Bible Strands
Matthew 7:21
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his audience in the Sermon on the Mount, between his warning about false prophets (7:15–20) and the scene of the last day when many will plead their credentials before him (7:22–23).
The words — κύριε κύριε (kurie kurie), "Lord, Lord," is the vocative case repeated — an intimate, direct address that the verse then disqualifies as insufficient.
The thread — Luke 6:46 poses the same contrast in question form; James 1:22 and Romans 2:13 reinforce the doer-over-hearer principle.
Why it lands — The verse makes obedience to the Father's will the sole stated criterion for entering the kingdom, reducing verbal profession to nothing.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Cross-references
- Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.
- Luke 6:46 Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say?
- James 1:22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- Luke 11:28 But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”
- Titus 1:16 They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Hebrews 4:6 Since, then, it remains for some to enter His rest, and since those who formerly heard the good news did not enter because of their disobedience,
- Matthew 25:11 Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’
- John 6:40 For it is My Father’s will that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
- Revelation 3:5 Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His angels.
- Matthew 10:32 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.