Matthew 7:22

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(22) Many will say to me in that day.—No part of the Sermon on the Mount is more marvellous in its claims than this; to those who see in Christ only a human Teacher with a higher morality than Hillel or Seneca, none more utterly incomprehensible. At the commencement of His ministry, in a discourse which, though it is spoken in the tone of authority, gives no prominence to His mission as the Messiah, He yet claims, with the calmness of assured conviction, to be the Judge before whom the faithful and the hypocrites will alike have to give an account. In “that day” (the words, though they would not suggest, as afterwards, the thought of His own advent, would yet carry the minds of men to the “great and dreadful day” of Malachi 4:5) the words “Lord, Lord,” would mean more than the expression of human courtesy.

Have we not prophesied in thy name?—Here, also, there is the implied calm assertion of a supernatural power, not resting in Himself alone, but imparted to His followers, and exercised, or at least claimed, by some who did not themselves fulfil the conditions of His kingdom. Here, as everywhere in the New Testament, “prophesying” is more than mere prediction, and includes the whole work of delivering a message to men, as coming directly from God.

Benson Commentary

Matthew 7:22-23. Many will say to me in that day — Many, both preachers and hearers, both ministers and people, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? — Have we not declared the mysteries of thy kingdom; preached excellent sermons; written edifying books; explained and enforced the doctrines of thy word, even the prophecies thereof, and shown their fulfilment: nay, have we not ourselves foretold future events, and in thy name have cast out devils — From those possessed by them, and done many wonderful works — Even miracles of mercy as well as of judgment? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you — Though I called you to be my servants, and you professed yourselves such, I never knew you to be such, nor approved of you. So that even the working of the greatest miracles, and the uttering the most undoubted prophecies, is not a sufficient proof that a man possesses saving faith, nor will any thing of that kind avail to prove that we are now accepted of God, or are in the way to meet with acceptance of him at the day of final accounts, without the faith productive of true and universal holiness. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity — For none can enter heaven but those that are saved from their sins on earth. If we die in our sins, where Jesus is we cannot come.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:21-29 Christ here shows that it will not be enough to own him for our Master, only in word and tongue. It is necessary to our happiness that we believe in Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another. This is his will, even our sanctification. Let us take heed of resting in outward privileges and doings, lest we deceive ourselves, and perish eternally, as multitudes do, with a lie in our right hand. Let every one that names the name of Christ, depart from all sin. There are others, whose religion rests in bare hearing, and it goes no further; their heads are filled with empty notions. These two sorts of hearers are represented as two builders. This parable teaches us to hear and do the sayings of the Lord Jesus: some may seem hard to flesh and blood, but they must be done. Christ is laid for a foundation, and every thing besides Christ is sand. Some build their hopes upon worldly prosperity; others upon an outward profession of religion. Upon these they venture; but they are all sand, too weak to bear such a fabric as our hopes of heaven. There is a storm coming that will try every man's work. When God takes away the soul, where is the hope of the hypocrite? The house fell in the storm, when the builder had most need of it, and expected it would be a shelter to him. It fell when it was too late to build another. May the Lord make us wise builders for eternity. Then nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus. The multitudes were astonished at the wisdom and power of Christ's doctrine. And this sermon, ever so often read over, is always new. Every word proves its Author to be Divine. Let us be more and more decided and earnest, making some one or other of these blessednesses and Christian graces the main subject of our thoughts, even for weeks together. Let us not rest in general and confused desires after them, whereby we grasp at all, but catch nothing.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In that day - That is, in the last day, the day of judgment; the time when the principles of all pretenders to prophecy and piety shall be tried.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

22. Many will say to me in that day—What day? It is emphatically unnamed. But it is the day to which He had just referred, when men shall "enter" or not enter "into the kingdom of heaven." (See a similar way of speaking of "that day" in 2Ti 1:12; 4:8).

Lord, Lord—The reiteration denotes surprise. "What, Lord? How is this? Are we to be disowned?"

have we not prophesied—or, "publicly taught." As one of the special gifts of the Spirit in the early Church, it has the sense of "inspired and authoritative teaching," and is ranked next to the apostleship. (See 1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11). In this sense it is used here, as appears from what follows.

in thy name—or, "to thy name," and so in the two following clauses—"having reference to Thy name as the sole power in which we did it."

and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works—or, miracles. These are selected as three examples of the highest services rendered to the Christian cause, and through the power of Christ's own name, invoked for that purpose; He Himself, too, responding to the call. And the threefold repetition of the question, each time in the same form, expresses in the liveliest manner the astonishment of the speakers at the view now taken of them.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Matthew 7:23".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,.... That is, in the last day, the day of judgment, the great and famous day, fixed by God, unknown to angels and men, which will be terrible to some, and joyful to others; the day in which the faithful ministers of the Gospel shall be owned by Christ, and received into the kingdom of heaven: "many", not of the common people only, but of the preachers of the word, who have filled up the highest station in the church below; not one, or two, or a few of them only, but many of them "will say to me"; to Christ, who will appear then as the judge of quick and dead, to which he is ordained by his Father,

