The parable of bags of gold ???

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Inexplicable

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Matthew 25:29
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

What is the conclusion to this parable?
 
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Nancy

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Matthew 25:29
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

What is the conclusion to this parable?
Hello @Inexplicable and welcome to the forums. Love your name, that is a word I tend to use when thanking Him for His blessings like, "Lord, how can one possibly understand the depth of your goodness, it is "inexplicable".

To your OP,
My take away is that if you are blessed with grace, we are to extend that grace to others or He will withdraw His? Same could go for monetary blessings...not meant to splurge on ourselves but, to bless others as we have been blessed.
Just :My2c: coffee: Enjoy the forums :)
 
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Lambano

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I never did like this parable. I always wondered what would've happened if the servant had invested his talent (or minas in Luke's version) in Enron stock and lost the whole bundle. I actually found that version of the story in one of the non-canonical "gospels"; the Gospel of Philip?

I've thought about this one off and on over the years. The servant did not trust his master and thought him to be a hard S.O.B., if not outright dishonest. Certainly, he didn't trust his master enough to risk his job through making a big screw-up. So, in seeking to protect his own position, he lost sight of his master's overall goals and purposes, and he ended up losing his job anyway. And his very life. "Those who would seek to save their own soul will lose it." (I told you I don't like this parable.) Those who had enough trust to risk what they had been given were given more. Would the master have forgiven him if he'd tried his best and failed? It doesn't say. The servant never gave his master a chance to prove himself trustworthy.

I remember someone, can't remember if it was on this forum, CF, or Baptist forum, this poster remarked that those who are too afraid of God to risk sinning can never do more than bury their talent in the ground, or hide their mina in a handkerchief. Interesting perspective.

On the other side, the master didn't trust the servant much either, as evidenced by how little he entrusted to that servant relative to the other two. Maybe he wanted the servant to prove himself trustworthy first. "He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much." From the master's standpoint, what little trust he had in that servant was taken away, and the trust he put in his other two servants was increased. Maybe the conclusion in verse 29 has to be read from God's point of view, not ours.

It's getting late, and I'm starting to free-associate.
 
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quietthinker

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Matthew 25:29
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

What is the conclusion to this parable?
'more' is definitely not bags of gold. Jesus is speaking about understanding and insight into the mystery of God.
 

dev553344

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This parable relates to helping others in the love sent from God. They receive riches in heaven. The Lord talks about buying from him gold tried in the fire. All these things relate.

Matthew 25:29, NLT: To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away.
 
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Rockerduck

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This is the meaning : Take the gifts that God has given you and use them. Don't use the gifts He has given you and don't use it. Example: if you've been given the gift of wisdom, don't work as a grave digger and don' t use this gift. God gives you forgiveness through His Grace and expects the use your gift in Church's and in public, because faith comes by hearing.
 

Taken

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Matthew 25:29
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

What is the conclusion to this parable?

PREPARATION

Matt 25:1 begins with establishing an end goal.
...end goal entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
...obtainable by a Prepared bride
...the Bridegroom signals his arrivial
...the Prepared Bride meets her bridegroom, thereafter is with him, goes where he goes.

(IF the Bride is not prepared, she misses meeting her bridegroom, and the bridegroom passes on by without her. The bridegroom returns to his Fathers house without her. The opportunity for the Bride to go to the bridegrooms, fathers house, has passed. She can not go unescorted.)

It is a parallel to a Jewish betrothal (engagement) and wedding.
It is a parallel to 1 Thes 4:17

Matt 25:
[1] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

1 Thes 4:
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from (HIGH)heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump (SIGNAL) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (TAKEN TO) together with them in the clouds, (LOWER HEAVENS) to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Matt 25: continues WHY the marriage does for some, does not for others take place.

A marriage PROPOSAL, from the groom (JESUS) begins with a PROMISE (contract) (with Earthly fathers), concerning the earthly fathers Virgin (not yet exposed to earthly wickedness) children. (Not only females, but sons & daughters)

The grooms PROMISE is to come FOR the (earthly fathers) children PREPARED to leave their (earthly) fathers home, and go with their groom to His Fathers house.

* So the first part, concerns, earthly fathers, raising their children in HOW TO, be PREPARED, in the WAY of the Lord. READY on any unexpected Evening He will arrive to Take such child WITH Him to His Father’s House.

* The second part, concerns, the BRIDE, (any child of an earthly father).

