Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
( d) The false guides to the narrow entrance, and the test of the true, 15 23
15. false prophets ] who will not help you to find the narrow way.
in sheep’s clothing ] Not in a literal sense, but figuratively, “wearing the appearance of guilelessness and truth.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
False prophets – The word prophet originally means one who foretells future events. As prophets, however, were commonly regarded as public instructors on the subject of religion, the word came to denote all who were religious teachers. See the notes at Rom 12:6. In this sense it is probably used here. A false prophet is a teacher of incorrect doctrine, or one falsely and unjustly laying claims to divine inspiration. It probably had reference to the false teachers then among the Jews.
Who come in sheeps clothing – The sheep is an emblem of innocence, sincerity, and harmlessness. To come in sheeps clothing is to assume the appearance of sanctity and innocence, when the heart is evil.
Ravening wolves – Rapacious; voraciously devouring; hungry even to rage. Applied to the false teachers, it means that they assumed the appearance of holiness in order that they might the more readily get the property of the people. They were full of extortion and excess. See Mat 23:25.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Mat 7:15
Beware of false prophets.
The false and the true
I. The tests by which the false and the true may be known.
II. The ultimate destiny of the false and the true.
1. In respect to the paths they tread.
2. In respect to the fruit they bear.
3. In respect to the profession they make.
4. In respect to the foundations on which they build. The plainness of these tests. (D. C. Hughes, M. A.)
False prophets.
But while we are thinking of the teachers that are without, let us not forget that we all have within us a false prophet, the most insidious, and therefore the most dangerous of all. (W. O. Humphry, M. A.)
False prophets and false Christians
The Scriptures treat largely of the false-false gods, false doctrines, false Christs, and false hopes.
I. False prophets. A prophet in the strict sense of the word is one who foretells future events. A false prophet is one who assumes the office without a call from God, or who puts forward his own thoughts as if they had Divine sanction. It is not always easy to detect which are the true prophets, and which the false; but though difficult, they may be detected. Their plausible guises are among their marks. Some under-estimate errors in matters of doctrine.
II. False christians. Most men have some religion; man has religious instincts. The religion of some is a mere profession: they say unto Him, Lord, Lord. Others add to their profession some of the more striking works and offices of Christianity. The fearful end of this self-deception. Let us not receive the grace of God in vain. (J. A. Seiss, D. D.)
The prophecies of deceit
They hinder repentance by bidding us believe
(1) In delay: no need to repent now;
(2) In an easy return to holiness;
(3) That sin is not so dreadful as it is represented:
(4) That repentance may be worse for us in the end, if we fall away from it;
(5) That by some one great act we can atone for sin. (J. M. Ashley.)
The false prophet
I. The imposture. They come in sheeps clothing: in the garb of
(1) innocence;
(2) weakness;
(3) gentleness.
II. Its detection.
III. Its punishment. (J. M. Ashley.)
Wisdom needed to detect little errors
The first appearances of error are many times modest. There is a chain of truths; the devil taketh out a link here and there, that all may fall to pieces. (T. Manton, D. D.)
Satan knows that we would never consent to give up a wheel of the gospel chariot, and therefore in his craftiness he only asks for the linch-pins to be handed over to him. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Ability cannot condone error
Mere talent ought not to attract us; carrion well dressed and served upon Palissy ware, is still unfit for men. Who thrusts his arm into the fire because its flame is brilliant? Who knowingly drinks from a poisoned cup because the beaded bubbles on the brim reflect the colours of the rainbow? As we would not be fascinated by the azure hues of a serpent, so neither should we be thrown off our guard by the talent-of an unsound theologian. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 15. Beware of false prophets] By false prophets we are to understand teachers of erroneous doctrines, who come professing a commission from God, but whose aim is not to bring the heavenly treasure to the people, but rather to rob them of their earthly good. Teachers who preach for hire, having no motive to enter into the ministry but to get a living, as it is ominously called by some, however they may bear the garb and appearance of the innocent useful sheep, the true pastors commissioned by the Lord Jesus, or to whatever name, class or party they may belong, are, in the sight of the heart-searching God, no other than ravenous wolves, whose design is to feed themselves with the fat, and clothe themselves with the fleece, and thus ruin, instead of save, the flock.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The term
prophets in holy writ is of larger extent than to signify only such as foretold things to come; others also who taught the people, pretending authority from God so to do, were called prophets. Thus Bar-jesus, Act 13:6, is called
a false prophet. A false prophet is of the same significance with a false teacher. Against those our Saviour cautions his hearers, as being the most fatal and dangerous enemies to faith and holiness. Some of them indeed come
in sheeps clothing, under very fair pretences, and a fair show of religion and strictness; but
they are ravening wolves, as dangerous to your souls as ravenous wolves are to a flock of sheep.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
15. BewareBut beware.
of false prophetsthatis, of teachers coming as authorized expounders of the mind of Godand guides to heaven. (See Act 20:29;Act 20:30; 2Pe 2:1;2Pe 2:2).
which come to you in sheep’sclothingwith a bland, gentle, plausible exterior; persuadingyou that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and that to teachso is illiberal and bigotedprecisely what the old prophets did(Eze 13:1-10; Eze 13:22).
but inwardly they areravening wolvesbent on devouring the flock for their own ends(2Co 11:2; 2Co 11:3;2Co 11:13-15).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Beware of false prophets,…. Or false teachers; for not such who pretended to foretell things to come, but such who set up themselves to be teachers of others, are here meant; see 2Pe 2:1. It may be queried, whether our Lord has not respect to the Scribes and Pharisees, who sat in Moses’s chair, and taught, for doctrines, the commandments of men? and of whose doctrines he elsewhere bids men beware: for whatever plausible pretences for holiness and righteousness might appear in them, they were repugnant to the word of God, and destructive to the souls of men; such as their doctrines of free will, justification by the works of the law, the traditions of the elders, c. since it follows,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves for these “loved to go in long clothing”, Mr 12:38
, in a garment which reached to the feet, and was made of the wool of sheep. The Babylonish garment Achan saw and stole, Rab says r, was , a garment called “melotes”: which is the very Greek word the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews uses for sheep skins, persecuted saints wandered about in, Heb 11:37 and the gloss upon the place, in the Talmud referred to, says, that this was , “a talith”, or “garment of pure wool”; and Jarchi s says, that
“it was the way of deceivers, and profane men, to cover themselves, , “with their talith”, or long garment, “as if they were righteous men”, that persons might receive their lies.”
All which agrees very well with the Pharisees, who would have been thought to have been holy and righteous, humble, modest, and self-denying men; when they were inwardly full of hypocrisy and iniquity, of rapine, oppression, and covetousness; and, under a pretence of religion, “devoured widows’ houses”. Though, it seems, by what follows, that Christ has respect, at least also, to such, who bore his name, and came in his name, though not sent by him, and called him Lord, and prophesied, and cast out devils, and did many wonderful works in his name; who, that they might get the good will and affections of the people, clothed themselves, not in garments made of sheep’s wool, but in the very skins of sheep, with the wool on them, in imitation of the true prophets, and good men of old; pretending great humility, and self-denial, and so “wore a rough garment to deceive”, Zec 13:4 when they were inwardly greedy dogs, grievous wolves, of insatiable covetousness; and, when opportunity offered, spared not the flock to satisfy their rapacious and devouring appetites. The Jews speak of a “wolfish humility”; like that of the wolf in the fable, which put on a sheep skin.
“There are some men, (says one of their t writers,) who appear to be humble, and fear God in a deceitful and hypocritical way, but inwardly lay wait: this humility our wise men call , “wolfish humility”.”
Such is this our Lord inveighs against, and bids his followers beware of.
r T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 41. 1. s In Zech. xiii. 4. t Abarbinel Nachalath Abot, fol. 192. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
| The Sermon on the Mount. |
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15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
We have here a caution against false prophets, to take heed that we be not deceived and imposed upon by them. Prophets are properly such as foretel things to come; there are some mentioned in the Old Testament, who pretended to that without warrant, and the event disproved their pretensions, as Zedekiah, 1 Kings xxii. 11, and another Zedekiah, Jer. xxix. 21. But prophets did also teach the people their duty, so that false prophets here are false teachers. Christ being a Prophet and a Teacher come from God, and designing to send abroad teachers under him, gives warning to all to take heed of counterfeits, who, instead of healing souls with wholesome doctrine, as they pretend, would poison them.
They are false teachers and false prophets, 1. Who produce false commissions, who pretend to have immediate warrant and direction from God to set up for prophets, and to be divinely inspired, when they are not so. Though their doctrine may be true, we are to beware of them as false prophets. False apostles are those who say they are apostles, and are not (Rev. ii. 2); such are false prophets. “Take heed of those who pretend to revelation, and admit them not without sufficient proof, lest that one absurdity being admitted, a thousand follow.” 2. Who preach false doctrine in those things that are essential to religion; who teach that which is contrary to the truth as it is in Jesus, to the truth which is accordingly to godliness. The former seems to be the proper notion of pseudo-propheta, a false or pretending prophet, but commonly the latter falls in with it; for who would hang out false colours, but with design, under pretence of them, the more successfully to attack the truth. “Well, beware of them, suspect them, try them, and when you have discovered their falsehood, avoid them, have nothing to do with them. Stand upon your guard against this temptation, which commonly attends the days of reformation, and the breakings out of divine light in more than ordinary strength and splendour.” When God’s work is revived, Satan and his agents are most busy. Here is,
I. A good reason for this caution, Beware of them, for they are wolves in sheep’s clothing, v. 15.
1. We have need to be very cautious, because their pretences are very fair and plausible, and such as will deceive us, if we be not upon our guard. They come in sheep’s clothing, in the habit of prophets, which was plain and coarse, and unwrought; they wear a rough garment to deceive, Zech. xiii. 4. Elijah’s mantle the Septuagint calls he melote—a sheep-skin mantle. We must take heed of being imposed upon by men’s dress and garb, as by that of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, Luke xx. 46. Or it may be taken figuratively; they pretend to be sheep, and outwardly appear so innocent, harmless, meek, useful, and all that is good, as to be excelled by none; they feign themselves to be just men, and for the sake of their clothing are admitted among the sheep, which gives them an opportunity of doing them a mischief ere they are aware. They and their errors are gilded with the specious pretences of sanctity and devotion. Satan turns himself into an angel of light,2Co 11:13; 2Co 11:14. The enemy has horns like a lamb (Rev. xiii. 11); faces of men,Rev 9:7; Rev 9:8. Seducers in language and carriage are soft as wool,Rom 16:18; Isa 30:10.
2. Because under these pretensions their designs are very malicious and mischievous; inwardly they are ravening wolves. Every hypocrite is a goat in sheep’s clothing; not only not a sheep, but the worst enemy the sheep has, that comes not but to tear and devour, to scatter the sheep (John x. 12), to drive them from God, and from one another, into crooked paths. Those that would cheat us of any truth, and possess us with error, whatever they pretend, design mischief to our souls. Paul calls them grievous wolves, Acts xx. 29. They raven for themselves, serve their own belly (Rom. xvi. 18), make a prey of you, make a gain of you. Now since it is so easy a thing, and withal so dangerous, to be cheated, Beware of false prophets.
II. Here is a good rule to go by in this caution; we must prove all things (1 Thess. v. 21), try the spirits (1 John iv. 1), and here we have a touchstone; ye shall know them by their fruits, v. 16-20. Observe,
1. The illustration of this comparison, of the fruit’s being the discovery of the tree. You cannot always distinguish them by their bark and leaves, nor by the spreading of their boughs, but by their fruits ye shall know them. The fruit is according to the tree. Men may, in their professions, put a force upon their nature, and contradict their inward principles, but the stream and bent of their practices will agree with them. Christ insists upon this, the agreeableness between the fruit and the tree, which is such as that, (1.) If you know what the tree is, you may know what fruit to expect. Never look to gather grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles; it is not in their nature to produce such fruits. An apple may be stuck, or a bunch of grapes may hang, upon a thorn; so may a good truth, a good word or action, be found in a bad man, but you may be sure it never grew there. Note, [1.] Corrupt, vicious, unsanctified hearts are like thorns and thistles, which came in with sin, are worthless, vexing, and for the fire at last. [2.] Good works are good fruit, like grapes and figs, pleasing to God and profitable to men. [3.] This good fruit is never to be expected from bad men, and more than a clean thing out of an unclean: they want an influencing acceptable principle. Out of an evil treasure will be brought forth evil things. (2.) On the other hand, if you know what the fruit is, you may, by that, perceive what the tree is. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; and a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit, nay, it cannot but bring forth evil fruit. But then that must be reckoned the fruit of the tree which it brings forth naturally and which is its genuine product–which it brings forth plentifully and constantly and which is its usual product. Men are known, not by particular acts, but by the course and tenour of their conversation, and by the more frequent acts, especially those that appear to be free, and most their own, and least under the influence of external motives and inducements.
