Parable of the Faithful and Wicked Servants
Author: Steve Amato
Description: Parable of the Rich Faithful and Wicked Servants
Keywords: bible study,parable, jesus, gospel, faithful servant, wicked servant, second coming, thief in the night, eschatology

翻译: English 中文 Big5

# 忠心有见识的管家与不义的仆人

马太福音２４：４５－５１；路加福音１２：４２－４８

路加福音１２：４２－４８ 主说：“谁是那忠心有见识的管家，主人派他管理家里的人，按时分粮给他们呢？主人来到，看见仆人这样行，那仆人就有福了。我实在告诉你们：主人要派他管理一切所有的。那仆人若心里说：‘我的主人必来得迟’，就动手打仆人和使女，并且吃喝醉酒。在他想不到的日子，不知道的时辰，那仆人的主人要来重重地处治他（或作“把他腰斩了”），定他和不忠心的人同罪。

仆人知道主人的意思，却不预备，又不顺他的意思行，那仆人必多受责打；惟有那不知道的，作了当受责打的事，必少受责打。因为多给谁，就向谁多取；多托谁，就向谁多要。

# 问题讨论

Who are the servants? Only the redeemed?
What about the man who was cut in pieces and assigned a place with the unbelievers?
What is the reward for service mentioned here?
And what does the punishment for disservice mean?
How would you characterize the two categories of disservice mentioned?
How would you paraphrase the truths mentioned in the final paragraph?
What have you been entrusted with? And have you much or little - in terms both of knowledge and resources?
What does God expect you to do with these?

#

# 注释

This parable is a continuation from the previous parable.

## Peter's Question

Peter's question is somewhat profound. It's a question that the Lord hadn't answered explicitly here and one which has been disputed for centuries. When Jesus speaks of "servants" is he referring only to those who have been redeemed, born of God, the true believers? Or is it referring to everyone who reckons himself or is reckoned a servant of God by others, which would include nominal Christians, and even the Scribes and Pharisees as being the servants he speaks of?

Whichever assumption we make, it will affect our interpretation of what Jesus means when he speaks of those being cut to pieces. Some think of it as losing salvation and going to hell. Others imagine a purgatory scenario. However I go along with the traditional evangelical and calvinist position on this. That such servants were only so in a nominal sense and hadn't established a living relationship with the master. Thus they didn't have the spirit of the master in carrying out their duties, their resultant behavior being inevitable. In other words, rather than losing salvation, they had never really been saved to begin with.

An interesting question, however, is why didn't Jesus make this more clear? For not only here, but in many other places he leaves one with potentially ambiguous interpretations. I say "potentially", for these issues are resolved when these kind of sections, are filtered through the rest of the apostles' writings.

It seems clear to me that Jesus intended for Christians to have a degree of uncertainty concerning their escape from condemnation. This doesn't conflict with the doctrine of eternal security, but rather when it comes to assurance of salvation one should not be overly presumptuous about whether one had ever been born of God.

We based our assurance of our justification upon the atoning work of Christ alone. But to be qualified to receive such justification, we have to have a faith of a quality acceptable to God. We base our assurance that we have been born of God upon our performance. As it is written:

> “凡从神生的就不犯罪，因神的道（原文作“种”）存在他心里；他也不能犯罪，因为他是由神生的。从此就显出谁是神的儿女，谁是魔鬼的儿女：凡不行义的就不属神，不爱弟兄的也是如此。”约翰一书３：９，１０ (NIV)

And in particular, as is relevant to this parable:

> “我们若遵守他的诫命，就晓得是认识他。”约翰一书２：３

## Service

The actual service itself in this case deals with taking care of the other servants. Of course we all have a degree of responsibility to other Christians around us, and some more than others, according to their level of authority. But you may recall the judgment at the end of Matthew 25 in which the sheep and goats are separated and judged according to how they treated Christ's brethren. This is similar.

Thus it is essential for us to identify our responsibility and to consider whether we are edifying the brethren. Jesus also often associates food with the Word of God. Man does not live on bread alone but on every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. Thus there are practical and spiritual ways to edify others. Don't neglect the value of the edifying others with the Bible.

## Reward for Service

What is God's reward for a job well done? God will give them more responsibilities. What! I thought that we enter His rest! What's this about more responsibilities? Just as the wife in the marriage relationship was made to serve her husband, so we were made to serve God. Of course in this age of self-centered pleasure seeking and rebelliousness, many Christians have lost perspective both on the purpose of many of the basic role relationships and even concerning their relationship with Christ. Many accept Christ as Savior only, and as a sort Santa Claus figure whose sole purpose is to serve them. The fact that Christ is Lord has escaped many a "Christian" in practice.

The more responsibilities we have, the more we will be held responsible for. On the positive side, the more responsibilities, the greater the potential reward. But then again, the more the potential punishment.

## Punishment for Disservice

For you who call Jesus Lord, and even perhaps hold some position of service or authority in the visible church, but if you don't actually serve - if you don't actually treat Jesus as Lord, you will be assigned a place with the unbelievers. For that is what you really are. In the parallel passage in 马太福音２４：５１ these same are assigned to a place with the hypocrites, just as Jesus said, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!" I have met a number of "Christians" who consider themselves among the religious elite, yet who abuse the servants of Christ even slandering them and teaching false things and who abuse the resources God has entrusted to them for the purpose of satisfying their own personal passions and ambitions. They will not escape condemnation.

There are two extremes of these people. The ones beating the servants represent the legalistists. They may be more likened to the scribes and Pharisees in Jesus' times. Then there are those who eat, drink and get drunk. These represent the lawless Christians - who go on to live a lifestyle of sin.

These are both speaking of "nominal" Christians - those who associate themselves with the visible Church, but have not been born of God, not having the quality of faith that saves. They will be cut to pieces and sent to hell.

In fact their judgment will be worse than those unbelievers who don't know of Christ or don't know much about the will of God as revealed in the Bible. The more you know, the more you will be held responsible for.

> “哥拉汛哪，你有祸了！伯赛大啊，你有祸了！因为在你们中间所行的异能，若行在推罗、西顿，他们早已披麻蒙灰悔改了。但我告诉你们，当审判的日子，推罗、西顿所受的，比你们还容易受呢。”马太福音１１：２１，２２

And speaking again of nominal Christians:

> “人干犯摩西的律法，凭两三个见证人尚且不得怜恤而死；何况人践踏神的儿子，将那使他成圣之约的血当作平常，又亵慢施恩的圣灵，你们想，他要受的刑罚该怎样加重呢？”希伯来书１０：２８，２９

## Conclusion

Don't take positions of service lightly. If you call Jesus Lord, treat Him that way. Don't be presumptuous about your salvation status if your behavior is inconsistent with that expected from one born of God. Rather,

> “你们总要自己省察有信心没有，也要自己试验。岂不知你们若不是可弃绝的，就有耶稣基督在你们心里吗？” 歌林多后书１３：５

# Rap

It will be good for that servant whom the Lord puts in charge Of his fellow servants. His reward will be large If he carries out his duties a reward he will earn When the master finds him doing so after his return He will give him charge of all his possessions. But concerning his return , suppose the servant questions "My master is taking a long time to come", And beats some servants and abuses them He becomes legalistic or perhaps even lawless His performance is to say the least far from flawless The master of that servant will come when he does not expect Even though that servant may think he's one of the elect He'll be cut in pieces and assigned a place With the unbelievers, rather than in God's grace If he does not act, though the master's will he knows He will then be beaten and that with many blows. But those who do not know, though behaving bad Will be beaten less than his fellow comrade From those given much, much will be demanded So act responsibly or else be reprimanded