- 1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
- 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
- 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
- 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
- 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
- 7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
- 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
- 9Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
- 10Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
- 11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
- 12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
- 13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
- 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
- 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
- 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
- 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
- 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
- 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
- 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
- 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
- 22Many 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?
- 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
- 24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
- 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
- 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
- 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
- 28And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
- 29For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
KING JAMES VERSION
MATTHEW 7
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Matthew 7 — Jesus calls for discernment, obedient hearing, the narrow way, good fruit, and a foundation on rock.
About this illustration
Several teaching images are joined in one symbolic landscape: the narrow path, contrasting trees, and two foundations. The distant collapse is non-graphic and subordinate to the house that stands.
Scripture basis: Matthew 7:1–29King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
about AD 200; commonly late second to early third century
P.Oxy. I 1: The First Greek Fragment of the Gospel of Thomas
A Greek papyrus codex leaf from Oxyrhynchus preserves sayings of Jesus later found in Coptic within the Gospel of Thomas. Copied around AD 200, it is the earliest discovered Greek witness to that sayings collection, while its relationship to the canonical Gospels and the composition’s date remain debated.
Matthew 7:3–5 · Matthew 10:26 · Matthew 13:57
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
third century AD
P.Oxy. IV 654: A Greek Opening of the Gospel of Thomas
A papyrus roll fragment from Oxyrhynchus preserves the prologue and opening sayings of the Gospel of Thomas in Greek. Copied in the third century, it supplies an early witness to the work’s self-presentation while also displaying differences from the later Coptic text.
Matthew 7:7–8 · Matthew 13:10–17 · Luke 11:9–10
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
fourth century AD
P.Oxy. XV 1782: A Greek Papyrus of the Didache
A fourth-century Greek papyrus from Oxyrhynchus preserves portions of Didache 1–3, including teaching about the Two Ways, love of enemies, almsgiving, and moral discipline. It is an early material witness to Christian instruction, not a manuscript of the New Testament.
Matthew 5:39–48 · Matthew 7:12 · Luke 6:27–36
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
Six fragments from a Greek papyrus roll excavated at Oxyrhynchus and dated to the second or third century AD, preserving Thomas sayings 24 and 36-39.
P.Oxy. IV 655: A Third Greek Witness to the Gospel of Thomas
P.Oxy. IV 655: A Third Greek Witness to the Gospel of Thomas is a distinct archaeological or manuscript witness whose documented context illuminates Scripture while preserving the limits of the evidence.
Matthew 7:7–12
Sermons
No Looking Back
Pastor Dean Odle uses an old family plow to illustrate Jesus’s warning in Luke 9:62 about following Him without looking back. Beginning with Romans 8 and John 10, he argues that discipleship requires continually hearing Christ’s voice, resisting the flesh, and surrendering self-will. He examines the excuses in Luke 14, shares personal accounts of ministry decisions, correction, and restoration, and turns to 1 John 2 and Proverbs 3 to urge trust in God’s direction. The sermon closes with warnings drawn from Lot’s wife and the parable of the talents, calling listeners to examine their faith, abide in Christ, and move forward in obedient, fruitful service.
Christian LivingSalvation and the GospelHoly Spirit and Spiritual GiftsDoctrine and Discernment
View sermon The Garden and the Deceiver
Pastor Dean Odle uses the Garden of Eden to warn that the deceiver’s oldest lie still promises that sin carries no final consequence. Moving through Genesis 3, Titus 2, Hebrews 10, Jude, and other passages, he argues that salvation is God’s unearned gift while believers remain responsible to obey Christ, reject habitual sin, and continue in sound doctrine. He contrasts the Spirit’s transforming grace with teachings that excuse lawlessness, addresses contemporary religious deception and disputed end-times claims, and urges listeners to stay in Scripture, prayer, humility, and fellowship with Jesus. The message closes with a call to step away from the tree of sin, repent when one falls, and keep choosing Christ to the end.
Doctrine and DiscernmentChristian LivingApostasy and Deception
View sermon The Runaway Train to the Tribulation
Pastor Dean Odle warns that artificial intelligence, surveillance, economic instability, war, and spiritual deception are accelerating the world toward the tribulation described in Scripture. Moving from Matthew 24 and Revelation to the prophets and epistles, he argues that Christians should expect to endure tribulation rather than escape through a pre-tribulation rapture. He calls believers to reject lukewarmness, bring every thought into obedience to Christ, resist the mark of the beast, prepare wisely for disruption, and strengthen themselves through God’s Word. The sermon closes by urging repentance, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to spend eternity with Jesus.
Bible ProphecyApostasy and DeceptionChristian LivingDoctrine and DiscernmentSpiritual Warfare
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons
Music
Legally Blind
A sober prayer for spiritual sight that confronts self-deception, religious pride, shallow Bible reading, and blind leadership—calling believers to receive correction, obey the Word, examine their hearts, and be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.
Don't Paint Him In Your Image
A sober call to reject a culturally edited Jesus and receive Christ as Scripture reveals Him—Savior, Lord, Judge, and King. The song tests profession, preaching, repentance, and worship against the whole counsel of God.