2. The application of this to the false prophets.
(1.) By way of terror and threatening (v. 19); Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down. This very saying John the Baptist had used, ch. iii. 10. Christ could have spoken the same sense in other words; could have altered it, or given it a new turn; but he thought it no disparagement to him to say the same that John had said before him; let not ministers be ambitious of coining new expressions, nor people’s ears itch for novelties; to write and speak the same things must not be grievous, for it is safe. Here is, [1.] The description of barren trees; they are trees that do not bring forth good fruit; though there be fruit, if it be not good fruit (though that be done, which for the matter of it is good, if it be not done well, in a right manner, and for a right end), the tree is accounted barren. [2.] The doom of barren trees; they are, that is, certainly they shall be, hewn down, and cast into the fire; God will deal with them as men use to deal with dry trees that cumber the ground: he will mark them by some signal tokens of his displeasure, he will bark them by stripping them of their parts and gifts, and will cut them down by death, and cast them into the fire of hell, a fire blown with the bellows of God’s wrath, and fed with the wood of barren trees. Compare this with Eze 31:12; Eze 31:13; Dan 4:14; Joh 15:6.
(2.) By way of trial; By their fruits ye shall know them.
[1.] By the fruits of their persons, their words and actions, and the course of their conversation. If you would know whether they be right or not, observe how they live; their works will testify for them or against them. The scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses’s chair, and taught the law, but they were proud, and covetous, and false, and oppressive, and therefore Christ warned him disciples to beware of them and of their leaven, Mark xii. 38. If men pretend to be prophets and are immoral, that disproves their pretensions; those are no true friends to the cross of Christ, whatever they profess, whose God is their belly, and whose mind earthly things,Phi 3:18; Phi 3:19. Those are not taught nor sent of the holy God, whose lives evidence that they are led by the unclean spirit. God puts the treasure into earthen vessels, but not into such corrupt vessels: they may declare God’s statutes, but what have they to do to declare them?
[2.] By the fruits of their doctrine; their fruits as prophets: not that this is the only way, but it is one way, of trying doctrines, whether they be of God or not. What do they tend to do? What affections and practices will they lead those into, that embrace them? If the doctrine be of God, it will tend to promote serious piety, humility, charity, holiness, and love, with other Christian graces; but if, on the contrary, the doctrines these prophets preach have a manifest tendency to make people proud, worldly, and contentious, to make them loose and careless in their conversations, unjust or uncharitable, factious or disturbers of the public peace; if it indulge carnal liberty, and take people off from governing themselves and their families by the strict rules of the narrow way, we may conclude, that this persuasion comes not of him that calleth us, Gal. v. 8. This wisdom is from above, James iii. 15. Faith and a good conscience are held together, 1Ti 1:19; 1Ti 3:9. Note, Doctrines of doubtful disputation must be tried by graces and duties of confessed certainty: those opinions come not from God that lead to sin: but if we cannot know them by their fruits, we must have recourse to the great touchstone, to the law, and to the testimony; do they speak according to that rule?
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
False prophets ( ). There were false prophets in the time of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus will predict “false Messiahs and false prophets” (Mt 24:24) who will lead many astray. They came in due time posing as angels of light like Satan, Judaizers (2Co 11:13ff.) and Gnostics (1John 4:1; 1Tim 4:1). Already false prophets were on hand when Jesus spoke on this occasion (cf. Acts 13:6; 2Pet 2:1). In outward appearance they look like sheep in the sheep’s clothing which they wear, but within they are “ravening wolves” ( ), greedy for power, gain, self. It is a tragedy that such men and women reappear through the ages and always find victims. Wolves are more dangerous than dogs and hogs.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
HOW TO RECOGNIZE AND MEET FALSE PROPHETS
AND TEACHERS
V. 15-20
1) “Beware of false prophets,” (prosechete apo ton pseudopropheton) “You all beware (be cautious or careful) of or from the influence of the false prophets;” For these prophets were proclaimers, dreamers who claimed to be true, but whose testimony was not in harmony with the Word of God, by which they must be recognized and avoided, Deu 13:1-5; 2Co 11:13-15; Rev 13:11-17; Rev 19:20.
2) “Which come to you in sheep’s clothing,” (ortines erchontai pros humas en endumasi probaton) “Who continually come to you of their own accord in clothes of sheep;” Mic 3:5. If you value your souls and lives be cautious about becoming followers of “New light” prophets or teachers, who clothe themselves like the Lord’s flock, but are heretical, whose lives and doctrines contradict His. 2Jo 4:1-3; Col 2:8.
3) “But inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (esothen de eisin lukoi harpages) “Yet within they are (exist as) greedy, ravaging wolves;” They are covetous, selfish ravagers of God’s flock, “blind leaders-of the blind,” Luk 6:39. They are enemies of sheep, rapacious, insincere, mischievous. They are bent on devouring the flock, 2Co 1:2-3; 2Co 1:13-15; Joh 10:24-27; Act 20:29-31; 2Pe 2:1-3; Pro 23:7.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
Mat 7:15
. But beware of false prophets These words were intended to teach, that the Church would be exposed to various impositions, and that consequently many would be in danger of falling from the faith, if they were not carefully on their guard. We know what a strong propensity men have to falsehood, so that they not only have a natural desire to be deceived, but each individual appears to be ingenious in deceiving himself. Satan, who is a wonderful contriver of delusions, is constantly laying snares to entrap ignorant and heedless persons. It was a general expectation among the Jews that, under the reign of Christ, their condition would be delightful, and free from all contest or uneasiness. He therefore warns his disciples that, if they desire to persevere, they must prepare themselves to avoid the snares of Satan. It is the will of the Lord, (as has been already said,) that his Church shall be engaged in uninterrupted war in this world. That we may continue to be his disciples to the end, it is not enough that we are merely submissive, and allow ourselves to be governed by his Word. Our faith, which is constantly attacked by Satan, must be prepared to resist.
It is of the greatest consequence, undoubtedly, that we should suffer ourselves to be directed by good and faithful ministers of Christ: but as false teachers, on the other hand, make their appearance, if we do not carefully watch, and if we are not fortified by perseverance, we shall be easily carried off from the flock. To this purpose also is that saying of Christ:
“
The sheep hear the voice of the shepherd; and a stranger they do not follow, but flee from him,” (Joh 10:3)
Hence too we infer, that there is no reason why believers should be discouraged or alarmed, when wolves creep into the fold of Christ, when false prophets endeavor to corrupt the purity of the faith by false doctrines. They ought rather to be aroused to keep watch: for it is not without reason that Christ enjoins them to be on their guard. Provided that we are not led astray through our own sluggishness, we shall be able to avoid every kind of snares; and, indeed, without this confidence, we would not have the courage necessary for being on our guard. Now that we know that the Lord will not fail to perform his promises, whatever may be the attacks of Satan, let us go boldly to the Lord, asking from him the Spirit of wisdom, by whose influences he not only seals on our hearts the belief of his truth, but exposes the tricks and impositions of Satan, that we may not be deceived by them. When Christ says, that they come to us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves, his meaning is, that they do not want a very plausible pretense, if prudence be not exercised in subjecting them to a thorough examination.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
F. THE DANGERS FACING THE WISE AND GODLY MAN
(Mat. 7:1-27; Luk. 6:37-49)
6. THE DANGER OF BEING LED ASTRAY BY FALSE PROPHETS.
(Parallel: Luk. 6:43-45)
TEXT: 7:15-20
15. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves,
16. By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit
18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
a.
What are the logical premises back of Jesus warning against false prophets?
b. Does the sheeps clothing disguise of the false prophet refer to his character or his doctrine? or both? How do you know?
c.
Why do you suppose Jesus chose the particular test of a false prophet that He did?
d. If a corrupt tree cannot bring forth g d fruit, how do you explain the good deeds that appear in the lives of obviously wicked men?
e.
Is Jesus making a precise and unvarying observation in Mat. 7:18, or is He making a relative, general statement which may admit of some exception?
f.
Jesus speaks of burning fruitless trees, but He means men, of course. Do you think it is right that God should destroy any of His creatures? If so, why? If not, why not?
g. When Jesus spoke of every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, about whom was He talking? Is this a specific or a general reference, i.e. only to false prophets, or to men in general?
h.
Do you think that Jesus mention of burning corrupt, fruitless trees is a threat? Explain.
i. Do you think that Jesus disciples should be afraid of false prophets if their manifest intentions are such that they may be described as hungry wolves? If so, in what sense should they fear them? If not, why not?
j. Why do you suppose that Jesus repeated the principle test of a false prophet (By their fruits ye shall know them) ?
k. Do you think that we, as the flock of God, are in danger of infiltration by false prophets today? What makes you think so? Are there many false prophets around any more?
PARAPHRASE
Watch out for false prophets: they will come to you under the guise of sheep, but at heart they are savage wolves. You will recognize them by the fruits of their lives. People do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, do they? Well, every good tree yields good fruit, but the worthless tree bears bad fruit. A good tree is as incapable of yielding bad fruit as a worthless tree is unable to produce fine fruit. Every tree that fails to bear fine fruit is cut down and burned up. That is why I say: you will recognize them by what their lives produce. A good man produces good things from the good stored up in his heart, and a wicked person brings forth evil things from his own stores of evil. A mans words will generally express what fills his heart,
SUMMARY
False leaders will hypocritically attempt to infiltrate the flock of God, but their overall conduct will give them away. Character and conduct are the final tests of any life and the surest test of any false leader, Though motives many times can never be known, the clear evidence of ones deeds is a sure indication of the nature of his heart.
NOTES
How is the narrow gate and the right way (Mat. 7:13-14) to be found? The transition, therefore, is a natural one from the two critical ways from which to choose, to the guides who propose to lead the disciples. Judgment is necessary, therefore, to discern between true prophets and false,
Mat. 7:15 Beware of false prophets. (Cf. Deu. 13:1-5; Mat. 24:4-5; Mat. 24:11; Act. 20:29-30; Rom. 16:17-18; 2Co. 11:13-15; Eph. 5:6; Col. 2:4; Col. 2:8; 2Th. 2:3-12; Tit. 1:10-11; 2 Peter 2; 1Jn. 4:1; 2Jn. 1:7-11; Rev. 2:2; Rev. 19:20; examples: Act. 13:6-12; 2 Kings 13; 1Ki. 22:5-23) A false prophet is any teacher of false doctrine or any teacher who falsely or unjustly claims divine inspiration with a view to authenticate his pronouncements. He pretends to deliver a message from God but really say what is pleasant to his hearers and profitable to himself, (Rom. 16:18; Gal. 6:12-13; 1Ti. 6:3-5; 2Ti. 3:1-17; Tit. 1:10-16) There is no practical difference between a false prophet and a false teacher, since the one pretends to reveal Gods word, while the other pretends to expound and apply it. Jesus word adequately applies to both (Gal. 1:6-9). What are the presuppositions behind Jesus warning against them?
1.
Error is possible in religion: there is such a thing as objective truth and falsehood or error. (Mat. 15:1-20; 1Ti. 1:12-17; Act. 18:24-28; Act. 19:1-5; Act. 17:16-34)
2.
Error does matter, because false teachers lead men away from the truth which saves. (Cf. Mat. 12:30-33; Mat. 10:24-39; Mat. 15:13-14) They constitute a very grave danger to the individual Christian because they can cause him to lose his soul; they are a peril to the corporate body of the Church.
Who come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. Why mention wolves disguised as sheep? Because it is the nature of such hungry wolves to devour sheep, he is pictured as resorting to this trick in order better to gain the confidence of the flock until it is too late to foil his design through discovery of the ruse. Jesus describes the wolves as ravening, i.e. rapacious, hungry to the point of madness. Thus, He gives His judgment upon the real intent and character of the false prophet. The man about whom Jesus is talking is not a simple, self-deceived innocent Christian whose apprehension of the true doctrine has gotten twisted. The disguise is deliberate; the intention was destruction.
