BOOK 40 OF 66 · GOSPELS · KING JAMES BIBLE

Matthew 7

Matthew book home•Chapter 7 of 28•29 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Matthew 7 Overview

Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with teaching on judgment, hypocrisy, prayer, the narrow way, false prophets, false professions, and the wise builder. He forbids hypocritical condemnation while requiring discernment, urges persistent dependence on the Father, warns that religious words and impressive works do not substitute for truly knowing Him, and calls hearers to build on His words.

MatthewBook

7Chapter

29Verses

GospelsDivision

Before you read Matthew 7

Coming from

Matthew 6 established the immediate context: Jesus continues the Sermon on the Mount by contrasting sincere devotion with religious performance.

In this chapter

The sermon ends with decision and discernment: how disciples judge, pray, recognize false teachers, understand profession versus relationship, and respond to Jesus’ authority.

Leads into

Matthew 8 continues the account: Jesus descends from the mountain and demonstrates royal authority through cleansing a leper, healing a centurion’s servant at a distance, restoring Peter’s mother-in-law, calming a storm, and delivering two demon-possessed men.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The command not to judge does not ban all moral discernment; the same chapter requires recognizing dogs, swine, false prophets, bad fruit, and false profession. Jesus condemns hypocritical judgment that ignores one’s own greater fault.

The warning about people who call Jesus Lord yet are not known by Him is not teaching salvation by works. Their appeal is to religious works; Jesus’ decisive statement is that He never knew them.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Self-examination must precede correction of others

The beam-and-mote image attacks hypocrisy, not loving discernment.

The Father invites dependent asking

Jesus encourages prayer with confidence in the Father’s goodness.

False teachers require fruit-based discernment

Appearance alone cannot determine whether a prophet is trustworthy.

Religious activity cannot replace relationship with Christ

Miracles and claims are insufficient when Jesus says He never knew the person.

Hearing must lead to doing in discipleship

The wise builder receives Jesus’ words as authoritative and acts upon them.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Luke 6:37–49

Luke preserves parallel teaching on judgment, fruit, profession, and foundations.

John 10:14,27–28

Jesus describes His sheep as those He knows and gives eternal life, clarifying the significance of being known by Him.

1 Corinthians 3:11–15

Paul also uses building imagery for Christian work tested on the foundation of Christ.

1 John 4:1

Believers are commanded to test spirits because false prophets are real.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use judge not to silence all biblical correction

Jesus requires discernment while condemning hypocrisy.

Do not make fruit a second condition for receiving eternal life

Works can expose teachers and professions, but salvation is by faith; the false claimants in this chapter rely on their works rather than Christ.

Do not treat the narrow way as a command to add human effort to faith

The warning stresses the reality of false religion and the need to come to Christ on His terms, not to merit salvation.

Read Matthew 7 watching for…

The difference between hypocritical judgment and proper discernment.

The Father’s goodness in answering prayer.

The two gates and two ways.

How false prophets are recognized.

What the rejected claimants appeal to.

The two builders and the shared storm.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-12Jesus teaches about judging rightly, asking God, the narrow way, and treating others as we would be treated 13-23Jesus warns about the broad way, false prophets, and false professions 24-29Jesus contrasts the wise man who obeys his sayings with the foolish man who does not

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?

Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:

For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

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Matthew 7:24

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