Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them-see James 1:22, which seems a plain allusion to these words; also Luke 11:28, Romans 2:13, 1 John 3:7. I will liken him unto a wise man-a shrewd, prudent, provident man. Which built his house upon a rock-the rock of true discipleship, or genuine subjection to Christ. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Sermon on the Mount - concluded. Miscellaneous supplementary counsels. That these verses are entirely supplementary is the simplest and most natural view of them.
- Studies 1 7 7 Commentary Bible Gateway
- Studies 1 7 7 Commentary Verse
- Studies 1 7 7 Commentary Matthew Henry
- Studies 1 7 7 Commentary David Guzik
'‘7 Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Of if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! 12 So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.''
At first glance, it is difficult both to see how this section follows on the section before it and to see the connection between verses 7-11 and verse 12. Jesus speaks at length here of the wonderful, giving character of the Father, and then makes a concluding statement in verse 12, ''So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.'' How does this last sentence relate to what He has just said about trusting in the giving character of our heavenly Father? And how does the teaching on prayer relate to the previous section on judging?
In order to try to answer these questions, it would be helpful to look back. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount Jesus has been giving His listeners a greater vision of the wonderful character and purposes of their heavenly Father. God the Father is the One who sees in secret, who is ready to give them the treasure of heaven, who will satisfy their longings for righteousness and mercy. This God intends for His people a true righteousness, one that exceeds mere morality. Base technology ltd. Jesus has sought to feed their trust in the purposes and activity of this One who created them, and who is their heavenly Father.
At the end of chapter 6, Jesus tells His readers to put God and His kingdom first in their priorities, and everything else will follow from that. This is the context for the section previous to the one we are looking at—the section on judging. Jesus began that section of teaching by commanding His listeners, 'Judge not, that you be not judged.' He warns them that when they attempt to speak a word of judgment, when they attempt to announce a word against another, they will receive judgment in the same measure. When we looked at this section, we noted that Jesus is warning against judging others and yet encouraging His listeners to be discerning at the same time. We are not to judge in the sense of giving 'the last word' on someone else. But we are to participate in Jesus' work in our lives and in the lives of others by trusting that He has the 'last word'--the last word on them and even on us as well.
What we found in our study of the previous section is that our relationships with others are to be lived out in the context of seeking first God's kingdom and righteousness. We can't really see others, or ourselves, clearly if we attempt to see them outside of the context of the good character and purposes of our heavenly Father. We are tempted to judge others, to notice the speck in their eye, because we lose sight of the real presence and work of the triune God. We may feel it is up to us to make a decision about another. Kingdom: classic download free.
So now, in today's section, Jesus encourages His listeners to seek out their heavenly Father with repeated assurances that He is the Father who is ready to be found and to give. He goes on to compare our heavenly Father's supreme ability and willingness to give to His children with what we, as earthly parents, are willing to do for our children. We can see that the previous section on discerning and judgment is hemmed in on either side by Jesus' admonition to His listeners to seek from their Father in heaven with assurance of His generosity. First Jesus tells them to seek God's kingdom and righteousness and that 'all these things shall be yours as well.' Here, we have the theme again of receiving from a giving God.
In the context of the whole sermon, it is clear that Jesus is encouraging His listeners to ask (and to seek and to knock) for God's good rule to be done, for His reign to be active in their lives. He has already taught them to pray 'Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done'. He has helped them to see how good and life-giving this kingly rule of His Father is. And it is interesting to me that most of this section is about the goodness of God towards His people. As in the earlier sections of this sermon, Jesus is concerned to feed the faith of His listeners in the God He has come to reveal. As T.F. Torrance says, He presents God to us as '…One who hears and answers prayer and who gives us the freedom to come personally before him with our petitions.' (The Mediation of Christ, p.12)
Jesus concludes this section with the command, 'So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.' By using the word 'so', Jesus indicates a connection between seeking out the giving God and how we are to treat one another. This verse, known popularly as 'The Golden Rule,' is most often quoted as if it stands alone, as if it had no context. But here we see that the context is crucial to Jesus—the command is a conclusion to His teaching on the giving character of God and to His command that they seek and ask from this God since He will surely give to them His kingdom.
It is because of who God is and because we can depend on Him to be the heavenly Father Jesus reveals Him to be that we can be freed to treat others the way we hope to be treated. There is no need for us to have the last word or condemn others since we are not dependent upon them for the good things we need nor do we have to provide them the ultimate things they need (and only God can give!). We don't need to fear their judgement of us either, since they don't have the final word about us. I wonder if part of why we are at times so quick to judge others is because we feel threatened by them, or we feel that they are letting us down. Are we asking something from them that only God can give us? Do we feel we're expected to do something for another that really only God can do? It is hard sometimes to initiate with grace towards others, isn't it? We want them to make the first good move, or we want a guarantee that our treating them graciously will lead to something good for us. It's hard to be loving and gracious if, in our relationships, there really are 'strings attached.'
But when we first receive from our heavenly Father, we can then freely act in grace towards another because we are not keying off of, or being dependent upon, them and their response to give us our identity or our life. In other words, we can keep the Golden rule when we live as if we have a good and giving God who is over us and over our neighbors. We do not have to be God to or for others and they don't have to be God over or for us. So we can treat others in a way that we would want them to treat us (whether they do or not!). In entrusting ourselves to God who knows the truth and who is gracious and giving, we are freed from both giving a last word to, and receiving a last word ( especially a condemning one) from others. When all our strings are attached to God, we can love each other with no strings attached.