Mat. 7:16 By their fruits ye shall know them. In this brilliant changing of figures, Jesus describes the false prophet as a tree whose fruit betrays his real nature. He could have continued the first metaphor by saying that a wolf betrays his real nature when he starts attacking the sheep and eating them. But that figure would not have been adequate to convey other points of comparison that will be brought out later, so He changed.
By their fruits: not by the leaves of their professions, pretensions or appearances, but by the actual outcome of their lives. (cf. Heb. 13:7) By their fruits alone will we know them. Not by suspicion or hasty judgment, but by actual fruit, and this takes time to mature. Therefore, it requires patience in the fruit inspector. There is no room in the Lords vineyard for over-zealous heresy hunters.
But what are the fruits which identify the true nature of the man? What are those things the observation of which tell us about the man?
1. The character of the mans personal life. (Gal. 5:19-23; Jas. 3:12-18; Mat. 12:33-36) Does his morality promote lascivious living, self-indulgence or the condoning of sin? Is his mind carnal, i.e. wedded to this earth. this life? (Cf. Mat. 23:1-3) What is the influence of his habits, company, conversation and attitudes? One might be teaching true dogma, while the fruit of his life be entirely rotten underneath an exterior of respectable orthodoxy. This is a practical test which is most easily and readily applied by any one who has a proper sense of judgment, A mans character is more telling than his doctrine many times because of the intricacies of his theological position that are not so easily traced. Ones religion, however held or taught, must stand or fall according to the ethical result it obtains in those who profess to embrace it. So, if his religion makes him partial, spiteful, hateful, immoral, it is false regardless of all protestations to the contrary, Marshall (65f) notes:
It is sometimes objected that such an idea (i.e. that right acts are no sure proof of good character) is flatly contradicted by Jesus words here . . . But Jesus is thinking of conduct as a whole, conduct so extended as to cover the whole man, with all his actions, words, motives and thought, conduct as the natural and inevitable expression of mans very nature, like the fruit which a tree bears because it can bear no other. The whole point of the illustration which precedes this utterance of Jesus is that without a good tree there can be no really good fruit , . . so a good character is essential to genuinely good conduct . . , If a man is not morally good, it is only by the merest accident that he ever does what he ought.
2. The doctrine of the mans message. A man may be morally sound through and through, and yet the fruit of his doctrine, when logically worked out in the lives of others, produce vicious consequences. What are the results of his preaching? (Cf. Rom. 16:17-18; 1Ti. 1:3-7; 1Ti. 1:19 b, 1Ti. 1:20; 1Ti. 4:1-7; 1Ti. 6:3-5) What is the character and conduct of those who follow his teaching? Therefore, test both the doctrine and the teacher by the fruit which each produces, as well as by their apparent consistency with Scripture. But, in practice, ones character affects his teaching and -his doctrine affects his character. So, if a man is morally right but teaches doctrine that is false because of his ignorance of the Word, he may be corrected, for he has a conscience and desires to do the Lords will. But a man whose character is rotten does not need new information, but repentance. If he will not, he is all the more dangerous. The case that Jesus assumes in this section, of course, is that of the ravening wolf who would hide his real character with intent to deceive and destroy,
Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Jesus Greek sentence begins with a negative participle (meti) which expects the question to be answered: No! In demonstration of His proposition, Jesus asks two humorous rhetorical questions which put the truth in a more striking form and arouse more attention than if stated simply in an affirmative form: Just imagine people going out to a briar patch to pick grapes, or taking their basket to a clump of thistles expecting to find figs! By this illustration, Jesus is saying what every observer of nature knows: every plant produces according to its kind. Grafting and plant improvement do not enter here, because Jesus is talking about plants in general without reference to the various ways the nature of their fruit can be changed. By mentioning these four plants, grapes, figs, thorns and thistles, He says that any plant is known and valued on the basis of what it produces.
Mat. 7:17 Even so introduces the point of the rhetorical questions: every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Two trees of the same species may be identical in every respect but the maturing of the fruit reveals their true nature. This general rule is completely applicable to all men, even though the immediate application in Jesus mind is to the false teachers. It is to be noted that false teachers are to be judged, as Lenski (303) observes: not according to some exceptional rule pertaining to them only, but according to the universal rule which applies to all.
Mat. 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Just as it is impossible for a natural tree to produce fruit that is contrary to its nature and condition, so it is really impossible for a false prophet to masquerade for very long. His true character, evidenced by his conduct, will eventually betray him.
At this point, Luke (Luk. 6:43-45 ) inserts his parallel, however without any direct reference to false prophets, thus proving the universality of the test that Jesus gives. Luke, however, points out that, although conduct is a sure test, however, it is often a much slower one. When a man opens his mouth. whether he intends it or not, he gives himself away. Whatever is hidden in the heart, good or evil, will come out in ones speech. A mans words, especially when he is unconscious of them, are a fairly secure indication of the nature and condition of his heart. (Cf. Mat. 12:33-36)
However, as McGarvey (Matthew-Mark, 72) cautions, even some good trees have occasional bad fruit, making it necessary to remember that Jesus is talking a b u t the obvious general tendency of ones life and not of occasional good or bad deeds, (Tit. 1:15; 1Jn. 3:4-10)
Mat. 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Cf. Mat. 3:10; Luk. 13:6-9; Joh. 15:2; Joh. 15:6; Tit. 3:14) Failure to serve positively in Jesus name is sufficient grounds for His condemning us. (Cf. Mat. 25:41-46; Note on Mat. 7:12) This warning is apparently more general than the single application to false prophets, but as a reference to them it serves notice to others not to follow them lest they too share the same fate. The blind who follow blind leaders, when they fall into the pit, land just as hard as their blind guides! (Mat. 15:14)
Mat. 7:20 Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Cf. Mat. 7:16) Even if this seems to sum up all that Jesus has to say in this section about false prophets, and even if He repeats for emphasis and clarity the primary test by which they are unmasked, yet this transition verse passes Jesus argument from false prophets to those who ultimately prove themselves to be false disciples (you who work iniquity).
FACT QUESTIONS
1. What is a false prophet? Is he the same as a false teacher? If not, what is the basic difference? If there is a difference, would it change the teaching Jesus gave here?
2. What is intended by the figure of the animals? Who are the sheep whom the disguise is supposed to fool? What is suggested about the real nature and intentions of the false prophets?
3. What is the test that will de-wool the wolves?
4. What are the fruits by which false prophets betray themselves as such?
5. What is the natural principle behind the mention of grapes of thorns and figs of thistles?
6. What is the tree that Jesus is talking about? (Mat. 7:17-19) Are these various mentions made of the same tree or of various trees?
7. By saying that a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, does Jesus mean to imply that a Christian cannot sin? Prove your answer.
8. Who else used the figure about chopping down and burning fruitless trees? When did they use it? To whom were they speaking?
9. What additional figure does Luke record that clarifies Jesus meaning regarding the judgment of a tree by its fruit?
10. How does the principle explained in this section prepare the mind for the rest of the sermon?
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
(15) Beware of false prophets.The sequence again is below the surface. How was the narrow way to be found? Who would act as guide? Many would offer their help who would simply lead men to the destruction which they sought to escape. Such teachers, claiming authority as inspired, there had been in the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and there would be again. The true gift of prophecy is always followed by its counterfeit. Even at the time when our Lord was speaking, the influence of such men as Judas of Galilee (Act. 5:37), Theudas, and other popular leaders, was still fresh in mens memories.
Which come to you in sheeps clothing.The illustration implies something like the conception of the wolf disguising himself as a sheep in order to gain entrance into the fold. So far a special feature is added to the general allegory of Joh. 10:12 and Act. 20:29. It is possible, though not, I think, probable, that there may be some allusion to the rough garments, the sheep-skins and goat-skins of Heb. 11:37, worn by false prophets of the hermit or ascetic type.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
15. False prophets Who would, like false guides, lead you from the strait gate.
Sheep’s clothing Symbol of a professional and merely external holiness. Wolves Symbol of doctrinaries, who destroy the souls of men by error and vice.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Warning Against False Prophets (7:15).
In Mat 5:10-12 the disciples were seen as prophetic men, and on that basis Jesus expected them to be persecuted for His Name’s sake. But wherever there are such prophetic men, false prophets will also arise making even greater claims and seeking to muscle in on the success of others. So here in parallel with Mat 5:10-12 in the overall chiasmus of the Sermon, He now deals with prophets who will not be persecuted for His sake, because they are false prophets. For as Jesus knew, that is in the nature of man. In the Old Testament Moses anticipated the arising of false prophets from the beginning who were to be severely dealt with lest they led the people astray (Deu 13:1-5; Deu 18:19-22), and the persecution of the prophets was later regularly connected with the opposition of such false prophets (Isa 9:15; Isa 25:7; Jer 5:31; Jer 6:13; Jer 8:10; Jer 14:14; Jer 23:16-17; Jer 27:14-15), thus the idea that God’s truth would regularly be opposed by ‘false prophets’ became the norm. That is why we must see it as quite to be expected that Jesus would recognise the danger of ‘false prophets’ arising now that He was Himself ministering as a prophet and would be sending out His own prophetic men, and would even possibly recognise that they were already at work. Indeed, He must have recognised that some of these very men who were listening to Him might turn out to be false prophets, and moreso as their numbers grew.
It is sometimes stated that to speak of false prophets in this way would have been an anachronism. However, such a statement is unjustified. In Antiquities 13:11:2 Josephus describes how, well before the time of Jesus, Judas the Essene had called himself a ‘false prophet’ because he had prophesied the death of Antigonus and it had not happened. While Josephus goes on to say that on Antigonus’ sudden death ‘the prophet was thrown into disorder’ Thus Josephus too could speak of prophets and false prophets in respect of the not too distant past.
Indeed the kind of people Jesus had in mind are defined in Mat 7:22, they preach and even possibly foretell, they cast out evil spirits, they perform ‘wonders’, and as is demonstrated there, some even do it in the name of Jesus. It is easy for us to get the idea that in 1st century AD only John the Baptist were around to be seen as ‘prophets’, but there is good reason for thinking that that was not so. We can tend to overlook the fact that a number of Jewish wonder-workers and exorcisers were wandering around at this time, some of whom could attach themselves to Jesus name (see Act 19:13; and compare Act 13:6), and even possibly become disciples. There may well have been a number of such in unorthodox Galilee, some of whom could easily have attached themselves to Jesus, whether genuinely or with false motives (consider Luk 9:49-50). And there is no reason to doubt that men would look on such people as ‘prophets’ and deeply respect them (like some tend to respect faith healers today). Josephus would later speak of ‘Theudas’ and ‘the Egyptian’, two self-proclaiming ‘wonder workers’ who appeared in Palestine, as ‘prophets’. And Jesus no doubt saw that some who did attach themselves to His name could well become a danger to His followers once He Himself had moved on elsewhere. They might then well appear to some of the people to be a place to look to for advice (as no doubt some looked for advice to the man described in Luk 9:49-50). Agabus, an early Christian foreteller from Jerusalem, was called a prophet, and was one of a number (Act 11:27-28), and we must ask, from where did these Christian Jews get the title? The probability would seem to be that it initially arose from an already exiting background of seeing seemingly spiritually gifted people as ‘prophets’. The name was then later applied both to some who were officially appointed (1Co 12:29) and to some who had a charismatic gift (1 Corinthians 14). But it seems reasonable to suggest that it first arose from the original Jewish background, especially as we can compare with this use of the term ‘prophet’ the ease with which the Galilean crowds began to call Jesus a prophet. Again it was simply because a part of their background caused them to express such a view about an inspired teacher, exorciser and wonder-worker. Furthermore in Mat 10:42 Jesus appears to be likening his disciples to prophets and wise men. Possibly the difference there was that some performed wonders, while others simply testified. In Mat 14:5 Jesus activities had convinced the people that He was a prophet, probably for a similar reason (compare Mat 21:11; Luk 7:16; Luk 7:39; Luk 24:19). All this suggests that in Galilee at least the idea of prophets was still alive and active.
