MATTHEW 7:15-20; LUKE 6:43-45
Matthew 7:15. But beware of false prophets. These words were
intended to teach, that the Church would be exposed to various impositions,
and that consequently many would be in danger of falling from the faith,
if they were not carefully on their guard. We know what a strong propensity
men have to falsehood, so that they not only have a natural desire to be
deceived, but each individual appears to be ingenious in deceiving himself.
Satan, who is a wonderful contriver of delusions, is constantly laying
snares to entrap ignorant and heedless persons. It was a general expectation
among the Jews that, under the reign of Christ, their condition would be
delightful, and free from all contest or uneasiness. He therefore warns
his disciples that, if they desire to persevere, they must prepare themselves
to avoid the snares of Satan. It is the will of the Lord, (as has been
already said,) that his Church shall be engaged in uninterrupted war in
this world. That we may continue to be his disciples to the end, it is
not enough that we are merely submissive, and allow ourselves to be governed
by his Word. Our faith, which is constantly attacked by Satan, must be
prepared to resist.
It is of the greatest consequence, undoubtedly, that we should suffer
ourselves to be directed by good and faithful ministers of Christ: but
as false teachers, on the other hand, make their appearance, if we do not
carefully watch, and if we are not fortified by perseverance, we shall
be easily carried off from the flock. To this purpose also is that saying
of Christ:
“The sheep hear the voice of the shepherd; and a stranger
they do not follow, but flee from him,” (John 10:3, 5)
Hence too we infer, that there is no reason why believers should be
discouraged or alarmed, when wolves creep into the fold of Christ, when
false prophets endeavor to corrupt the purity of the faith by false doctrines.
They ought rather to be aroused to keep watch: for it is not without reason
that Christ enjoins them to be on their guard. Provided that we are not
led astray through our own sluggishness, we shall be able to avoid every
kind of snares; and, indeed, without this confidence, we would not have
the courage necessary for being on our guard. Now that we know that the
Lord will not fail to perform his promises, whatever may be the attacks
of Satan, let us go boldly to the Lord, asking from him the Spirit of wisdom,
by whose influences he not only seals on our hearts the belief of his truth,
but exposes the tricks and impositions of Satan, that we may not be deceived
by them. When Christ says, that they come to us in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly are ravening wolves, his meaning is, that they do not want a very
plausible pretense, if prudence be not exercised in subjecting them to
a thorough examination.
16. From their fruits you shall know them. Had not this mark
of distinction been added, we might have called in question the authority
of all teachers without exception. If there is a mortal danger to be dreaded
in teachers, and if we see no way of avoiding it, we shall be under the
necessity of holding them all suspected: and there will be no better or
shorter method than to keep our ears shut against them all. We see that
ungodly men, to screen themselves when rejecting every kind of doctrine,
hold out this danger, and that weak and ill-informed persons remain in
a state of perplexity. That our reverence for the Gospel, and for its faithful
ministers and teachers, may not be diminished, Christ enjoins us to form
our opinion of the false prophets from their fruits. It is with a very
bad grace that the Papists, in order to excite hatred against us, quote
directly this exhortation of Christ, Beware of false prophets, and by their
clamors induce ignorant people to avoid us, without knowing why. But whoever
desires to follow our Lord’s advice must judge wisely and with just discretion.
For ourselves, we not only acknowledge freely that men ought to beware
of false prophets, but we carefully and earnestly exhort simple people
to beware of them. Only we warn them that, agreeably to the rule which
Christ has laid down, they should first make a strict examination, that
simple people may not reject the pure Word of God, and suffer the punishment
of their own rashness. There is a wide difference between wise caution
and perverse squeamishness. It is a heinous wickedness in the Papists
to repeal the command of Christ, by infusing into unhappy persons an unfounded
dread, which deters them from making inquiry. Let this be regarded by us
as a first principle that those who tremblingly reject or avoid a doctrine
unknown to them, act improperly, and are very far from obeying the command
of Christ.
It now remains to be seen, what are the fruits which Christ points out.
Those who confine them to the life are, in my opinion, mistaken. As pretended
sanctity, and I know not what masks belonging to greater austerity of life,
are frequently held out by some of the worst impostors, this would be a
very uncertain test. Their hypocrisy, I do own, is at length discovered;
for nothing is more difficult than to counterfeit virtue. But Christ did
not intend to submit his doctrine to a decision so unjust in itself, and
so liable to be misunderstood, as to have it estimated by the life of men.
Under the fruits the manner of teaching is itself included, and indeed
holds the chief place: for Christ proves that he was sent by God from this
consideration, that
“he seeketh not his own glory,
but the glory of the Father who sent him,” (John 7:18.)
