Matthew 25

Matthew 25

“THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW”

Chapter Twenty-Five Jesus continued His discourse on the Mount of Olives with two parables illustrating the need to be prepared and productive: 1) the wise and foolish virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and 2) the talents (Matthew 25:14-30). He concluded the discourse by predicting His judgment of the nations on how they treated His brethren (Matthew 25:31-46).

POINTS TO PONDER

• The importance of being prepared and productive

• The basis upon which nations are to be judged

REVIEW

1. What are the main points of this chapter?

• Parable of the wise and foolish virgins - Matthew 25:1-13- Parable of the talents - Matthew 25:14-30- The judgment of the nations - Matthew 25:31-46

2. What parable illustrates the importance of being prepared? (Matthew 25:1-13)

• The parable of the wise and foolish virgins

3. Why is it imperative that one always be prepared? (Matthew 25:13)

• “for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

4. Which “coming” is Jesus talking about? (Matthew 25:13)

• Either His coming in judgment on Jerusalem or His Second Coming, possibly both

5. What parable illustrates the importance of being productive? (Matthew 25:14-30)

• The parable of the talents

6. Based on this parable, what does Jesus expect of His disciples? (Matthew 25:15, Matthew 25:21; Matthew 25:26-27)

• To use what “talents” we have to the best of our ability and opportunity

7. In the judgment depicted, who is being judged? On what basis? (Matthew 25:32, Matthew 25:40; Matthew 25:45)

• All the nations; their treatment of Jesus’ brethren (His disciples)

8. Where is there a similar judgment portrayed in the Old Testament?

• Joe 3:1-2; Joe 3:12-14, in which nations are judged based on their treatment of Israel

9. Even if such “judgments” are limited to the nations, what do they foreshadow?

• The coming of the Lord to judge all men at the end of time, cf. Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10

10. How are punishment and reward described in this chapter? (Matthew 25:34; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 25:46)

• The righteous: inherit the kingdom, go away into eternal life
• The wicked: into the everlasting fire, go away into everlasting punishment

Matthew 25:1-46 Verse 1Mat 25:1-46THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS; THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS; SCENES FROM THE FINAL ; THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINSThen shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish, and five were wise … Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13) This is plainly a parable of the second coming and of the judgment, thus emphasizing the presence of that theme in Matthew 24:1-51. IN THE PARABLE The kingdom of heaven = the church The bridegroom = Christ The midnight arrival = the second advent The virgins = church members The wise virgins = the prepared The foolish virgins = the unprepared The lamps = (a) faith or (b) works The oil = (a) works or (b) the Spirit The sleep of the virgins = the sleep of death Tarrying of the bridegroom = delay of the second coming The midnight cry = the call to judgment Refusal to give oil = merit not transferrable Exclusion of the foolish = rejection of unprepared The shut door = impossibility of the last minute This parable pertains to members of the body of Christ; and, although an oriental wedding is made the vehicle for the conveyance of a vital truth relative to church members and their kingdom duties, it will be observed that the bride in this instance is not mentioned, and does not represent the church in this parable. It is the bridesmaids who appear in this analogy as Christians, and their going forth to meet the bridegroom represents the going forth of Christians to meet the Lord eternally. The number ten (10) and their equal division as to wise and foolish appear to be inert factors in the parable. The same is true for part of the conversation between the wise and foolish. Thus, the suggestion of the wise that the foolish go and buy for themselves does not imply any opportunity for preparation after the summons for judgment. The parable is practical, the tragic story of the ready and the unready. It applies to all present-day Christians. The kingdom of heaven is the church, aptly set forth in the analogy as a company of precious bridesmaids. The great shock, therefore, is to realize that some, even of these, shall be summarily excluded from association with the bridegroom. The parable is designed to shock men into realization that a host of good, clean, moral, respectable members of the church will be lost. Through sheer negligence, many of the redeemed shall fail to enter in.

The foolish virgins are the Lord’s own example of saved persons who at last failed to make the port of everlasting life. This warns against idleness and neglect, but it should not discourage. Those foolish virgins did not provide oil, but they could have done so. What was required of them was nothing extraordinary or especially difficult, but it did require concern and attention which they failed to give. And five were foolish … A favorite term in Scripture for the unsaved is precisely this, “foolish.” It is the “fool” who says in his heart there is no God (Psalms 14:1). The man who built on sand is described not as vicious but as “foolish” (Matthew 7:26). The rich man who mistook his body for his soul was denominated by the Lord, “thou fool!” (Luke 12:20). Those unfortunate bridesmaids of this parable were in no sense reprobate or immoral, but “foolish.” One sees their counterpart on every hand in those persons with exquisite tastes, cultural excellence, and social acceptability; but they have no oil in their lamps. They are spiritually bankrupt. They all slumbered and slept … The sleep in this parable must be identified with the sleep of death, because: (1) it ended only when the midnight cry heralded the second advent, symbolized by the coming of the bridegroom, and (2) because both the unready and the ready entered it. Death must come alike to all, the ready and the unready, except, of course, for those relatively few who shall remain alive at the coming of the Lord. While the bridegroom tarried … This referred to the long delay prior to the second coming of Christ. It has been vigorously alleged that the early Christians thought the coming of the Lord would surely take place within their life span, and certainly some of them did believe that; but the teachings of Christ afford abundant proof that Jesus taught otherwise. Again and again, Jesus left witness that a very long period would elapse before his return (Matthew 24:48; Matthew 25:19). Observations of Richard C. Trench in this context are helpful. He said: We may number this among the many hints given by our Lord that the time of his return might possibly be delayed very far beyond the expectation of some of his disciples. It was a hint and no more. Had more been given, had he plainly said that he would not come for many centuries, then the first ages of the church would have been placed at a manifest disadvantage, being deprived of that powerful motive to hos and diligence supplied to each generation of the faithful by the possibility of his return in their time. It is not that he desires each succeeding generation to believe that in their day he will certainly return; for he cannot desire our faith and our practice to be founded on a misapprehension … But it is a necessary element of the doctrine of the second coming of Christ, that it should be possible at any time, that no generation should consider it improbable in theirs.[1] The wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps … In the list of analogies above, two interpretations for the oil and the lamps were noted. Again, from Trench: Here again we meet with a controversy between the Romanists and the early Reformers … The Reformers asserted that what these virgins lacked was the living principle of faith … The Romanist reversed the whole; for him, what they had was faith, but faith which, not having works, was “dead, being alone” (James 2:17).[2] Rather than choosing sides in an old controversy, we take the view that there is no relative evaluation of lamps vs. oil, or oil vs. lamps, intended in this parable. BOTH OIL AND LAMPS were vital and necessary. There is not the slightest suggestion that if the foolish virgins had brought plenty of oil and NO LAMPS, they would have been admitted. Therefore, to take a position with reference to the superiority of either oil or lamps would be only to obscure the fact that both were required. For this reason, it makes no difference whether the lamps are viewed as faith without works, or works without the Spirit of God, or whether the oil is made to be the Holy Spirit without which a person is “none of his” (Romans 8:9), or that living faith without which it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). The overwhelming message of the parable turns on preparation or the lack of it. The oil happened to be the necessity which the foolish virgins failed to supply; but their failure would have been no less fatal to their purpose if they had failed to supply lamps. We have already noted that the conversation between the wise and foolish at the moment of the bridegroom’s appearance forms a somewhat inert portion of the parable, inserted not to teach the possibility of last-minute preparation, but to emphasize the utter impossibility of it. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s criticism of the wise virgins for not sharing their oil with the foolish sprang from a profound blindness to spiritual reality. Alfred Plummer noted that: It is impossible for one person to impart to another the spiritual power which comes from frequent communion with God’s spirit. That can come only from man’s own experience of such communion, an experience which requires much time. “Give us of your oil” is a request which no religious person can grant. The refusal of the wise virgins to give of their oil indicates, not want of will, but want of power.[3] The Romish doctrine of the works of supererogation to the effect that the good deeds done by saints in excess of the requirements of divine law provide a bank of merit or stored-up credit, available, upon terms prescribed by the church, to help supply the lack of sinful souls - this doctrine is dealt a fatal blow by this parable of Jesus. One can be sure that there are no banks of stored-up merit to which the unprepared may have recourse at the last moment. Heaven will be a prepared place for a prepared people; and failure to prepare will mean failure to enter. And the door was shut … This is a warning to the good, the morally upright, the respectable, and the cultured church member, a warning thundered from the gates of heaven, “There must be oil in your lamp.” Do not be deceived by the cliche of Satan to the effect that “works cannot save.” Preparation can save, and works are invariably involved in preparation. One shudders to think of some who may be trusting to be saved by “faith alone,” as outlined in many of the current creeds, or expecting the stored-up merit of some ancient “saint” to save them. Equally futile are the hopes of those who may rely upon the goodness of their parents, the merits of their families, or the works of their religious group to save them. Is there enough oil in your lamp? Arouse, ye sleepers, and provide oil for your lamps before life’s little day is spent.

