Commands of Christ-23b

Look at Sam Storm’s commentary

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 Commands of Christ – 23

A Christian’s Relationships: Within God’s family

1. Why are family relationships special?

We spent a lot of time talking about family and Church family.

Last week we talked about how families protect and stand up for each other — particularly we talked about trying to protect the little ones — and there are a lot of predators out there!

We read: Matthew 7:1-5

2. Our relationship with our brothers & sisters: Why does Jesus tell us not to judge others (Matthew 7:1-2)?

3. According to Jesus, why are we often unfit to be judges (Matthew 7:3-4)?

Question 3. … We have a fatal tendency to exaggerate the faults of others and minimize the gravity of our own.

4. Some have assumed that Jesus was forbidding all judgment, even in law courts. How would you respond to this suggestion?

Sam Storms:

This verse [does not] “command the sons of God, the disciples of Jesus, to be amorphous, undiscerning blobs who never under any circumstance whatsoever hold any opinions about right and wrong” (Carson, 98). That Jesus was not forbidding us from expressing our opinion on right and wrong, good and evil, truth and falsity, can be demonstrated by noting two factors: the immediate context and the rest of the NT teaching on judging.

Question 4. … If, then, Jesus was neither abolishing law courts nor forbidding criticism, what did he mean by "Do not judge"?

(John Stott)

It is not a requirement to be blind, but rather a plea to be generous.

Jesus does not tell us to cease to be human (by suspending our critical powers which help to distinguish us from animals) but to renounce the presumptuous ambition to be God (by setting ourselves up as judges).

Let’s ALL turn to: Matthew 7:6 (Person given, please read)

Anyone else have a different translation?

Matthew 7:6 (AV) 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.

Matthew 7:6 (The Message) “Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege.

Matthew 7:6 (TPT) “Who would hang earrings on a dog’s ear or throw pearls in front of wild pigs? They’ll only trample them under their feet and then turn around and tear you to pieces!

Matthew 7:6 (CEV) Don’t give to dogs what belongs to God. They will only turn and attack you. Don’t throw pearls down in front of pigs. They will trample all over them.

Matthew 7:6 (NLT) “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

6. Our relationship with "dogs" and "pigs": This is startling language from the lips of Jesus. What kinds of people do you think he refers to as "dogs" and "pigs" (Matthew 7:6)?

To what are we comparing?:

Life Application Bible Commentary:

The dogs to which he was referring were not household pets, but wild, scavenger dogs.

Greek: (koo - on)

2 Verses that illustrate the same idea:

Philippians 3:2 (NASB95) Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

Revelation 22:14–15 (NASB95) Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

Of course, according to Old Testament law (Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:8), pigs were "unclean" animals, meaning that Jews were not to eat or even touch them.

Sometimes Jesus referred to Gentiles as “dogs” but apparently a different type of dog than that referred to in Mat 7:6. The Greek is: (koo·nar·ee·on) - house dog or lap dog

Matthew 15:21–28 (NASB95) Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.

With those distinctions understood, we again try to understand what Jesus is saying:

Hard sayings of the Bible: The construction of this saying seems to be chiastic.

It stands as a comparison to Mat 7:1-5 -

Vs. 1-5 - Don’t be too strict

Vs. 6 - Don’t be too lenient

The general sense of the saying is clear: objects of value, special privileges, participation in sacred things should not be offered to those who are incapable of appreciating them.

Pearls are things of beauty and value to many people—Jesus himself in one of his parables compared the kingdom of God to a “pearl of great value” (Mt 13:45–46)

Matthew 13:45–46 (NASB95) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, 46 and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

—but pigs will despise them because they cannot eat them.

Holy flesh—the flesh of sacrificial animals—has a religious value over and above its nutritive value for worshipers who share in a “peace offering,”

but pariah dogs will make no difference between it and scraps of offal for which they battle in the street; they will not feel specially grateful to anyone who gives it to them.

But has the saying a more specific application?

One could imagine its being quoted by some more restrictive brethren in the Jerusalem church as an argument against presenting the gospel to Gentiles, certainly against receiving them into full Christian fellowship.

At a slightly later date it was used as an argument against admitting unbelievers to the Lord’s Supper; thus the Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles), a manual of Syrian Christianity dated around A.D. 100, says, “Let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptized in the name of the Lord. It was concerning this that the Lord said, ‘Do not give dogs what is holy’” (9.5).

