Project C: Matthew 7:21-29 By Branden Bettger March 28, 2007 BIBL 2703Biblical Exegesis Dr. Robert C.

Stallman MWF 12:40-1:30 Word Count: 2,900

2 There have been many great sermons preached throughout human history, but there is none greater or more famous than Jesus Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is found complete in the Matthew 5-7, and abbreviated in the Luke 6. It is here; at the end of this great sermon that we find Matt. 7:21-27, the focus section of this essay. Matt. 7:21-29 says in the NASB, 21Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26"Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27"The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." 28When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Before looking at Matt 7:21-24 specifically, we must first see where it fits into the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew is believed by W.D. Davies and others, to be divided up into five books.1 Some scholars think that Matthew purposely divided his gospel into five books so that it would
W.D. Davies and Dale C. Allison, Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According To Saint Matthew, The International Critical Commentary, vol. 1, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Ltd, 1988), .
1

3 appear to be a sort of Christian Pentateuch.2 Each of these five books consists of a narrative followed by a discourse. Surrounding the five books is a preamble and an epilogue. Matt 1-2 is considered the preamble, and Matt 26-28 is considered the epilogue.3 The five discourses in Matthew each concluded with the Greek verb teleo, which means complete.4 These discourses can be labeled as Jesus teaching: about discipleship, about mission, in parables (regarding the Kingdom of God), about relationships among disciples, and about the future. The Sermon on the Mount is the first discourse of the five major discourses found in Matthew and deals primarily with discipleship.5 What comes before the Sermon on the Mount is very important in establishing Jesus authority as a rabbinic teacher and the Messiah. Before Jesus preaches his great sermon he is baptized by his cousin John,6 and is tempted the wilderness.7 It is only after these two events that Jesus begins his ministry. Directly before Matt. 7:21-29 Jesus teaches to beware of false prophets who clothe themselves in sheeps clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.8 Right after saying this, Jesus explains how the false prophets will be known because of their deeds/fruit. These five verses seem to tie indirectly with the false prophets described in Matt. 7:21-23.

R.T. France, The Gospel According to Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, no. 1, (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985), 60.
3

Ibid., 61. Ibid., 60. Ibid., 60. See Matt. 3:13-17. See Matt. 4:1-11. See Matt. 7:15-20.

4 The content immediately following the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 8 shows how Jesus exercised his great authority for the good of others.9 After Jesus finished his sermon he came down from the mountain being followed by a large crowd.10 This parallels Jesus going up to the mountain being followed by a crowd in Matt 4. Next, Jesus used his divine authority to heal three people as well as many others that are not specifically mentioned. These three were a Jewish Leper who told Jesus, Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean; a Gentile Centurion who believed that Jesus could heal his servant by just saying a word; Peters Motherin-law, who was sick in bed with a fever. By healing these three people Jesus crosses cultural boundaries that were uncomfortable for the Jewish people. The Leper represents purity boundaries, the centurions servant ethnic boundaries, and Peters mother in-law gender boundaries.11 All this Matthew says was to fulfill what was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah; He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.12 After healing these people,13 Jesus explained to two men the cost of following him and calmed a sea with a word when the disciples were distressed. The disciples were amazed at Jesus authority. The section of verses in Matt 7:21-29 has been divided below into four main parts to be looked at more closely. The first two sections are a hypothetical dialogue presented by Jesus, which will occur on Judgment day. The third section is a parable about the builders of two houses, and the fourth gives the response of the people having heard Jesus.

France, 150-151. See Matt. 8:1. Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, The NIV Application Commentary, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004),

10

11

339-344.
12

See Matt. 8:2-17. See Matt. 8:18-27.

13

5 A. Many Call Jesus Lord (7:21-22) The subject of false prophets continues on from verse 20 into 21 with the focus shifting from their deeds (Fruits) to their words or claims (many will say). There is also a shift in focus from recognition by others in the present (you will know them) to their recognition by Jesus in the future (I never knew you).14 What these people will say appears to be a valid, but is it really? Is calling Jesus Lord enough? When Jesus uses the double vocative Lord, Lord, he is stating that these words themselves do not save. For behind a persons words can hide a false faith. The Greek word for Lord, used here by Jesus is Kyrios. The word kyrios has a different meaning in the post-Easter usage than in its original pre-Easter context. In the pre-Easter context it simply meant Lord, reverend sir, or teacher, but in the post-Easter context it takes on much more meaning. The early Christian confession of Jesus is Lord (Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11) in the early church vividly called to mind the resurrected Jesus, sitting on His throne separating the sheep from the goats (saved from the unsaved).15 This is the eschatological image that is portrayed here in Matt 7:21. Here Jesus is already saying that he will judge who will enter the kingdom of heaven, before he has reached the throne!16 Tying directly with Jesus being Lord is the kingdom of which Jesus is Lord over. His kingdom is the kingdom of heaven. Matthews usage of kingdom of heaven, as apposed to kingdom of God which is used in the other gospels, denotes a Jewish awareness.17 The Greek

14

Davies and Allison, 711. Ibid., 713. Ibid., 713. Robert H. Gundry, A Survey of The New Testament 4th ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003), 119.