Oil you must have, not merely enough to light, but enough to burn and last. An apostle said, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). The unwise virgins simply did not do it, and millions today are in the same condition. They are members of the company called to meet the Bridegroom; they even have lamps, and a little oil, but not enough. Not enough! What awful words are those!

This parable is a trumpet call and war cry for men to bestir themselves. “Go and buy for yourselves!” This is the only proper advice; but do it now. The foolish virgins waited, waited until the sun declined, and twilight came, and darkness fell, until their eyes were closed in the sleep of death; and in that wretched state of unpreparedness, the midnight cry overtook them. Then it was too late; may it not be so for us! Watch, therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour … This was Jesus’ own conclusion from the parable; it should also be ours. The meaning of “watch” is not restricted to staying awake but includes thoroughness of preparation, an alertness that takes account of unseen contingencies, and a conscious readiness AT ALL TIMES to respond to the divine summons. The wise virgins slept with the foolish ones, as indeed all shall sleep in death; thus, “to watch” enjoins the proper employment of all those golden hours that precede the inevitable onset of that night in which no man can work. THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTSThe following analogies will readily be seen in this parable:

The man going into another country = Christ the Lord The other country = heaven where Christ is The servants = Christ’s disciples Distribution of talents = endowment of gifts The return of the man = the second advent The accounting required = the judgment Profit reported = improvement of gifts The buried talent = sloth and an evil heart The joy of the Lord = felicity in heaven The outer darkness = punishment of wicked Faithful servants = faithful Christians The unfaithful servant = unfaithful Christians [1] Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Parables (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1953), p. 256. [2] Ibid., p. 252. [3] Alfred Plummer, Commentary on Matthew (London: Elliot Stock, 1909), p. 344.

Verse 14 For it is as when a man, going into another country, calleth his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.Christ has entered into that upper and better country, but he has delivered unto each one of his disciples certain talents and abilities, along with responsibility for the due exercise of them. The proper ownership of all things is the Lord’s, since both the servants and the goods they received were his. A glance at John 14:1-3 and Hebrews 9:23-28 will show that Christ has gone into “another country.”

Verse 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey.The true standard for distribution of wealth is not, as expressed by the Marxist view, “to each according to his need,” but rather to each “according to his ability.” The reason lies in the fact that without ability, even that which a man receives shall be wasted, neglected, or diminished, and in the law of economic progress there can never be, in the final analysis, any substitute for ability. How lavish are God’s gifts. None came empty-handed from him. God places in every man’s hands the necessary instruments for God’s service and endows him with abundant means of service to his Creator. The diversity of gifts is meaningful. No two were alike. Each was uniquely different. It is true of every man born into the world. Every individual is the handiwork of the Eternal with gifts unlike those of any other. One may have less, one more, another least, another most; but every person made in the image of God is the possessor of a unique endowment. The distribution was fair and equitable and was made upon the basis of the varying abilities of the recipient. To have made them all equal recipients would have been a gross injustice. Five talents would have been an intolerable burden to the man with one-talent ability, and the five-talent man would not have been challenged by a gift of only one. Diversity is seen not merely in the various gifts but also in the peculiar temptation to which each was susceptible. One may rest assured that God’s mercy and wisdom provided with each man’s distribution of gifts that personal endowment with which he may be most likely, and with least danger, to enter into life eternal. We hold this to be true of him of one talent no less than with him of five; and we may conclude that the man of one talent would have been inclined more to sloth had he been given five than was the case with one. Verse 16 Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents. In like manner he also that received the two gained other two. But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them.A remarkable difference in this and the parable of the virgins is seen in the fact that, whereas they WAITED for the Lord’s appearing, these servants were until his return. In the first case, the inner spiritual life of a Christian is represented, and in this their outward activity. There is, to be sure, an element of both in the life of every child of God. It is explicit in the case of the servants who received talents that God expects his servants to employ themselves in the advancement of his work, in the improvement of their several gifts, and in the exploitation of every possible opportunity. The case of the servant with the buried talent is understood when it is remembered that he was a bondservant, under full obligation to seek and improve his lord’s interest. Although no command was mentioned in the parable, his obligation was inherent in his status as a slave; and there can be no doubt that he was fully aware of it. Again, in Matthew 25:19, is another strong hint of the delay of the Lord’s coming. See under Matthew 25:5. The word “reckoning” is written over against every thought, word, and deed indulged by the Lord’s disciples. It should be noted that this parable is primarily one regarding the Lord’s servants, and not of all men; although, of course, this does not exclude the accounting that shall at last be given by non-servants as well.

Verse 20 And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained other five talents. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.It is of vast significance that the “reckoning” with the servants was upon an individual basis and that no group appraisal of their efforts was allowed. This is at strong variance with the habits of men who love to judge themselves and assess their success or failure on the basis of group achievements. In the case of the three servants here, if their lord had followed the plan in vogue today, they might well have presented themselves in a group, saying, “Look, you left us in charge of eight talents, and we have increased them by 87 1/2 percent!” It appears that men will not be judged on the basis of general success of some group or congregation of which they may be a part, but upon the basis of their individual fidelity. The five-talent man was applauded and approved, not because he had gained five other talents, but upon the basis of his faithfulness. Significantly, the two-talent man received the identical commendation, indicating that it is not the amount of one’s achievement that is vital, but the quality of it. In the faith of Christ, it is true that, When the one great Scorer comes To write against your name, He writes not if you won or lost, But how you played the game.

