Matthew 7)
1 Judge not, that you be not judged.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why behold (this is in contrast with consider. Jewish proverb) you the particle of dust (or something dry, i.e. any dry particle, as wood [splinter], chaff) that is in your brother's eye, but consider (stronger than behold) not the beam that is in your own eye?
4 Or how will you say to your brother, 'Let me pull out the particle of dust from your eye; and, behold, a beam is in your own eye?'
5 You hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of your own eye; and then shall you see clearly to cast out the particle of dust out of your brother's eye.
6 Give not that which is holy to the dogs, neither you cast your pearls before swine, lest they (i.e. the swine) trample them with their feet, and [the dogs] turn again and rend you. (Tear to pieces)
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you: (This is never done in the East to this day. The one who knocks is always first questioned)
8 For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.
9 Or what person is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
10 Or if he shall ask for a fish also, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being grudging (Scripture thus challenges man, that is why man challenges it), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in the heaven give good things to them that ask Him? (Cp. Ps. 34:8-10; 84:11. Luke 11:13. Jas. 1:17)
12 Therefore (summing up all that has been said in vv. 1-11) all things whatsoever you be willing that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
13 Enter you in through the narrow gate: for extensive is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in through:
14 Because straightened is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life (i.e. the life eternal. See Lev. 18:5), and few there be that find it.
15 Take heed keep away from false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, (In other words, they look like a Christian, one of Christ’s followers) but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (In other words one that claims to be a man of God, that is to say a prophet, and is not familiar with our heavenly Father’s word, can only be influenced by the traditions of the world. And the wolf is naturally symbolic of Satan himself. So naturally, when they assume traditions, though they would faint if you were to say they were doing the work of Satan when they claim to be prophets, ministers, teachers, and evangelists, but if they are teaching traditions of men rather than the words of Christ, they are dangerous. Someone on his or her way to being deceived is one that wants to follow Christ yet respects a symbol and may claim to stand for Christ but doesn’t know anything about what Christ teaches or said. But to be in good standing with the Father who is the judge of all, you must know His word. So beware of false prophets. How do you know them? Listen to the simplicity in which Jesus taught.)
16 You shall fully know and recognize them from their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (In other words what Christ is telling you is really this simple: “Do men gather grapes off of a thorn bush?” [No you do not, but Christ is speaking spiritually here.] Christ is making reference to the bramble bush, which is symbolic of satan. Remember back in the Old Testament when the trees wanted a be king [to rule over them] and the thorn bush or bramble bush said, “I’ll be your king, as long as you promise to stay in my shade or shadow.” [meaning the bramble bush wanted them to find protection and rest in him. But Christ is our only rest.] (see Judges 9:8-15) The thing is a thorn bush doesn’t cast a shadow. You see, there’s no protection there. I want to beg, that no one thinks I’m talking down to anyone, but what is Christ talking about here? Well the subject we opened with was about false prophets, ministers, teachers, and evangelists; someone claiming to be teaching God’s word or speaking of His prophecies. Now anyone should be intelligent enough to know that you’re not going to get grapes off of a thorn bush or that you’re not going to get figs off of a thistle. Well how does that apply to people then? Well, if someone that is a one-verse Charlie or never quite gets around to opening God’s word, and that is what every Christian is supposed to absorb, then you’re eating off of a thistle, friend, and a thistle that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans. You get grapes from the vine and Christ is the vine. See 15:1-8.)
