Dogs and Pigs

“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you” (Matthew 7:6). These words form the seventh but shortest section of the sermon. This admonition follows the previous “judge not” admonition. As noted, the Lord warned against hypocritical efforts to correct others while ignoring one’s own issues. Jesus did not forbid loving efforts to correct a brother’s failings. To cite Paul in Galatians 6:1, “If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” This is immediately followed by a warning: “Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

The verse before us addresses those individuals in the church who will not be corrected because they are like dogs and pigs, unholy and unclean. Unregenerate professors boast of divine life but do not possess it. Their unsanctified “self” tends to be critical of others but are overly defensive. Like dogs, the unspiritual “bite and devour one another” (Galatians 5:15). Thus, the body of Christ suffers because true saints, out of fear of criticism and retribution, neglect their spiritual gifts, withdraw, and remain silent. Cultural confusion of “political correctness” further exacerbates that fear.” As a result, the loving watch-care much needed in the church is sorely neglected. Oh, that God would grant His people a reviving of the biblical atmosphere spoken of in Ephesians 4:12 and 13.

Jesus’ audience had no problem understanding His words but imagine these descriptives used in modern pulpits. How dare one call another a dog. Yet, Jesus replied to a Gentile woman, “It is not right to take the children’s [Jews] bread and throw it to the dogs [Gentiles]” (Matthew 15:26). He was testing her faith, but it is texts like this that require modern Christians to know the Old Testament to properly understand. Sadly, the Jews also failing on this point, becoming what they condemned because they did not understand how they, too, profaned the holy.

Mosaic instruction to the Levites was that “they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean” (Ezekiel 44:23). Yet, under the old economy, the Lord complained, “Her priests have done violence to my law and have profaned my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common” (Ezekiel 22:26). However, the Lord promised that in the new age, “Once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him” (Malachi 3:18).

Dogs and pigs symbolize people who claim to be God’s people but are unholy and unclean, even idolatrous. Thus, we read in Revelation concerning the New Jerusalem, “Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (22:15). Sorely lacking in churches today is saints who “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” and are “filled with all the fulness of God” (Ephesians 3:18, 19).

Judge Not

This section of the Sermon on the Mount deals with unlawful judgment (Matthew 7:1–5).  Here is a text that is frequently quoted by those who understand it least. Sadly, many have erred in following the mere sound of words and “Judge not” is often taken unconditionally. It becomes the response of those wholly unwilling to receive the loving rebuke of those who long for another’s greater good. Thus, one must be careful in interpreting and applying the words of this section. To understand this admonition properly, the first duty of kingdom citizens must be to learn and practice righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees (5:20). As previously noted, three terms describe the righteous kingdom condition in the gospel age: unity, purity, and verity. Jesus would have kingdom citizens to weigh all things according to light and truth with understanding and spiritual discernment.

The word translated “judge” means to consider and evaluate the evidence, and form a verdict based on the facts presented. It has a variety of applications in Scripture; for example, Paul addressed the Corinthian believers, warning that participating in pagan practices may leave them guilty of idolatry. Thus, he challenged them, “I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say” (I Cor. 10:15)—form your opinion after hearing me out. Paul invited them to judge his opinion. In Acts 16:15, Lydia invited the apostle and his entourage to stay in her home on the condition that they “judge” or consider her “to be faithful to the Lord.” Lydia invited the apostle to judge her profession of faith by evaluating her public response to Christ. However, in Romans 14:5, to “judge” someone means to despise them in a matter of personal liberty. In this case, the evaluation is forbidden.

With the above in mind, observe what Christ actually condemns. Jesus warned against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees’ righteousness, which was legend. They were quick to condemn the actions of others while ignoring their own greater sins. For example, in Luke 18:9, Jesus “told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.” The sin of a censorious spirit is that of one who invades the office of the Judge of all the earth. Blind to his own guilt, this hypocrite despised the poor publican. He said in prayer to God, “I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). There is a great tendency to self-deception regarding one’s own standing before God. The prideful sense of self-evaluation that concludes one as self-righteous is but a mask for a critical spirit. It is dangerous both to one’s own spiritual life and to that of the whole body, being extremely contagious.

Kingdom righteousness demands unsparing self-examination in light of the truth of Scripture before the throne of grace while utterly rejecting temptation to sit on God’s judgment seat evaluating the failings of others. For this admonition, one must seek the Lord in earnest prayer, asking for the Spirit to search his heart that he may rigorously evaluate the context of his interaction. Let us pray like David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24).