• Anonymous J. W. McGarvey noted that: In this part of the parable, there is a transition to the language of the Lord from heaven when bestowing the eternal benediction; for the words, “Enter into the joy of thy Lord,” are not those of an earthly master when rewarding his servants.[4] ENDNOTE:[4] J. W. McGarvey, Commentary (Delight, Arkansas: The Gospel Light Publishing Company, 1875), p. 218.

Verse 22 And he also that received the two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: lo, I have gained other two talents. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.What are the “many things” over which the Lord will set his faithful ones at the second coming? We cannot know. Paul said: Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not And which entered not into the heart of man, Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love him. - 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Verse 24 And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou did not scatter; and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own.The failure of the one-talent man is the burden of the parable. It should not be supposed, however, that failure is invariably associated with one-talent individuals. True, in the case before us, it was the least able of the group that failed; but had the causes of his failure been in any of the others, they too would have failed. His failure was not in the size of his gift but in his failure to use it. History records many tragic failures of the gifted; and failure is always sad when it comes to the high and mighty, and just as sad when it comes to the poor and lowly. God condemns failure in the realm of things spiritual.

There is no excuse for failure in those eternal exercises of the soul in communion with God. The reception of but a single talent was no license for failure. No man will be excused merely on the basis that he does not have much ability, or that his gifts are less than the gifts of others. The least able of God’s servants, no less than the most able, must do their best to be approved. Since this man’s failure is the great point of the parable, we shall particularly note the ingredients of it and mark the antecedent attitudes that caused it. First, he failed in his attitude toward God. He had none of that attitude of Abraham who said, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). All around us are people who have a low opinion of God. That in itself is damnation. H. Leo Boles noted that: We attribute to others what we find in ourselves. Very few people excuse their own sin without blaming God or someone else for it. He (the one-talent man) gave back all that he had received; he had done no harm, but he had done no good with that which was entrusted to him. He had been in possession of his master’s money for a long time; if he had been a free man, he would have owed interest on it; but he had been too slothful to use the talent to any gain for his master. His master had really lost by the indolence of his servant. [5] Chappell remarked that this unfaithful servant did not believe that his lord would give him a square deal. He thought that his close-fisted lord was going to require as much of him with his one talent as he did of those who had two or five. And there are those who think thus meanly of God. They virtually tell him frankly and to his face that his demands are greater than they are able to meet. Milton once had to fight this temptation. He wondered after he had lost his sight if God was going to expect as much of him as if he could see. “Doth God exact day labour, light denied?” he asked. But he refused to think thus meanly of God. He reached the wise conclusion that God is not going to judge us by the way we use what we do not possess, but by the use we make of the gifts that are actually our own.[6] Certainly, the low opinion the one-talent servant had of his lord was a vital factor in his failure. Another cause was his sloth. Plain indolence and laziness are at the bottom of widespread neglect of Christian duty. How many are absent, and how frequently, from the worship of God, only because a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, robs them of the energy to serve God. Whatever the unfaithful servant said about his failure, the lord put the finger of analytical truth on the seat of the problem when he said, “Thou wicked and slothful servant!” Note that his failure did not consist of theft, rebellion, or arson. G. Campbell Morgan wrote: When he (Christ) comes, the slothful and unprofitable will be cast out, not because they did not believe, or because they had rebelled, but because they had neglected the opportunities which he had committed to them.[7] [5] H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew (Nashville: Gospel Advocate Publishing Company, 1936), p. 483. [6] Clovis G. Chappell, Sermons from the Parables (Nashville: Cokesbury Press, 1933), p. 215. [7] G. Campbell Morgan, An Exposition of the Whole Bible (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1959), p. 421.

Verse 26 But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received back mine own with interest.The lord did not deign to answer the servant’s slanderous charge, but drew the conclusion from it that, even if it had been true, the servant’s obligation was in no sense diminished. The analogous conclusion is true in the spiritual realm. If it could be true that God should prove to be hard, uncompromising, unyielding and relentless, men should redouble their efforts to please him, FOR GOD IS GOD. To be sure, such thoughts of God’s nature are totally unworthy of him who is the giver of life and every blessing and who has manifested such great love to the sons of men, even giving his only begotten Son for our salvation; but, just as the morality of his master was no concern of the slothful servant, the morality of God is no proper concern of the people whom God has made and who, in the very nature of things, are incapable of making an intelligent criticism of their Creator. In fact, the soul presumptuous enough to do so manifests its rebellion against the Creator and invites the condemnation that inevitably follows such a deed. A comparison of the causes which led to this servant’s exclusion, and those which led to that of the foolish virgins, is full of warning and instruction to all. Those virgins erred through a vain , this servant through an that was equally vain and sinful. They were over bold; he was not bold enough. Thus two wrong aspects under which we may be tempted to regard God’s service, two rocks upon opposite sides on which faith is in danger of being shipwrecked, are laid down for us, as in a chart, that we may avoid them both. Those virgins counted it too easy a thing to serve the Lord; this servant counted it too hard.[8] ENDNOTE:[8] Richard C. Trench, op. cit., p. 288.

Verse 28 Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten talents.This is no high-handed case of robbing the poor to enrich the rich. This action on the part of the Lord calls for no indignation. It is God’s law that neglected gifts perish while improved gifts multiply, and that law is as inviolate as the law of gravity. The slothful servant invited the loss of his gift when he buried it. None may flout this law with impunity; and, in order for more men to know what the law is, Christ immediately stated it.

Verse 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away. And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.Dummelow noted that: It is a law of the natural as well as the spiritual world, that the disuse of a faculty finally leads to its complete loss, whereas the due use of it leads to its development and increase.[9] A much more severe fate for this unprofitable servant is recorded than the mere exclusion of the foolish virgins from the bridal supper; but in that case, their exclusion stands for the total fate of the wicked, no less than the punishment of the unprofitable servant stands for the same thing. The nature of the two parables required a different statement of the penalty in each case. On the whole problem of the eternal fate of the wicked, Jesus was about to be much more specific in the solemn account of the judgment scene which immediately followed these two parables. THE SCENEThe scene immediately presented by Christ is peculiar to Matthew and is one of the most awesome revelations brought to mankind by the Saviour. All who hope to avoid the fate of the unrighteous and aspire to enter the home of the redeemed should take deeply to heart the words of Christ who said, ENDNOTE:[9] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 707.

