Matthew 7:16

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS - not their doctrines-as many of the older interpreters and some later ones explain it-for that corresponds to the tree itself; but the practical effect of their teaching, which is the proper fruit of the tree. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES OF THORNS, [ akanthoon (G173 ), ANY KIND OF PRICKLY PLANT], OR FIGS OF THISTLES? [ triboloon (G5146)] - a three-pronged variety. The general sense is obvious-Every tree bears its own fruit....

16._From their fruits you shall know them _Had not this mark of distinction been added, we might have called in question the authority of all teachers without exception. If there is a mortal danger to be dreaded in teachers, and if we see no way of avoiding it, we shall be under the necessity of holding them all suspected: and there will be no better or shorter method than to keep our ears shut against them all. We see that ungodly men, to screen themselves when rejecting every kind of doctrine, hold out this danger, and that weak and ill-informed persons remain in a state of perplexity. That our reverence for the Gospel, and for its faithful ministers and teachers, may not be diminished, Christ enjoins us to form our opinion of the _false prophets from their fruits _It is with a very bad grace that the Papists, in order to excite hatred against us, quote directly this exhortation of Chr...

15-20 Nothing so much prevents men from entering the strait gate, and becoming true followers of Christ, as the carnal, soothing, flattering doctrines of those who oppose the truth. They may be known by the drift and effects of their doctrines. Some part of their temper and conduct is contrary to the mind of Christ. Those opinions come not from God that lead to sin....

Verse Matthew 7:16. _YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS._] Fruits, in the Scripture and Jewish phraseology, are taken for _works_ of any kind. "A man's works," says one, "are the _tongue_ of his _heart_, and tell honestly whether he is inwardly corrupt or pure." By these works you may _distinguish_ (επιγνωσεσθε) these ravenous wolves from true pastors. The judgment formed of a man by his _general_ conduct is a safe one: if the judgment be not favourable to the person, that is _his_ fault, as you have your opinion of him from his works, i.e. _the confession of his own heart_....

YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS - The Saviour gives the proper test of their character. People do not judge of a tree by its leaves, or bark, or flowers, but by the fruit which it bears. The flowers may be beautiful and fragrant, the foliage thick and green; but these are merely ornamental. It is the “fruit” that is of chief service to man; and he forms his opinion of the nature and value of the tree by that fruit. So of pretensions to religion. The profession may be fair; but the “conduct” - the fruit - is to determine the nature of the principles....

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 7:1 (2) As anxiety about the things of this life hinders us Godwards (Matthew 6:19), so does censoriousness manwards (Matthew 7:1), our Lord thus tacitly opposing two typically Jewish faults. Censoriousness—the personal danger of having it (Matthew 7:1, Matthew 7:2), its seriousness as a sign of ignorance and as a hindrance to spiritual vision (Matthew 7:3), even though there must be a r

YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS,.... By "fruits" are meant, not so much their external works in life and conversation; for a false prophet may so behave, as not to be discovered thereby. So the Pharisees were outwardly righteous before men; and false teachers among Christians may have the form of godliness, and keep it up, though they are strangers to, and even deny the power of it: but their doctrines are here meant, and the effects of them. When doctrines are contrary to the perfections of God, repugnant to the Scriptures of truth, tend to depreciate the person and offices, blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ, to lessen the glory of God's grace, to exalt the creature, and to fill men's minds with notions of the purity, self-sufficiency, and ability of human nature; when they are calculated to feed the pride and vanity of men, to get money, and gain applause, to serve their...

While we are reading, let us also be adoring at the same time, for the. words of Christ have a gracious divinity about them; they are infinite; they are omnipotent. There is a kind of life in them; a life which communicates itself to those who hear them. Our Saviour did not preach sermons: he preached texts; all his sermons are full of golden sentences, not hammered gold leaf, like those of men, but they are ingots of solid gold, and the gold of that land is good, the most fine gold; there is none like it. Thus he preaches in the seventh chapter of Matthew. Matthew 7:1. _Judge not that ye be not judged._ Set not up for critics, especially in the act of worship. Probably there. is no greater destroyer of profit in the hearing of the word than is the spirit of carping criticism. Mat

CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The Judgment of Righteousness.(Matthew 7:1 .) 2. Warning against False Prophets.(Matthew 7:15 .) 3. Warning against False Professors. (Matthew 7:21 .)_ The chapter which follows contains the last words of the great discourse of our Lord. The contents of this chapter are very instructive and form a most fitting end of the declaration of the King. The first few verses contain a warning against judging. We have in the beginning of the chapter something which is altogether different from the last section of the sixth chapter. There we saw the heir of the Kingdom in the midst of the world, how he is to trust in and depend on the Father and seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, h

EPILOGUE. Warnings and exhortations close the new Law, like the old (Exodus 23:20 ff.). MATTHEW 7:13 F. THE TWO GATES AND THE TWO WAYS (Luke 13:24). The picture is based on Jeremiah 21:8, and is frequent in Jewish and Christian writings. The way that leads to life (the word has eschatological force) involves difficulties and tribulation (_cf._ Acts 14:22). MATTHEW 7:15. FRUIT THE TEST OF PROFESSION. Lk. ...