* The second part:
The Bride being TAUGHT, HOW TO Prepare for an upcoming marriage for an unknown Evening the bridegroom will signal His arrival to Take His Bride WITH Him, TO His Fathers House.

* The Brides TEACHING, is the same protocol as is Gods TEACHING for ALL earthly persons.
* HEAR, the Word of God....Receive MEASURES of FAITH (Gods gift).
* HEAR, MORE...Increases KNOWLEDGE, and Receives Increased FAITH.
* Increases of KNOWLEDGE and FAITH...Increases BELIEF.
* Increases of BELIEF...Increases Gods Blessings.

* Increase of Gods Blessings...IS the parallel to an OVER-FLOWING CUP.
(More than one needs, can use themselves).

* The WHAT TO DO WITH AN ABUNDANCE, of an OVER-FLOWING CUP?
* THE CONSEQUENCE FOR WHAT ONE DOES WITH THEIR OVER-FLOWING CUP, is the POINT.


The BLESSING is EXAMPLED: As an Amount of Gold.
The BLESSING is EXAMPLED: As some INCREASED, some HID it away.

The EXAMPLE is NOT ABOUT GOLD.
The EXAMPLE IS ABOUT:
Hearing the Word of God, Increase Hearing Gods Word, Receiving Gods Gift of Faith, Receiving INCREASE in FAITH...

AND SHARING THE WORD of God...with other people.
Consequence? Increased FAITH Blessings From God.
Hopeful OUTCOME? The one HEARING WILL ALSO, BE INCREASED, in knowledge, belief, Faith.

THE “OIL” of the LAMP is likened to Gods WORD, (ie the fuel for the LIGHT).
THE “LIGHT” of the LAMP is likened to the LAMP being FULL of Gods Word, that “sustains”, KEEPS the “LIGHT” constant.

THE “Unprepared”, let their “OIL” (word of God with them, go out from them).
THE “Unprepared”, lacking OIL, let their LIGHT (go out from them.)
AND....the “Unprepared”, WENT OUT “into the World”, to search FOR “OIL”...
(Gods Word).

This World IS CORRUPT. Searching FOR Gods WORD, in this World is a FAIL.
Burying Gods Word in the Earth, is extinguishing, Burying Gods Light.

The MORAL is About, seeking The Lord FOR Gods Word, Receiving His Blessings (Faith)...Keeping Hold of His Word...Continuing IN His Word...Enjoy the Blessing of His gift of Faith....and SHARE His Word with the World...that they OF the world, may also Hear, Believe, and Be Blessed, Be increased.

The MORAL NOT about Burying Gods Word, or OOPS, haphazardly searching the Corrupt World, Hoping men “OF” this World, will supply you with Gods Word, Gods Faith, Gods Blessings....just in the nic of time (Before the Groom at an unknown time will signal to collect his Bride that she be brought to His Fathers House.)


The Scriptures Teach the difference BETWEEN...
Men “IN” Christ, Christ “IN” men..............and men “OF” the world.
^^^^^^^^^ PREPARED^^^^^^^^^^^^^..............^^^^^UNPREPARED^^^^

Glory to God,
Taken
 
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Taken

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REGARDING...the Heaven(S)...

Yes, Heaven (S) is Scriptural.

Men on Earth, being taught Godly things, we can NOT SEE the WHOLE picture, always get a “GLIMPSE”, we can SEE and experience.

Heaven is Gods Throne.
Where Gods Throne is, is Gods Kingdom.
Gods Kingdom IS Holy.

Gods “ESTATE”, is HIGH Heaven Above the Stars, where no man goes, except He who came down from THERE.

Above the Stars, is where Lucifer thought He, should, could, SIT and govern over All of Creation.
(Isa 14: (regarding Lucifer)
[13] For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Men HAVE gone up on High mountains in the Clouds, as did Moses, which God called Holy ground, as Moses was IN the clouds.

Heaven IS above the Earth, in the Clouds, A Water barrier, which that barrier of Water, IS called a Firmament, called Heaven.

Men IN planes Fly through the Clouds, which is Lower Heaven.

Ever SEEN a plane enter INTO the Clouds? Once entered INTO the clouds, your eyes can no longer SEE the Plane.

Ever SEEN the SUN, it’s LIGHT BLOCKED by the clouds?

We routinely get GLIMPSES of parallels to Gods Word...
FULL SUN....so bright can not directly stare at it.
BLOCKED by clouds...can see the light, know its presence.
NIGHT...NO visible sun Light to see.
FULL MOON...Reflection of SUN LIGHT on a completely DARK moon that has no light of it’s own.