Verse 31 But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory.As the poet John Milton expressed it: The aged earth aghast With terror of that blast Shall from the surface to the center shake, When, at the world’s last session, The dreadful Judge in middle air shall spread His throne.[10] This place does not teach that Christ will sit upon the throne of his glory only upon the occasion of his second coming, nor that he will only then begin to do so. He had already revealed to his disciples that he would sit on his glorious throne “in the times of the regeneration” (Matthew 19:28), that is, in the times of the new birth, namely, now, in this present era, during which period the twelve apostles are also reigning with him on twelve thrones; ruling over the twelve tribes of spiritual Israel, which is the church. The expression, “then” shall he sit, etc., refers to a special sitting for the great assize, the judgment of the great day. He is already upon the throne of his glory; but then he will be visibly so, and every eye shall see him, and they shall look upon him whom they pierced. His angels even now are diligent in the service of them that shall be the heirs of everlasting life (Hebrews 1:14), but THEN shall they APPEAR! Now Christ, from his glory throne, intercedes for his own; but THEN he shall APPEAR in judgment (see 2 Thessalonians 1:8). ENDNOTE:[10] Frank S. Mead, The Encyclopedia of Religious Quotations (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1965), p. 260. Verse 32 And before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats.The cataclysmic and simultaneous judgment of all nations depicted here should not be understood as some special kind of selection regarding earth’s governments. The “all nations” here is the same as that of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) and, from the parallel account in Mark, it is learned that it means “every creature,” that is, “every man born into the world.” Paul said, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). The designation of all mankind under two figures, the sheep and the goats, is in keeping with the dual classification stressed throughout the Scriptures, such as the “wheat” and the “chaff,” the “wise” and the “foolish,” etc.

Verse 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.The significance of the right and the left is the same in all nations and from the most ancient times. Even in Plato’s , the unjust were ordered to take the road downward and to the left. The kingdom which God has allotted to the righteous was designed before the human race was created, “which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7). The disaster in Eden did not thwart, nor will it even delay, the ultimate achievement of God’s eternal purpose.

Verse 35 For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat; I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.This makes one’s relationship to Christ the all-important consideration; and as he pointed out a moment later, that relationship turns altogether upon the treatment of his disciples. Just as in the case of Saul of Tarsus his persecution of the church amounted to his persecution of Christ (Acts 22:7), so, in all ages, the treatment of the Lord’s followers shall be the basis of determining one’s relationship to their Head, which is Christ. What is done to Christ’s followers is done to him. What is done to his church is done to him. Those who think they find in these words of Jesus an excuse for making Christianity a mere matter of social charity, should look again. It is not the treatment of all the wretched and unfortunate of earth that shall make up the burden of the Christian’s duty (though that must be allowed as desirable), but the treatment of “these my brethren,” as Christ expressed it, that determines destiny (see Matthew 25:40).

Verse 37 Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink? And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? And when saw we thee sick or in prison, and came unto thee?The surprise of the righteous is itself surprising. The element of surprise applies to both the saved and the unsaved, but the principle is stated with crystal clarity. “What we do to his, we do to him!” What an awful warning this contains for those who set at naught the Lord’s true followers, who persecute, harass, mistreat, deny, or neglect them! The Lord is in the least of his followers. Their needs, their rights, and their requirements are the Lord’s.

To deny them is to deny him. In view of this, the principal part of every church’s budget should be on command for the alleviation, not of the wicked world’s abounding woes, but for the legitimate needs and requirements of God’s people. That it is not usually so is a shame of modern Christianity.

Verse 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.No thoughtful person can conclude that Jesus equated salvation with benevolence in the usual sense. It is not mere charity, but help of Christ’s followers that is highlighted here. If this principle were more widely understood and accepted, it would revolutionize men’s attitude toward the church. In the final essence, what men do to his church, they do to him. To neglect, flout, or dishonor the church is to do the same to Christ who is the head of the church. On the other hand, those who support and provide for the church and extend their concern and constant aid upon behalf of her poor and needy, do the same for Christ whose body is the church.

Verse 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.We approach the study of this passage with an overwhelming sense of melancholy and the deepest feelings of sorrow for the awful fate of the wicked. Alas, the doctrine of hell is a prominent teaching of the Son of God. The sophistry of our generation has tended to ameliorate the Master’s teaching on this subject, but such a tendency is profoundly sinful and foolish. A little reflection will suggest the most logical reasons why such a thing as hell is not only just and reasonable but also actually necessary. No industrial concern ever operated without some means of waste disposal, and no well-managed kitchen ever existed without a garbage pail or its equivalent. How then, in all reason, could God Almighty be expected to operate a complex as large and diverse as the universe without some means of destroying those portions of it which, if permitted, would circumvent and countermand his benevolent purpose for the entire creation?

Hell is God’s cosmic disposal unit; yet it is not prepared for men but for Satan and his angels, and the only persons who will be finally lost in hell are those who elect to follow the influence of Satan and must also partake of his destiny. Christ spread wide his bleeding hands upon the cross in order to woo men and to save them, and redeem them from the power of the evil one. Men who rush past the warning signals can ultimately blame no one except themselves. Who can think of a better way to deal with Satan than by his being cast into hell which God has prepared, or may be in the process of preparing, for the evil one? (At the projected time of the scene presented in this chapter, hell will have been prepared; but, since Christ is now preparing the place for the righteous (John 14:1-6), it does not appear illogical to suppose that the place of containment for the host of Satan is likewise currently in a state of preparation also). What would YOU do, if you were God? Would you permit Satan to continue unabated for all eternity with license to rob, rape, plunder, seduce, destroy, and deceive, corrupt, wound, and slay forever? Whatever YOU might fancy you would do, God has revealed his will in his announced purpose to overwhelm Satan and the fallen angels in the “lake of fire that burneth with brimstone.” In a certain fearful sense, one may thank God for hell. It is the place where the great enemy of mankind shall at last be destroyed. Since such a place actually exists, or is in state of being made ready, and since there is the dreadful certainty that men following the lead of Satan shall unwittingly partake of his overthrow, what a benign and holy purpose is seen in the blessed words of the Lord who revealed this astounding fact and warned men how they might escape such an awful fate! Those who have been deceived into thinking of hell as some kind of torture arrangement which God, through peevishness or caprice, has devised for naughty children of men, have failed to comprehend the scope and power of the mighty spiritual conflict which has opened a seam in the nature of every person ever born on earth, nor have they taken account of the vicious destructiveness of man’s arch-enemy, Satan. A number of years ago, a flood carried away one of the bridges over the Brown River near Vicksburg, Mississippi. A salesman, taken unaware, was able to halt his car only on the last few feet of pavement that remained. In a state of shock, he got out of his car and stood a few moments transfixed by the boiling flood he had so narrowly escaped. Approaching headlights warned him of the danger to others, and he frantically tried to halt the drivers as several cars, one after another, ignored his desperate signals and plunged to destruction. A total of eight persons lost their lives before he could turn his car and blockade the road. Now was that salesman to be blamed for the death of those motorists who ignored his warnings and plunged into the river?

No! And in exactly the same way, God cannot be blamed for the eternal punishment men shall certainly incur who ignore the divine warnings, reject the Saviour’s sacrifice, and plunge headlong into eternal death. Let the Saviour’s words be viewed in such a light, and men will avoid the temptation to “humanize” the gospel. There are dark and terrible realities confronting the race of Adam, and no blind and prejudiced rejection of the divine Saviour’s admonitions will remove them. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” As to the speculation of what hell will be like, it is safe to assert that we do not know. It has not even entered into the heart of man what wonderful things God has prepared for the redeemed (1 Corinthians 2:9); and it may safely be assumed that man’s mind has not fully conceived what may be the details of eternal punishment. The very figures used in Scripture such as “lake of fire” and “outer darkness” are not such as lend themselves to building a clear mental image of what hell will be. Enough that men have been adequately warned. May none who read these ever know what it will really be! The devil and his angels … indicates that some of the angels, in a sense, belong to Satan. Why? Because they kept not their first estate but elected to follow Satan in a course of rebellion and disobedience of God’s will. 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6 shed additional light upon the status of Satan’s angels.