It is true that the Scribes and Pharisees may have been partly in Jesus’ mind in this description as ‘false prophets’ (compare Mat 16:6) , but not as the main culprits at this point in time. For we have to recognise from what we have said above that there may well already have arisen actual false prophets doing things in the name of Jesus in Galilee, just as there were genuine ones. Indeed we are quite taken by surprise to learn of someone going around casting out evil spirits in Jesus’ name (Luk 9:49-50 – note that we only know of this case because of the question of the Apostles) because we do not think like that, but we should note that it seems to have been no surprise to the Apostles, only a cause for anger because he was doing it independently. And in that particular case Jesus seems to have been quite happy about what the exorciser was doing. Furthermore in His reply Jesus clearly considered the possibility that there were others, and He must have been aware that not all of them would be as genuine as that one was.
We must not measure Galilee by Judea. Charismatic preachers, exorcisers and wonder-workers (Mat 7:22) might not have been quite so welcome in Judea, although the fact that Jesus could say to the Pharisees, ‘if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do yours sons cast them out?’ (Mat 12:27) probably indicates that there were some. However, in more open and unorthodox Galilee where the Jews mingled with Gentiles, it would be a different matter. We also learn of such false Jewish prophets and wonder-workers in the days just before Jerusalem was destroyed, and they did not come from nowhere. They must have had their predecessors. For the 1st century AD was a time of great expectation among the Jews, especially in Galilee, and it is during such times that spurious ‘prophets’ always arise. Indeed Josephus (who had had connections with Galilee) actually came to see himself as having prophetic gifts. He would not describe himself as a prophet, but he probably hoped that others would see him in that way. Taking all things into account therefore there was good reason why Jesus should have recognised the need to warn His wider disciples against being taken in by ‘false prophets’ who acted in His name, even around the time that He was preaching. We only have to consider some types of faith healer today to recognise what influence they could have exercised. And this would have made Him even more aware of the need to warn them about such false prophets arising in the future, under whatever guise. History had demonstrated that there would after all always be ‘false prophets’, a term firmly based on the Old Testament.
Analysis of Mat 7:15-20 .
a
b Do men gather grapes of thorns, Or figs of thistles? (Mat 7:16 b).
c Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit, but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit (Mat 7:17).
b A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit (Mat 7:18).
a Every tree which does not bring forth good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them (Mat 7:19-20).
Note that in ‘a’ the false prophets are known by their fruits, and in the parallel because they are known by their fruits they will be cut down and cast in the fire. In ‘b’ is the recognition that good fruit cannot come from bad sources, and in the parallel the same applies. Centrally in ‘c’ is the fact that the good tree produces good fruit, and the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
a Beware of false prophets,
b Who come to you in sheep’s clothing,
b But inwardly they are ravening wolves.
a By their fruits you will know them.
‘Beware of false prophets.’ The false prophets come ‘as though in sheep’s clothing’. That is, they somehow linked themselves with the Name of Jesus and professed to be teaching what He taught. But really their teaching was false and they came with false motives. ‘In sheep’s clothing’ may signify that while they came with false motives, and therefore as wolves, they did so as wolves ‘clothed in sheepskin’, that is, seeking to give the impression that they were sheep among the flock, and at one with the flock, even though underneath their disguise they were wolves, or alternately it may suggest that they came as though dressed in sheepskin clothing so as to give the impression that they were true shepherds, while having the heart of a wolf. The former fits the parallel better, but both are possible. (He mentions similar people in Joh 10:12-13 in a slightly different guise). We must remember that we do not have to try to make Jesus’ illustrations logical. They were often intended as exaggerations so as to get over the point. But the point in either case is that they were trying to give the impression that they were one with sheep, while really being out for themselves. ‘The sheep’ regularly indicate God’s people in their helplessness (Mat 9:36; Psa 78:52; Psa 79:13; Psa 95:7; Psa 100:3; Psa 119:176; Isa 53:6; Jer 23:1; Jer 50:6; Eze 34:6; Eze 34:11-12; Mic 2:12; Zec 13:7). The ravening wolves are found in Eze 22:27-28; compare Zep 3:3.
The thought of false shepherds is found in Jer 23:1; Jer 50:6; Eze 34:8; Zec 11:16-17. If the thought here then is that these false prophets are like those shepherds then Jesus sees them as pretending to speak from God and to be interested in the people’s welfare, while in fact teaching subtle falsity and out for their own gain. (For example, they say ‘peace, peace,’ where there is no peace – Jer 8:11). We could certainly see this as in a secondary way including many of the Scribes and Pharisees (compare Mat 16:11-12), and the chief priests in Jerusalem and Judea, for once established the term could have in mind any teachers who used His people with false motives in mind or for gain (Mar 7:11-12; Luk 20:47 compare 2Pe 2:3), but at this stage in the ministry in Galilee these would hardly have entered into the equation. So the people listening to Jesus might well rather have been intended by Him to see Him here as thinking about some ‘less orthodox’ preachers in Galilee who claimed to be able to guide the people (compare Simon the sorcerer who was no doubt already at work in Samaria –Acts 8), and who as exorcisers and wonder-workers, made the most of their abilities so as to fleece the people. We should note, however, that while Jesus accepted that there were such He did not condemn all such preachers (Luk 9:49-50). If they were teaching the truth He as very happy about their work.
Furthermore Jesus had only to consider the history of His people and the hearts of men to recognise that such false prophets would continue to spring up, both from among His wider group of disciples, and from among travelling exorcisers and wonder-workers (Act 13:6; Act 19:13) who did believe that their powers came from God, and some of whom would take the opportunity of aligning themselves with Jesus because of His popularity (Mat 7:22). We know that certain types of Jews regularly did engage in such exorcising and wonder-working activities. And such Jews were often held in some awe by Gentiles who recognised how ancient were their Law books on which they laid such stress, and because they knew that they could lay claim to calling on the ancient expertise, and even assistance, of famed men of the past like Solomon (see titles of Jesus in the inroduction).
Thus He would want His listeners to note the danger that, while some of these men might be genuine and acceptable (so Luk 9:49-50), others of these ‘prophets’ might really be ‘ravening wolves’. Their message might appear to be orthodox, but they would really be coming to ‘devour them’ (compare Luk 20:47) and lead them astray. That probably included obtaining money from them, or sponging on them by becoming guests in their houses and taking advantage of their hospitality. (We know from the Didache that that would in fact also become a danger with Christian prophets). But such people could disturb the flock, use up their possessions, and might even bring harm to them spiritually. So Jesus stresses that they had tested, and if necessary avoided, while if found spurious clearly their teaching not heeded. Meanwhile they could be identified from their ‘fruits’. In other words He had no doubt that the teachers to be avoided would manifest themselves in some way by what they did and what they said. He is thus pointing out that they will be recognisable, either from their behaviour, or from what results from their preaching. For once they arrive, any who think about it carefully will soon recognise whether they are taking advantage of the people’s needs for their own gain, and whether their teaching is in line with His. (This was the kind of accusation against which Paul was constantly having to defend himself and against which he had to protect himself – see 2Co 11:8-9; 2Co 12:17. Note also how he presents in his defence that he can perform better and more genuine wonders than his opponents – 2Co 12:12. This all indicates the types of people who continued to attach themselves to the Name of Jesus and wander around teaching for their own benefit. It was a religious age and Jesus had a great reputation).
In Mat 10:16 ‘the wolves’ will presumably include the civic leaders and their religious counterparts, for we must remember that the Jewish lay leaders also liked to give the impression that they were deeply religious. But that is not so here. Here the emphasis is on wandering ‘prophets’ and may well have had in mind some whom He knew ‘followed up’ His ministry, after He had moved on to another region, taking advantage of His Name by using it against evils spirits (compare Act 19:13), and generally engaging in sorcery (compare Act 13:6), and doing it in order to persuade the people to support them and in order to obtain money from them (compare 2Pe 2:3). The ‘ravening’ was probably initially financial rather than physical. (We can compare how today successful city wide campaigns soon draw out heretical sects seeking to take advantage of them, and how once they have converted people many of them soon begin to tap their financial resources).
But the principle behind His words undoubtedly goes wider than just these and He may well also have had in mind that such people would continue to arise in the future. Thus the term He used could be applied to anyone who led His people astray, whether by claiming to be the Messiah or by making out that they were teachers of Scripture. Paul can apply precisely the same picture to heretics who would seek to lead the church astray (Act 20:29; 2Pe 2:1-3), a picture and idea which he no doubt drew from the teaching of Jesus, and Jesus Himself may well have been intending to indicate that such people would also continue to arise in the future.
It is a warning to us today. We have to learn to say with Isaiah, ‘to the Law and to the Testimony, if they speak not according to this word (the Scriptures) it is because there is no light in them’ (Isa 8:20). For many false prophets still prevail today.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Warning against false prophets:
v. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing’, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. This shows one of the ways in which the disciples of Christ may be enticed from the narrow way to heaven, a fact which makes the warning necessary. Beware, take yourselves away from, have nothing to do with, pseudo-prophets, with false teachers. It is foolish even to stop and argue with them. For they are false prophets; they deliberately falsify God’s Word, they substitute their own lies and the wisdom of fallible men for the eternal truth. They come, without invitation, without call; they make a practice of going to such people as are members of a church with the deliberate intention of coaxing them away from the truth. They are wise in their own conceit and in the forms of deceit; they come in a very inconspicuous manner, in the garment of innocence and harmlessness. They profess to have a commission from God Himself. and are adept at pretending gentleness. But their real character will show itself afterward, since they are by inclination and training ravening wolves. Their nature is to devour; they are greedy for money, ambitious for power, but anxious, above all, to destroy the soul. They are murderers of the souls of men.
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Mat 7:15. Beware of false prophets The connection here is remarkable, says Dr. Heylin. One characteristic of false prophets, that is, false preachers, is, that they widen the narrow way. It is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than their walking in it themselves, which is here chiefly spoken of. All those are false prophets who preach any other way than that which our Lord has marked out. A wolf in sheep’s clothing is grown into a proverb, for a minister or pastor who makes a great profession of religion, yet cannot dissemble so well as not to be discovered by attentive observation; which was just the character of the Pharisees in our Saviour’s days. See ch. Mat 23:23-28. Luk 11:39-42.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
DISCOURSE: 1332
MEN KNOWN BY THEIR FRUITS
Mat 7:15-20. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
THE greater part of our Lords Sermon on the Mount was intended to counteract the errors of the Pharisees, and the false glosses by which they had obscured the law of Moses. But, in the words before us, our Lord seems to have intended to counteract the general influence of the Pharisees. They were in high repute for sanctity among the people, even whilst they were filled with all manner of malignant passions. They pretended to have a high regard for religion; but they were, in fact, the bitterest enemies of all vital godliness. It was of great importance that the followers of Christ should know how to distinguish them: and for that purpose our Lord gave them a rule which, in its use and application, was easy, certain, and universal.
Let us consider,
I.
Against whom we are here cautioned
The term prophets, though often applied to those who foretold future events, is often to be understood of those only, who, like common ministers, were engaged in preaching the word of God. Of these, many were occupied in disseminating error, rather than truth; and therefore they are justly called false prophets [Note: 2Pe 2:1. False prophets and false teachers are synonymous.]. They were indeed, for the most part, very fair in their pretences, and specious in their appearance; and in this respect were in sheeps clothing; but their views and designs were hostile to the best interests of the Church: they were proud, selfish, covetous, worldly, and oppressive; and when any opportunity arose of gratifying their malignant dispositions, they manifested their true nature, and shewed themselves to be no other than ravening wolves. Of this kind are they,
1.
Who lower the standard of the law
[This was the constant aim of the Pharisees: they explained away the spirituality of the law, and reduced it to a mere letter. Their great object was, to reduce all religion to a few unmeaning observances. Against such persons our Lord, not only in this, but in almost all his discourses, guarded his hearers. He represented them as hypocrites, and said, Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, which is hypocrisy. Against such also it is necessary to guard men in every age. Persons of this description often obtain considerable influence by means of their rank and office in the Church; and make little use of that influence, except to decry all serious religion. Every thing beyond their own attainments they call enthusiasm; and profligacy itself finds more favour in their eyes than true piety. Whatever therefore be their station or their influence, our Lord bids us to beware of them. If indeed they sustain the sacred office of ministers, then we must observe and do whatsoever they enjoin, so far, at least, as it accords with the word of God. But we must not follow them one hairs breadth beyond: we must not be led by their influence, either to reject truth, or to embrace error; but must be on our guard against them; and follow them only so far as they themselves are followers of Christ.]
