God, that renders them practitioners of lawlessness and guilty.