Verse 42 For I was hungry, and ye did not give me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.See under Matthew 25:39-40. It is remarkable that in this passage the unsaved refer to Christ as “Lord,” giving support to the interpretation which refers this entire judgment scene to the church only; but in refutation of that idea, it should be recalled that “Every knee shall bow and tongue confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). At that great moment when all nations shall have been assembled before the throne of Christ for judgment, infidelity will have finally and eternally disappeared; but the incorrigible sinners who have mocked God’s word shall plead in vain before the gates of life. Consistent with this view, applying the passage to all men and not just to the church, is the solemn fact that the Scriptures mention only one judgment.

The thesis that there will be seven judgments, or more or less, is just speculation. The men of Nineveh will rise in “the” judgment; the queen of the South shall rise in “the” judgment, etc. (Matthew 12:41-42), as throughout the entire New Testament.

Verse 46 And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.This overwhelming word from man’s only Redeemer is shocking. The soul draws back from the contemplation of anything so terrible as eternal punishment. Only a fool could fail to be moved by the dreadful thought that such a penalty as eternal punishment can be incurred. No wonder men have sought to soften this doctrine; and yet, the theological and philosophical grounds for this doctrine are profoundly overwhelming and convincing. Granted the immortality of soul, and the ultimate separation from the righteous God of every sinful and unworthy being, there appears no way that hell could be avoided; and certainly those two concepts (immortality and ultimate separation of the sinful from God) are universally held to be true and valid. Rejection of the doctrine of hell is a logical rejection of one or both those concepts. We are certain that the all-wise Saviour would not have misled men concerning these eternal truths.

J.W. McGarvey Commentary For Matthew Chapter Twenty-FiveParable of the Ten Virgins, Matthew 25:1-131. to meet the bridegroom.—According to Jewish custom the bridegroom went to the house of his father-in-law to receive his bride, leaving at his own house a company of virgins, who were to come out with lanterns or torches to meet him on his arrival, and to escort him into the house. The ten virgins of this parable were to perform this pleasant service. 2-4. five wise… five foolish.—The difference between the wise and the foolish virgins consisted exclusively in the fact that the latter carried an extra supply of oil. Under ordinary circumstances the foolish virgins would have been safe with the amount of oil which they had; for it seems that it was the tarrying of the bridegroom (verse 5) which led to their trouble. Had he come when they expected him, they would have been ready. The wise virgins, on the other hand, knowing the delays frequently attending the movements of wedding parties, provided so much oil that they would be prepared for the latest possible hour. The oil in their lamps would burn till midnight (verse 6), and that in their vessels would burn, if need be, till daylight. 5. slumbered and slept.—More accurately rendered “nodded and slept.” They did not lie down to regular slumber, but nodded in their seats. As there were servants on the watch who would announce the approach of the bridegroom (verse 6), there was no need that they should remain awake, and a little sleep now would enable them to be wider awake during the festivities of the latter part of the night. 6, 7. at midnight.—At an hour later than was expected, the bridegroom and his company came in sight, and those who were watching raised the cry that he was coming. There was now time for all to awake, trim their lamps, and go out to meet him at the appointed place. “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.” 8-10. Give us of your oil.—The lamps had not gone out, as expressed by our version, but they were going out; and the lamps of all were alike; but the foolish virgins had no oil with which to replenish theirs, while the wise had oil in their vessels. It was not till now that the wisdom of the latter and the folly of the former became manifest. Just at the moment when all should have started out with blazing lamps to meet the bridegroom, the foolish virgins must hasten away to make the neglected preparation. 11, 12. I know you not.—In this answer the term know is used, according to the Jewish idiom, for favorable knowledge. (Comp. 7:23.) The answer was a refusal to recognize them, as when a man passes an old acquaintance who has given him an offense as if he knew him not. It sent away the poor virgins in bitter disappointment and shame. 13. Watch therefore.—This warning is suggested by the parable, and springs as a conclusion from the analogy between it and the kingdom of heaven. The coming of the bridegroom represents the coming of the Son of man, and the uncertainty as to what hour of the night the bridegroom would come, represents the fact that “ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.” All of the virgins represent those who are waiting for his coming and are supposed to be ready for it. The foolish virgins are not the unconverted, for they make no preparation; they are not apostates, for they, after waiting at their post for a time, abandon it and go their way; but they evidently represent those who enter the Church and stand at their post until the bride groom comes, and are then found without sufficient preparation to meet him. They make the preparation which they are led by their own indolence or indifference to regard as sufficient, and content themselves with that, knowing that they run some risk of being lost. All who allow themselves any questionable indulgences; all who neglect any of the ordinances of God; and all who are indifferent about soundness in the faith as it is in Christ, belong to this class.

