Dogs do not have hoofs, nor do they chew the cud; hogs have divided hoofs but do not chew the cud. Thus, both are unclean (7, Lev. 11:27). According to the revelation in 2 Pet. 2:12, 19-22, and Phil. 3:2, dogs and hogs here refer to people who are religious but not clean.

That which is holy must refer to the objective truth, which belongs to God; your pearls must refer to the subjective experiences, which are ours.

As long as the beam remains in our eye, our vision is blurred and we cannot see clearly.

See note Matt. 6:2^2b.

As the kingdom people, living in a humble spirit under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, we must consider the beam in our own eye whenever we look at the splinter in our brother's eye. The splinter in our brother's eye must remind us of the beam in our own eye.

Under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, the kingdom people will be judged with what they judge others. If they judge others with righteousness, they will be judged with righteousness by the Lord; if they judge others with mercy, they will be judged with mercy by the Lord. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13).

The kingdom people, living in a humble spirit under the heavenly ruling of the kingdom, always judge themselves, not others.

The sixth section of the new King's decree on the mountain, vv. 1-12, concerns the principles of the kingdom people in their dealings with others.

The new law of the kingdom does not contradict the law and the prophets; rather, it fulfills them and even complements them.

In the parallel verse, Luke 11:13, it is the Holy Spirit instead of good things, because Luke emphasizes the blessing of the gospel, the center of which is the Spirit (Gal. 3:8, 14). Since Matthew stresses the kingdom of the heavens, good things should refer to the blessings of the reality of the kingdom, as revealed in chs. 5—7, blessings to be given as gifts to the kingdom people.

This is a great promise. Such a promise affirms that the kingdom people are being cared for and supplied by their Father who is in the heavens. Thus, they are well able to fulfill the new law of the kingdom and live in the kingdom's reality that they may enter into its manifestation.

This part of the King's promise can be applied to v. 14. The narrow gate will be opened to the kingdom people as a result of their knocking.

This part of the King's promise is applicable to Matt. 6:33. The kingdom people seek the Father's kingdom and His righteousness and will find them.

That day refers to the day of the judgment seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:13; 4:5; 2 Cor. 5:10).

Knew here means approved. The same word in Rom. 7:15 is translated acknowledge. The Lord never approved those who, in His name, prophesied, cast out demons, and did many works of power (v. 22), but did those things not according to the will of the heavenly Father (v. 21). The Lord did not deny that they did those things, but He considered those things lawlessness because they were not done according to the will of the heavenly Father; they were not done in line with the divine will. Thus, those who do such things, even in the Lord's name, will not enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but will depart from the Lord, that is, be excluded from the manifestation of the kingdom in the coming age.

This part of the King's promise in this verse is applicable to the prayer of the kingdom people concerning their keeping of the new law of the kingdom. They ask for this and will receive it.

First ask, then seek, and last knock. To ask is to pray in a common way, to seek is to supplicate in a specific way, and to knock is to demand in the most intimate and most earnest way.

Dogs do not have hoofs, nor do they chew the cud; hogs have divided hoofs but do not chew the cud. Thus, both are unclean (7, Lev. 11:27). According to the revelation in 2 Pet. 2:12, 19-22, and Phil. 3:2, dogs and hogs here refer to people who are religious but not clean.

That which is holy must refer to the objective truth, which belongs to God; your pearls must refer to the subjective experiences, which are ours.

The seventh and last section of the King's decree, vv. 13-29, concerns the ground of the kingdom people's living and work.

Lit., leads away. So in the next verse.

Destruction here does not refer to the perishing of the person himself, but to the destruction of a person's deeds and work (1 Cor. 3:15).

The gate is narrow and the way is constricted because the new law of the kingdom is stricter and the demand of the kingdom higher than the law and the demand of the old covenant. The narrow gate deals not only with outward conduct but also with inward motive. The old man, the self, the flesh, the human concept, and the world with its glory are all excluded; only that which corresponds with God's will can enter in. The kingdom people need first to enter in through such a narrow gate, and then to walk on such a constricted way. It is not that they first walk the way and then enter in through the gate. To enter in through the gate is simply to begin walking on the way, a way that is lifelong.

To enter into the kingdom of the heavens, we need to do two things: call on the Lord and do the will of the heavenly Father. To call on the Lord suffices for us to be saved (Rom. 10:13), but to enter into the kingdom of the heavens, we also need to do the will of the heavenly Father. Hence, not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord," will enter into the kingdom of the heavens; but those who call on the Lord and do the will of the heavenly Father will enter in.

Since entering into the kingdom of the heavens requires doing the will of the heavenly Father, it is clearly different from entering into the kingdom of God through regeneration (John 3:3, 5). The latter entrance is gained through being born of the divine life; the former, through the living of that life.

Life here refers to the ever-blessed condition of the kingdom, which is filled with the eternal life of God. This life is in the reality of the kingdom today and will be in the manifestation of the kingdom in the coming age (Matt. 19:29; Luke 18:30).

Lit., extortionate.

Rock does not refer to Christ but to His wise word, the word that reveals the will of His Father who is in the heavens. The living and work of the kingdom people must be founded on the word of the new King for the accomplishing of the will of the heavenly Father. This is to enter in through the narrow gate and walk the constricted way that leads to life.

The rain, which descends from the heavens, is of God; the rivers, which come from the earth, are of man; and the winds, which blow from the air, are of Satan. All these will test the living and work of the kingdom people.

The house built on the rock, a house that does not fall, is like the work that is built with gold, silver, and precious stones, a work that can stand the testing fire (1 Cor. 3:12-13).

Sand refers to human concepts and natural ways. If we live and work according to our human concepts and natural ways, our living and work will be founded on sinking sand. This is to enter in through the wide gate and walk the broad way that leads to destruction.

The house built on sand, a house that falls, is like the work that is built with wood, hay, and stubble, a work that will be burned by the testing fire. However, the builder himself will be saved (1 Cor. 3:12-15).

Christ, as the new King of the kingdom of the heavens, spoke with authority in decreeing the new law of the kingdom.