17 Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; (In other words if someone really teaches God’s word it brings forth good fruit, that is to say, people’s mind filled with God’s truth) but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. (In other words a corrupt tree that claims to be a tree of prophecy is actually going to be a tree of a bunch of beggars. That’s what it’s going to wind up to be. Cause God won’t support them. Thus they must become beggars. I know I may offend some but we are in the final generation, at the time of the parable of the fig tree. That’s one of the reason’s Christ wanted you to learn it. So you either participating in church or you’re practicing sideshow politics. Shenanigans. Bad fruit. A good tree, that is to say if you teach truth. You see, what trees are we talking about? Let’s go back to the beginning. There was the tree of life, which is Christ Himself. And there was a tree of good and evil which is satan. And oh how he can seem to be very good but he is from the inside as the ravenous wolf, evil. Which tree will you partake of? Are you intelligent enough to understand when you are hearing God’s word taught chapter-by-chapter and verse-by-verse rather than some prattling wolf in sheep’s clothing or in a preacher’s robe that never quite gets around to mentioning the Father, the Son, or especially the word? Man doesn’t have all that much to say of importance to you my friend. Anyone that has lived any number of years at all on this earth knows that compared to our Father, man has very few important thoughts concerning the eternity. They all come from our Father, for all wisdom flows from Him. Okay. You got that? It’s real simple.)
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. (Hey, once you spot them mark them. They’re not going to change, most likely.)
19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (God starts judging at the pulpit. And there will be many that are hewn down. That’s what he’s talking about. Beware of false prophets which appear to be sheep, but they’re a wolf in sheep’s clothing, raving. Be very careful. Playing church can be a dangerous thing without the aid of our Father’s blessings, that is to say His word. It’s a very serious thing.)
20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. (Shall know who? False prophets, false preachers, and false teachers. You will know them by their fruit as to whether they are beggars or men of God. It’s that simple.)
21 Not every one that says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in the heavens. (In other words there’s your answer from His word. Is that difficult? This is the tree that you partake of. This is the same tree in as much as the living word is Christ. Then it is the tree of life in the 22nd chapter of Revelation that gives life for the eternity. And your good fruit is right here from the word of God. And what God is saying is that everyone that says “Lord, Lord” is not going to make it. Because there are many that say “Lord, Lord” and have absolutely no conception of what the word of God teaches, in reality, and in the simplicity in which Christ taught.)
22 Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesied (acted as spokesmen) by Your name? (Do you know what Christ is going to say to characters like that who claim to be preachers, teachers, and prophets of God’s word?) and in Your name have cast out demons? and in Your name done many wonderful works?' (I can hear them, “Oh yes we held revivals and we’ve chased those devils around the room! And in thy name we have many wonderful works! We’ve built such great, wonderful works in thy name!”)
23 And then will I profess to them, 'I never got to know you: depart away from Me, you that work lawlessness.' (“Get out of my sight!” Are you a fruit inspector? Are you intelligent enough to tell whether someone is teaching God’s word? To teach from God’s word you must read FROM His word. You must convey the thought that God utilizes by way of metaphors, idioms, figures of speech, acrostics, as well as understanding the customs of the time, [one has to clarify mistakes in the translations from the original languages], and to let the word do the teaching in the simplicity that Christ taught it. Aunt Nelly don’t get it done. And that’s no disrespect to Aunt Nelly. It’s just that no one and nothing can replace the good fruit from the word of God. Can you begin to see why Christ said you must LEARN the parable of the fig tree? And this is the basic step. And I know some are going to say, “Well when did he say that?” Well let’s see a bit more about the fig. See Mark 13:28)
24 Therefore every one hear these words of Mine, and do them, I will liken him to a prudent man, which built his house upon the rocky ground:
25 And (emphasizing each particular) down came the rain, and the floods (at the foundation) came, and the winds (at the sides) blew, and broke upon (dashed against [with great violence]) that house; and it fell not: for it had been founded upon the rock.
26 And every one that hears these sayings of Mine, and does them not, shall be likened to a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and on the roof (stumbled against, merely impinged, or lightly struck, in contrast with v.25) of that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings (this marks the end of the 1st period and subject of the Lord's ministry), the multitudes were astonished at His teaching:
29 For He was continually teaching them as one having authority (i.e. possessing Divine authority = from the mouth of God), and not as the scribes. (Jewish teachers always referred to tradition, or to what some other teacher had said; and do so to this day.)