New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 13:41

Secrets of the Kingdom

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. Matthew 13:41 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 13:41, in plain English

The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will remove from His kingdom everything that causes sin and everyone who does evil.

Why it's here

The cleanup will be thorough. Not just bad people but every source of temptation and stumbling will be removed. The kingdom will be made completely pure.

Who's speaking

Jesus describes the final judgment.

Where it sits in the story

Jesus promises a total cleanup. Angels will remove every source of evil, every stumbling block, every corrupting influence. Nothing bad will remain.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The Son of Man will send His angels to remove from His kingdom 'every cause of sin' (panta ta skandala) and 'all who practice lawlessness' (tous poiountas ten anomian), purging the kingdom of all evil.

Language and setting

The term skandala ('stumbling blocks/causes of sin') encompasses both people and influences that lead others astray. Anomia ('lawlessness') characterizes those who live without regard for God's moral order.

Voice

Jesus describes the angelic harvest in eschatological terms.

Significance

Jesus reveals the scope of the final cleansing: the Son of Man's angels will remove not only evildoers but every influence that causes others to sin, purifying the kingdom completely.

In context

Matthew 13:39–43

39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

40As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.

41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.

42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

Read all of Matthew 13 — A farmer scatters seed, a woman hides yeast, a merchant finds a pearl. Jesus teaches in parables — and not everyone is meant to understand.

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