It would be anachronistic to read this interpretation back into the ministry of Jesus.

It is better to read the saying in the context given it by Matthew (the only Gospel writer to report it).

It comes immediately after the injunction “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Mt 7:1), with two amplifications of that injunction:

you will be judged by the standard you apply in the judgment of others (Mt 7:2),

and you should not try to remove a speck of sawdust from someone else’s eye when you have a whole plank in your own (Mt 7:3–5).

Then comes this saying, which is a further amplification of the principle, or rather a corrective of it:

you must not sit in judgment on others and pass censorious sentences on them, but you ought to exercise discrimination.

Judgment is an ambiguous word. In Greek as in English, it may mean sitting in judgment on people (or even condemning them), or it may mean exercising a proper discrimination.

In the former sense judgment is deprecated; in the latter sense it is recommended.

Jesus himself knew that it was useless to impart his message to some people: he had no answer for Herod Antipas when Herod “plied him with many questions” (Lk 23:9).

Luke 23:8–9 (NASB95) Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus; for he had wanted to see Him for a long time, because he had been hearing about Him and was hoping to see some sign performed by Him. 9 And he questioned Him at some length; but He answered him nothing.

Why is it futile, even dangerous, to talk with such people about the gospel?

Swindoll says: Discernment must temper our declaration.

The judgmental type in 7:1-5 errs on the side of giving harsh, unjust condemnation where it isn’t deserved. Such people speak too quickly when they should be more patient. They pick and poke too harshly when they should show more grace.

In 7:6, however, Jesus considers those who swing to the opposite extreme: wastefully lavishing precious and priceless things upon those who aren’t ready, willing, or wanting them. Here Jesus cautioned believers against sharing holy things with others indiscriminately.

Question 6. … So then the "dogs" and "pigs" with whom we are forbidden to share the gospel pearl are not just unbelievers.

They must rather be those who have had ample opportunity to hear and receive the good news, but have decisively—even defiantly—rejected it.

We cheapen God's gospel by letting them trample it under foot.

At the same time, to give people up is a very serious step to take.

My mother wanted to do that with my father. She quoted:

Romans 1:28 (NASB95) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved [KJV-Reprobate] mind, to do those things which are not proper,

With these thoughts in mind, let us consider the prophecy given this past Sunday morning by Nancy Kesinger.

1 Corinthians 14:29–33 (NASB95) Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, the first one must keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Look at prophecy handout.

Some things I’m not sure about.

But Let’s start where it says: For I will not only …

I see the same tension from Matthew 7:1-5 and Vs. 6

Further thoughts?

Jesus is giving us a TALL order:

Don’t be too harsh

Don’t be too lenient.

The ONLY way we can do this is through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Read Matthew 7:7-11

7. Our relationship with our heavenly Father: What encouragement does Jesus give those who ask, seek and knock (Matthew 7:7-8)?

How can we be assured of these promises (Matthew 7:9-11)?

Question 7. All three verbs are present imperatives and indicate the persistence with which we should make our requests known to God. The force of Jesus' parable (Matthew 7:9-11) lies in a contrast rather than a comparison between God and men. It is another a fortiori or "how much more" argument: if human parents (although evil) know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our heavenly Father (who is not evil but wholly good) give good gifts to those who ask him (Matthew 7:11).

Read: Matthew 7:12

8. Our relationship with all people: The Jewish Talmud stated: "What is hateful to you, do not do to anyone else." Likewise, Confucius told his followers: "Do not to others what you would not wish done to you." How does the golden rule (Matthew 7:12) go beyond these commands?

Question 8. Not doing hateful acts is one thing (the Talmud and Confucius). Positively seeking someone's good is another (Jesus). Self-advantage often guides us in our own affairs; now we must also let it guide us in our behavior to others. All we have to do is use our imagination, put ourselves in the other person's shoes and ask, "How would I like to be treated in that situation?"

If someone asks about the Talmud, you can tell them that it is a collection of ancient rabbinic writings that form the basis of religious authority for traditional Judaism.

9. In what sense does this rule sum up the Law and the Prophets?

10. Think of a relationship that is presently strained or broken. How can this passage help to mend that relationship?

LifeGuide Topical Bible Studies - Sermon on the Mount.