Matthew 7:1,2
WARNING AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED JUDGING AND ADMONITION TO PERSEVERE IN PRAYER. A lesson from the Eighth Commandment:... [ Continue Reading ]
WARNING AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED JUDGING AND ADMONITION TO PERSEVERE IN PRAYER. A lesson from the Eighth Commandment:... [ Continue Reading ]
JUDGE NOT, THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR WITH WHAT JUDGMENT YE JUDGE, YE SHALL BE JUDGED; AND WITH WHAT MEASURE YE METE, IT SHALL BE MEASURED TO YOU AGAIN. The Lord's words, in this connection, do not exclude all judging. According to God's own creation and order, those whom He has placed as superiors have the right and duty to watch o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHY BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE THAT IS IN THY BROTHER'S EYE, BUT CONSIDEREST NOT THE BEAM THAT IS IN THINE OWN EYE?... [ Continue Reading ]
The proverb of the mote and the beam:... [ Continue Reading ]
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?... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HYPOCRITE, 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. This example or parable is an excellent comparison to bring out with the proper emphasis the warning against uncharitable judging. The mote, the tiny particle... [ Continue Reading ]
An additional counsel: GIVE NOT THAT WHICH IS HOLY UNTO THE DOGS, NEITHER CAST YE YOUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, LEST THEY TRAMPLE THEM UNDER THEIR FEET, AND TURN AGAIN AND REND YOU. Moral criticism is necessary, religious teaching cannot be discarded. But it would be the height of folly and the very con... [ Continue Reading ]
ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU.... [ Continue Reading ]
An admonition to prayer:... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR EVERY ONE THAT ASKETH, RECEIVETH; AND HE THAT SEEKETH, FINDETH; AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH IT SHALL BE OPENED. The Lord's entire sermon had dealt with the righteousness of life as expected from men by God. A great and hard lesson, demanding more strength than any man, even the most earnest Christi... [ Continue Reading ]
OR WHAT MAN IS THERE OF YOU, WHOM IF HIS SON ASK BREAD, WILL HE GIVE HIM A STONE?... [ Continue Reading ]
A parable to bring home this truth:... [ Continue Reading ]
OR IF HE ASK A FISH, WILL HE GIVE HIM A SERPENT?... [ Continue Reading ]
IF YE THEN, BEING 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? He appeals to their love as parents. It is unthinkable that a father who is worthy of the name would substitute a stone for the bread, or... [ Continue Reading ]
The Golden Rule: THEREFORE, ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YE WOULD THAT MEN SHOULD DO TO YOU, DO YE EVEN SO TO THEM; FOR THIS IS THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS. Here is a summary which embraces in one short sentence all the admonitions to charity that are found in the entire sermon, all that is laid down in the s... [ Continue Reading ]
ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE, FOR WIDE IS THE GATE, AND BROAD IS THE WAY, THAT LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY THERE BE WHICH GO IN THEREAT;... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CONCLUSION OF THE SERMON. The two ways:... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE STRAIT IS THE GATE, AND NARROW IS THE WAY, WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT. The Lord has finished the sermon proper, but He here adds, as a conclusion, a few warnings and gives a few hints with regard to various offenses in doctrine and life which His disciples are apt... [ Continue Reading ]
Warning against false prophets: 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 yo... [ Continue Reading ]
The principle of testing false teachers and all frauds:... [ Continue Reading ]
YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS: DO MEN GATHER GRAPES OF THORNS OR FIGS OF THISTLES?... [ Continue Reading ]
EVEN SO EVERY GOOD TREE BRINGETH FORTH GOOD FRUIT, BUT A CORRUPT TREE BRINGETH FORTH EVIL FRUIT.... [ Continue Reading ]
A GOOD TREE CANNOT BRING FORTH EVIL FRUIT, NEITHER CAN A CORRUPT TREE BRING FORTH GOOD FRUIT. A significant point: Not only may the disciples of Christ distinguish these false teachers for themselves, but the Lord expects them to know them thoroughly, to understand them by making a study of their me... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY TREE THAT BRINGETH NOT FORTH GOOD FRUIT IS HEWN DOWN AND CAST INTO THE FIRE.... [ Continue Reading ]
The end of the imposters... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. So far as the test of trees is concerned, men's judgment in their case is so definite and absolute that they do not hesitate to cut down and burn a bad tree, knowing very well that it is beyond all possibility for that tree to bring forth good fruit the... [ Continue Reading ]
False discipleship: NOT EVERYONE THAT SAITH UNTO ME, LORD, LORD, SHALL ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. False teachers have been characterized, spurious disciples are here described. Not all of those that make a practice of public confessi... [ Continue Reading ]
Christ's warning of Judgment:... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, LORD, LORD, HAVE WE NOT PROPHESIED IN THY NAME, AND IN THY NAME HAVE CAST OUT DEVILS, AND IN THY NAME DONE MANY WONDERFUL WORKS?... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEN WILL I PROFESS UNTO THEM, I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY. In that day, in the great, dread Day of Judgment, when the thoughts and desires of mind and heart will be revealed, there will be many, a large number, that will make a plea in their behalf. They will point t... [ Continue Reading ]
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;... [ Continue Reading ]
A concluding parable:... [ Continue Reading ]
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,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND EVERY ONE THAT HEARETH THESE SAYINGS OF MINE, AND DOETH THEM NOT, SHALL BE LIKENED UNTO A FOOLISH MAN, WHICH BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON THE SAND;... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE RAIN DESCENDED, AND THE FLOODS CAME, AND THE WINDS BLEW, AND BEAT UPON THAT HOUSE; AND IT FELL, AND GREAT WAS THE FALL OF IT. A majestic utterance referring to the entire discourse with all its lessons, intended, as they were, to teach wisdom and understanding in the lives of His disciples,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN JESUS HAD ENDED THESE SAYINGS, THE PEOPLE WERE ASTONISHED AT HIS DOCTRINE.... [ Continue Reading ]
The impression made by Christ's sermon:... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE TAUGHT THEM AS ONE HAVING AUTHORITY, AND NOT AS THE SCRIBES. Christ's manner of teaching differed from that of the scribes, for they taught by authority only, droning out the traditions and precepts and injunctions of a Law which was, in effect, dead in their own life. Christ spoke _ with_ a... [ Continue Reading ]