Christ and Lawlessness

ποιέω

poieō

poy-eh'-o

Christ's parable on the Wheat and the Tares is explained in Matthew 13. Matthew 13:41 is actually an explanation of that parable.

Mat 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

Mat 13:41 TheG3588 SonG5207 of manG444 shall send forthG649 hisG846 angels,G32 andG2532 they shall gatherG4816 out ofG1537 hisG848 kingdomG932 all thingsG3956that offend,G4625 andG2532 them which doG4160 iniquity;G458

The word for iniquity actually means lawlessness. Some Bible versions use iniquity and others use Lawlessness. The faith of Christ requires us to adhere to Christian law as established by Christ through the apostles and prophets. Denominations who want the freedom to change Christ's teachings, precepts, commands, and organization often claim we have freedom to organize the church as they saw fit.

The interesting word in v41 is the word "Do", it actually means to band together or consent together. It isn't speaking of individual sins only, but the sins where a group bands together to promote lawlessness toward Christ, such as a rogue religious group.

Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): - abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do (-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.

It also carries the idea of the originator or creator, those who invent acts of lawlessness. Those who reject Christ's authority to promote their own. Since it is used with the idea of setting a trap,

that offend,G4625

skan'-dal-on

A "scandal"; probably from a derivative of G2578; a trap stick (bent sapling), that is, snare (figuratively cause of displeasure or sin): - occasion to fall (of stumbling), offence, thing that offends, stumbling-block.

Catholics would claim this is speaking of Islam and its growth, but the parable seems as much to be about earlier groups, including the Catholics. Catholic churches sprang up just after the original church was established and used stumbling blocks to introduce their organizational changes.

Mat 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Mat 13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

Satan sowed groups that appear throughout history, this began simultaneously with Christ's sowing. Even during the Apostles lifetime.

1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

1Jn 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

These sprang from the true church, but rejected Christ's rule. The end result, all those practicing lawlessness towards Christ will be lost.

Mat 13:42 AndG2532 shall castG906 themG846 intoG1519 a furnaceG2575 of fire:G4442 thereG1563 shall beG2071 wailingG2805 andG2532 gnashingG1030 of teeth.G3599