"Zadok" <nobler@accesswave.ca> wrote in message news:wp_Yh.14187$_G.2579@edtnps89...
(Matthew 7:6 NASB)
6 "?a?Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls
before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and
tear you to pieces. [1]
7:6 Do not give what is holy to the dogs. This principle is why Jesus Himself
did not do miracles for unbelievers (13:58). This is to be done in respect
for what is holy, not merely out of contempt for the dogs and swine. Nothing
here contradicts the principle of 5:44. That verse governs personal dealings
with one's enemies; this principle governs how one handles the gospel in the
face of those who hate the truth.[2]
7:6 Verse 6 proves that Jesus did not intend to forbid every kind of
judgment. He warned His disciples not to give holy things to dogs or to cast
.... pearls before swine. Under the Mosaic Law dogs and swine were unclean
animals and here the terms are used to depict wicked people. When we meet
vicious people who treat divine truths with utter contempt and respond to our
preaching of the claims of Christ with abuse and violence, we are not
obligated to continue to share the gospel with them. To press the matter only
brings increased condemnation to the offenders.
Needless to say, it requires spiritual perception to discern these people.
Perhaps that is why the next verses take up the subject of prayer, by which
we can ask for wisdom.
[3]
We have to determine who the dogs are and who the pigs are, don't we? These
are not fourlegged animals He is talking about. We are not to give that which
is holy unto dogs or cast our pearls before swine; therefore, there is
ajudgment that we need to make.
There are certain times and places where it is not worthwhile to say a word.
This is a judgment you need to make. I remember a Tennessee legislator friend
of mine who was a heavy drinker. He was wonderfully converted and is a choice
servant of God today. The other members of the legislature knew how he drank.
Then they heard he "got religion," as they called it. One day this fellow
took his seat in the legislature, and his fellow-members looked him over.
Finally, someone rose, addressed the chairman of the meeting and said, "I
make a motion that we hear a sermon from Deacon So-and-So." Everyone laughed.
But my friend was equal to the occasion. He got to his feet and said, "I'm
sorry, I do not have anything to say. My Lord told me not to cast my pearls
before swine." He sat down, and they never ridiculed him anymore.
A police inspector in the city of New York told me about certain apartments
which were filled with no one but homosexuals. He told me, "They know I'm a
Christian, and when they are brought into the station, they say to me,
'Preach us a sermon!' But I never cast my pearls before swine." He looked at
me and said, "I guess you think I'm a little hardboiled, but I was a flatfoot
in that area, and I know those folk. I worked with them for years."
May I say to you, there are swine and there are dogs in our society. What are
we to do? Jesus tells us that we are not to judge, and then He tells us we
are to judge. Well, He tells us in the next verse what we are to do.
[4]
To be effective in ministry, we must make judgments-not for condemnation, but
for identification. Is this person open? Is he sensitive? Is he hungering? Or
does he just want to argue and discuss endlessly? The Lord loves to see us
effective, and Satan would love to see us sidetracked. How do we know what is
wise in these matters? How can we know what we should do and where we should
invest our time? How does this work out practically? Jesus gives the answer
in the next verse.[5]
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a Matt 15:26
[1]New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Mt 7:6). LaHabra, CA: The
Lockman Foundation.
[2]MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.)
(Mt 7:6). Nashville: Word Pub.
[3]MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary :
Old and New Testaments (Mt 7:6). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[4]McGee, J. V. (1997, c1981). Thru the Bible commentary. Based on the Thru
the Bible radio program. (electronic ed.) (4:40-41). Nashville: Thomas
Nelson.
[5]Courson, J. (2003). Jon Courson's Application Commentary (42). Nashville,
TN: Thomas Nelson.
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