2.
Who corrupt and pervert the Gospel
[Thus it was with the Judaizing teachers: they blended the observation of the Mosaic ritual with an affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ; and thus, in fact, destroyed the very foundations of the Gospel. St. Paul tells us, that they perverted the Gospel, and introduced another Gospel, which was, in truth, no Gospel at all [Note: Gal 1:6-9.]: and he guards us against them with a holy vehemence, which might appear almost to border on impiety: If any one, even though he be an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. I repeat it, says he: if an angel from heaven so corrupt the Gospel, let him be accursed.
But are there no such teachers in later ages? Yes; in every age of the Church they are very numerous. Men are prone to unite something of their own with the meritorious work of Christ, as a joint ground of their hope; and they are very specious in their arguments: they seem as if they had a great zeal for morality, and were only afraid of countenancing licentiousness. But, whatever be their pretences, we must be on our guard against them. Hear how pointedly the Apostle speaks: Beware of dogs, beware of evil-workers, beware of the concision. Beware then of all such persons, and of their fatal errors; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified, either in whole or in part: nor can any man lay any other foundation than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.]
3.
Who distract and divide the Church
[Many there were of this description even in the Apostolic age; men who would bring forward their own particular notions with a view to draw away disciples after them. Some would insist upon something under the name of science or philosophy [Note: Col 2:8.]: others would deny some of the plainest truths of Christianity [Note: 2Ti 2:16-18.]: others would plead for a latitude in the indulgence of some particular sins [Note: Rev 2:14-15.]: others would exalt one teacher or Apostle above all the rest [Note: 1Co 3:4.]. In short, they were men of an unquiet, disputatious, forward, contentious disposition [Note: 1Ti 6:3-5.]; loving to have any kind of pre-eminence, and to raise their own credit or interest on the divisions and dissensions of the Church [Note: Joh 3:9. Gal 6:13.]. Now, says St. Paul, Mark men of this description, and avoid them [Note: Rom 16:17.]. Receive them not into your house, says St. John, neither bid them God speed [Note: 2Jn 1:10.]. And well may we be on our guard against them. Many of them are extremely subtle; and some would almost withstand an Apostle himself [Note: 2Ti 4:15.]. But they are only wolves, yea ravening wolves too, in sheeps clothing; and though they may express much concern for the welfare of the Church, they fatten on the spoils of every fold to which they can get access [Note: Tit 1:10-11.].]
But as it may often be difficult to discern the characters of these men, our Lord lays down,
II.
The rule whereby we are to judge of them
It is a plain, acknowledged truth, that we must judge of trees by their fruit
[No person will expect for a moment to find grapes on a thorn, or figs on a thistle: common sense will tell him, that every tree has its own proper productions; and that even the fruit it does bear will not be found in perfection, unless the tree itself be good. A bad tree cannot bring forth good fruit; nor can a good tree bring forth evil fruit. The quality of the fruit will infallibly mark the quality of the tree itself. If the fruit be good, it will mark the tree to be deserving of culture and regard; but if bad, to merit nothing but excision and the fire.]
Precisely in the same manner we must judge of those who call themselves prophets of the Lord
[Twice is it repeated, By their fruits ye shall know them. We should inquire, What is the fruit of their doctrine upon themselves and on their hearers? If the people themselves be proud, worldly, covetous, and despisers of real piety, we have no reason to think that they will ever produce the opposite dispositions in us. If they be resting on a wrong foundation themselves, they are not likely to build us up upon that which God has laid in Zion. If they be disputatious, contentious, ambitious of pre-eminence among their fellows, they are not calculated to be useful to us in bringing us to a meek, humble, and heavenly frame.
If our access to them be not such as to enable us to judge of their spirit and conduct, then we must endeavour to notice the effect of their doctrines upon others: and if we find that this is altogether unfavourable, we must be on our guard to prevent any evil accruing to ourselves. We may see in the Holy Scriptures, what was the temper, and what the conversation of Christ and his Apostles: and, if we find the word ministered unto us has a tendency to assimilate us to them, we may safely yield ourselves to its influence: but, if it be calculated to lower the standard of real piety, and to make us rest in low attainments, we should beware lest we be led astray by it, and beg of God that nothing may ever corrupt us from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus.
It may be said, that this will lead those who ought to be learners to put themselves in the seat of judgment and to become judges even of their own teachers. But it must be remembered, that it is one thing to erect a tribunal for the exercising of public judgment, and another thing to form a judgment for the benefit of our own souls. The former is wrong, unless we be officially called to it: but the latter is necessary for our own salvation. We are commanded not to believe every spirit; but to try the spirits, whether they be of God. We are told also to prove all things, and to hold fast that which is good. But this we cannot do, unless we examine what we hear, and bring it to the unerring standard of the word and testimony. Though, therefore, we be not qualified to lay down the law for others, we must all judge for ourselves; since on the exercise of that judgment the eternal welfare of our souls depends. And, if we feel ourselves incompetent for the work, we may apply to God for help; assured that the meek he will guide in judgment; and that a way-faring man, though a fool, shall not be permitted by him to err, in any thing that shall be necessary for the salvation of his soul.]
As a proper improvement of the subject before us, we would recommend to your attention the following advice:
1.
Take care to profit by the ministry that you do enjoy
[Though we must so far have our judgment exercised respecting the ministry of the word, as to determine whether its general scope be likely to profit us or not, yet, when we have reason to believe that the truth of God is proposed to us, we should not listen to it with critical ears: we should rather receive it with all humility of mind; and receive it with meekness, as an engrafted word, able to save our souls. We should not be satisfied with understanding and approving of what we hear, but should endeavour to reduce it to practice. If we be hearers only of the word, and not doers, we deceive ourselves [Note: Jam 1:22-25.] Let us then look well to the effect produced on our own souls, and, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that we may grow thereby.]
2.
Judge of your own state and character by the fruits you produce
[If we are concerned to judge of others, much more are we of ourselves: for however wise and pious our instructors may be, it will be of no use to us, unless we be pious ourselves; nor, however erroneous they be, shall we suffer, if we be taught and sanctified by the Spirit of God. We must therefore not be contented with adopting right sentiments; but must take care that they influence us in a becoming manner. We should often bring ourselves to the touchstone of Gods word, and examine candidly what advancement we make in the divine life: knowing assuredly that if we be found cumberers of the ground at last, we shall be cut down and cast into the fire: but, if we have abounded in the fruits of righteousness to the glory of our God, we shall be accepted for Christs sake, and be acknowledged by him as good and faithful servants, who shall for ever participate his joy.]
Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)
Chapter 27
Hypocrisy In Art Judgment By Fruits Christ’s Forecast of Himself
Prayer
Almighty God, truly is our life a great mystery, and there is no answer to it in ourselves, but in thy sweet gospel do we find the whole explanation, yea, we find the infinite light. Thou hast set our life strangely so that we know neither the beginning nor the end of it. Thou dost fix our abode, and thou dost determine our lot upon the earth and we are not our own, we are wholly thine. Thou hast made us so that we can sin against thee with both hands and our whole heart, and thou hast so made our life that it can be turned into one joyous and loving prayer this is the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful in our eyes. Surely this life of ours is cruel; thou dost afflict us sorely, and by many a deprivation dost thou bring us to poverty extreme. Sometimes thou seemest to have no mercy upon the children of men. Thou dost scourge them to the flowing of the blood, and when they turn up their eyes in faint prayer, the sky is dark and sullen. Behold thou dost separate us one from another, and care not for our Farewell; thou dost dig the grave at the very foot of our pleasure, and in the middle of the feast thou dost blight us with great fears. Yet thou art also full of compassion and loving-kindness: we see it not wholly just now we see glimpses and sharp glances of thy love, quick lights that flash and flare a moment, and we believe that thou wilt by-and-by explain it all, and show that thou hast done all things well. Thou dost rule us with a rod of iron, and thou dost touch us with a sceptre of love. Thou dost bind us with cords that cannot be broken by human strength and thou dost give us a great liberty that cannot be measured by human imagination. This is our life, a pain, a joy, a night, a day, a thrilling fear, an inspiring hope.
We bring to thee the robe of the week, fouled and torn, that thou mayest again array us in the white linen of the saints. We have done the things we ought not to have done, we have left undone the things that we ought to have done, and we come without excuse or defence, for thou hast given us light enough to see all the way, and help enough to sustain us against every assault, yet have we utterly failed and there is no white day in our whole life, without scar or blot upon its beauty. God be merciful unto us sinners, and show us the cross, the sacred cross, the infinite cross, the redeeming, healing, hopeful cross, and in the sight of that vision our sin shall be all forgotten.
Thou dost give us a handful of days, and we go to work to spend it as though it were an eternity such fools are we and so utterly blind. We do not reckon our little store and set it out in lots, saying, “This shall be done to-day and that tomorrow, if the Lord will, but with a ruffian’s force and a prodigal’s thoughtlessness we rush upon our little dowry of time and spend it without thy fear. How brief a span is our life: our breath is in our nostrils, our little day is but twelve hours long, and we know not that we shall live the whole time so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
We bless thee for all Christian light, for all Christian truth and consolation; may thy light shine upon our hearts this day, may thy truth make our understandings strong as a great tower, and thy consolation guard our hearts against destructive fears. Save us from the anxiety that is unchristian, from the care that is the result of unbelief, and that becomes an offence against thy dignity and love enable us to live as those who love the Saviour and trust the loving Father, and in whom death is abolished.
Thou seest us as we are gathered and bent here, praying, suppliant, contrite hearts. Omit no one from thy blessing let the old man feel young again, let the young be startled into a sobriety that may become religious in the long run, let the busy man remember that he can take nothing out of the world into which he brought nothing, and may those who are in affliction, sorrow, secret distress, and mortal pain, sigh what they cannot speak in words, and tell thee the latent breathings of their heart, what they may not speak in the ear of man. The prodigal is here, with his broken staff and his weary feet, and his head dizzy and aching, and his heart broken and crushed the Lord give him another chance in life, the Lord show him the way back again and give him courage to take it, every step. Amen.
Mat 7:15-29
15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
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 phrophesied 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 everyone 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 in 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.
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Beware of the false in everything: encourage the instinct and spirit of truth then you will have no need to be instructed as to particulars and details. Be as true as fire, a perpetual disinfectant, a test that can never be deceived. Have in you, ever dwelling in the temple of your heart, the spirit of truth, then you will know the false man the moment you look at him: the detection of falsehood will not be an act of skill or cleverness, but you will shudder when the false man is within a mile of you, as the wind in some parts of the sea has a sudden chill in it because of the far-off icebergs. Beware of the false in everything, false promises, false directions, false appearances. Then add the word prophets, for there is more in the word false than there is in the word prophets. A man is not a good man simply because he is a prophet do not trust to the goodness or the nobleness of your office for your personal vindication: you should be bigger than your office no pulpit on earth should be as grand as you are, no prophet’s robe that ever covered human shoulder should be worth your majesty.
“False prophets.” What ironies there are in speech. To think the word false should ever have been married to the word prophets. Surely that sacred word prophet might have escaped this foul contamination. Let the word false go wooing otherwhere, let it marry the marketplace, but let it keep a thousand miles away from the snow-like purity of the church of Christ “False prophets.” Who can imagine two words more positively contradictory? Who can imagine a union so palpably and grossly absurd? Who can effect a junction between two words that shall mean so much that is mischievous, disastrous, ruinous? It requires Jesus Christ surely to say the word false before the word prophets. Surely that word false was written in faint ink, and required his eyes of fire to see it. In other cases it was written large enough: it seemed to boast of its haziness, and to make its very bigness a kind of satirical virtue; but in connection with the word prophets, who ever found it before? False professor, false prophet, false teacher, false thinker it is in that line that lying does its worst mischief.
