Interpretation of matthew 25:31-46

[NZEN]

This passage seems to indicate that non-Christians can enter heaven, by being kind to Christians. Is that the case?

I don't think I've ever knowingly deprived a physically present person of Jesus's brethren of some needed supplies that were requested of me and in my power to give.

 

[docpotter]

This passage seems to indicate that non-Christians can enter heaven, by being kind to Christians. Is that the case?

I don't think I've ever knowingly deprived a physically present person of Jesus's brethren of some needed supplies that were requested of me and in my power to give.

No, I think he means the ones on the " right " are the saved Christians , the ones that believed in Him, and his teachings , not just anyone who was a decent person .

 

[docpotter]

Jesus is the " Good shepherd " the " sheep " are his , the goats are not .

 

[oi_antz]

This passage seems to indicate that non-Christians can enter heaven, by being kind to Christians. Is that the case?

I don't think I've ever knowingly deprived a physically present person of Jesus's brethren of some needed supplies that were requested of me and in my power to give.

I am reminded of this verse quite a lot actually. It describes the "righteous" behavior from "evil" behavior. Jesus is a high priest in the order of Melchezidek (translated: my king is righteousness), that means that all who belong to Him are righteous. Now we know full well that wolves can wear sheep's clothing and there are many Christians who aren't righteous, just as there are many lost sheep and non-Christians who are righteous. So yes you have my bet that if someone is not Christian yet they haven't refused the gospel message and they have lived a righteous life, chances are that Jesus has their name in the book of life.

This doesn't discount those who have openly rejected Christ though as stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12

10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

 

[WagginDog]

This passage seems to indicate that non-Christians can enter heaven, by being kind to Christians. Is that the case?

Your effort to understand this is admirable and appreciated. There are other interpretations.

Consider its a parable about Jews and Gentiles. Its about the inward vs. the outward, and it means that a righteous gentile could be a sheep just as well as a Jew can be a sheep. The only difference between the sheep and the goat is in how they treat other believers. It says that Jesus will separate out the Nations, however the Greek word is ethos and is synonymous with Species. Nations = Species, but it is about spiritual species of Jews and Gentiles. Before Jesus came if you were not a Jew your spiritual status was automatically Goat status. The point of the parable is that now through Jesus all believers are of undeclared status. Some Jews and Christians are spiritual and some aren't turning on how well they receive other believers and meet their spiritual needs -- which may include physical needs. The items of concern that Jesus mentions are hunger, nakedness and loneliness and each one of these are spiritually loaded words and refer to Spiritual Hunger Nakedness or Loneliness.

 

[CryptoLutheran]

This passage seems to indicate that non-Christians can enter heaven, by being kind to Christians. Is that the case?

I don't think I've ever knowingly deprived a physically present person of Jesus's brethren of some needed supplies that were requested of me and in my power to give.

The "least of these" in Matthew 25 aren't specifically Christians, but simply the poor, the hungry, and needy in general.

Both those on the right and left regard themselves as followers of Jesus; the point of Jesus statement here is that how we treat other people, particularly the least of these, matters. God cares about how we treat other people, and at the Judgment we--particularly those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus--will have to give an account of how we treated our neighbors, particularly the poor and needy. How we treat the poor and the hungry is ultimately how we are treating Christ Himself who identifies with and is present with the weak and the powerless.

Something to pull out from the text would be this: Simply saying "Lord, Lord" or appealing to one's self-perceived piety ("did we not prophesy in your Name?!" and the like just doesn't matter if we forsook the needs of our neighbors. We could compare this to what St. Paul writes in his first epistle to the Corinthians on love, that regardless of our speech, or our great works, or even if we have mountain-moving faith it is total vanity if we are without love. If we are not loving others, if we are not showing compassion and kindness to others, if we are not showing that compassion to the least of these in our midst, if we are not doing these things then we are not practicing Christianity at all, but only a cheap imitation.

-CryptoLutheran