Albert Barnes Commentary


Albert Barnes Commentary
"Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn." — Matthew 13:30 (ASV)
Let both grow together. They would not spoil the true wheat; and in time of harvest it would be easy to separate them. Our Savior teaches us here:
There is no doubt that it is the duty of the church to attempt to keep itself pure, and to cut off gross and manifest offenders (1 Corinthians 5:4–5). He refers to those who may be suspected of hypocrisy, but against whom it cannot be proved; to those who so successfully imitate Christians as to make it difficult or impossible for humans to distinguish them.