Matthew 15:18 (WEB)
But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.
Catechism · 1
“It does not add new external precepts, but proceeds to reform the heart, the root of human acts, where man chooses between the pure and the impure,” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Mt 15:18-19.
Fathers and councils · 23
Origen
- Origen, Against Celsus VIII.29Book VIII
“But those things which proceed out of the mouth are evil thoughts when spoken, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 11, 17–19.
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Gregory the Great
“…the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (Matth. xv. 18).” — the author cites it
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Augustine of Hippo
Chapter XLVIII.—Of the Absence of Any Discrepancy Between Matthew and Mark on the One Hand, and John on the Other, in the Accounts Which the Three Give Together of What Took Place After the Other Side of the Lake Was…
Read the whole comment“But without doubt the former words relate to the mouth of the flesh, where He says, “Not what entereth into the mouth defileth the man,” but the latter words to the mouth of the heart, where He saith, “But what proceedeth forth out of the mouth, this defileth the man.”” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 17–20
Read the whole comment“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man.”” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 16–20
Read the whole comment“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts,” etc. What is clearer than this explanation?” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 10–20
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John Chrysostom
“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, blasphemies, false-witnessings: and these are the things that defile the man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.”” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 17–20.
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Basil the Great
“The Christian ought to be patient, whatever he have to suffer, and to convict the wrong-doer in season, not with the desire of his own vindication, but of his brother’s reformation, according to the commandment of the Lord.” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 18.
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Tertullian
“These are the true purities; not those which most are superstitiously careful about, taking water at every prayer, even when they are coming from a bath of the whole body.” — editor's note: See Matt. xv. 10, 11, 17–20; xxiii. 25, 26.
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Clement of Alexandria
““For what proceedeth out of the mouth,” He says, “defileth a man,”—shows him to be unclean, and heathenish, and untrained, and licentious, and not select, and proper, and honourable, and temperate.” — editor's note: Matt. xv. 18.
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
The Lord was used to speak in parables, so that Peter when he heard, “That which entereth into the mouth, defileth not a man,” thought it was spoken as a parable, and asked, as it follows; “Then answered Peter, and…
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He is reproved by the Lord, because He supposed that to be spoken parabolically, which was indeed spoken plainly. Which teaches us that the hearer is to be blamed who would take dark sayings as clear, or clear…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, The Lord blames him, because it was not from any uncertainty that he asked this, but from offence which he had taken. The multitudes had not understood what had been said; but the disciples were offended at it,…
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Some cavil at this, that the Lord is ignorant of physical disputation in saying that all food goes into the belly, and is cast out into the draught; for that the food, as soon as it is taken, is distributed through…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
The nourishment of the body being first changed into corruption, that is, having lost its proper form, is absorbed into the substance of the limbs, and repairs their waste, passing through a medium into another form,…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
But the Lord in thus speaking answers His disciples after Jewish infirmity; He says that the food does not abide, but goes out; but if it did abide, yet would it not make a man unclean. But they could not yet hear…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
And the Lord includes herein man’s two mouths, one of the body, one of the heart. For when He says, “Not all that goeth into the mouth defileth a man,” He clearly speaks of the body’s mouth; but in that which…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For the things which are of the heart, remain within a man, and defile him in going out of him, as well as in abiding in him; yea, more in going out of him; wherefore He adds, “Out of the heart proceed evil…
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The principle therefore of the soul is not according to Plato in the brain, but according to Christ in the heart, and by this passage we may refute those who think that evil thoughts are suggestions of the Devil, and…
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
And from evil thoughts proceed evil deeds and evil words, which are forbidden by the law; whence He adds “Murders,” which are forbidden by that commandment of the Law, “Thou shalt not kill;” “Adulteries,…
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
Having named the vices which are forbidden by the divine Law, the Lord beautifully adds, “These are they that defile a man,” that is, make him unclean and impure.
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
And because these words of the Lord had been occasioned by the iniquity of the Pharisees, who preferred their traditions to the commands of God, He hence concludes that there was no necessity for the foregoing…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
He said not that to eat the meats forbidden in the Law defiles not a man, that they might not have what to answer to Him again; but He concludes in that concerning which the disputation had been.
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Cross-references · 15
Cited together in On Prayer Chapter 13.
Cited together in On Prayer Chapter 13 and 1 other place.
Cited together in On Prayer Chapter 13.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.29.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.29.
Cited together in Against Celsus VIII.29.
Cited together in The Instructor II.6.
Cited together in The Instructor II.6.
Cited together in The Instructor II.6.
Cited together in On Prayer Chapter 13.
Cited together in The Instructor II.6.
Cited together in The Instructor II.6.
Cited together in The Instructor II.6.
Cited together in Catechism §1968.
Cited together in Catechism §1968.