The wise virgins, on the other hand, are those who make such preparation as to “make their calling and election sure; “aiming in all things to err, if err they do, on the side of safety. The bridegroom may come before midnight, and if he does, a certain limited quantity of oil will be enough, but more will do no harm; and if he comes at a later hour, that which would have appeared superfluous will save me. The wise virgins always appear too scrupulous in the eyes of the foolish. The warning, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour,” bids us imitate the wise and take warning from the fate of the foolish. The canceled words, “wherein the Son of man cometh,” are thrown out on the safest grounds, but they really express in full the sense of the verse. Though not expressed in the original, they were understood, being supplied by the train of thought in the context. (See Matthew 24:37 Matthew 24:39 Matthew 24:42 Matthew 24:44 Matthew 24:50.) Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-3014. as a man traveling.—In the clause, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country,” the words “the kingdom of heaven” are supplied by the translators incorrectly. The object of comparison is much more specific, being the duty enjoined in the preceding verse. The words, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour,” form the conclusion drawn from the parable of the ten virgins, and indicate the subject to be illustrated in that of the talents. The former parable illustrated the importance of watching, or of making suitable preparation, and the following parable illustrates the method of doing this. The rendering should be, “For as a man traveling into a far country called his servants,” etc. The comparison indicated by “as” is not expressed, but is to be supplied from the context by the reader. his own servants.—The fact that the servants were “his own” and not hired servants, has significance, showing that he had a claim on their time and labor. 15-17. according to his several ability.—As each servant was intrusted with an amount suited to his ability, the distribution was relatively equal, and justified the demand of an equal per centum of profit in the returns, and this demand was met by the first two. 18. digged in the earth.—It was very common in that day, as it is yet with nations unprovided with safes and vaults, to bury gold and silver in the earth. (Comp. 13:44). The talent was about $1600 in silver. 21-23. into the joy of thy Lord.—In this part of the parable there is a transition to the language of the Lord from heaven when bestowing the everlasting benediction; for the words, “Enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” are not those of an earthly master when rewarding his servants. This benediction was pronounced on the two servants alike, because, having gained the same per centum on heir respective amounts, they had roved themselves equally faithful. 24, 25. an hard man.—It was because the servant ignored his obligations as a servant that the master appeared a hard man in demanding a return of more than he had given. 26, 27. wicked and slothful servant.—In the answer, the right of the lord to the time and labor of the servant is waived, and he is condemned on his own ground. His lord’s money had been in his possession for a long time, and even if he had been a free man he would have owed interest on it But he had been too slothful to labor, and he had been too neglectful of his obligations to even loan the money to the exchangers and secure the interest on it: he could not, therefore, truthfully say, “Lo, there thou hast that is thine.” It was unlawful to loan money to a brother Israelite on interest, but interest could be lawfully exacted from Gentiles, and the Jews of later ages found abundant opportunities to loan at good rates all of their surplus capital. 28. unto him which hath ten.—It is easy to see why the talent should be taken away from him who had it, but not so clear that it should have been given to him who had ten. Why not divide it between him who had ten and him who had four? I see no reason for this, except that the man who had successfully managed the largest amount had exhibited the greatest capacity, and the lord’s interests were safest in his hands. 29. unto every one who hath.—This statement, though introduced by “for” does not give a reason for the act just mentioned (28), but presents a general rule of God’s government which applies in the case. The man of the live talents had— that is, he had profit on what was given him— and to him more was given; while the man of the one talent had not, and from him was taken what he had. 30. into outer darkness.—Here again, as in Matthew 24:51, there is a transition from the parable to the reality; for there was no such punishment of servants as casting them out into the dark. The darkness is that which lies outside of all the light and blessedness which the faithful servants are to enjoy with their Lord. The darkness symbolizes the desolation of that state; the weeping, its sorrow; and the gnashing of teeth, its anguish. No picture could be drawn more awful than this. The significance of this parable is clear and striking. The lord of the servants is the Son of man, whose coming is the subject of the discourse. (See note on 14.) The servants are his own disciples whom he has purchased with his own blood; and the talents intrusted to them are the means of usefulness given by Christ to all that are his. The conduct of the two faithful servants points out the way in which we are to “watch” (verse 13), and that of the slothful servant, the course to which our indolence or indifference or ingratitude will lead us if we do not watch. The reckoning with the servants is the final judgment, which will take place when the Son of man comes. The transfer of the one talent from the slothful servant to him who had ten, indicates, if it have any significance, that the reward of the faithful servants of Christ will be magnified on account of the failure of the unfaithful; and this is but just, for the faithful ones have to resist not only the temptations common to all, but also the discouragement and hinderance arising from the unfaithfulness of their brethren. The fact that the man who had the least capacity and the smallest amount intrusted to him was the one who proved unfaithful, is worthy of note: for although in actual experience we see many disciples with great possessions and great influence burying their talents in the ground, we also find that those who consider themselves weak and possessed of little means of usefulness, are peculiarly liable to this sin on account of this very circumstance in their condition. The word talent, which is the Greek word τάλαντον anglicized, and means a certain amount of money, has acquired in English the sense of intellectual endowments from its use in this parable. The Final Judgment, Matthew 25:31-4631. come in his glory.—There are three specifications in this verse which show that the coming described is the final coming of Christ: first, that he will “come in his glory;” second, that all the angels will come with him; and third, that he will then sit on the throne of his glory. The throne of judgment is called the throne of his glory, because by the decisions of that day his glory will be exhibited more brightly than ever before. All the obscure things in the past administration of his government will then be made clear. 32. all nations.—The universality of the judgment is here declared. Not only all the nations which will then be living, but all that have ever lived are included; for Jesus had already said, “The queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it;” “the men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it” (Luke 10:31-32); and “the hour is coming when all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man and shall come forth, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29). 32, 33. shall separate them.—The original pronoun is in the masculine gender (αυτους), and its antecedent, nations (τεθνη) is neuter, showing that not the nations, as such, but the individuals composing the nations, are to be separated. A similar construction is found in the original of Mat 28:19. 34. from the foundation.—The kingdom was not fully prepared from the foundation of the world, for Jesus says on a subsequent occasion, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2-3.) The meaning is, that it had been in course of preparation from the foundation of the world. 35, 36. for I was an hungered.—An hungered is an obsolete expression for hungry. The acts here specified are all deeds of benevolence; all belong to the category of good works. We are not hence to conclude that good works alone can secure to us everlasting life, seeing that in the midst of our good works we commit sin, and before the beginning of our good works we lived in sin. Forgiveness for these sins must be secured by complying with the conditions thereof, or we will be condemned on their account, notwithstanding all the benevolence which we can perform. The lesson taught in the passage is this: that works of Christian benevolence, as we have opportunity to perform them, constitute one of the conditions of our acceptance in the day of judgment They are, indeed, but the outgrowth of faith and love, and their absence proves that our faith is dead, and that love has not been born within us. (Comp. 42 below.) 37-40. shall the righteous answer.—It is not necessary to suppose that such a conversation as is here stated will actually take place, for the mass of the saints will already have learned the lesson here taught; but the form of a conversation is probably employed as the best method of presenting the thought. The passage shows that all deeds of benevolence done to the brethren of Jesus are accepted by him as if done to himself. We have the precious privilege of ministering to him in ministering to his. 41. prepared for the devil.—That is, primarily prepared for the devil and his angels, though not without anticipation of its use for the punishment of men. The fact that wicked men must suffer the same punishment as the devil and his angels, shows the enormity of our sins. 42-45. you gave me no meat.—The performance of good works on the one hand, and the neglect of them on the other, constitute the specified difference between the parties. We here learn, that whatever other sins may or may not have been committed, the sin of neglecting to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, and to minister to the sick and the imprisoned disciple, is enough to consign one to the fate of the devil and his angels. Such neglect proves the absence of that faith and love which are essential to Christian character. 46. everlasting… eternal.—The two terms everlasting and eternal have the same meaning, the former being of Anglo-Saxon, and the latter of Latin origin. They also represent the same Greek word (ινιος), translated here by these two words for the sake of variety of expression. Whatever this Greek word means in the last clause of this sentence it means in the first; for it is an invariable rule of exegesis, that a word when thus repeated in the same sentence must be understood in the same sense, unless the context or the nature of the subject shows that there is a play on the word. There is certainly nothing in the context to indicate the slightest difference in meaning, nor can we know by the nature of the subject that the punishment spoken of is less durable than the life. It is admitted on all hands that in the expression “everlasting life” the term has its full force, and therefore it is idle and preposterous to deny that it has the same force in the expression “everlasting punishment.” The everlasting punishment of this verse is the same as the everlasting fire in verse 41. The punishment is by fire, and its duration is eternal. Argument of Section 6The argument of this section depends for its conclusiveness on the fulfillment of the predictions contained in it, all of which look to the end of time for their fulfillment. They are introduced not so much for proof as for instruction. Our author, having already proved Jesus to be a prophet by presenting predictions fulfilled in his own generation, and some in process of fulfillment even to the present day, here quotes for the benefit of his readers a series of predictions concerning the last day, tacitly referring us to the fulfillment of the former as proof that these also will be fulfilled in their time.

