Mat 7:15 | MHM | STEP | The Danger of False Prophets In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns his followers to be on guard against false prophets and teachers. He explains how to recognize them and why it is so important to avoid their influence. The section focuses on how outward appearances can be deceiving and how the real test of a person's character and teaching is the fruit they produce in their lives (Matthew 7:15-20 ). v. 15 : Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15 ). This is a strong warning to be careful because false prophets do not always look dangerous. They may seem harmless, kind, or even holy on the outside—like sheep—but inside, their real motives are dangerous and selfish, like wolves. Jesus wants his followers to know that there are people who pretend to be good but actually want to harm others spiritually. In the Old Testament, some people pretended to be prophets, like Zedekiah (1 Kings 22:11; Jeremiah 29:21 ). Now, Jesus is saying that there will be false teachers in the church as well. They may pretend to have messages from God or teach things that sound good, but their goal is to deceive and hurt God's people. Paul also calls such people "grievous wolves" (Acts 20:29 ). He warns that they only care about themselves and may use religion to get what they want (Romans 16:18 ).

‏ Matthew 7:15

The Danger of False Prophets

In this part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns his followers to be on guard against false prophets and teachers. He explains how to recognize them and why it is so important to avoid their influence. The section focuses on how outward appearances can be deceiving and how the real test of a person's character and teaching is the fruit they produce in their lives (Matthew 7:15-20 ^a).

v. 15: Jesus says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15 ^b). This is a strong warning to be careful because false prophets do not always look dangerous. They may seem harmless, kind, or even holy on the outside—like sheep—but inside, their real motives are dangerous and selfish, like wolves. Jesus wants his followers to know that there are people who pretend to be good but actually want to harm others spiritually. In the Old Testament, some people pretended to be prophets, like Zedekiah (1 Kings 22:11; Jeremiah 29:21 ^c). Now, Jesus is saying that there will be false teachers in the church as well. They may pretend to have messages from God or teach things that sound good, but their goal is to deceive and hurt God's people. Paul also calls such people "grievous wolves" (Acts 20:29 ^d). He warns that they only care about themselves and may use religion to get what they want (Romans 16:18 ^e).