Parallels of Gods SON...Light, upon us, Knowing the Light is there, Knowing in the midst of complete Darkness His Reflective Light upon us.

1 Thes 4: is the rising up of those IN Christ (the Prepared)...to the Lower Heavens (Clouds)...OFF the face of the earth.


Glory to God,
Taken
 
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amigo de christo

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Matthew 25:29
For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

What is the conclusion to this parable?
Whoever has CHRIST will have the abundant life , i speak not of earthen riches but of the JOY of the LORD
but whoever has not CHRIST , in the end will LOSE ALL no matter what HE SEEMED to have in this life .
Let he who has ears to hear hear .
 

Nancy

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I never did like this parable. I always wondered what would've happened if the servant had invested his talent (or minas in Luke's version) in Enron stock and lost the whole bundle. I actually found that version of the story in one of the non-canonical "gospels"; the Gospel of Philip?

I've thought about this one off and on over the years. The servant did not trust his master and thought him to be a hard S.O.B., if not outright dishonest. Certainly, he didn't trust his master enough to risk his job through making a big screw-up. So, in seeking to protect his own position, he lost sight of his master's overall goals and purposes, and he ended up losing his job anyway. And his very life. "Those who would seek to save their own soul will lose it." (I told you I don't like this parable.) Those who had enough trust to risk what they had been given were given more. Would the master have forgiven him if he'd tried his best and failed? It doesn't say. The servant never gave his master a chance to prove himself trustworthy.

I remember someone, can't remember if it was on this forum, CF, or Baptist forum, this poster remarked that those who are too afraid of God to risk sinning can never do more than bury their talent in the ground, or hide their mina in a handkerchief. Interesting perspective.

On the other side, the master didn't trust the servant much either, as evidenced by how little he entrusted to that servant relative to the other two. Maybe he wanted the servant to prove himself trustworthy first. "He that is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much: and he that is unrighteous in a very little is unrighteous also in much." From the master's standpoint, what little trust he had in that servant was taken away, and the trust he put in his other two servants was increased. Maybe the conclusion in verse 29 has to be read from God's point of view, not ours.

It's getting late, and I'm starting to free-associate.
" free-associate" - Oh, please DO continue, I love other's random thoughts :Broadly:

I know what you mean brother. This has also bothered me as well. Not one to gamble or invest. Doesn't God give us our "daily bread" daily, as we need? Kind of like the manna in the desert? Perhaps we are missing something here. Could the talent be something other than gold or silver? Like, faith, grace, forgiveness? Or could the talent be anything someone is gifted with but, does not use that gift to lift up others in some way? Oh gosh, now I'm free associating! Lol.
:My2c: :contemplate:
 

amigo de christo

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" free-associate" - Oh, please DO continue, I love other's random thoughts :Broadly:

I know what you mean brother. This has also bothered me as well. Not one to gamble or invest. Doesn't God give us our "daily bread" daily, as we need? Kind of like the manna in the desert? Perhaps we are missing something here. Could the talent be something other than gold or silver? Like, faith, grace, forgiveness? Or could the talent be anything someone is gifted with but, does not use that gift to lift up others in some way? Oh gosh, now I'm free associating! Lol.
:My2c: :contemplate:
A soul is in dire danger on that christain nationlism thread . Come help a brother out . I am speaking to a man
who preaches the all inclusive many path and am pointing HIM to Christ alone .
 
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Lambano

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Could the talent be something other than gold or silver? Like, faith, grace, forgiveness? Or could the talent be anything someone is gifted with but, does not use that gift to lift up others in some way? Oh gosh, now I'm free associating!
Yeah, that's kinda the direction my mind was drifting at oh-dark-thirty in the morning. Everybody's "bag of gold" will be different; yours will be different from mine and so on. It also has something to do with our position as Jesus's people, and not being afraid of our Master (though they say that's the beginning of wisdom), and personal salvation not being the be-all and end-all goal of our faith, and what God's ultimate plans are and why He sent Jesus, and, and, and, ... I see something in a mirror darkly, but it's not coming together. Know what I mean?
 
