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MATTHEW
CHAPTER 7
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
OBSERVATION
STAGE
The purpose of
the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the
normative rules of language, context and logic 
which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Matthew.
This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more
importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective
comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.
Remember that
something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in
view.
I)
[Mt 7:1-29]:
A)
(INTRODUCTION - Mt 5:1-7:29) MATTHEW CHAPTER SEVEN CONTINUES TO EXPOUND
UPON THE KEY THEME OF CONDUCTING ONES TEMPORAL LIFE THROUGH SEEKING
FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD (HEAVEN) AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. THE COMMANDS IN
CHAPTER 7 RANGE FROM NOT JUDGING OTHERS THAT THEY MAY NOT BE JUDGED IN
THE SAME MANNER BY GOD; NOT CONVEYING GODLY THINGS TO THOSE WHO WOULD
NOT LISTEN - EVEN TRAMPLE THEM AND BE HOSTILE; ASKING, SEEKING AND
KNOCKING FOR GOOD THINGS OF THE FATHER SO THAT HE MIGHT GIVE THEM TO HIS
CHILD; DOING TO OTHERS AS ONE WOULD HAVE DONE TO ONESELF; CHOOSING
BETWEEN THE TWO GATES AND PATHS: THE WIDE ONE TO ETERNAL DESTRUCTION
WHICH MANY ENTER, THE NARROW AND DIFFICULT ONE TO ETERNAL LIFE WHICH FEW
ENTER; BEING WARY OF FALSE PROPHETS / TEACHERS; NOT PRACTICING WORKS OR
DECLARING JESUS AS LORD OF ONES LIFE IN ORDER TO ENTER ETERNAL LIFE IN
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, BUT DOING THE WILL OF THE FATHER - TRUSTING
SOLELY IN HIS SON TO THAT END
B)
(Mt 7:1-5) MATTHEW CHAPTER SEVEN VERSES 1-5 HAVE IN VIEW JESUS' COMMAND
AGAINST JUDGING OTHERS UNTO CONDEMNATION WITHOUT OBJECTIVE GODLY
DISCERNMENT. THE STANDARD BY WHICH ONE IS TO JUDGE IS VIA A PROPER
UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS, I.E.,
SCRIPTURE
C)
(Mt 7:6) JESUS COMMANDED ONE NOT TO CONVEY GODLY THINGS TO THOSE WHO
WOULD NOT LISTEN - WHO WOULD TRAMPLE UPON THEM AND BE HOSTILE
D)
(Mt 7:7-11) ASKING, SEEKING AND KNOCKING FOR THE GOOD THINGS OF THE
FATHER SO THAT HE MIGHT GIVE THEM TO ONE WHO IS HIS CHILD, I.E.,
DISCIPLES / BELIEVERS
E)
(Mt 7:12) JESUS SUMMARIZES WHAT HE HAS BEEN TEACHING WITH, "THEREFORE,
WHATEVER YOU WANT MEN TO DO TO YOU, DO ALSO TO THEM, FOR THIS IS THE LAW
AND THE PROPHETS" IN THE SENSE OF ACTING TOWARD OTHERS AS YOU WOULD
HAVE THEM ACT TOWARD YOU, I.E., AS MOTIVATED BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
1)
[Compare Mt 5:17-18]:
F)
(Mt 7:13-14) RELATIVE TO SEEKING FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS
RIGHTEOUSNESS, JESUS GAVE THE KEY INSTRUCTION IN ORDER FOR ONE TO GAIN
LIFE IN THE ETERNAL KINGDOM OF HEAVEN / KINGDOM OF GOD. HE SAID, "ENTER
THROUGH THE NARROW GATE; FOR THE GATE IS WIDE AND THE WAY IS BROAD THAT
LEADS TO [ETERNAL] DESTRUCTION. AND THERE ARE MANY WHO ENTER THROUGH IT.
BECAUSE NARROW IS THE GATE AND DIFFICULT IS THE WAY WHICH LEADS TO
[ETERNAL] LIFE, AND THERE ARE FEW WHO FIND IT." SO ENTRANTS THROUGH
THE NARROW GATE THEREAFTER WILL ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTIES SUCH AS
PERSECUTION FROM THE WORLD BECAUSE OF ONE'S FAITH, AND GOD'S TESTING AND
DISCIPLINE OF HIS CHILDREN / BELIEVERS. PERSEVERANCE IN GOOD WORKS UNTO
ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT IN VIEW
1)
[Compare Mt 5:10-12]:
G)
(Mt 7:15-20) JESUS WARNED HIS DISCIPLES TO BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS. ON
THE OUTSIDE, THEY APPEARED TO BE HARMLESS - FELLOW DISCIPLES /
BELIEVERS; BUT INWARDLY THEIR ACTIONS WERE PREDATORY AND EXTREMELY
HARMFUL. THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY REVEAL THEMSELVES BY THEIR ACTIONS; FOR
EVERY TRUE PROPHET BEARS GOOD FRUIT, BUT A FALSE PROPHET BEARS BAD FRUIT
AND MUST BE REMOVED FROM FELLOWSHIP - HIS INFLUENCE DESTROYED
H)
(Mt 7:20-23) NOT EVERY ONE WHO CONFESSES JESUS AS LORD IN THE SENSE OF
ACKNOWLEDGING JESUS AS MASTER OF ONE'S LIFE IN ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL
LIFE WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. BUT THOSE WHO DO THE WILL OF THE
FATHER - THOSE WHO EXPRESS A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE UNTO
ETERNAL LIFE PLUS NOTHING ELSE. THERE WILL BE MANY WHO WILL APPEAR AT
JUDGMENT DECLARING JESUS AS LORD AND PLEADING THEIR MANY WORKS WHICH
WERE DONE IN THE NAME OF THE LORD - MANY OF WHICH WERE MIRACULOUS - IN
ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. BUT JESUS WILL TELL THEM THAT HE NEVER KNEW
THEM, THAT PERFORMING WORKS IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR ETERNAL LIFE WERE
LAWLESSNESS
I)
(Mt 7:24-27) THE ONE WHO WOULD LISTEN TO JESUS' TEACHING AND RESPOND TO
IT IN OBEDIENCE, JESUS DECLARED WOULD BE A WISE MAN, WHOSE LIFE WOULD BE
BUILT AS A HOUSE UPON A STRONG FOUNDATION - IT WOULD WEATHER THE STORMS
OF LIFE. BUT THOSE WHO WOULD LISTEN TO HIM AND NOT ACT, JESUS DECLARED
WOULD BE A FOOLISH MAN, WHOSE LIFE WOULD BE BUILT AS A HOUSE UPON A WEAK
FOUNDATION WHICH WOULD NOT WEATHER THE STORMS OF LIFE, BUT SUFFER
DESTRUCTION
J)
(Mt 7:28-29) WHEN JESUS FINISHED, THE CROWD SUDDENLY REFLECTED GREAT
ASTONISHMENT AT HIS TEACHING; FOR HE WAS TEACHING THEM WITH THE
AUTHORITY OF GOD, AS THE SPOKESMAN OF GOD; NOT AS THE SCRIBES WHO WERE
LIMITED IN THEIR CAPACITY, FLAWED IN THEIR NATURE, AND WHO MANIPULATED
THE SCRIPTURES TO SUIT THEIR OWN AGENDA
CONTINUE
TO MATTHEW CHAPTER 8 