Questions by E.M. Zerr For Matthew 251. To what were ten virgins likened? 2. They went to meet whom? 3. What did all of them take ? 4. What did only five take ? 5. How was each group designated? 6. While waiting what did they all do? 7. What was heard at midnight ? 8. Tell what they all did. 9. What difficulty did some of them have? 10. How did they try to meet it? 11. Tell what was said to them. 12. While going what happened? 13. On returning what did they cry? 14. State the answer. 15. What word states the lesson intended? 16. Why is this warning necessary? 17. What does the far away traveler represent? 18. Before leaving whom did he call? 19. What did he deliver to them? 20. How many distributions were made? 21. On what basis were they made? 22. State the various amounts. 23. What did the first two do about it? 24. When were they rewarded for it? 25. Which received the more reward? 26. What did the third servant do? 27. State what he received from his lord. 28. What was his excuse ? 29. And how did his lord reason about it? 30. What did he call this servant ? 31. What was done with his talent? 32. To whom will more be given ? 33. In what will the Son of man come? 34. Who will be with him? 35. Where will he then sit? 36. Who will be gathered before him ? 37. What will be done with the crowd? 38. This is likened to what? 39. How many classes recognized? 40. What are some of them to inherit? 41. Since when has it been prepared? 42. On what ground is their reward here based? 43. Was this done directly to Jesus? 44. Who represents him? 45. Those on the left must depart to where? 46. For whom had it been prepared? 47. How had they neglected Christ? 48. They shall go away into what? 49. But the other into what? 50. Which state will last the longer?

Matthew 25:1

25:1 Then is an adverb of time and applies to the second coming of Christ predicted in the preceding chapter. The word specifies the exact part of the parable that is to be applied, namely, the sudden announcement of the approach of the bridegroom. The whole story had to be told in order to explain the particular point at which the application was to be made.

Matthew 25:2

25:2. Wisdom and foolishness are opposite terms which could have numberless applications depending on the connection in which they are used.

Matthew 25:3-4

:3-4 The present application is to the ones who took their lamps only (the foolish), and the wise were those who took extra oil in the vessel besides that already absorbed and retained by the wick. The lamps were shallow bowls with a projection resembling the spout of a water pitcher. A wick of twisted flax was placed in this spout extending down into the vessel which was supposed to be supplied with olive oil. The foolish virgins neglected to see that their lamps had oil in them.

Matthew 25:5

25:5 Slumbered and slept. The first word properly means to be drowsy so as to nod, the last one means to go on into more complete sleep. This happened because the bridegroom was longer than expected in making his appearance. As to the usual hour for the wedding, Smith’s Bible Dictionary says, “When the fixed hour arrived, which was generally late in the evening,” etc. While it was late it evidently was not often as late as midnight, which explains why all of the virgins fell asleep, the wise as well as the foolish.

Matthew 25:6

25:6 This cry was a strong sound for the original is defined in the lexicon, “a crying, outcry, clamor.” That was made necessary by the lateness of the hour and the sleeping state of the virgins.

Matthew 25:7

25:7 Trimmed is from KOSMEO which Thayer defines, “To put in order, arrange, make ready, prepare.”

Matthew 25:8

25:8. Putting the lamps in order would include lighting them as well as pinching off the charred end of the wick. Not until after lighting them did the foolish virgins realize they had neglected to “fill their lamps.” There would be enough of the oil still retained in the wicks to start the light, but in a short while they would begin to grow dim. Gone out is rendered “going out” in the margin which is correct. When the flame began to go down they realized what was the trouble and appealed to the wise virgins for oil from their vessels.

Matthew 25:9

25:9 The capacity of the old style lamp was limited and it would have been foolish for the wise to reduce their supply at the last moment.

Matthew 25:10

5:10 Ordinary judgment should have told these virgins that it was too late to go on a shopping errand, especially at that time of night. The approach of the bridegroom had been announced with an urgent clamor which indicated that the preparatory period was over and that the event of the hour was about to start.

Matthew 25:11

5:11 The word Lord is erroneously capitalized which indicates that it means Christ. The person referred to was the one having charge of the wedding activities, and the term as used by the virgins was one of respect only.

Matthew 25:12

5:12 I know you not denotes he did not recognize them as being entitled to be present at the wedding. The approach of the bridegroom had been announced in no uncertain terms, and these people should have been already there if they were among the invited guests. Coming after the door was closed indicated to this master of ceremonies that they were would-be intruders who were coming out of a wrong motive.

Matthew 25:13

5:13. Watch therefore are the words that express the lesson intended by the parable. It is the same that was set forth by the parable of the unfaithful servant in the closing verses of the preceding chapter.

Matthew 25:14

5:14 Jesus spoke another parable that teaches the duties of the Lord’s servants from another angle. Note that the man delivered unto his servants his (the man’s) goods. In 1 Timothy 6:7 Paul says “we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” On that basis we should realize that what is in our hands does not belong to us, but it is delivered to us as a trust which the parable shows.

Matthew 25:15

5:15 Talent is from and Thayer defines it, “The scale of a balance, a balance, a pair of scales; a talent.” He also explains it to mean, “a weight, varying in different places and times; a sum of money weighing a talent and varying in different states and according to the changes in the laws regulating the currency.” The specific value of the talent is of no importance for the purpose of the parable. It is used merely as a means of expressing the different degrees of responsibility of the servants. Note the different amounts delivered to the servants was based on his several ability. The lord knew the abilities of his servants and assigned to them the tasks that corresponded with their ability.

Matthew 25:16-17

6-17 Each of these men did exactly the same thing with the money entrusted to him. By trading or making the proper use of the money they doubled it.

Matthew 25:18

5:18 The only comment I will make here on the third man, is that he at least did not misuse or lose it: further comments will be made at verse 25.

Matthew 25:19

5:19 Reckoneth with them means he called upon them for a report.

Matthew 25:20

5:20 The only report this man could or needed to make was that he had doubled his lord’s money, and had the extra talents to show for it.

Matthew 25:21

5:21 Good and faithful are the words that signify the lesson in the parable. Jesus combines the application with the telling of the parable by stating the reward awaiting the faithful servant. That reward will be to enter into the Joy of his Lord, which means the joy provided by the Lord to be shared together in heaven.

Matthew 25:22

5:22 This servant’s report was exactly the same kind as that of the first one, namely, that he had doubled his lord’s money by trading.

Matthew 25:23

5:23 It is significant that each of these two men received the same sentence from their lord, notwithstanding there was a great material difference in the amounts they had to return to him. But each servant was faithful to the trust bestowed upon him, which is the basis on which man will be judged at the last day. Some men have more ability than others and hence they will be required to accomplish more. But if everyone is faithful to the extent of bib power and opportunity he will receive the one and only reward in store, which is the entrance into the joy of the Lori,

Matthew 25:24

5:24 Every one of the charges this servant made against his lord was false. He made them as a basis for his failure to do anything with the money that was put into his hands. But while they were false accusations, they will be turned against him as we shall see at verse 27.