There is arising amongst us a class of men who are exceedingly anxious not to tell lies in art. It is provocative of secret laughter, and much of it. Solemn persons, who will not allow a painter to tell lies in oil. Yet it is not unbeautiful, and not wholly unsuggestive of things heavenly. Mr. Ruskin would never allow you to paint a piece of wood as if it were oak: such an action would send him half wild. Paint it as black as soot if you like; paint it a glaring, fiery red; steep it in amber but do not imitate oak. To such an art-critic it is a lie, it is a piece of hypocrisy in art, it is not true, and therefore it ought to be frowned out of your houses. You, skilful amateur, have painted a piece of common slate so skilfully that your neighbours suppose it to be marble. Your mother insists that it is marble; or, at all events, that she never could have told the difference between it and marble. Your neighbours almost go the length of applauding you as an artist. If one of the class to which I have referred could come into your house and see that painted slate, veined and shaded like a cutting from the rock, he would call it a lie, and your cleverness would be so much set down to your discredit.
Now, whilst I am not able to say much either for or against these purists in art, I have sometimes wondered if it could be possible for a man who would go into a rage about seeing a piece of common deal painted like oak to tell a lie. The swallowing powers, of man are painful mysteries to his Creator. I will tell you what a man can do: he can strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Yet he will not believe in miracles. Who can believe anything with so roomy a throat? It would seem to swallow up the whole man that he should seem to be nothing but throat. Have you never met in life persons who would almost go into a fit if you were to suggest to them any falsehood in certain directions, who yet could turn right round in pious rage from that suggestion and tell falsehoods of another kind the clock round? so curious a creature and irregular and unmanageable is man.
In all ages the false has followed the true. I do not wonder: it is an excellent speculation. In all ages the false has brought the true into trouble. “Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. They that are such,” says the apostle, “serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” The nearer the false approaches the true, the more dangerous is it. What do you think they are doing now? Making stones which they call simile diamonds. Take care. People are now making paste so like diamonds as to deceive the unwary. My wonder is that people who are so anxious along that line of life should exhibit anything but the slightest anxiety in matters of doctrine touching correct thinking and the like. Present them with a false diamond as a true one, and let them find out the mistake, and then you know the rest. But suggest to them a false idea, a crude and self-contradictory philosophy of the universe, any mad theory of creation you like, and they will call it ingenious, skilful what a young man once called to me “a clever doubt.” Where will be their rage, where their sublime madness, where their fiery and honest indignation?
The fear is that we become technical purists and moral liars. Your life cannot be good if your teaching is bad. Doctrine lies at the basis of life. There may be those who refine upon doctrine and turn it into useless distinction and vexatious definition, but doctrine, teaching, correct idea, lies at the root and core of our life. You are what you believe. You may profess to believe a good many things which you do not turn into a lie, but in reality what you believe is the very substance and inspiration of your character. How needful, therefore, that we should be rooted and grounded in it, and saved from perversion and folly, and hold the truth of God with a grip not to be relaxed by the most importunate fingers that try to tear us from our attachment to divine verities.
How are we to know the false from the true? Jesus Christ tells us. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” The purist I have been speaking about would be horrified with this kind of preaching; if it were done so by any living man, he would write a paragraph in the newspaper about it; he would say, “The preacher in such and such a church is the most remarkable character for mixed metaphor that probably ever lived. That we may not be apparently speaking to his disadvantage without reason, let us cite the following example.” Then in small type would come, “Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?” He was talking about a wolf, and now he is talking about grapes and figs and thistles. The teaching of the great teacher, whoever he is, is full of ellipses. He thinks more rapidly than he can speak: words cannot keep pace with his intellectual velocity. This is pre-eminently the case with all the teaching of the New Testament. The lacun, or gaps, and breaks, are innumerable, and only the man who wants to find the truth can find it amid many of the statements which are of the figurative or metaphorical kind. If you really want to know what Christ means in this case, do not trouble yourselves with the rapidity with which he changes the metaphor; but, with an honest and sober heart, look at the case, when he says, “By their results shall ye know them.” So then a false teacher may require a little time for self-revelation. The nearer he approaches the truth the longer time may he require fully to disclose his doctrine and his purpose. The hand may be the hand of Esau, the voice may be the voice of Jacob: it is difficult for the false hand to get a false voice, and for the false voice to get a false hand: nature is set against such conjunctions, and will not afford facilities for the completion of lies.
Jesus Christ submitted to his own test. His words are, “Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of these works do you stone me?” And, again, “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; but if I do, though ye believe me not, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him.” Judge all preaching by its results, judge all doctrine by its effects. My young friend, let me speak soberly and with great breadth of persuasiveness and sympathy to you upon this subject. The doctrine to which you have been listening recently in various places seems to you to be brilliant you are enamoured, you are under a spell, you say the doctrine seems to refute all other doctrine, and to be bright with new hopes. You are now in the intellectual period. How does the doctrine come down into life? What does it make of its believer? is it a painted cloud to be gazed at and wondered about like an apocalypse in the air, or is it an inspiration that expresses itself in charity, love, patience, forbearance, sympathy, and that compels to honourableness of conduct? My first question about any doctrine is How does it come down-stairs out of its dreamer’s intellect and behave itself in the kitchen? how does it put on its apron and tuck up its sleeves and go to life’s daily work? how does it go into the chamber and hush itself into gentleness and quietness, and what does it say to the pained heart, and what to the ebbing life? By its fruits let it be known: What it can do in the plain, everyday circles of life shall be its proofs to me of its heavenly origin. It requires God to make himself of no reputation, and do earth’s lowest, humblest work. I ask you not, therefore, how much your doctrine titillates your intellect, inflames and pleases your fancy; I ask you how it comes down to the counter and pays its bills? how it stands by a man when all hell seems to be against him in huge and terrible assault on his integrity and his peace? The rainbow is to me most beautiful, but I cannot live upon it.
Now we come to a remarkable passage, in which the tone of the great Preacher changes with some suddenness the twenty-first verse to the twenty-third inclusive. “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.” That is a new tone in the sermon Lord, Lord. Why, whoever thought of saying, “Lord, Lord,” to the carpenter’s son? Inflamed by the passion of his own rhetoric he has started up into lordship. We never thought of calling thee Lord, poor Peasant. It is a matter of consideration amongst some of us why certain men should be called “Mr.” at all. Think of that, that we solid-headed Englishmen make a matter of enquiry as to whether certain persons should be called “Mr.” And then a very acute subject, rising into a kind of social agony, is as to whether certain persons can properly be called “Esquire.” These are the mighty problems that tear and vex our nineteenth century utterly now and then. Here is a man who began life in a manger, and whose parents absconded suddenly into Egypt and wandered about homelessly for some time, who says that at a certain time people will be calling him “Lord, Lord,” and he will not know them. It is in these subtle touches that I find the true quality of my Teacher’s character.
“Many will say to me in that day.” What, and is he to be Judge as well as Lord? Is he to be the Arbitrator as well as the Teacher? What a forecast, what an assumption, how high the ground on which he stands. If it be not a rock, he will fall off, and we shall hear no more of him.
“But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Is he not our Father which is in heaven? Yes, mediately, not immediately. Through a priestly intercession, not by right of filial obedience and uncorrupted and incorruptible love.
“Many will say unto me, Have we not prophesied in thy name?” There he feels the throbbing of his own almightiness: he feels already that his name is to be a charm in the world: thus early he forecasts the marvels that will be wrought in his name. Men will wear it as an amulet, speak of it as a charm, offer it as a certificate, wear it as a seal and an endorsement. This he said, not after ten centuries’ experience, but at the very beginning of the beginning. How true it is let time testify.
“Then will I say unto them, Depart from me.” What, then, does he make heaven, and does he make hell; and is everything to be determined by his will, and have we all to be subjected to his criticism and to undergo his judgment? All this is most fully involved in the statement we are now perusing.
Now I see what it meant when he went up into a mountain. He speaks as if he were on a mountain. I wondered why he withdrew to that height: he explains it in the conclusion of his sermon. Why the sermon itself is a mountain, in shape, in bulk, in dignity; beginning with the gentle slopes of the beatitudes, easy, vernal slopes, green with spring’s own loveliness. he passes on to rugged places, modified Sinais, stony, rough, rugged places that would affright us but for the light of his smile which falls upon them and on he goes, higher and higher in his doctrine, he rises to high challenges and new proclamations, and now the sermon culminates in lordships and supremacies which overlook and dominate the whole earth. We saw him by the quiet river, we watched him driven into the bleak wilderness, we saw him walking by the seaside; now we behold him seated upon a mountain a culmination in very deed, an upgathering of all that went before, and a place whence he projected himself across the whole abyss of time. Henceforward Jesus takes the name of Lord; henceforward “these sayings of mine” are to be the root and core of the only durable philosophy, and henceforward men are wise or foolish according as they build or build not on Christ.
Now we see why he chose the mountain; no other pulpit would have been worthy of such a discourse, no scaffold of man’s making could have borne that infinite weight, no platform of human erection could have supplied base enough for the projection of such teaching. Great husbandman, on the top of the mountain, thou dost scatter a handful of corn; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon and the cities of the plain shall rejoice in its abundance.
Fuente: The People’s Bible by Joseph Parker
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ver. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you, &c. ] This is another dangerous rock, that the less careful may easily split against. Take heed, therefore, lest while ye shun a shelf ye fall not into a whirlpool. By corrupt teachers Satan catcheth men, as a cunning fisher by one fish catcheth another, that he may feed upon both. He circuiteth the world, seeketh whom to devour, and usually beginneth with violence and cruelty. If this take not, then he puts off the frock of a wolf, and makes his next encounter in sheep’s clothing. Now what havoc he hath made by this means of silly souls laden with lusts, who knows not? The old Church was pestered with false prophets,Deu 13:1Deu 13:1 ; 2Pe 2:1 . There were false prophets among the people, and there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, and many shall follow their pernicious ways. This was Peter’s prophecy; and Paul saith the same, Act 20:30 : Grievous wolves shall enter in among you (in sheep’s clothing you must think), speaking perverse things (while they pervert the Scriptures to the defence of their own devices), to draw away ( ) disciples after them. The word signifieth to pull them limb meal, as wolves use to do the sheep they seize upon. A like expression there is, Deu 13:13 , where these naughty men are said to thrust or drive away folk from the true God, as Jeroboam is said to have driven Israel from following the Lord, 2Ki 17:21 . This they do, not so much by cruelty as by craft, by force as by fraud; “deceitful workers,” St Paul calls them, “transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ,” and ministers of righteousness, “and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” and overly credulous,2Co 11:132Co 11:13 ; Rom 16:18 . This they have learned of the devil, that grand magician, who can soon transform himself into an angel of light. St John in his First Epistle tells us of many petty antichrists, even then gone out, 1Jn 4:1 , who professing Christ’s name did yet oppose his truth. And in his Revelation, that the beast, which is the great antichrist, hath two horns like the lamb’s, but speaks like the dragon, Rev 13:11 . The locusts also, which are his limbs and agents, have faces like women, insinuative and flattering. Tertullian tells us that the Valentinian heretics had a trick to persuade before they taught, whereas the truth persuadeth by teaching, doth not teach by persuading. And how much hurt Julian the Apostate did by this art in the Church of God is better known than that I need here to relate it. a It was not therefore without good ground of reason that Placilla the empress, when Theodosius senior desired to confer with Eumonius the heretic, dissuaded her husband very earnestly; lest being perverted by his speeches, he might fall into heresy. She knew their cunning, and, as it were, cheaping at dice,Eph 4:14Eph 4:14 , where the apostle compareth seducers to cheaters and false gamesters, who have a device, by cheating at dice, to deceive the unskilful; and further telleth us, that they are wittily wicked by methods and crafty conveyances, winding up and down, and turning every way, to get the greatest advantage. b Neither was that good empress ignorant how catching we are this way, and inclinable to the worse side. As the Israelites soon forgot their God, and called for a calf, as the ten tribes were easily prevailed with to go after the two golden calves, and as the whole world wondered and wandered after the beast. This to prevent, as much as may be, God in delivering the law is most large in the second and fourth commandments, which we are most apt to transgress; that by superstition, this by profaneness.
a Abduxit a fide plures Iuliani versutia, quam antecedentium omnium Ethnicorum praeceps saevitia.
b , Quod verbum ductum est a lusu tesserarum. Erasm. , Ibid. Ingeniosi sunt methodici.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
15. ] The connexion (with ) is as Chrys. Hom. xxiii. 6, p. 292: , : strive to enter, &c .: but ( , not accordingly , as Webst. and Wilk.) be not misled by persons who pretend to guide you into it, but will not do so in reality .
