Matthew 7:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

NIV: Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

NASB: And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

CSB: Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

NLT: But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

KJV: And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

NKJV: And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Jesus' words may sound harsh to us, but they also contain great truth. Great works will not earn a person entrance into the kingdom, even astounding good works like those listed (Matthew 7:21–22). Jesus has said that on "that day," when He comes to establish His kingdom, some will point to their good works of prophesying, casting out demons, and doing other powerful works in His name. Those people will claim that their performance has earned, or at least proven, a place in Christ's kingdom.

To those people, Christ will simply say He never knew them, dismiss their supposedly great deeds as works of lawlessness, and command them to depart.

If performing such mighty works does not provide a way into His kingdom, what will? This is an example of how Scripture often presents statements requiring careful understanding. Jesus has said (Matthew 7:21) that only those who do the will of His Father will enter. However, the will of God for every person is to believe in Jesus, to receive the gift of the forgiveness of sin made possible by His death on the cross and to be declared righteous before God in that way (John 6:28–29). Those who refuse to believe in this way commit the sin of unbelief (John 16:9; Hebrews 3:12), eliminating the only way to be known by Christ and welcomed into His kingdom (John 3:36; Ephesians 2:8–9).

It's important to notice that Jesus is making an enormous claim in this verse about His role in the kingdom of heaven. He is the One who will declare whether someone can enter the kingdom of heaven. He is the Judge who will grant entrance or condemn those who have not placed their faith in Him alone. They will be separated from Himself and the Father.

This completes the second half of a two-part warning. Christians are not called to be naïve, either about others or themselves. Believers ought to be sensitive to spiritual deception from others (Matthew 7:15–20), as well as spiritual self-deception.

Matthew 7:15–23 contains a two-sided warning about false believers. A religious leader may appear respectable and wise, but you must look at the fruit of his life in order to know if he truly represents God. In the same way, it's possible for a person to claim to follow Jesus, referring to Him as "Lord," when they are not true believers. Only those who do the will of the Father will be allowed into the kingdom of heaven—which Jesus defines as beginning with true belief (John 6:28–29). Our good works might fool other people, and might even fool ourselves, but they cannot fool God.

Matthew 7 is the last of three chapters that record what is now known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands His hearers not to pronounce shallow or hypocritical judgment. He describes God as a generous Father eager to give good things to His children when they ask. He commands His followers to enter the narrow gate and walk the hard road to life. False prophets can be recognized by their fruit, meaning their actions and choices. At the same time, good deeds are not absolute proof that someone has true faith. To live by Jesus' teaching is like building the house of your life on a solid foundation instead of shifting sand.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5, discussing the Beatitudes and the idea that inner thoughts are very much part of sin and righteousness. Chapter 6 denounced hypocrisy, modeled prayer, and opposed anxiety. Chapter 7 discusses the proper manner of judgment, including how to gauge the teachings of others. Jesus also warns against spiritual self-deception. He concludes with an analogy about foundations and storms. The crowd's amazement at Christ's teachings leads into the miracles and encounters of chapters 8 and 9.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.