New Testament Commentary - Matthew 7

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 7 Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount—He commands: Judge not; ask of God; beware of false prophets—He promises salvation to those who do the will of the Father.
1 ^aJUDGE not, that ye be not ^bjudged. 2 For with what ^ajudgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what ^bmeasure ye mete, it shall be ^cmeasured to you again.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
3 ^aAnd why beholdest thou the ^bmote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the ^cbeam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou ^ahypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
6 ¶ ^aGive not that which is ^bholy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your ^cpearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
7 ¶ ^aAsk, and it shall be ^bgiven you; ^cseek, and ye shall find; ^dknock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that ^aseeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask ^abread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, ^abeing evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
12 Therefore all things ^awhatsoever ye would that ^bmen should ^cdo to you, ^ddo ye even so to them: for this is the ^elaw and the prophets.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
13 ¶ Enter ye in at the ^astrait ^bgate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to ^cdestruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because ^astrait is the ^bgate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto ^clife, and few there be that find it.		1^a D&C 128:20; 2^a Mark 9:2 (2-13); Luke 9:29 (28-36); John 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16 (16-19); TG Jesus Christ, Glory of;
15 ¶ Beware of ^afalse prophets, which come to you in ^bsheep's clothing, but ^cinwardly they are ravening ^dwolves^a. 16 Ye shall ^aknow them by their ^bfruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth ^agood ^bfruit; but a ^ccorrupt tree bringeth forth ^devil fruit.	15^a they are ravening wolves This is spoken against those who are 'false prophets'. In the days of Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, he speaks of 'those who through love of innovation have run into the greatest errors, and, proclaiming themselves discoverers of knowledge falsely so-called have like fierce wolves unmercifully devastated the flock of Christ.' (EH, Book 1, Chapter 1 Paragraph 2). These 'fierce wolves', these 'ravening wolves', these 'grievous wolves' (see Acts 20:29 & Zephaniah 3:3-4, Ezekiel 22:23-28) are all the same. They are they who preach false doctrine of the philosophies of men mingled with scripture. And they will devise and preach of false Christs, not having the true knowledge of God. They are they of the apostasy and those of the great and abominable church of the devil.
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 ^afruit is ^bhewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their ^afruits ye shall know them.
21 ¶ Not every one that ^asaith unto me, Lord, ^bLord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that ^cdoeth the ^dwill of my Father which is in ^eheaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not ^aprophesied in thy name? and in thy ^bname have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never ^aknew you: ^bdepart from me, ye that work ^ciniquity.
24 ¶ Therefore whosoever ^aheareth these sayings of mine, and ^bdoeth them, ^cI will liken him unto a ^dwise man, which ^ebuilt his house upon ^fa rock: 25 And the ^arain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and ^bbeat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a ^crock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a ^afoolish 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 ^ahouse; and it ^bfell: and great was the fall of it.
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended ^athese sayings, the people were ^bastonished at his ^cdoctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having ^aauthority, and not as ^bthe scribes.