BEWARE OF THE WOLVES MATTHEW 7:15-20

Background: The Lord has just taught them how there is only one gate that leads to heaven beware of those who would teach otherwise.

Matthew 7:15 ( ESV )

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¹⁵“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

·         Beware-Take caution, be on the lookout. The yellow light @ the intersection. Greek word has the idea of to pay attention to.

·         False prophets-Constant throughout the scriptures. (Think @ Balaam and the donkey. Is. 8 Those who seek after spirits.) Literally a pseudo prophet or an imposter who walks among you.

·         Sheep's clothing-They come to you looking as though they are innocent.   This largely deals with how they come across on the outside to others. His outer covering looks like everybody else in the group.

·         This maybe referring to the shepherds and the clothes that they wore. They pretend to be good shepherds but instead are false.

·         In context they are persuading people that the way is not straight or narrow. Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light in II Cor. 11:13-15

·         Inwardly-Idea of not an outward appearance but the inward part of them is evil.

·          Wolves-The legends of the werewolf. Looks normal on the outside but his true nature will be revealed. He will show himself forth for the wolf that he truly is.  Paul's warning to the church @ Ephesus in Acts 20:29-30. They are ravenous and want to consume you whole.

Matthew 7:16 ( ESV )

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¹⁶You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

·         You will-This is something that at some point will be revealed. Has the idea of they will be marked.

·         Recognize them by their fruits-You will eventually know them by the fruit that their life produces. (ex. Have you ever bit into an apple that looked good on the outside only to have it be bad or wormy on the inside?) Main issue here is what they will produce in their lives.

·         Grapes-Thorn bushes, figs-thistles-The answer is no. Genesis 1-2 Like produces like or after their own kind. Note how he uses the fruits of grapes and figs something sweet and tasty to that of thorn bushes and thistles which only produce pain.  Like wheat and barley, grapes and figs were among the most valuable and widely consumed fruits of the earth; thorns and thistles were worthless and troublesome to harvesters IVP They would not bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8

·         These hypocrites life will be revealed to all.

Matthew 7:17 ( ESV )

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¹⁷So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

·         Healthy tree-good fruit, diseased tree-bad fruit-If they are healthy they will produce or do those things that are good. If they are diseased they will only spread their sickness. (Remember the Hymeaeus and Philetus in II Tim. 2:17 whom Paul says spread their teaching like gangrene?  The word for healthy has as its secondary meaning something that is of benefit or good. The diseased tree is bad or corrupt at its core. The idea of bad here has the idea of that which will be hurtful in the end.

 Some Marks of False Prophets:

1.       Led people away from true God. Dt. 13

2.       Words did not come to pass. 18:21-22 Dt.

3.       Do not confess Jesus as coming in flesh. II John 7  and I John 4:1-3

4.       Do not allow them to teach in your church or home. II John 10

5.       Lives a constant lifestyle of sin. I John 3:4-10 and does not love his brother.

6.       Love to put themselves always first. III John 9

7.       Mockers of the Lord's second coming. II Peter 3:3-4

8.       Blasphmers,Revelers, Deceptive, Adulterous, Entice unsteady souls, hearts trained in greed, forsaking the right ways, boastful, sensual, promise freedom but only enslave others, despise authority. II Peter 2:10-21

9.       Bring in destructive heresies. II Peter 2:1

10.   Deny that Jesus is God in flesh. John 1:1-14.

Matthew 7:18 ( ESV )

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¹⁸A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

·         It is impossibility for them to bear any other type of fruit than what they themselves are. Their teachings will produce bad results.

Matthew 7:19 ( ESV )

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¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

·         Cut down and thrown into the fire-The end result of their type of lifestyle is that they will be judged and cast into the fires of hell. God will cut or bring them down to destruction. The idea of to throw has an intensity almost with that of violence.

Matthew 7:20 ( ESV )

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²⁰Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

·         How will we know if they are false teachers? By the fruit that they bear.