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Matthew 7:17
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You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 a“Beware of false prophets, bwho come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  
16 aYou will know them by their fruits. bDo men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  
17 Even so, aevery good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  
18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
19 aEvery tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  
20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
<< Matthew 7:16   Matthew 7:18 >>


Matthew 7:17

So every good tree - As the thorn can only produce thorns, not grapes; and the thistle, not figs, but prickles; so an unregenerate heart will produce fruits of degeneracy. As we perfectly know that a good tree will not produce bad fruit, and the bad tree will not, cannot produce good fruit, so we know that the profession of godliness, while the life is ungodly, is imposture, hypocrisy, and deceit. A man cannot be a saint and a sinner at the same time. Let us remember, that as the good tree means a good heart, and the good fruit, a holy life, and that every heart is naturally vicious; so there is none but God who can pluck up the vicious tree, create a good heart, plant, cultivate, water, and make it continually fruitful in righteousness and true holiness.




Other Adam Clarke entries containing Matthew 7:17:

Job 4:8
Luke 6:43

 

<< Matthew 7:16   Matthew 7:18 >>

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