Matthew 7:21
. Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord. Christ extends his discourse farther: for he speaks not only of false prophets, who rush upon the flock to tear and devour, but of hirelings, who insinuate themselves, under fair appearances, as pastors, though they have no feeling of piety. (478) This doctrine embraces all hypocrites, whatever may be their rank or station, but at present he refers particularly to pretended teachers, (479) who seem to excel others. He not only directs his discourse to them, to rouse them from the indifference, in which they lie asleep like drunk people, but also warns believers, not to estimate such masks beyond their proper value. In a word, he declares that, so soon as the doctrine of the Gospel shall have begun to bear fruit by obtaining many disciples, there will not only be very many of the common people who falsely and hypocritically submit to it, but even in the rank of pastors there will be the same treachery, so that they will deny by their actions and life what they profess with the mouth. (480) Whoever then desires to be reckoned among the disciples, must labor to devote himself, sincerely and honestly, to the exercises of a new life.
In the Gospel of Luke, it is a general reproof: Why call you me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? But as this corruption proceeds, for the most part, from pretended teachers, and easily finds its way from them into the whole body, so, according to Matthew, our Lord expressly attacks them. To do the will of the Father not only means, to regulate their life and manners, (as philosophers talked (481)) by the rule of virtues, but also to believe in Christ, according to that saying,
“This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life,” (John 6:40.)
These words, therefore, do not exclude faith, but presuppose it as the principle from which other good works flow.
(478) “ Combien qu'au dedans ils n'ayent point d'affection de crainte de Dieu;” — “though at bottom they have no feeling of the fear of God.”
(479) “ Les docteurs feints et doubles;” — “reigned and deceitful teachers.”
(480) “ Ce qu'ils enseignent et confessent de bouche;” — “what they teach and confess with the mouth.”
(481) “ Comme les philosophes ont voulu enselgner le monde;” — “as the philosophers wished to teach the world.”