Lord, Lord; not "my Lord, my Lord", as the Syriac version reads it; for they will not be able to claim any interest in him, though they will be obliged to own his dominion, power, and authority over them. The word is repeated to show their importunity, sense of danger, the confusion they will be in, the wretched disappointment they will have; and therefore speak as persons amazed and confounded, having expected they would have been the first persons that should be admitted into heaven. Their pleas follow;

have we not prophesied in thy name? This may be understood either of foretelling things to come; which gift wicked men may have, who have never had any experience of the grace of God, as Balaam, and Caiaphas, and others; or rather of preaching the word, which is sometimes called prophesying, Romans 12:6 and which may be done in the name of Christ, pretending mission and authority from him, and to be preachers of him, and yet be no better than "sounding brass", or "a tinkling cymbal"; yea, nothing at all as to true grace, or spiritual experience.

And in thy name have cast out devils? Diabolical possessions were very frequent in the times of Christ; no doubt but they were suffered, that Jesus might have an opportunity of showing his power over Satan, by dispossessing him from the bodies, as well as the souls of men; and of giving proof of his deity, divine sonship and Messiahship: and this power of casting out devils was given to others, not only to the twelve apostles, among whom Judas was, who had the same power with the rest, and to the seventy disciples; but even to some who did not follow him, and his disciples, Mark 9:38 and some did this in the name of Jesus, who do not appear to have any true faith in him, and knowledge of him; as the vagabond Jews, exorcists, and the seven sons of Sceva, Acts 19:13. An awful consideration it is, that men should be able to cast out devils, and at last be cast to the devil.

And in thy name done many wonderful works? that is, many miracles; not one, or a few only, but many; such as speaking with tongues, removing mountains, treading on serpents and scorpions, and drinking any deadly thing without hurt, and healing all manner of diseases and sicknesses. Judas, for one, was capable of pleading all these things; he had the gift of preaching, and a call from Christ to it, and yet a castaway; he had the power of casting out devils, and yet could not prevent the devil from entering into him; he could perform miracles, do wonders in Christ's name, and yet, at last, was the betrayer of him. These pleas and arguments will be of no use to him, nor of any avail to any at the great day. It may be observed, that these men lay the whole stress of their salvation upon what they have done in Christ's name; and not on Christ himself, in whom there is salvation, and in no other: they say not a syllable of what Christ has done and suffered, but only of what they have done. Indeed, the things they instance in, are the greatest done among men; the gifts they had were the most excellent, excepting the grace of God; the works they did were of an extraordinary nature; whence it follows, that there can be no salvation, nor is it to be expected from men's works: for if preaching the word, which is attended with so much study, care, and labour, will not be a prevailing argument to admit men into the kingdom of heaven; how can it be thought that ever reading, or hearing, or any other external performance of religion, should bring persons thither?

Geneva Study Bible

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy {d} name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many {e} wonderful works?

(d) By name here is meant mighty working power of God, which every man witnesses that calls upon him.

(e) Properly, powers: Now these excellent works which are done are called powers because of those things which they bring to pass, for by them we understand how mighty the power of God is.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Matthew 7:22-23. Ἐν ἐκ. τῇ ἡμέρᾳ] Euth. Zigabenus, ἡμέραν ἑκείνην εἶπε τὴν τῆς κρίσεως, ὡς ἐγνωσμένην καὶ προσδεδοκημένην. Comp. the Jewish phraseology; Schoettgen, Hor. in loco.

τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι] not jussu et auctoritate sua (as the majority of commentators, Fritzsche included), as if it had been ἐν τῷ σῷ ὀνόμ., but by means of Thy name, i.e. through Thy name (“Jesus Messiah”), having satisfied our religious consciousness, and having become the object of our confession. It was by this, as forming the condition and instrument, that the works in question were accomplished. In the casting out of devils and in performing miracles the name was pronounced, Acts 3:6; Acts 19:13; comp. on Luke 9:49; Luke 10:17.

Notice the stress laid upon the σῷ, and the threefold repetition of the prominent words τῷ σῷ ὀνόμ., as expressing that by which the individuals in question think to shelter themselves from disapprobation and rejection, and make good their claim to the Messianic kingdom.

προεφητεύς.] not in the special sense of foretelling (Grotius, Fritzsche), but (comp. Matthew 7:15) with reference to those who taught under the influence of a prophetic enthusiasm (see note on 1 Corinthians 12:10). The distinguishing feature in those men is an impure, often fanatical, boldness in the faith, which, though enabling them to perform outward acts of a marvellous nature, yet fails to exercise any influence upon their own moral life—just the sort of thing described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:2, and the manifestations of which are to be met with in every age, especially in times of great religious excitement.

Matthew 7:23. ὁμολογ.] “aperte, magna potestas hujus dicti,” Bengel. The conscious dignity of the future judge of the world.

