Jesus’ Words -false teachers
Background –
- The sermon on the mount (in its totality)
- vs 13-14. Enter Narrow gate
Matt 7:13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matt 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
False Prophets
Vs. 15 BEWARE of ψευδοπροφητῶν. Pseudo Prophets
The Didache speaks of a type of prophet whom it pithily names a χριστέμπορος (chap. 12), a Christ-merchant.
The Wolf
In most other uses (including Matthew 7:15), the wolf represents only the worst, and most dangerous, aspects of people and life. As such, the wolf is a depiction of callous, insatiable hunger (Genesis 49:27), of destruction (Jeremiah 5:6), and of vicious, deadly abuse of the innocent
Read more at https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/forbiblestudynerds/2014/12/matthew-715-23-a-tree-and-its-fruit-symbolism.html#L8oyY3Tezp2K0ERm.99
The Disguise
Sheep’s clothing – dressed to deceive by appearances
Vs. 16 COMMON SENSE APPROACH
Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
The visible outgrowth reveals the nature of that which is within…..You, my followers, ought to use that common sense in spiritual matters which men show in matters of everyday life.
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/7-16.htm
NOT JUST SAY
Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,
Not “say”, but DOES!
The final goal of our hopes. But he that doeth the will of my Father.
Matt 7:21…but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Humility
Not “of me,” but of him whom I represent, and to whom I stand in a unique relation (observe the claim). ….Which is in heaven. Since you desire to enter the kingdom of heaven, be now obeying the will of him who dwells in heaven. (For the thought of the verse, cf 1 John 2:4.)
Matt 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Life goals ? – Comfort , safety, ease, plenty
Who taught us this? Did Jesus?
End of Beatitudes and end of this text….not very safe… comfy
Even if persecuted for being Christians, a government can not change who we are internally. Society may crumble around us and make it more challenging to live a holy and pure life, but other people can not stop the work Christ has begun in you (Philippians 1:6). All of these are outward.
They can affect how you live
but they cannot affect who you are.
In this passage, Jesus warns us about those who can affect us internally by presenting falsehood in the garb of truth, and getting us to believe and follow their lies. The greatest danger we face is what will affect us internally and determine our eternal destiny.
https://gracebibleny.org/beware_of_false_prophets_matthew_7_15_20
Illus
JEREMIAH 5:30.
JEREMIAH chap 23
JEREMIAH chap 29:4-12
“An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so!” Things were so bad that in Jeremiah 23, Jeremiah warned the people to stop listening to these self proclaimed prophets because they spoke of visions from their own imaginations and prophesied, but it was not from the LORD. The things these false prophets said were not true and the things they foretold did not come about. They should have been stoned, but the people were far from God and instead they listened to, and followed the lies. The eventual outcome of it all was the captivity of both Israel and Judah.”
https://gracebibleny.org/beware_of_false_prophets_matthew_7_15_20
Recall Matt 5-7
Outward life / fruit bearing / challenge the typical / narrow down the path
Refresh – narrow / gate …. Jesus