Is it objected, that few persons are endued with such acuteness, as
to distinguish good fruits from bad? I answer, as I have already said:
Believers are never deprived of the Spirit of wisdom, where his assistance
is needful, provided they distrust themselves, renounce their own judgment,
and give themselves up wholly to his direction. Let us remember, however,
that all doctrines must be brought to the Word of God as the standard,
and that, in judging of false prophets, the rule of faith holds the chief
place. We must also consider what God enjoins on his prophets and the ministers
of his word: for in this way their faithfulness may be easily ascertained.
If, for example, we place before our minds what Paul requires in bishops,
(1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9,) that description will be sufficient of
itself to condemn the whole mass of Popery: for the Popish priests seem
as if they purposely intended to present an opposite picture. There is
no reason to wonder, therefore, if they forbid men to form a judgment of
false prophets. But this passage clearly shows, that their titles ought
to go for nothing, and that not much regard ought to be had even to their
calling, if those who receive the name of pastors, and are called to the
office of teachers, do not faithfully answer to their charge.
Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? By these proverbs,
which were then in common use and universally received, Christ confirms
his statement, that no man can be deceived by false prophets, unless he
is wilfully blind: for the fruits as plainly discover upright servants
of God, and unfaithful workmen, as the fruits point out the nature of the
tree.
Luke 6:43. For the tree is not good. This statement, as related
by Luke, appears to be a general instruction given by Christ, that by the
fruits our opinion of every man ought to be formed, in the same manner
as a tree is known by its fruit. After having inserted the reproof to hypocrites,
who “perceive a straw in the eye of another, but do not see a beam in their
own,” (verses 41,42,) he immediately adds, FOR the tree is not good which
beareth rotten fruit, nor is the tree rotten which beareth good fruit.
The illative particle ga<r, for, appears to connect these two sentences.
But as it is certain that Luke, in that sixth chapter, records various
discourses of Christ, it is also possible that he may have briefly glanced
at what is more fully explained by Matthew. I attach no great importance
to the word for, which in other passages is often superfiuous, and appears
obviously to be so from the concluding statement.
Luke 6:45. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth
forth good. Such is the statement with which Luke concludes the discourse;
and I have no doubt that he intended to describe, without a figure, the
kind of judgment which Christ orders us to make from the fruits. Believers
ought to examine carefully what kind of doctrine is taught by those who
profess to be the servants of God. “Titles (he says) are of little value,
till the speaker give actual evidence that he is sent by God.” Yet I am
far from saying, that this passage may not be applied to a general doctrine,
And certainly the last clause, out of the abundance of the heart his mouth
speaketh, has a more extensive reference than to false prophets: for it
is a common proverb. Is it objected, that the tongues of men lie, and that
men of the worst hearts are often the best speakers? I reply: Christ merely
points out here what is a very ordinary occurrence. For, though hypocrites
express in words what is different from the feelings of their hearts, that
is no reason why we may not justly and appropriately call the tongue the
portrait of the mind.
MATTHEW 7:21-23; LUKE 6:46
Matthew 7:21. Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord. Christ
extends his discourse farther :for he speaks not only of false prophets,
who rush upon the flock to tear and devour, but of hirelings, who insinuate
themselves, under fair appearances, as pastors, though they have no feeling
of piety. This doctrine embraces all hypocrites, whatever may be their
rank or station, but at present he refers particularly to pretended teachers,
who seem to excel others. He not only directs his discourse to them, to
rouse them from the indifference, in which they lie asleep like drunk people,
but also warns believers, not to estimate such masks beyond their proper
value. In a word, he declares that, so soon as the doctrine of the Gospel
shall have begun to bear fruit by obtaining many disciples, there will
not only be very many of the common people who falsely and hypocritically
submit to it, but even in the rank of pastors there will be the same treachery,
so that they will deny by their actions and life what they profess with
the mouth. Whoever then desires to be reckoned among the disciples, must
labor to devote himself, sincerely and honestly, to the exercises of a
new life.
In the Gospel of Luke, it is a general reproof: Why call you me Lord,
Lord, and do not the things which I say? But as this corruption proceeds,
for the most part, from pretended teachers, and easily finds its way from
them into the whole body, so, according to Matthew, our Lord expressly
attacks them. To do the will of the Father not only means, to regulate
their life and manners, (as philosophers talked ) by the rule of
virtues, but also to believe in Christ, according to that saying,
“This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the
Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life,”
(John 6:40.)
These words, therefore, do not exclude faith, but presuppose it as the
principle from which other good works flow.
