Matthew 7:22–27

Context

This is the final passage of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7, concluding Jesus' teaching to his disciples and the multitudes. The immediately preceding verse, 7:21, warns: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Verses 22–23 then depict a scene on "that day," that is, at the Last Judgment. Verses 24–27 conclude the entire teaching with the parable of the two houses. The words "depart from me" in verse 23 echo the language of Psalm 6:8. The same parable also appears in Luke 6:46–49.

Interpretation

The prophesying (rendered in the Korean Revised Version as "acting as a prophet"), casting out of devils, and "many wonderful works" of verse 22 are outwardly visible religious activities. The phrase "I never knew you" in verse 23 is commonly interpreted to mean not merely a lack of acquaintance but the absence of a personal relationship. "Iniquity" translates the Greek anomia ("lawlessness").

• Reformed reading: Works are regarded not as the ground of salvation but as the fruit of genuine faith. The passage is therefore read as a warning against false assurance. Justification (God's declaring the sinner righteous) is received by faith, but genuine faith shows itself in obedience.
• Wesleyan reading: Methodist, Holiness, and related churches read the passage as a text emphasizing sanctification (growth in holiness) and practical obedience. John Wesley expounded the Sermon on the Mount in a series of sermons.
• Pentecostal and charismatic reading: The passage is not viewed as a denial of spiritual gifts themselves. Rather, it is read as a warning that gifts cannot serve as evidence of salvation or of spiritual maturity.
• Anabaptist reading: The Anabaptists and churches in their tradition regard the Sermon on the Mount as a norm of discipleship to be lived out in practice, and they cite this parable in support of that view.

There are two interpretations of "the rock." One takes it, in keeping with the text itself, as a life of hearing and doing the words of Jesus. The other extends it to Christ himself, who spoke those words, and connects it with 1 Corinthians 3:11.

Controversies and Issues

• Faith and works: How Paul's doctrine of justification by faith fits together with this passage and with James 2 has been a continuing topic of discussion within Protestantism.
• Assurance of salvation: Those who emphasize the assurance of salvation read the passage narrowly as a warning against false faith. Others use it as grounds for urging all believers to examine themselves.
• Gifts and miracles: Both sides of the cessationism–continuationism debate cite this passage. It is also used in discussions of guarding against heresy, as grounds for the view that miracles do not guarantee truth.
• Citation out of context: Some point out that reading from verse 22 onward in isolation omits the standard set in verse 21, "he that doeth the will of my Father." Others also caution that, since the passage is directed toward the hearer's own self-examination, it should not be used to condemn other believers or churches.

In the Korean Church

The parable of the house on the rock and the house on the sand is a frequent subject of Sunday school lessons and children's sermons. In sermons for adults, it is widely cited as a text warning against a faith that merely hears the word.

Related Passages

• Matthew 7:21 — the immediately preceding warning
• Luke 6:46–49 — the same parable
• James 1:22 — doers of the word
• James 2:21–24 — faith and works