Matthew 7:21-23 help

[Mankney]

Hi, I am looking at Matthew 7:21 that some say is a proof text for that fact that we can fall from grace.

21
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’
23
Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. 11 Depart from me, you evildoers.’

I understand where 7:21 points to the fact that believing in Jesus is not enough and to me 7:22 means they did believe in Christ because they were able to cast out demons in his name, but that seems to be contradicted by 7:23 where Jesus said “I never knew you”. It seems to show that they did not believe to begin with because Jesus never knew them. I suspect I don’t understand the proper defination of “knew”.

Any help explaining this would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[lak611]

From the Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 21. Here Jesus Christ shews, that it is not sufficient to believe in him and hear his words, but that in order to salvation, we must join works with faith; for in this shall we be examined at the last day. (Menochius) — Without faith they could not cry out, Lord, Lord. (Romans x.) But the strongest faith without the works of justice, will not be available to salvation. (1 Corinthians xiii.) (Bristow) — Many who have the lord continually in their mouths, but care little about putting on the Lord, or penetrating themselves with his true spirit, will find their presumption, and the false consciences they have made to themselves, woefully disappointed. (Haydock)

Ver. 22. Have not we prophesied in thy name? The gift of prophecy, and of doing miracles, many sometimes be granted to bad men, as to Caiphas, and Balaam. (Witham) — Under the name of prophets, the Hebrews comprised not only such as predicted future events, but also in general all such as gave themselves out for inspired, or who undertook teaching and interpreting the holy Scriptures; and here by prophesying is understood, in a general acceptation, all public functions, predicting futurity, expounding Scripture, instructing the people, preaching, &c. (Bible de Vence)

Ver. 23. So as to approve and reward your works. Here he shews that even prophecy and miracles will not save us without good works. (Menochius) — How much less will faith, unassisted by good works, preserve us from condemnation. (Haydock) — the gift of miracles is bestowed on men not for their own good, but for the advantage of others. We must not then be surprised if men, who had indeed faith in Christ, but whose lives did not correspond with their faith, should be honoured with these extraordinary gifts, since the Almighty sometimes employs as his instruments in working similar wonders, men destitute both of faith and virtue. Balaam, void of faith and probity, still by the will of God, prophesied for the advantage of others. To Pharao and Nabuchodonosor were revealed future events of the greatest moment; and the wicked Judas himself cast out devils. Therefore St. Paul said, “if I had all faith so as to remove mountains, and if I knew all mysteries, and was possessed of all wisdom, but had not charity, I am nothing.” (St. Chrysostom, Hom. xv.)

haydock1859.tripod.com/id21.html

 

[NotWorthy]

Lak, that’s a very good point. Healing others is a charism. It doesn’t bestow any graces on the “healer”, but it’s the Holy Spirit working through the person.

We see this in the gifts (charisms) given to priests. The priest doesn’t receive any graces when he consecrates the host or absolves us of our sins. The graces are bestowed on us. The priest could be a completely horrible person and still absolve us (For anything is possible with God!).

Good call, Lak!!!

 

[banjo]

“To enter the Kingdom of heaven, to be holy, it is not enough, then, to speak eloquently about holiness. One has to practice what one preaches, to produce fruit that accords with one’s words. Fray Luis de Leon puts it very graphically: ‘Notice to be a good Christian it is not enough just to pray and fast and hear Mass; God must find you faithful, like another Job or Abraham, in times of tribulation’ (Guide for Sinners, book 1, part 2, chap. 21).”

The Navarre Bible; Gospel of St. Matthew; pg. 70

 

[Mankney]

Thanks alot for the information. I appreciate the (name removed by moderator)ut.

 

[MarcoPG]

I think the big difference is this indeed: those who do the right thing, having faith, and may not be aware that the (Holy) Spirit of faith drives them (to faith possibly); and the ones who have faith, even the true one, but act proudly about it.

 

[Mystophilus]

I understand where 7:21 points to the fact that believing in Jesus is not enough and to me 7:22 means they did believe in Christ because they were able to cast out demons in his name, but that seems to be contradicted by 7:23 where Jesus said “I never knew you”. It seems to show that they did not believe to begin with because Jesus never knew them. I suspect I don’t understand the proper definition of “knew”.

Compare it with Mt 25:31ff and what you may notice is that the denounced people are surprised by this: they apparently believed that they were in the right, and thus they had not consciously and deliberately set out to oppose God, but that is what they ended up doing. They fell through what they chose to do.

 

[BerhaneSelassie]

This is because it is quite possible Jesus was using an Rabbinical expression. This is noted by Samuel Tobias Lachs in his A rabbinic commentary on the New Testament, who on page 150 of his book notes that “never knew you” is “An expression of rejection used by the Rabbis, often as a form of a ban,” then cites instances in Talmudic literature, such as MQ 16a (Mo’ed Katan), which has a story about a rabbi that told a person he knew that “I have never known thee.” In addition, St Cyril of Alexandria commenting on Matthew 7:21-23 says:
"There may be some who, in the beginning, believed rightly and assiduously labored at virtue. They may have even worked miracles and prophesied and cast out demons. And yet later they are found turning aside to evil, to self assertive deception and desire. Of these Jesus remarks that he "never knew them." He ranks them as equivalent to those who were never knew by him at all...."--St Cyril of Alexandria, fragment 88