15

16

17

6 word for kingdom is basileia. As compared to the OT Hebrew word for kingdom, mamlaka, the Greek word basileia refers to entire reign or rule, rather than just a geographical area of rule or royal power. In Matthew when the term kingdom of heaven is used it represents the Already, not yet.18 What this means is that there is a sense in which the kingdom of God is already made full in the hearts of those who follow Jesus, but it is not yet complete in the physical eschatological sense that it will be. Those who heard Jesus words must have felt a sense of either fear or hope for the future. In 7:21 the future tense of the Greek word eiserchomai, meaning will enter into, points to an eschatological salvation to come at the last judgment, on the last day.19 What appears to be judged on this day is the doing (poion) of the Fathers will, not the saying (legon). Mere lip service does not get one into the kingdom of heaven. There is a continual doing of the will of the Father that is involved.20 This continuality is seen by the use of the present active indicative participle poion, which denotes continuous action. In Matt 7:22 the action of saying is mentioned again, but this time it is in the future tense and refers to what will be said on that day. The day of the Lord is a common term referring to the Day of Judgment. Examples of this can be found in Amos 8:9; 9:11; Isa 2:20; Zeph 1:10, Zech 14:4; 2 Thess 1:10; and 2 Tim 4:8.21 In this last day the Son of Man will come in glory with the angels and sit on his throne to make judgment.

See Kingdom, in William D. Mounce, Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 380. Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1-13, Word Biblical Commentary, no. 33a, (Nashville: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 1993), 186-187.
20 19

18

Ibid., 187. Ibid., 187.

21

7 Again in 7:22, the double vocative Lord, Lord is repeated, but this time it is the response of people who will dialogue with the savior. The saying of Lord, Lord is attached to actions done in the past by being followed with the words did we notin your name. What does it mean to do something in the name of Jesus? The term in Your Name can mean a few different things. It could mean in the power of your name or by your authority, as seen in James 5:14. Secondly, in your name could indicate that the false prophets claim to be Christians. This idea fits well with the early mentioning in the Sermon on the Mount of wolves in sheeps clothing. However, it appears there are not any other usages like this of in your name or in my name in the NT. The most likely meaning of the usage in Matt 7:22 is by your authority or in the power of your name.22 The things that the false prophets claim to be done in the name of Jesus: prophesy, casting out demons, and performing miracles, does not make them a part of the kingdom of God. This indicates that it is not necessary to be a part of the kingdom of God to do them. This is consistent with many other parts of scripture, that say that even in the last days evil figures will be seen doing great works (e.g. Mt 24:23-28; 2 Thess 2:9-10; Rev 13:13-15 etc.).23 By including Jesus statement that false prophets can prophecy, cast out demons, and perform miracles, Matthew shows that he understands that these gifts are good things but are not what is really important. What is really important is the hearers obedience to the commands of Jesus presented in the Sermon on the Mount.

B. Jesus Responds (7:23)

22

Davies and Allison, 715. Ibid., 716.

23

8 In the Matt 7:23 Jesus gives his response to the false prophets who claim to know Him, but dont. The Greek word tote (meaning then) is used to refer to the time of that day (the Day of Judgment).24 In response to the false prophets lack of doing the will of the Father, Jesus responds with the dreadful words I never knew you. From Greek this phrase is literally translated I never have known you.25 This does not mean that God has never actually known these individuals. What Jesus is saying is, I never recognized you as one of my own.26 At the end of 7:23 Jesus tells those who practice lawlessness to depart from Him. The word translated into English as lawlessness, is the Greek word anomia. Anomia is the opposite of righteousness.27 The opposite of righteousness is lawlessness; therefore lawlessness is a good way to translate it. The use of the word anomia is especially fitting with Matthews view of sin as the violation of the Fathers will.28 In the way this word is used, its emphasis seems to be a sinful, inward state of lawlessness, rather than strictly legal.29 C. Jesus Compares People to Builders (7:24-27) To end his sermon, Jesus tells a parable comparing two men: a wise man one who built his house on the rock, and a foolish man who built his house on the sand. One house stood and the other crumbled. Introducing this parable is the word therefore, which is used to show a connection between the dialogue and the parable at this pivot point. Next, Jesus begins his parable of warning with an invitation. The words in Greek used here are Pashostis, which

24

Hagner, 188. Hagner, 188. Davies, 717. See lawlessness in Mounce, 394. Hagner, 188. Davies, 718-719.