These ., directly, refer to the false prophets who were soon to arise, to deceive, if possible, even the very elect, ch. Mat 24:24 ; and, indirectly, to all such false teachers in all ages.
In . there may be allusion to the prophetic dress, ch. Mat 3:4 : but most probably it only means that, in order to deceive, they put on the garb and manners of the sheep themselves.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Mat 7:15-20 . Warning against pseudo-prophets . Again, without connecting particle and possibly not a part of the Sermon on the Mount. But the more important question here is: Does this section belong to Christ’s teaching at all, or has it been introduced by the Evangelist that false teachers of after days appearing in the Church might be condemned under the authority of the Master? (Holtz., H.C.). What occasion had Christ to speak of false prophets? The reference can hardly be to the Pharisees or the Rabbis. They were men of tradition, not prophetic, either in the true or in the false sense. But, apart from them, there might be another class of men in evidence in our Lord’s day, who might be so characterised. It was a time of religious excitement; the force of custom broken, the deep fountains of the soul bursting forth; witness the crowds who followed John and Jesus, and the significant saying about the kingdom of heaven suffering violence (Mat 11:12 ). Such times call forth true prophets and also spurious ones, so far in religious sympathy with prevalent enthusiasms, but bent on utilising them for their own advantage in gain or influence, men of the Judas type. If such men, as is likely, existed, Jesus would have something to say about them, as about all contemporary religious phenomena.
Mat 7:15 . , take heed to and beware of. , I mean, such as. . Grotius, Rosenm. and Holtz. (H.C.) take this as referring to the dress worn ( , Heb 11:37 ) as the usual badge of a prophet, but not without reference to the plausible manner of the wearer; deceptive and meant to deceive (Zechar. Mat 13:4 ); gentle, innocent as sheep; speaking with “unction,” and all but deceiving “the very elect”. The manner more than the dress is doubtless intended. : manner and nature utterly different; within, ; greedy, sometimes for power, ambitious to be first; often for gain, money. The Didache speaks of a type of prophet whom it pithily names a (chap. 12), a Christ-merchant . There have always been prophets of this type, “each one to his gain” (Isa 56:11 ), Evangel-merchants, traders in religious revival.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat 7:15-20
15Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Mat 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets” This is a present imperative. Jesus often spoke of false prophets (cf. Mat 24:4-5; Mat 24:11; Mat 24:23-24; Mar 13:22). It is always difficult to identify false proclaimers because they usually have an element of truth in their message, and one is not always certain of their motives. Therefore, it becomes a crucial question as to how believers ascertain who are false proclaimers. There are several elements which must be brought into the evaluation.
1. Deu 13:1-3; Deu 18:22
2. Tit 1:16 and 1Jn 4:7-11
3. 1Jn 4:1-3, Based on these criteria, Christians are able to make their evaluation.
Mat 7:15-20 deal with the issue of fruit inspection, while Mat 7:21-23 deal with people who bear seemingly good fruit, but have no personal relationship with God. There is both “a gate” and “a road” ; both an initial faith and a life of faith!
“who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” The wolf is the traditional enemy of the sheep (cf. Mat 10:16; Act 20:29). This may mean that one of the difficult aspects of the road that leads to life is that there are people who try to detour us by means of a false message (cf. Eph 4:14). Usually this message will have some personal advantage for the false prophets. They look so religious! Mat 7:21-23 show how wolves can look like sheep!
Mat 7:16 “You will know them by their fruits” This parable is unique to Matthew. This is a future indicative used as a present imperative (see also Mat 7:20). The question expected a “no” answer (like Mat 7:10). “Know” is emphatic, implying that believers can and must recognize false proclaimers. We can know them by their lifestyle priorities and their doctrinal teachings. It has often been questioned as to which of these make up one’s fruit, when actually, both do.
1. their teachings (cf. Deu 13:1-3; Deu 18:22; Luk 6:45; 1Jn 4:1-3)
2. their actions (cf. Luk 3:8-14; Luk 6:43-46; Joh 15:8-10; Eph 5:9-12; Col 1:10; Tit 1:16; Jas 3:17-18; 1Jn 4:7-11)
How people live reflects
1. their true selves
2. their relationship with God
It is difficult to hold together the twin truths of an absolutely free invitation to a free salvation, with the demand of Christlikeness. Yet both are true! A good brief discussion of this is in Manfred T. Brauch, Abusing Scripture, pp. 104-116.
Mat 7:19 Because of John the Baptist’s use of this same phrasing in Mat 3:10, many believe this was a common proverbial saying.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Beware = Take heed, as in Mat 6:1.
of = from, or away from. Greek. apo : i.e. Beware [and keep] away from.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
15.] The connexion (with ) is as Chrys. Hom. xxiii. 6, p. 292: , :-strive to enter, &c.: but (, not accordingly, as Webst. and Wilk.) be not misled by persons who pretend to guide you into it, but will not do so in reality.
These ., directly, refer to the false prophets who were soon to arise, to deceive, if possible, even the very elect, ch. Mat 24:24; and, indirectly, to all such false teachers in all ages.
In . there may be allusion to the prophetic dress, ch. Mat 3:4 : but most probably it only means that, in order to deceive, they put on the garb and manners of the sheep themselves.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Mat 7:15. , beware of) There are many dangers: therefore we are frequently warned.-See ch. Mat 6:1, Mat 16:6, Mat 24:4; Luk 12:1; Luk 12:15, etc.-, but) Whilst you are endeavouring yourselves to enter, beware of those who close the gate against you. See ch. Mat 23:13.-, false prophets) whose teaching is different from that of true prophets. See ch. Mat 5:17. [comp. Mat 7:12. He who works iniquity, however he may prophesy in the name of Christ (Mat 7:22), is nevertheless a false prophet. In our day, they who delight in casting against others the taunt of being Pharisees and false prophets, are themselves that which they lay to the charge of others.-V. g.]- , in sheeps clothing) i.e. in such clothing as they would wear if they were sheep.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Mat 7:15-29
15. SOLEMN WARNINGS
Mat 7:15-29
15 Beware of false prophets.-The first of the solemn warnings that Jesus gives here concerns “false prophets.” He has just presented the “two ways” and has encouraged them to enter the narrow gate and travel the straitened way, and now he tells them ‘to beware of those who would mislead them. “Prophets” is derived from the Hebrew word which originally signified to boil over, and it embodies the idea of a fountain bursting forth from the heart of man into which God had poured his ideas or words; a “prophet” in the true sense means one who speaks for God; a “false prophet” is a false speaker or teacher one who claims to speak for God, but God has not put his words into the heart or mouth of the speaker. It may include the Pharisees and religious leaders of that time, but it certainly includes all false teachers. (Mat 24:11; Mat 24:24.) Hence, a false prophet is not merely an erroneous teacher, but a lying teacher, one pretending to be inspired, but who does not have the spirit of God; “false prophets” may include any teacher who deliberately deceives others; it does not signify one deceiving himself; and so unconsciously deceiving others. (2Ti 2:17-18; 2Pe 2:1; 1Jn 4:1-3.) These false teaches appear to be gentle and meek, interested in the spiritual welfare of others, but they are like wolves which come in “sheep’s clothing.” The metaphor here is of a wolf putting on the sheep’s skin in order to deceive.
16-20 By their fruits ye shall know them.-Jesus now tells how false teachers may be detectsd; it is “by their fruits.” The question would naturally arise, how can these false teachers be detected? They are disguised in appearance; the answer is, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Jesus here calls to attention the figure of fruit trees; it may be that the trunk, limbs, and foliage of certain trees are very much alike; they may be similar in appearance in many ways, but one definite way of knowing the nature of the tree is by its fruit. The wolf may appear like a sheep; it may for a time act as a sheep, but its nature will be revealed sooner or later. “Fruits” do not necessarily mean the doctrines of false teachers, but the entire moral effect of their teaching. The infallible test of all religious teaching is its practical result in the lives of those who receive it. The hypocrisy of all false teachers will be detected by those who closely watch them. The good fruit of a good life cannot be had from false teachings and bad principles; men do not “gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles.”
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit.-This was a matter of common observation; worthless shrubs do not bring forth good fruit; the good tree does bring forth good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. The only way to have good fruit in our lives is to have good hearts and righteous principles to guide our conduct. The fruit of a worthless tree is evil-that is, it is good for nothing. All teachings of a religious nature contrary to the teachings of Jesus produce evil fruit; all the teachings of Jesus will produce good fruit. The truth of God yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness. No evil heart can bear good fruit; no good heart can hear evil fruit. Trees in an orchard which do not bear good fruit are “hewn down, and cast into the fire”; they are worthless and should be destroyed; so they are not to be left to take the place of good trees. The destruction of worthless trees indicates the final destruction of false prophets and all who accept their false teaching. The judgment denounced against false teachers here should be a warning to all. Verse twenty is a repetition of verse sixteen.
21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.-Jesus laid down here the principle in a negative way of entering his kingdom; it is by obedience to the will of God. His warning here is against formal and mere external worship, and includes not only entering the church or kingdom of God on earth, but also of gaining an entrance into the heavenly kingdom; we must do the will of God to enter the church, and we must continue to do the will of God to enter heaven. No mere profession of piety or worship will do; the will of God must be done by all who receive the reward of heaven. Not all who profess Christ repeatedly and loudly by saying “Lord, Lord” shall enter the kingdom of heaven; God’s real spiritual kingdom, where Christ rules in the heart, must be entered by doing God’s will; all who remain as citizens in that kingdom must do his will. False pretenses are of no avail.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord.-“That day” is the final day, the day toward which all other days look forward, and in which all time merges-the great judgment day. The warning here is against ignorance of God’s will; people may live deceived, die deceived, and come before God in judgment deceived. This warning has refence to false teachers; we are not to let them deceive us. We have now the complete will of God expressed to us, and there is no excuse for anyone being deceived or being ignorant of the word of God. The repetition, “Lord, Lord,” expresses strong importunity; those who come before God in judgment need not make importunity to God to change his will at the judgment. They will claim that they have prophesied in his name, cast out demons by his name, and done “many mighty works” by the name of Jesus, and plead for mercy on these grounds. Such will have taught some truth of God and taken their place with the people of God; they seemed to have taken a stand at times against the devil, the archenemy of Jesus, but they did this with the wrong motive; they even will claim that they have done wonderful things or wonderful works by the name of Jesus, but the decision at that time against them will be, “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Jesus will say that he did not recognize them as true disciples, for all the time that they were acting Jesus looked into their hearts and saw the wrong motives. As their claim of relationship to Christ is unfounded, he will say “depart from me,” that is, he will banish them from him. (2Th 1:9.) They are called workers of “iniquity”; these false teachers and all who do not follow the will of God are lawless, sinful, and workers of iniquity. We are warned here against deceptive dealings with the teachings of Christ and impure motives of heart.
[Jesus had testified that every tree in his vineyard was to be judged according to the fruit it produced; by this he gave to us the true standard of knowing teachers. He now warns against these false prophets and false motives of heart. Doing the things he has commanded is the test and declaration of our faith in God and willingness to obey him. Faith that does not work is dead. The only test of man’s confidence in God is found in his doing what God commands, and doing it because God commands it. A man may do things God commands from other motives than to do God’s will and please him. It is not acceptable service to God unless done to obey and please him.
Here Jesus gives us beforehand a conversation at the last judgment. These people were honest at that day and made the claim that they had served the Lord and had done many works in the name of Jesus. They thought they had really done these things or they never could have made this plea at the judgment seat of God. Yet they were deceiving themselves in reference to this service, and so fatally and fearfully doing it that only the sentence of the Judge, “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity,” would undeceive them. God regards all service to him, save obedience to his commands, as iniquity and sin. Since this is true, many who claim to be his servants and doing wonders in his name will be driven from the presence of God for doing what they imagine good service to him. We cannot be too cautious in doing his commandments and in rejecting from his service everything not commanded by him. “If a man love me, he will keep my word” (Joh 14:23) is the law of God by which man must be judged.