Begotten of God

The goal of God is to establish a righteous kingdom on earth. Realization of this goal requires a righteous people to populate the kingdom. To accomplish this goal, He is creating a new race through His second Adam, Jesus Christ. The first Adam was created in the image of God; the last Adam was begotten in the image of God. The first Adam was tested and found faulty, succumbing to the temptation of Satan. Thus, the offspring of the first Adam are condemned to eternal punishment. The last Adam was tested and found worthy to be eternally installed upon God’s holy hill, Zion, as King.

The self-evident problem presented is, where will the King find the citizens over whom He will reign?The answer is found in the term begotten (Hebrew, yalad, to beget or give birth; Psalm 2:7). First, Psalm 2:7 describes an eternal decree, and the word “today” can refer to a particular day or to a period of time. There is a twofold fulfillment of the decree. First, in its eternal sense, the decree defines the Son in His relationship to the Father in the Trinity. Second, in its temporal sense, the decree describes the Son in His entrance to the human race. The angel appeared to Joseph in a dream: “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20, 21).

Psalm 2 is primarily a declaration of judgment against rebellious nations assembled to rage against the Lord and His Anointed (mashiyach, Christ, Messiah). The Lord laughs because He has already determined how He will deal with this rebellion. He has set His King in Zion who will “break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (v. 9). Thus, the Lord warns them, “Kiss the Son lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled” (v. 12). All judgment has been committed to the Son.

Nevertheless, there is also a whisper of hope. “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage” (v. 8). Christ, through His death, owns the world. He bought it with His blood. This is the message of Revelation 5 and 6 with the scroll (the title deed of the earth) and the Lamb worthy to open it. He is the seed of the woman promised to end Satan’s usurping the kingdom on earth (Genesis 3:15). Jesus suffered Adam’s penalty to free some of Adam’s seed in order for them to experience a divine begetting that they might become the children of God. “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure” (1 John 3:1–3).  

Listen carefully to Genesis 3:16; “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth [yalad, beget] children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” Here is a prophetic word concerning the church. These words were spoken of the wife of the first Adam. They are also spoken of the bride of the second Adam. Jim Elliff eloquently spoke of this: “Out of the sleep of the first Adam came the woman; out of the death of the last Adam came the church.”

The Critic’s Self-Entrapment

Kingdom citizens (church members) have a responsibility to share in the gracious work of Christ in building and strengthening the kingdom on earth. To accomplish this work, Christ has gifted each of His people, engrafting them into the body and enabling them with His Holy Spirit. Each local assembly adds to the growth of the greater body (Eph. 4:16). The duties of each member are designed to maintain the unity of the body through personal spiritual maturity and corporate holiness. Three terms describe the kingdom condition in the gospel age: unity, purity, and verity.

Matthew 7:1 is often used to reprimand those who seek to correct others. This reaction is often expressed by one who feels the sting of the rebuke because they are guilty. Does Christ forbid what His followers are clearly encouraged to do? “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him” (Luke 17:3). “Better is open rebuke than hidden love” (Prov. 27:5).

The Lord plainly commanded old covenant saints to live in unity, purity, and integrity: “You shall not hate [to be indifferent] your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:17, 18). This duty is not removed but amplified in the new covenant. As children of light, we are “to discern what is pleasing to the Lord [and] take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them” (Eph. 5:10, 11). This calls for humility, discernment, spiritual confidence, and courage in caring for Christ and kingdom. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself” (Gal. 6:1, 2).

The term, judge, in Matthew 7:1 means to function as a judge—to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong from the bench, so to speak. It is to subject the one judged to judicial censure by one who has no right to do so. Remember, the basic argument of the Sermon on the Mount is not relaxing the commandments but fulfilling them in new-covenant power and authority. New covenant people are to practice a righteousness that exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees (Matt. 5:19, 20).

Nothing destroys unity in the body faster than a critical spirit. It is dangerous both to one’s spiritual life and to that of the whole body, being extremely contagious. A critical spirit sees wrong in others and reacts with an unchristian and prideful superiority. Such a spirit fails to love the offender or to seek his restoration to healthy spiritual life. Such a spirit also subjects the critic to divine discipline because he is equally guilty of sin. The critic falsely assumes a spiritual standing because he thinks he is not guilty of the offense detected in his brother. Sadly, the truth is that while the critic is aware of the splinter in another’s eye, he is oblivious to the log in his own (7:4, 5).