25

26

27

28

29

9 literally mean everyone/allwhoever. In effect the reader is invited to be like the wise man, and not to simply hear but do.30 This emphasis on hearing and doing, is found else where in the NT in reference to the word/will of God (Luke 8:21; Matt 12:50; James 1:22-25).31 The word wise (phronimos), describing the wise, man is a favorite of Matthew. This word occurs seven times in Matthew but only two times in Luke.32 In Greek it literally means wise or insightful, in a prudent or shrewd way that is appropriate for the circumstance or situation.33 The wise man is contrasted with the foolish (moros) in Matt 7:26. Moros as an adjective means foolish and as a noun means fool. This foolishness in Greek, often denotes not only simple stupidity, but ignorance of and willful rebellion against God and his will.34 The word used for house, in this section of verses is the Greek word oikia. In pre-biblical society oikia was distinct from the Greek word oikos, which also means house. Oikos was a more legal term referring to all a persons possessions left after they died. Oikia on the other hand refers only to a house. Oikia and oikos later became synonymous. Often, oikos is used in the NT to refer to the temple of God, ancestral family, a community of Christians, or a Christians body.35 In the passages here in Matthew oikia appears to represents a persons life/body. The wise man having built his house on the rock represents building ones life on the teaching of Jesus.36 In the OT a rock was often used as a metaphor for safety (e.g. 1 Sam 2:2; Ps

30

Hagner, 190. Ibid., 190. Ibid., 190. See wise in Mounce, 794-795. See fool and foolish in Mounce, 262-263. See house in Mounce, 344-345. Davies and Allison, 721.

31

32

33

34

35

36

10 27:5; Matt 16:18).37 In Greek the word used here for rock is petra, meaning a large formation of rock.38 In contrast to the foundation of rock is the foundation of sand. The foundation of sand appears to be no foundation at all. This idea of no foundation is rather ridiculous. It seems that Jesus could be using a form of exaggeration by mentioning a foundation of sand. We can assume that both houses in this parable were built with the same quality. The only real difference appears to be in the foundation.39 The storm of rain, floods, and strong wind mentioned in Matt 7:25 and 7:27 wouldve been something the original hearers of this parable could relate too. When it rains in the near east it pours! Flooding is a common occurrence during a big storm.40 In context with the rest of the passage these afflictions of the storm are eschatological, meaning they represent the trials of the end times,41 but could also represent the testing of obedience to God in this life before judgment. The readers of Matthews day knew what it was like to have their faith tested. Since Matthew appears to have been written after 64AD and prior to the destruction of the temple in 70AD, Matthew would have been writing during Neros persecution of Christians. These early Christians surely would have needed to have their foundational beliefs well established to endure persecution. D. People are Amazed (7:28-29) This next section, consisting of only two verses is the pivot point back to narrative. This is where Jesus finishes his sermon and the discourse ends. The word teleo, meaning complete, is

37

Davies and Allison, 721. See rock in Mounce, 602. Davies and Allison, 721. Hagner, 191. Davies and Allison, 722.

38

39

40

41

11 used to close four out of the five discourses found in Matthew, including this one.42 Here in 7:28, we see the crowds reaction to the greatest sermon of all time. The crowds response isamazement. The Greek word used here for amazed is ekplesso, which means to be amazed or greatly astonished. This word is most often used when describing the reaction to Jesus teaching. Fitting isnt it? Sometimes this amazement results in faith.43 Here ekplesso is in the imperfect form and denotes continued amazement. It is possible that this continued amazement contained both fear and hope considering the context of Jesus message and the variety of people who witnessed it.44 What is interesting to note about the response to Jesus sermon is that Matthew gives no words to the crowd. There is only one person other than Jesus, who speaks in Matt 5-7.45 Its as if Matthew was trying to get his readers to just stop and ponder the content of the great sermon they had just heard. But why was everyone in shock? They had just heard a sermon like none other. They were amazed because Jesus was teaching as one having authority. The Greek word used in Matt 7:29 for authority is exousia. In the way this word is used, it more specifically means divine authority.46 Jesus teaching went beyond the teaching of the law. Jesus added his own direct perception of the will of God. This is something the scribes would have never done.47

42

France, 60. See amazed in Mounce, 17-18. Davies and Allison, 726. Ibid., 725. See authority in Mounce, 47. France, 150.

43

44

45

46

47

12 The scribes primarily used exegesis of the Torah when preaching.48 When Jesus taught it was predominately his own words that were authoritative in his sermon. In conclusion, we have seen that these passages found in Matt 7:21-29 give harsh warning to those who dont follow the commands of Jesus. What is clearly portrayed is that just calling Jesus Lord is not enough. There is action in following Jesus. Without rightfully following the commands of Jesus, one cannot expect to stand with confidence before his throne on Judgment Day. Without hearing and doing the words of Jesus one cannot even be expected to stand for Jesus under persecution. However, one who has built their life on the teachings of Jesus, and not only confesses him as Lord, but obeys his commands will endure to the end!

48

Hagner, 193.

13

Works Cited Davies, W. D. and Dale C. Allison, Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on The Gospel According To Saint Matthew. The International Critical Commentary, vol. 1. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark Ltd, 1988. France, R. T. The Gospel According to Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, no. 1. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985. Gundry, Robert H, A Survey of The New Testament 4th ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. Hagner, Donald A. Matthew 1-13. Word Biblical Commentary, no. 33a. Nashville: Nelson Reference & Electronic, 1993. Mounce, William D. Mounces Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006. Wilkins, Michael J. Matthew. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004.