Matthew 7:12 Commentary and Bible Study

(Synoptics: Matthew 7:12) This verse, the so called ‘golden rule’, stands on its own as a description of how the disciple of Christ should live. But the word ‘therefore’ also looks back at what has gone before, making this a summary of all that he has taught in the sermon. He has last used the term ‘the law and the prophets’ in Matthew 5:17 at the start of his exposition of the law, and by using it again here he concludes his instruction on how believers are to live. The rule is about reciprocal actions – doing to others what we would have them to do to us. In verse 1 of this chapter, Christ’s teaching on judging others makes use of exactly the same argument. We are to judge others without hypocrisy and with mercy since we are also subject to the judgment of men and of God and we are in great need of his mercy. We should treat others as we in turn hope to be treated by them, and avoid that judgemental hypocrisy which draws down the judgment of God on us for knowingly doing the same things. The rule is virtually the same as the command to love our neighbour as ourselves, which the Lord calls the second greatest commandment, and which together with the first – the command to love the Lord our God – summaries the law and prophets (Matthew 22:40). We have many precise directions in Scripture about how should we live our lives, directions which tells us exactly what our duty is towards God and men. But we also face situations where a more general rule must guide us and new situations arise. The golden rule guides us in these new situations, as well as acting as a check on all our conduct. How would my neighbour want me to act towards him? God gives us this task of discernment, because it makes us test our willingness to voluntarily abide by the spirit of the law. We all have a finely tuned sense of what is good for ourselves. Sometimes people query this. Is it really the case that dealing with the each other as we would want to be dealt with is the whole of the law and prophets? No, it is not the whole, but it is an important part. Christ takes for granted that we do is consistent with the Ten Commandments, and this rule points to the love for others should motivate all our actions. Here is a summary of the law that could substitute for all the detailed commandments he has given. In each case the right conduct could have been worked out by this: how would I want someone else to behave towards me if I was in their position. This principle shows how fair and just the law is, for it requires nothing of us which we could reasonably require of others. ‘This’, says Spurgeon, ‘is the sum of the Decalogue, the Pentateuch, and the whole sacred Word.’ We would honour our parents and all in authority; we would do no harm to others in thought or word or action; we would not be unfaithful, or take the property of others, or misrepresent the truth to others, or envy others for what we do not have.This rule takes for granted that the consciences of men and women are universally the same, universally governed by the same law written by God on the heart. The law in its negative sense, designed for the unrighteous is a series of curbs on wrong behaviour, but in its positive sense it is simple and much shorter; it is a definition of where the righteous heart already wants to go, and where it naturally will go. It is summaries by love to God and love to our neighbour.