24, 25 Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them.-Growing out of his solemn warning concerning facing God at the judgment, Jesus now presents a picture of two classes of hearers; he has dealt with, by implication, two classes of teachers-false prophets and true prophets -and now gives warning to the two classes of hearers. The picture is not of two men deliberately selecting foundations upon which to build a house, but it contrasts one who carefully chooses and prepares his foundation with the one who builds carelessly. This is more strongly brought out by Luke (6:48) when he says, “Who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock.” The one who hears the words of Jesus and obeys them is “likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock”; this means those who do the will of God (verse 21) are like the man who carefully prepared the foundation and built his house. The hills of Palestine were subject to heavy rainstorms at certain seasons of the year, and consequently to floods; water rushing down the ravines would soon undermine the foundation, if the house was not built on a rock. If the house is built on the rock, it is safe; so the one who builds his character by hearing and doing what Jesus teaches will stand approved of God in the day of judgment.
26, 27 And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not.-The other class of hearers is the one who hears, but does not do what God commands. Both classes are alike in that both hear, but they are different in that one does and the other does not. This class of hearers is likened unto a “foolish man, who built his house upon the sand.” The points of similarity of the two classes are that both hear, build a house, rain descended upon it, floods came, winds blew and beat upon the house. The differences in the two classes are that one does and the other does not; one is wise, the other foolish; the one built upon a rock, the other upon sand; the one stood, the other fell. It is worse than useless to hear and not to do; such hearing only aggravates guilt; the more the hearer knows of his duty, the more guilty is he if he obeys it not; such guilt brings down upon his vainly-founded house the torrents of swift, utter retribution and destruction. This illustration of Jesus makes its own impression. He who hears the words of Jesus, and does them, is safe against all the evil influences of the world, safe forever; he who simply hears, and does not do, is doomed to fail of salvation, and be crushed in utter destruction.
28, 29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words.-Jesus concluded this sermon with the simple, yet beautiful, figure of the two classes of hearers; Matthew now adds his comment. The sermon was delivered to “his disciples” (5:1), but the multitudes were present. Matthew gives no comment as to the effect of this sermon on “his disciples,” but confines his remark to the effect that it had upon “the multitudes.” The crowds were “astonished at his teaching”; the people were astounded, amazed “at his teaching.” The simplicity, the content of the sermon, its profound philosophy of life, and the authority by which Jesus spoke “astonished” “the multitudes.” Jesus did not pose as a hero, but the simple gospel historian recorded the effect that it had upon the people. Jesus’ manner was not dogmatic, dictatorial, nor with an authoritative air which self-conceited, shallow men are accustomed to assume. His innate dignity of surpassing moral power-a bearing of himself as one who consciously came from God, and therefore could not speak with clear, impressive thought-impressed his hearers as they had never been impressed before. “Their scribes” could not speak with the authority of originality; they could only speak as interpreters of the law of Moses; they could quote what others had commented about the law, but they could not go any further. The scribes made it their business simply to state, to explain, and to apply the teachings of the Old Testament, together with the decisions of Jewish tribunals; they could go no further. Jesus has spoken with authority of God; we have a record of the will of God, we dare not go further; his will as recorded in the w Testament has the same authority that Jesus had in speaking it.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Beware: Mat 10:17, Mat 16:6, Mat 16:11, Mar 12:38, Luk 12:15, Act 13:40, Phi 3:2, Col 2:8, 2Pe 3:17
false: Mat 24:4, Mat 24:5, Mat 24:11, Mat 24:24, Mat 24:25, Deu 13:1-3, Isa 9:15, Isa 9:16, Jer 14:14-16, Jer 23:13-16, Jer 28:15-17, Jer 29:21, Jer 29:32, Eze 13:16, Eze 13:22, Mic 3:5-7, Mic 3:11, Mar 13:22, Mar 13:23, 2Pe 2:1-3, 1Jo 4:1, Rev 19:20
which: Zec 13:4, Mar 12:38-40, Rom 16:17, Rom 16:18, 2Co 11:13-15, Gal 2:4, Eph 4:14, Eph 5:6, Col 2:8, 1Ti 4:1-3, 2Ti 3:5-9, 2Ti 3:13, 2Ti 4:3, 2Pe 2:1-3, 2Pe 2:18, 2Pe 2:19, Jud 1:4, Rev 13:11-17
are: Isa 56:10, Isa 56:11, Eze 22:25, Mic 3:5, Zep 3:3, Zep 3:4, Act 20:29-31, Rev 17:6
Reciprocal: Gen 49:27 – at night Deu 18:20 – the prophet Deu 20:19 – thou shalt not 1Ki 13:18 – But 1Ki 22:6 – Go up Neh 6:10 – Shemaiah Neh 6:14 – on the prophetess Pro 11:9 – An hypocrite Pro 19:27 – General Jer 5:31 – prophets Jer 23:16 – Hearken Jer 27:14 – they Eze 13:4 – like Dan 11:34 – cleave Zec 13:2 – cause Mat 24:49 – and to Luk 10:3 – wolves Luk 11:39 – ravening Luk 12:32 – little Joh 10:1 – He Joh 10:12 – the wolf coming 2Co 11:15 – whose 1Th 5:21 – Prove 1Ti 4:2 – lies
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
BEWARE!
Beware of false prophets. 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 7:15-21
The Sermon on the Mount ends with four remarkable warnings. Only the last three are included in the passage read. To grasp the full meaning of these, however, we must take notice of the first of the four, which is the key to the whole passage.
I. Beware of the crowd.Enter ye in by the narrow gate. This warning is against the danger of supposing that what everybody does and what everybody thinks cannot be far wrong, and that therefore one may adjust ones standards, ones ideals of what God expects of us, by the standard which prevails amongst the multitude of mankind around us. The principles laid down by Christ Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount are not those put into practice by the Christian Church as a whole; they do not govern the lives of the great mass of people who call themselves Christians, and who claim their religious privileges as followers of Christ. What is it then that has brought us into the position in which we find ourselves to-day, when the great mass of working-men turn their backs entirely upon the Church of God?
II. Beware of false prophets.It is because of false preaching. It is because of the preaching of a shallow Christianity, which has left the hearts and lives of men unchanged, untouched, and simply covered up things with a promise of forgiveness of sins. It is because the way of salvation has been made easy and broad, instead of narrow and deep. Now see what the Master says about this popular Christianity. By their fruits ye shall know them. That settles the point. You see what it means. You and I have got to accept such principles, and live such lives in consequence, that if others did the same, earth would become a paradise. That is the only fruit that will bear witness to the tree of true principle, viz. its regenerating effect on society. We are always thinking that Christianity ends with simply turning to, or looking to, Jesus, or with calling upon Him. It does nothing of the sort. It only begins there, and if it stops there, there is something wrong with it. He that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
III. Beware of workers of iniquity.There must be the changed character and the changed life, as an outcome and a proof and a manifestation of Jesus Christ having been received into the soul. Nothing else but this will do, or bear the test of the judgment day. No eloquence, no preaching power (even if it can sway thousands), no reform of public morals, no success in social, religious, or philanthropic work, will take the place of, or be a substitute for, the embodying of the character of Jesus Christ in the life of the Christian. So our Lord proceeds, Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. What an awfully solemn warning this is, is it not?
IV. Christ our example.Do you see how our Lord is narrowing down the sphere of guidance to which we are to look, until at last He fixes our gaze simply and solely on Himself? Whence are we to take our ideals? Simply from Christ, and even then we are to beware lest the teaching of Christ float about in our mind as ideal, instead of being accepted as the practical working principles and foundations of the character, on which the life itself with all its activities shall be reared.
Canon T. Brocas Waters.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
7:15
False prophets comes from PSEUDOPROPHETES which Thayer defines, “One who, acting the part of a divinely inspired prophet, utters falsehoods under the name of divine prophecies, a false prophet” The same author explains sheep’s clothing to mean “the skins of sheep.” A wolf having the skin of a sheep around him would be like these evil men who are posing as the prophets of God.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[In sheep’s clothing.] Not so much in woolen garments as in the very skins of sheep; so that outwardly they might seem sheep, but “inwardly they were ravening wolves.” Of the ravenousness of wolves among the Jews, take these two examples besides others. “The elders proclaimed a fast in their cities upon this occasion, because the wolves had devoured two little children beyond Jordan. More than three hundred sheep of the sons of Judah Ben Shamoe were torn by wolves.”
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Mat 7:15. Beware of false prophets, i.e.., teachers. Not only is the way straitened, but those who might leave the many to find it are in danger from false teachers, such as would prevent them from finding it. The warning may refer to the false teachers shortly to arise from among the Jews, but applies to all.
That come to you. False prophets are defined as those who do thus. They come to you, to the professed disciples of Christ; more anxious to proselyte and pervert in the Church than to convert in the world, more meddlesome than missionary in their activity.
In sheeps clothing. No allusion to the dress of the prophets, but referring to the harmless exterior, or to the external connection with Gods flock
Inwardly, or from within, acting according to their impulses, they are ravening wolves. The old destructive malice remains. The application of this strong (but not harsh) language to persons must be governed by what follows.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Observe here, 1. A caution given, Beware of false prophets. There were two sorts of deceivers which our Saviour gave his disciples a special warning of; namely false Christs and false prophets: false Christs were such as pretended to be the true Messiahs; false prophets were such as pretended to own Christianity, but drew people away from the simplicity of the gospel.
Observe, 2. The ground of this caution: They come in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves; that is, they make fair pretences to strictness in religion, and to greater measures and degrees of mortification and self-denial than others.
Whence we learn, That such who go about to seduce others, usually pretend to extraordinary measures of sanctity themselves, to raise an admiration among those who judge of saints more by their looks than by their lives; more by their expressions than by their actions. What heavenly looks and devout gestures, what long prayers and frequent fastings had the hypocritical Pharisees, beyond what Christ or his disciples ever practised!
Observe, 3. The rule laid down by Christ, whereby we are to judge of false teachers; by their fruits ye shall know them.
Learn, That the best course we can take to judge of teachers pretending to be sent of God, is to examine the design and tendency of their doctrines, and the course and tenor of their conversations. Good teachers, like good trees, will bring forth the good fruits of truth and holiness; but evil men and seducers, like corrupt trees, will bring forth error and wickedness in their life and doctrine.
Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament
Mat 7:15-16. Beware of false prophets Who in their preaching describe a broad way to heaven: it is their prophesying, their teaching the broad way, rather than walking in it themselves, that is here chiefly spoken of. All those are false prophets who teach any other way than that which our Lord hath here marked out. Who come to you in sheeps clothing With a form of godliness and fair professions of love; but inwardly they are ravening wolves Not feeding but destroying souls; feeding themselves by the destruction of the flock. A wolf in sheeps clothing, says Doddridge, is grown into a proverb for a wicked man that makes a great profession of religion, yet cannot dissemble so well as not to be discovered by attentive observation; which was just the character of the Pharisees in our Saviours days. Ye shall know them by their fruits A short, plain, easy rule, says Mr. Wesley, whereby to know true from false prophets: and one that may be applied by people of the meanest capacity, who are not accustomed to deep reasoning. True prophets convert sinners to God; or at least confirm and strengthen those that are converted. False prophets do not. They also are false prophets who, though they may declare the very truth, and that clearly and fully, yet do not adorn, but bring a reproach upon it by their unholy conduct; and therefore are not sent of God by his Spirit, but come in their own name to declare Gods word: hence, which is their grand mark, they do not turn men from the power of Satan unto God. Do men gather grapes of thorns, &c. Can it be expected by you, in a common way, that you should reap spiritual advantage, or should obtain religious improvement, from the teaching of wicked men, or of men whom God has not called to that work?
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Verse 15
False prophets; false teachers of religion–Who come in sheep’s clothing; who assume the appearance of piety.–Ravening wolves. They take more than the life; they destroy the soul.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
7:15 {6} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
(6) False teachers must be taken heed of: and they are known by false doctrine and evil living.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The two trees 7:15-20 (cf. Luk 6:43-44)
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
Jesus here sounded a warning that the Old Testament prophets also gave about false prophets (cf. Deuteronomy 13; Deuteronomy 18; Jer 6:13-15; Jer 8:8-12; Ezekiel 13; Eze 22:27; Zep 3:4). He did not explain exactly what they would teach, only that they would deceptively misrepresent divine revelation. This covers a wide spectrum of false teachers. Their motive was ultimately self-serving, and the end of their victims would be destruction. These characteristics are implicit in Jesus’ description of them. The scribes and Pharisees manned a narrow gate, but it was not the gate that led to the narrow way leading to life.