48 Christian Stettler “everyone who hears and does my words”) and in the wider context of Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus summarises the law by the Golden Rule (Matt 7,12) and the commandment to serve one another (20,24-28) and love one’s neighbour (20,34-40), even one’s enemy (5,43-48) (29). Doing this disting- uishes true disciples from false prophets as fruits show the quality of the trees which bear them (cf. vv. 15-20). In v. 22 the general statement is narrowed down to those “many” (cf. v. 13) who exercise exceptional charismatic gifts in the name of Jesus but lack fruits of love. They will not be acknowledged as true disciples by the Messiah Jesus in the Last Judgement: “I never knew you, ‘go away from me, you doers of lawlessness’ (Ps 6,9)” (v. 23), thus stating that there never has been true fellowship between him and them (30). In Matthew, “lawlessness” means “not living in love as Jesus taught”. This is especially obvious in 24,12, where the “increase of lawlessness” is equated with “the love of many will grow cold”(31). Here we have an exact parallel to Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 13–14(32). According to 13,3, exceptional charismatic performances and self- giving sacrifice “are of no benefit” (33) if not done as an expression of love. Whoever does not exercise their charismatic gifts as a means of love, and thus of mutual upbuilding, will not be “known” by the Lord in the last judgement (14,38). It is therefore very likely that Paul knew a Jesus tradition similar to that of Matt 7,21-23 and that this tradition was in his mind when he was writing 1 Corinthians 13–14, especially 13,1-3 and 14,37-38. “He (or she) will not be recognized”, literally “will not be known” (ajgnoei'tai 14,38) might be a direct reminiscence of “I never knew (e[gnwn) you” in Matt 7,23 (cf. Matt 25,12 and Luke 13,27). c) The Synoptic Love Commandment So far we have seen that in 1 Cor 14,37 Paul possibly refers to Jesus’ teaching about love and mutual service. Further, we have seen that a tradition similar to Matt 7,21-23 is likely to have formed part of the background for Paul’s argument in 1 Corinthians 12–14, especially of 13,1-3 and 14,37-38. But this cannot yet be the whole answer. In 1 Cor 14,37 Paul refers to a “command” (ejntolhv) of Jesus. In Paul, as in the Septuagint, ejntolhv in the singular means an individual commandment, not a unity containing a number of commandments, for which novmo" or the plural ejntolaiv is used (cf. 1 Cor (29) See LUZ, Matthew 1–7, 445-446; DAVIES – ALLISON, Matthew, I, 712. (30) “Knowing” here has the sense of “having a close relationship”; the sentence is no early rabbinic ban formula (see LUZ, Matthew 1–7, 446) but means “I never recognized you as one of my own” (DAVIES – ALLISON, Matthew, I, 717). A similar response by the heavenly judge is found in Matt 25,12. (31) This has been pointed out by LUZ, Matthew 1–7, 446; E. SCHWEIZER, The Good News According to Matthew (London 1976) 189. (32) There is a possible contradiction between Matt 7,21 (“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven”) and 1 Cor 12,3 (“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit”), but on this see LUZ, Matthew 1–7, 446-447. (33) “Of no benefit” can refer either to the benefit of fellow-humans (cf. 14,6) or to the last judgement where these exceptional deeds will receive no reward, contrary to the hope that they may be a reason for boasting (i{na kauchswmai with the most reliable Alexandrian v manuscripts). On the second possibility see BARRETT, 1 Corinthians, 302 (cf. Gal 5,2).