Discovery BoxMatthew 7:21-27 
Context7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ 1 will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do 2 many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ 3
7:24 “Everyone 4 who hears these words of mine and does them is like 5 a wise man 6 who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood 7 came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 8
1 sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.
2 tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
3 tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”
4 tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.
5 tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.
6 tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.
7 tn Grk “the rivers.”
8 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”
