Can you obey someone you have not met?
09 Dec '16 02:1013 editsLike usual people deceitfully take the words of Jesus out of context and pretend that they say something that they don't.
The words of Jesus while He walked the Earth can only be fully understood if they are considered within the context ALL the words attributed to Him while He walked the Earth.
At the very least, consider the entire passage in which they were said.
It's pretty straightforward:
A good tree produces only good fruit and CANNOT produce bad fruit.
A bad tree produces only bad fruit and CANNOT produce good fruit.
A "good tree" produces only "good fruit". The "good tree" does not require further explanation.
A "bad tree" produces only "bad fruit". How can that be? Don't "bad trees" sometimes produce "good fruit"? This requires further explanation and Jesus provides it in Matthew 7:21-23.
In Matthew 7:21 Jesus explains "good fruit" which is doing the will of His Father. A "good tree" ONLY produces "good fruit". A "good tree" ONLY does the will of His Father.
In Matthew 7:22 Jesus raises the question He's sure will be asked by many: "What about all the "good fruit" that I produced?"
In Mathew 7:23 Jesus explains that since they also went against the will of His Father ( "practice lawlessness" ), He does not consider anything they did as "good fruit". He will tell them, "I never knew you. Get away from Me."
Hence a "bad tree" cannot produce "good fruit".
This is consistent with what Jesus said in Matthew 13:36-43 and Matthew 23: 27-28 and elsewhere. Read the words of Jesus while He walked the Earth IN CONTEXT in order to fully understand Him.
The words of Jesus while He walked the Earth can only be fully understood if they are considered within the context ALL the words attributed to Him while He walked the Earth.
At the very least, consider the entire passage in which they were said.
Matthew 7
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.
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
It's pretty straightforward:
A good tree produces only good fruit and CANNOT produce bad fruit.
A bad tree produces only bad fruit and CANNOT produce good fruit.
A "good tree" produces only "good fruit". The "good tree" does not require further explanation.
A "bad tree" produces only "bad fruit". How can that be? Don't "bad trees" sometimes produce "good fruit"? This requires further explanation and Jesus provides it in Matthew 7:21-23.
In Matthew 7:21 Jesus explains "good fruit" which is doing the will of His Father. A "good tree" ONLY produces "good fruit". A "good tree" ONLY does the will of His Father.
In Matthew 7:22 Jesus raises the question He's sure will be asked by many: "What about all the "good fruit" that I produced?"
In Mathew 7:23 Jesus explains that since they also went against the will of His Father ( "practice lawlessness" ), He does not consider anything they did as "good fruit". He will tell them, "I never knew you. Get away from Me."
Hence a "bad tree" cannot produce "good fruit".
This is consistent with what Jesus said in Matthew 13:36-43 and Matthew 23: 27-28 and elsewhere. Read the words of Jesus while He walked the Earth IN CONTEXT in order to fully understand Him.
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