Matthew 7:15-20 Interpretation.

timothyu · Jan 11, 2021

Sticking closer to the original source?

Halbhh · Jan 11, 2021

Yes, I am saying we need to listen to His words instead of just doctrines, so yes: sticking to the original source in that way, yes.

mlepfitjw · Jan 11, 2021

@timothyu I believe we all give account to God alone on our death day. It's better that way, God respects privacy assuredly.

lsume · Jan 11, 2021

I’ve wondered why church operates the way it does. Talking about being a Christian isn’t the same thing as living as a Christian. The fruits of The Spirit described in Galatians 5 are what God wants an increase in. In the parable of the talents, the teaching is that God wants an increase. So many interpret that parable to be speaking on one’s professional. It’s about the fruits of The Spirit. When you were born, you were given so much patience for example. God wants an increase in patience then. Living and growing in The Word is much more than talking. Thank you for your post.
Gal.5 Verses 22 to 23

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

BNR32FAN · Jan 11, 2021

Well I think His following example is clear that He is referring to how we choose to live our life. We can spot a false prophet by seeing how he lives his life. If he lives according to Christ’s teachings then he is bearing good fruit. If he is not then he is bearing bad fruit. Hence “He who hears My words and acts on them is the wise builder” and “He who hears my words and doesn’t act on them is the foolish builder”.

timothyu · Jan 11, 2021

Perhaps if people didn't think that way they would be less inclined to be manipulative and conniving. Many churches believe in the open concept where things are put in the open and help and forgiveness offered without having to pay any penance other than as Jesus said, go and sin no more.

Bruce Leiter · Jan 11, 2021

Why would you think the fruit was at all good? The passage begins and ends with references to false prophets. I attended a church once with a dynamic preacher, who was very charismatic in the human sense. But the longer I attended and the more I learned about that church, I learned that it was a cult. For example, elders were stationed at the front door to ask people of color to go to other churches. "By their fruit," I rejected their false doctrines as well.

Aussie Pete · Jan 11, 2021

Fruit is what people do according to the inner attitude of their hearts. An individual may have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Bible, be an expert in Greek and Hebrew, be completely correct in doctrine and yet be hard hearted and unloving. I've met a few like that. The potential trap for those who value doctrine too highly is spiritual pride. Lord Jesus came that we might have new life, not the best doctrines.

Silly Uncle Wayne · Jan 11, 2021

I've heard neither interpretation, though the first is closer to the truth. Fruit is what grows out of our life and bad fruit will come from a bad life, while good fruit will come from a good life. Look at the fruit in a person's life (works?) and you will know them.

timothyu · Jan 11, 2021

Yes and more importantly, whether they have been following the self interested will of man or it's opposite, the will of God.

LightLoveHope · Jan 11, 2021

I look at this simply. There is a large difference between those with a good loving open heart and those who have found power and influence and are happy to destroy anyone who gets too close.

Put this into simple language. I come to a group to talk about Jesus's love and the way God changes our hearts at all levels. Now the response was I was evil, preaching works salvation, worse than a murderer, using satans words and leading people to hell.

But what I discovered was often these folk were white supremacists, who advocated real violence in difficult situations and were not afraid to lie, deceive and destroy others.

Now they preached salvation through faith in the cross, and free grace, once sealed in Christ, eternally secure no matter what you did afterwards.

To me whatever they believed or thought did not matter, it was their attack on me personally and attempted to destroy my faith, my security, my love, my grace, my patience, my endurance and experience of Jesus. Something in what I represented was too challenging, I had to be wrong.

One member, a lady, a church leader had a natural trait to be straight with someone and put the knife in, in such a way it really hurt. It was something they could do. When I challenged them about their heart and the promise Jesus bring to cleanse and resolve us totally, I was the enemy, their heart was their business, and miracles and signs was the gospel, not love and being nice to folk.

So thorns and thistles in people who claim to know Jesus but have got some things seriously wrong, is what Jesus is pointing to. The truth shall set you free is no idle promise, His love actually does this,

God bless you

PaulCyp1 · Jan 11, 2021

"Their fruits" means "that which is produced by them". The results of their actions.

aiki · Jan 11, 2021

What is spiritual fruit?

John 4:34-38
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
35 Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
37 For in this the saying is true: 'One sows and another reaps.'
38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

Romans 6:22
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Ephesians 5:8-10
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

James 3:17-18
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

Hebrews 12:11
11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

What "fruit" is in view in Matthew 7:15-20?

Matthew 7:15-20
15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits.

In the case of a human being who does not produce fruit in the literal sense (apples bananas, plums, etc.), their "fruit" is their conduct - what they say and do. This is what Jesus is referring to in the passage in Matthew 7.

Matthew 12:33-35
33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.
34 "You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
35 "The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.

Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Mountainmike · Jan 12, 2021

Interestingly these verses are what the Catholic Church uses to decide which phenomena are worthy of belief, and which are potentially demonic.

If a phenomenon brings about conversions, repentance and similar, it is deemed to be a tree with good fruit, so worthy of belief.

Llewelyn Stevenson · Jan 12, 2021

Mat 7:24 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:
Mat 7:25 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.
Mat 7:26 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:
Mat 7:27 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.

The fruits are the doing of the sayings of Jesus, everything preceding.

Lawry · Jan 12, 2021

A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know men know that you are my disciples, if you have love, one for another.

This is the fruit Jesus speaks of.

Dave L · Jan 12, 2021

Their fruits? One local church found out their pastor was a bank robber after the cops gunned him down while doing a bank job. Another, the pastor ran off with the secretary. Later returned and begged for his job back and got it. From then on preached more about the church needing money than anything else. Of course, pedophilia remains a big problem with many "clergy" from all walks. Many today call for nuking the Middle East to speed up Jesus' return. Big in Dispensationalist circles.

Millions of Evangelical Christians Want to Start World War III … to Speed Up the Second Coming - Global Research

The issue for me isn't so much spotting the false teachers as it is finding one that isn't.

All Becomes New · Jan 12, 2021

The article is nothing but fear mongering.

Dave L · Jan 12, 2021

How long have you been a believer? How many different churches have you attended?

All Becomes New · Jan 12, 2021

None of your business.

Matthew 7:15-20 Interpretation.

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