ὅτι] Recitative. The rendering because, to which a different arrangement of the words by Origen, Chrysostom, Cyprian, and others has given rise (ὅτι … ὑμᾶς after ἀποχωρ.), is less in harmony with the emotion of the passage.

ἔγνων] not probavi (Kuinoel), but novi. Because (“etsi nomen meum allegatis,” Bengel) I have never known you, have obtained no knowledge of you whatever, which I would have done (John 10:14) had ye really been in fellowship with me. Comp. Luke 13:27. The knowledge is the knowledge of experience founded upon the possession of a common life. Similarly 1 Corinthians 8:3; 1 Corinthians 13:12; Galatians 4:9.

ἀποχωρεῖτε, κ.τ.λ.] according to Psalm 6:9. Comp. Matthew 25:41. οἱ ἐργαζόμ. is used as a substantive; while ἀνομία is the antithesis of δικαιοσύνη, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Hebrews 1:9, as in Matthew 13:41, Matthew 23:28, Matthew 24:12. Notice how in this passage the great utterance of Matthew 7:17-18 continues to echo to the last, and to bear the impress of the final judgment; comp. Romans 2:13.

Expositor's Greek Testament

Matthew 7:22. ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, the great dread judgment day of Jehovah expected by all Jews, with more or less solemn awe; a very grave reference.—τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι: thrice repeated, the main ground of hope. Past achievements, prophesyings, exorcisms, miracles are recited; but the chief point insisted on is: all was done in Thy name, honouring Thee, as the source of wisdom and power.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

22. in that day] The day of judgment. This is a forecast far into the distant future, when it would be worth while to assume Christianity, when hypocrisy would take the form of pretending to be a follower of the now despised Jesus. (See Canon Mozley’s sermon On the reversal of human judgment.)

For the pathetic repetition, Lord, Lord, cp. ch. Matthew 23:37; Luke 22:31.

prophesied] i. e. preached. The greatest of preachers dreads such a sentence. 1 Corinthians 9:27, “Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”

devils] See note, ch. Matthew 4:24.

Bengel's Gnomen

Matthew 7:22. Πολλοὶ, many) even of those, perhaps, whom posterity has canonized and commanded to be accounted blessed and saints; many, certainly, of those who have had rare gifts, and have shown at times a good will (see Mark 9:39), who apprehend the power and the wisdom, but not the mercy of God.—ἐροῦσι, shall say) flattering themselves in their own persuasion. Many souls will retain the error, with which they deceive themselves, even up to that day:[344] [A miserable expectation, previously, is theirs: an awful judgment, subsequently!—V. g.] see ch. Matthew 25:11. Hence may be illustrated the doctrine of the state after death. In the Judgment all things will at length be made known: see Romans 2:16; 1 Corinthians 3:13.—ἐν ἐκεινῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, on that day) that great day, in comparison with which all previous days are nothing.—THY) The emphasis and accent fall upon this word in each of the three clauses: THY, sc. that of the Lord.—προεφητεύσαμεν, we have prophesied) We have openly proclaimed the mysteries of Thy kingdom. Add also: We have written commentaries and exegetical observations on books and passages of the Old and New Testament, we have preached fine sermons, etc.—δαιμόνια, devils) It is not said διαβόλους, because ΔΙΑΒΟΛΟς; is only used in the singular number.[345]

[344] Sc. the day of judgment.—(I. B.)

[345] Sc. with its technical meaning: for διάβολος, in its original sense of accuser, may be used indiscriminately in all three numbers.—(I. B.)

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 22. - Matthew only; but cf Luke 13:26, from which the "Western" addition of eating and drinking is probably derived. Many will say to me in that day. The great day. Notice Christ's claim, so early as this, to be the future Judge of the world. Lord, Lord (cf. Hosea 8:2). In ver. 21a profession of service, i.e. as regards work; here, as regards wages. Have we not prophesied. Revised Version did, etc.? The thought is not of abiding effect, but merely of historical facts (οὐ τῷ σῷ ὀνόματι ἐπροφητεύσαμεν). In thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Revised Version, by thy name. An important difference, for "in" implies some vital connexion. But in this case the revelation (Matthew 6:9, note) of Christ was merely the instrument by which these men proclaimed Divine truths, cast out; demons, and wrought miracles. With him, or even with it, they had no real union. The connexion of "prophesied" with the two other words seems to forbid this being only false prophesying (ver. 15; cf. especially Jeremiah 27:15 [34:12, LXX.]; 14:14). Rather does the verse teach that spiritual results can be effected by unspiritual men. "Suggested by this and like passages. Augustine has many instructive words and warnings on the nothingness of all gifts, even up to the greatest gift of working nil miracles, if charity be wanting" (Trench, ' Sermon on the Mount'). Matthew 7:22

Vincent's Word Studies

Have we not (οὐ)

That form of the negative is used which expects an affirmative answer. It therefore pictures both the self-conceit and the self-deception of these persons. "Surely we have prophesied," etc.