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Don’t Be Judgmental of Others. But Use Discernment In Your Actions Toward Others

“Do not be judging[a], in order that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look-at the speck in the eye of your brother, but do not consider[b] the log in your eye? Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Permit me to take out the speck from your eye’, and behold— the log is in your eye? Hypocrite! First take out the log from your eye, and then you will see-clearly to take out the speck from the eye of your brother. Do not give the holy thing to the dogs[c], nor throw your pearls in front of the pigs, so that they will not perhaps trample them with their feet, and having turned, tear you to pieces.

Keep Pursuing What You Need From God. He Will Give You Good Things

“Be asking, and it will be given to you; be seeking, and you will find; be knocking, and it will be opened to you. For everyone asking receives; and the one seeking finds; and to the one knocking, it will be opened. Or what person is there from-among you whom his son will ask-for bread— he will not give him a stone[d], will he? 10 Or indeed he will ask-for a fish— he will not give him a snake[e], will he? 11 Therefore if you, being evil, know-how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in the heavens give good things to the ones asking Him!

Treat Others As You Yourself Want To Be Treated

12 “Therefore, everything that you want[f] people to be doing to you, thus also you be doing to them. For this is the Law and the Prophets.

Enter God’s Kingdom Through The Narrow Gate, Which Is Found By Few

13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because wide is the gate and broad[g] is the road leading-away to destruction— and many are the ones entering through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and constricted[h] is the road leading-away to life— and few are the ones finding it.

Beware of False Prophets. The Nature of What They Produce Will Reveal Them

15 “Beware of the false-prophets— who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inside are ravenous[i] wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. They do not collect grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Thus, every good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad[j] fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor is a bad tree able to produce good[k] fruit. 19 Every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So indeed, you will know them by their fruits.

Not Everyone Talking About God Knows Him. Only Those Doing His Will Enter His Kingdom

21 “Not everyone saying to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of My Father in the heavens. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast-out demons in Your name, and do many miracles[l] in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare[m] to them that ‘I never knew[n] you. Depart from Me, ones working lawlessness’. 24 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and is doing them will be-like a wise[o] man who built his house upon the bed-rock. 25 And the rain came down, and the rivers[p] came, and the winds blew— and they fell against that house. And it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the bed-rock. 26 And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. 27 And the rain came down, and the rivers came, and the winds blew— and they struck-against that house. And it fell, and the falling[q] of it was great”.

The Works of The King: Divine Power In Action

28 And it came about that when Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astounded[r] at His teaching. 29 For He was teaching them as One having authority, and not as their scribes.

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 7:1 That is, in the sense of finding fault with, criticizing, passing judgment on.
  2. Matthew 7:3 Or, notice, perceive.
  3. Matthew 7:6 That is, unholy persons, God-rejecters, as in Rev 22:15. This statement balances v 1 and 3, since this requires a proper kind of judging.
  4. Matthew 7:9 That is, something useless.
  5. Matthew 7:10 That is, something harmful.
  6. Matthew 7:12 Or, wish, desire, intend.
  7. Matthew 7:13 Or, spacious, roomy.
  8. Matthew 7:14 Or, pressed in, compressed.
  9. Matthew 7:15 Or, thieving, vicious.
  10. Matthew 7:17 good ... good... bad... bad. Two different words are used for ‘good’ and ‘bad’ here. Jesus may mean every ‘beneficial’ type of tree (like a fruit tree) produces fruit ‘fit’ to eat, but every ‘unusable’ type of tree produces ‘useless’ fruit or none at all. Or, He may mean every ‘good’ fruit tree produces ‘healthy’ fruit, but the ‘rotten’ fruit tree produces ‘bad’ fruit or none at all.
  11. Matthew 7:18 good... bad... bad... good. That is, the ‘beneficial’ type of tree cannot produce ‘useless’ fruit, nor the ‘unusable’ tree fruit ‘fit’ to eat; or, the ‘good’ fruit tree cannot produce ‘bad’ fruit, nor can the ‘rotten’ fruit tree produce ‘healthy’ fruit.
  12. Matthew 7:22 Or, works of power.
  13. Matthew 7:23 Or. confess.
  14. Matthew 7:23 That is, as one of My family.
  15. Matthew 7:24 Or, prudent, sensible.
  16. Matthew 7:25 That is, rivers of flood waters.
  17. Matthew 7:27 Or, collapse, downfall.
  18. Matthew 7:28 Or, overwhelmed, amazed, astonished.

Judging Others(A)

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.(B) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.(C)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Ask, Seek, Knock(D)

“Ask and it will be given to you;(E) seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds;(F) and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts(G) to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,(H) for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(I)

The Narrow and Wide Gates

13 “Enter through the narrow gate.(J) 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.

True and False Prophets

15 “Watch out for false prophets.(K) They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.(L) 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.(M) Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?(N) 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.(O) 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.(P) 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’(Q) will enter the kingdom of heaven,(R) but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.(S) 22 Many will say to me on that day,(T) ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’(U) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’(V)

The Wise and Foolish Builders(W)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(X) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things,(Y) the crowds were amazed at his teaching,(Z) 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.