Matthew 7:23

“Then will I profess unto them, etc.] Publicly before men and angels, at the day of judgment, I never knew you; which must be understood consistent with the omniscience of Christ; for as the omniscient God he knew their persons and their works, and that they were workers of iniquity; he knew what they had been doing all their days under the guise of religion; he knew the principles of all their actions, and the views they had in all they did; nothing is hid from him. But, as words of knowledge often carry in them the ideas of affection, and approbation, (see <190106>Psalm 1:6 <550219>2 Timothy 2:19) the meaning of Christ here is, I never had any love, or affection for you; I never esteemed…”

“And then will I profess unto them--or, openly proclaim--tearing off the mask. I never knew you--What they claimed intimacy with Christ, is just what He repudiates, and with a certain scornful dignity. "Our acquaintance was not broken off--there never was any." depart from me--(Compare Mat 25:41). The connection here gives these words an awful significance. They claimed intimacy with Christ, and in the corresponding passage, Luk 13:26, are represented as having gone out and in with Him on familiar terms. "So much the worse for you," He replies: "I bore with that long enough; but now--begone!" ye that work iniquity--not "that wrought iniquity"; for they are represented as fresh from the scenes…”

“Profess unto them - Say unto them; plainly declare. I never knew you - That is, I never approved of your conduct; never loved you; never regarded you as my friends. See Psalms 1:6; 2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Corinthians 8:3. This proves that, with all their pretensions, they had never been true followers of Christ. Jesus will not then say to false prophets and false professors of religion that he had once known them and then rejected them; that they had been once Christians and then had fallen away; that they had been pardoned and then had apostatized but that he had never known them - they had never been true christians. Whatever might have been their pretended joys, their raptures, their hopes,…”

“I never knew you - There never was a time that I approved of you: so that as many souls as they had saved, they were themselves never saved from their sins. Lord, is it my case? Luk 13:27. Matthew 7:24”

“7:23 I never knew you: These people were never converted, even though they did great things in God’s name. They break God’s laws through rejection of the Father’s will as taught by Jesus. Having never known Christ, they never learned to do what he commanded.”

“I never: Mat 25:12; Joh 10:14, Joh 10:27-30; Ti2 2:19 depart: Mat 25:41; Psa 5:5, Psa 6:8; Luk 13:25, Luk 13:27; Rev 22:15 Matthew 7:24”