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Nancy

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Yeah, that's kinda the direction my mind was drifting at oh-dark-thirty in the morning. Everybody's "bag of gold" will be different; yours will be different from mine and so on. It also has something to do with our position as Jesus's people, and not being afraid of our Master (though they say that's the beginning of wisdom), and personal salvation not being the be-all and end-all goal of our faith, and what God's ultimate plans are and why He sent Jesus, and, and, and, ... I see something in a mirror darkly, but it's not coming together. Know what I mean?
Ya should have been a writer bro! Yes I sure do know what you mean...it's like grasping onto something just a tad out of reach. Wish I truly understood the actual definition of "fearing" the Lord. It's kind of strange that we are to approach His throne "boldly" yet fear Him. I sure DO fear Him...what He can do to both body AND soul. There has to be a balance that doesn't take paragraph after paragraph to interpret. I will have to buckle down and really search this matter out as, I've never done that.
It's light thirty, time to start your work week, chop chop!!!! Double time!! Lift those knees! :r.u.n::Hanging::Shining:
 

Lambano

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Wish I truly understood the actual definition of "fearing" the Lord. It's kind of strange that we are to approach His throne "boldly" yet fear Him.
I was reading a book by Rabbi Abraham Heschel (who better than a rabbi to talk about the meaning of Hebrew words?) called God in Search of Man, and he explained that the Hebrew word "yirah" used in that famous verse has shades of meaning that include wonder, awe, reverence, and yes, real fear when faced with a Being infinitely greater than ourselves.

It was a good book, but my dog K-Mutt chewed it up before I could finish it. K-Mutt liked chewing on books; she also got Stephen King's The Green Mile and this workbook we were using in our Bible Study. I was able to tell Ann, our study leader, with all honesty that my dog really did chew up my homework.
 
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quietthinker

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Mmm, maybe. What are God's ultimate plans and goals for the world? How do we God's people fit in?
We can guess and cobble all manner of explanations selectively quoting chapter and verse just as we see done copiously here on the boards, however if one doesn't understand God's revelation of himself in Jesus as he desires us to understand, we are left out in the cold continuing to invent justifications for our theories and misunderstandings. Jesus addresses this by saying, 'he who has will be given more and he who does not have will have taken from him even what he thinks he has'.

The few times audible words are spoken by God and recorded in scripture ultimately amount to 'listen to him'.... ('him' referring to Jesus)

The writer of the book of Hebrews aptly tells us that Jesus is the brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person. Hebrews 1:3

It is not for no reason Jesus repeatedly says 'if you have ears to hear then hear'. The dots then being joined are as intended and your above questions addressed.
 

Jay Ross

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The talent has a monetary value. Like a certain weight of Gold or Silver or bronze. The number of talents given to a person is according to their ability to grow/trade with the number of talents given to the servants of the master.

When trading with money/talents, the good and faithful servants return to their master twice the number of talents that he had given them.

Trading with money/talents means that you are putting a monetary burden onto your neighbours such that their focus is on repaying the money/talent that they have been given back to the master's servant so that they can return with increase the money/talents back to their master.

The wicked servant followed the Law in that he kept the one talent he had been given safe so that it could not be stolen and he chose to not oppress his neighbours by lending them money where his master expected an increase in the money/talent he had given to his servant.

In the case of the wicked servant, the master told him that he should have entrusted the one talent with the bankers, because the bankers would have paid interest to him on that talent.

The wicked servant also told his master that he had no right to the increase as he had not prepared the field or watered the field in which the seed had been scattered, (A reference to the Parable of the Sower), with which his master agreed with, but he also said that he wanted this increase anyway for himself.

The purpose of the parables of the Talents and the Minas is to describe what conditions will be like in the Kingdom of God when the Everlasting kingdom is established at the beginning of the seventh age. Satan, while he is locked up in the Bottomless pit, drawing on the book of Revelation, will be imprisoned for the first 1,000 years oof the seventh age before he will be released so that he can be revealed as the one who makes desolate and the destruction that is determined for him is poured out upon him before the final judgement.

Satan will take the little people have and give it to his good and faithful servants as an additional reward for them. Sadly, they too will be consumed by the Lake of fire.

We as God saints are called to be a blessing to the people around us and to show them the way by which they can gain everlasting life. We are not to put hinderances in their way so that they do not gain God's grace of redemption.

Shalom
 

Lambano

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It's kind of strange that we are to approach His throne "boldly" yet fear Him. I sure DO fear Him...what He can do to both body AND soul.
One of my takeaways from this parable is that, like this servant, we can't serve God properly out of fear, since fear is a self-preservation instinct and is self-focused. I can confirm this out of experience. Though fear and awe and reverence and wonder are necessary to have the relationship in its proper perspective, God wants us to serve Him out of love, because love is other-focused.

He's proven that He first loved us by being willing to sacrifice Himself for our needs.
 
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