Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Matthew 7:15-20 – False Prophets
The “false prophets” of Matthew 7:15 are “inwardly ravenous wolves” (Ezekiel 22:27; Zephaniah 3:3). That says something about their intentions. They were obviously not sincere. The “sheep’s clothing” (5:15) is a ruse to deceive that eventually will be seen as a disguise revealed by their works. You can fool people for only so long. Twice Jesus says “you will know them by their fruits” (7:16,20). There is an old proverb, “like root, like fruit.” I personally believe their fruit to be their false teachings, personal behavior and the behavior of their followers. Maybe more than the teaching itself, the fruit is proved worthless by the effects of the teaching.
Peter speaks about the fruit of false prophets more specifically:
2 Peter 2:1-3 NASB But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. (2) Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; (3) and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
Sheep, docile and innocent, are considered good and compared to figs and grapes which sustain life. Wolves, dangerous and threatening, are considered bad and compared to thistles. The point is that good comes from good, and bad from bad. But sometimes the bad comes disguised as good.
“This Semitic way of putting things (that is, both positively and negatively: every good tree bears good fruit, no good tree bears bad fruit, and so forth) makes the test very sure. In Jesus’ day, everyone knew that the buckthorn had little black berries which could be mistaken for grapes, and that there was a thistle whose flower, from a distance, might be mistaken for a fig. But no one would confuse the buckthorn and the grape once he stared to use the fruit to make some wine. No one would be taken in by thistle flowers when it comes to eating figs for supper.” (ibid., Carson, p.136)
Wait, and their “fruits” will become evident, Jesus says. Then He warns that they will be cut down and thrown into the fire, a reference to their destiny in hell. They are condemned.
Comments