Luke 8:18

18 Be careful, therefore, how you hear; for whoever has anything, to him more shall be given, and whoever has nothing, even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

Luke 8:18 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 8:18

Take heed therefore how ye hear
That ye hear not in a careless and negligent manner, since what truths and doctrines ye now hear with the ear, are to be preached by you unto others:

for whosoever hath;
that is, hath knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel, and hath gifts and abilities to preach them to others:

to him shall be given;
more knowledge, and by using his gifts they shall be increased:

but he that hath not;
true, solid, spiritual knowledge of divine things, though he has had considerable advantages and opportunities of learning it, as the apostles especially had:

from him shall be taken, even that which he seemeth to have;
or "that which he thinks he has", as the Syriac version renders it; that which he seemed to others to have, or thought himself he had: the knowledge he had of truth, and which was rather a show of knowledge than real, shall be taken from him; his seeming gifts and parts shall die, and vanish away, and he shall be left to fall into ignorance, error, and heresy. Observe that this is to be understood not of internal grace, and experimental knowledge, but of speculative notions of the Gospel, and of external gifts; and so furnishes out no argument against the final perseverance of real saints; (See Gill on Matthew 13:12). (See Gill on Matthew 25:29).

Luke 8:18 In-Context

16 "When any one lights a lamp, he does not cover it with a vessel or hide it under a couch; he puts it on a lampstand, that people who enter the room may see the light.
17 There is nothing hidden, which shall not be openly seen; nor anything secret, which shall not be known and come into the light of day.
18 Be careful, therefore, how you hear; for whoever has anything, to him more shall be given, and whoever has nothing, even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."
19 Then came to Him His mother and His brothers, but could not get near Him for the crowd.
20 But He was told, "Your mother and brothers are standing on the edge of the crowd, and want to see you."
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