Studies 1 7 7 Commentary Bible Gateway
<< BackNext Sermon on the Mount Study >> Bloons td 5 3 6 2.
(7) For I would that all men were even as I myself.—Better, Iwish rather that all men were asImyself. These words do not mean that the Apostle wished that every one was unmarried, but that every one had the same grace of continence which he himself was endowed with, so that they might without risk of sin remain unmarried (see 1Corinthians 7:26). Yet, he adds, there are many gifts, and God has given to each man his own gift, so that, though you may not have the particular gift of continence which I have, you have some other. One has one kind of gift; another has another kind.7:1-9 The apostle tells the Corinthians that it was good, in that juncture of time, for Christians to keep themselves single. Yet he says that marriage, and the comforts of that state, are settled by Divine wisdom. Though none may break the law of God, yet that perfect rule leaves men at liberty to serve him in the way most suited to their powers and circumstances, of which others often are very unfit judges. All must determine for themselves, seeking counsel from God how they ought to act.For I would . - I would prefer.That all men . https://osayyo.over-blog.com/2021/01/pyvisa-vs-pyserial-for-mac.html. - That Paul was unmarried is evident from 1 Corinthians 9:5. But he does not refer to this fact here. When he wishes that all people were like himself, he evidently does not intend that he would prefer that all should be unmarried, for this would be against the divine institution, and against his own precepts elsewhere. But he would be glad if all people had control over their passions and propensities as he had; had the gift of continence, and could abstain from marriage when circumstances of trial, etc., would make it proper. We may add, that when Paul wishes to exhort to anything that is difficult, he usually adduces 'his own example' to show that 'it may be done;' an example which it would be well for all ministers to be able to follow.
But every man hath his proper gift - Every man has his own special talent, or excellence. Topaz gigapixel ai 4 4 3 x 4. One man excels in one thing, and another in another. One may not have this particular virtue, but he maybe distinguished for another virtue quite as valuable. The doctrine here is, therefore, that we are not to judge of others by ourselves, or measure their virtue by ours. We may excel in some one thing, they in another. And because they have not our special virtue, or capability, we are not to condemn or denounce them; compare Matthew 19:11, Matthew 19:12.
https://downmfile569.weebly.com/djvulibre.html. Of God - Bestowed by God either in the original endowments and faculties of body or mind, or by his grace. In either case it is the gift of God. The virtue of continence is his gift as well as any other; and Paul had reason, as any other man must have, to be thankful that God had conferred it on him. So if a man is naturally amiable, kind, gentle, large-hearted, tender, and affectionate, he should regard it as the gift of God, and be thankful that he has not to contend with the evils of a morose, proud, haughty, and severe temper. It is true, however, that all these virtues may be greatly strengthened by discipline, and that religion gives vigor and comeliness to them all. Paul's virtue in this was strengthened by his resolution; by his manner of life; by his frequent fastings and trials, and 'by the abundant employment' which God gave him in the apostleship. And it is true still, that if a man is desirous to overcome the lusts of the flesh, industry, and hardship, and trial, and self-denial will enable him, by the grace of God, to do it. idleness is the cause of no small part of the corrupt desires of people; and God kept Paul from these:
Microsoft word 2019 16 34 bit. (1) By giving him enough to do; and,
(2) By giving him enough to suffer.
7. even as I—having tile gift of continence (Mt 19:11, 12). This wish does not hold good absolutely, else the extension of mankind and of the Church would cease; but relatively to 'the present distress' (1Co 7:26).I would that all men were even as I myself:Studies 1 7 7 Commentary Verse
I would, in this place, can signify no more than, I could wish or desire, (if it were the will of God), that all Christians had the gift of continency, which God (blessed be his name) hath given me: that this is meant, is plain by the next words, and 1 Corinthians 7:9: it is apparent that Paul did not will this absolutely, for that had been to have willed the dissolution of the world, as well as the church, within the compass of that age.But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that: But, saith the apostle, every one hath not the gift of continency, one hath it, another hath it not; which is the same thing which our Saviour said in reply to his disciples, saying: If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given,
Studies 1 7 7 Commentary Matthew Henry
. For I would that all men were even as I myself,. The apostle speaks not of his state and condition, as married or unmarried, for it is not certain which he was; some think he had a wife, others not: it looks, however, as if he had not at this time, as appears from 1 Corinthians 7:8 but be it which it will, it can hardly be thought he should wish all men to be in either state, either all married, or all unmarried; but he speaks of the gift of continency, which he had, as the following words show; and this he desires for all men, that they might not be in any danger from Satan's temptations, and that they might be more fit for and intent upon the service of Christ. The Syriac version adds, in 'purity', or 'chastity'; which may be preserved in a marriage state, as well as in single life:Studies 1 7 7 Commentary David Guzik
but every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that: all the gifts of nature and grace which men have, they have of God, and not of themselves; and every man has a gift proper to himself; no one man has all gifts, but some one, and some another; and with respect to the case in hand, one man has the gift of continency, another the gift of marriage; all cannot contain themselves, only to whom it is given: and all are not disposed to marriage; some are inclined to a single life, and some to a marriage state; and of those that are married, some can abstain from the use of the marriage bed longer than others, without being in danger of being tempted by Satan for their incontinency; and such a disposition is desirable.
For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.