Matthew 25:25

5:25 This verse illustrates what may be called negative goodness in the light of some theories. There are multitudes who think they can expect to be saved by merely abstaining from active wrong doing. That if they avoid doing anything at all they certainly could not be accused of doing any wrong act. The man with one talent seems to have taken that view of the case. But there are many passages that condemn the sin of omission, such as Hebrews 2:3. This man thought that by burying the money it would be preserved for its owner. Even if that could have been accomplished with literal money, the rule will not hold good in the application. A man’s talent will not remain fixed as to quality while in this world. If it is not put to good use, it will be corrupted by contact with the evil elements around it.

Matthew 25:26

5:26 This servant was both wicked and slothful; wicked in making false accusations against his lord, and slothful in being indolent to do something with the money. Thou knewest, etc., does not mean that his lord admitted the accusations, but used them as a basis for the condemnation in the following verse.

Matthew 25:27

5:27 Oughtest therefore. If this lord was as exacting as the servant pretended to think he was, that was one great reason he should have been eager to do something that would satisfy him and hence avoid receiving his severe rebuke and sentence. Exchanger is from which Thayer defines, “A money-changer, broker, banker, one who exchanges money for a fee, and pays interest on deposits.” Such a business in Palestine was occasioned by the coming of people from various countries. Their money was not good in the local markets, which made it necessary to exchange it for current money of Palestine. Usury is the interest these exchangers would pay local citizens who were willing to lay their money on the banker’s table to be used in the exchange business. In the spiritual application it means that if we make the proper use of the opportunities the word has furnished us, we will become better and improve as the years go by.

The third man was not condemned for not having as much to give his lord, but for not having any interest at all. In other words, he was condemned on the principle of being unfaithful to the trust that was given over to him.

Matthew 25:28

5:28 The lord wished his money to be put to some use so as to bring him proper returns. The man with the ten talents at hand when the accounting was made had proved his good business judgment and hence was entrusted with this other one.

Matthew 25:29

5:29 Hath not, he hath might seem to be contradictory terms, but in the language of monetary dealings they are not. The second term is the principal and the first is the interest. Since the man had no interest to show, he was not allowed to retain the principal. In the spiritual application if a man does not make good use of his opportunity while in this life, he will not have another privilege. (Revelation 22:11.)

Matthew 25:30

5:30 No earthly lord ever treated his servants as this verse indicates. It is the conclusion that Jesus makes to the lesson of the parable. For weeping and gnashing of teeth see the comments on Matthew 24:51.

Matthew 25:31

5:31 Many of the passages of a descriptive character in the Bible are worded like the transactions of men. We know from all the direct teaching of the New Testament that Christ will be the sole judge of the human family (Acts 17:31) at the day of final accounts. No conversation or other participation will be allowed upon the part of human beings. Therefore all the parables and other passages that speak of such actions are used figura-tively. They truly represent what would be the result were the mentioned conversations to be permitted. But aside from such parts of the various descriptions, the direct predictions will take place. For instance, the Son of man will actually come with the angels (2 Thessalonians 1:7), and will sit upon the throne of his glory which means the throne of judgment.

Matthew 25:32

5:32 All nations denotes that no human beings will escape the judgment bar of God, in which He will have seated his Son as the sole judge. The people will be divided into only two groups, for all human creatures will belong to one or the other, no third group. The reference to sheep and goats is for an illustration only. It is based on the practice of a shepherd who is getting ready to lead his flock into a fold for permanent shelter. While out over the fields some goats may have straggled in among the sheep, and the shepherd would not want them in his fold.

Matthew 25:33

5:33 There is no moral value of a man’s right hand over his left, but the separation had to be made and the assignment to these respective hands is so worded for its psychological effect.

Matthew 25:34

5:34 While Jesus will be the judge, he will pronounce sentence in harmony with the wishes of his Father who has created and prepared all good things. Foundation is from , defined in Thayer’s lexicon, “a founding,” and that means the starting of something. World means the universe in general, but has special reference to the orderly arrangement of things that were intended for the occupancy of man. God intended from the start to have a place of joy and happiness into which the creature man would be admitted after qualifying himself for it. It will be the inheritance of this place (here called a kingdom) that the royal judge will invite the righteous to have.

Matthew 25:35

5:35 See the comments at chapter 13:3 on the scope of the parables. In the present one Jesus had only one point to impress which will be brought out as the comments proceed. But as it is in most of them, the whole story must be told to make the point of application clear. Administering food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty would be classed among “good works” as that term is commonly used. Hospitality is likewise so considered according to Hebrews 13:2.

Matthew 25:36

5:36 Clothing the naked anti visiting (“looking after”) the sick are both among good works pertaining to our relation with each other. In prison does not mean in the sense of a penal institution; at least it was not being used as such in this case, because it was the disciple of Jesus who was there. It means a guard house in which the enemy was confining a captive for the purpose of persecution. If the disciple was in a regular penal structure he was placed there on a false accusation. The case of Paul in Rome (2 Timothy 1:16-18) is not exactly in point, for he was An his own hired house. Yet he was a virtual prisoner because he was chained to an officer, and while in that situation the disciple Onesiphorus “came unto him.”

Matthew 25:37-39

7-39 The righteous will think that Jesus meant all these things were done for him personally. They did not remember having any such experiences and made inquiry as to when it was to which he referred.

Matthew 25:40

5:40 This verse tells us the main object of the parable. Jesus is not on earth in person and hence we cannot show him such personal favors as these good sheep are said to have done. But his disciples who are his and our brethren are here, and we always have opportunities for doing them good. (See Galatians 6:10.)

Matthew 25:41

5:41 The extent of this everlasting fire will be explained at verse 46. But for the present it should be noted that it was not originally designed for man, but for the devil and his angels. These angels evidently mean the fallen angels who had sinned and were cast down from heaven (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6).

Matthew 25:42-43

2-43 The same list of good works is named in the sentence against the folks on the left hand as was said to the others. It might be well to note that these people were not condemned because of any wicked thing they had done. See the comments on verse 25 about the negative principle in the conduct of life.

Matthew 25:44-45

4-45 The ones on the left will have the same misunderstanding about the personal treatment that the others had, and they will be given the same explanation. They might have sometimes professed an interest in the needs of their brethren, but their expressions of sympathy were not accompanied with anything practical and hence no good was accomplished. In James 2:14-16 is a statement on this angle of the subject.

Matthew 25:46

5:46 These means the ones on the left hand of the king and the righteous are the ones on the right. Punishment is from KOLASIS which Thayer defines, “correction, punishment, penalty.” Such words do not indicate a condition where the victim is unconscious or has been annihilated as certain persons teach. Everlasting and eternal are both from AIONIOS which Thayer defines, “Without end, never to cease, everlasting.” This definition applies to the word that is used to describe the future state of both the saved and the unsaved. Whatever can be said as to the duration of the eternal life of the saved, applies with equal force to the duration of the punishment of the unsaved. No man who professes to believe the Bible will say that eternal life will ever end, so neither can he consistently say that the punishment of the unsaved will ever end. Both classes will exist consciously in their respective circumstances without end.