(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
- “At that time, the kingdom of the heavens will be compared to ten virgins, who having taken their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom.
- “And five of them were foolish and five were prudent,
- “for the foolish took their lamps but didn’t take oil with them.
- “But the prudent took oil in flasks with their lamps.
- “And while the bridegroom is delaying, they all became drowsy and were sleeping.
- “And in the middle of the night, a great cry *happened: “Behold the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!”
- “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
- “And the foolish said to the prudent; “Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.”
- “But the prudent answered, saying; “Never. There definitely isn’t enough for both us and you. Instead, go to the men selling oil and buy it for yourselves.”
- “But while they’re going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came. And the virgins who were ready entered into the wedding feast with him and the door was shut.
- “And later the remaining virgins also come, saying; “Lord, lord; open for us.”
- “But answering, he said; “Amen I tell you: I don’t *know you.”
- “Therefore, keep watch because you don’t *know the day nor the hour [in which the Son of Man comes].
The Parable of the Talents
- “For it’s just like a man traveling to a foreign country, who called his own slaves and handed over his possessions to them.
- “And indeed, he gave five talents1A “talent” is not a coin but a measure of weight. It was about 75lbs, or 3000 silver shekels in weight. A talent of silver was worth about 6,000 denarii, which was the going rate for a day’s worth of unskilled labor. to one, and two talents to another, and one talent to another; to each according to his own ability. And he immediately traveled to a foreign country.
- “Having gone, the man who received five talents traded with them and gained another five.
- “Likewise, the man with two gained another two.
- “But having departed, the man who received one talent dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s silver.
- “And after much time passed, the master of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them.
- “And having approached, the man who received five talents brought another five talents, saying; “Master, you handed me five talents. Behold, I gained another five talents.”
- “His master was telling him; “Well done good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many. Enter into the joy of your master.”
- “And having also approached, the man who received two talents said; “Master, you handed me two talents. Behold, I gained another two talents.
- “His master was telling him; “Well done good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many. Enter into the joy of your master.”
- “And having also approached, the man who has received one talent said; “Master, I knew you, that you’re a harsh man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you didn’t scatter seed.”
- “And having been afraid, I departed and hid your talent in the ground. Behold, you have what’s yours.”
- “But answering, his master told him; “You wicked and lazy slave! You had known that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter seed.
- “Therefore, it was proper for you to invest my silver with the bankers, and having come back I would’ve recovered my money with interest.
- “Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to the man having ten talents.
- “For to every man who has, more will be given and he will have abundance. But the man who doesn’t have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
- “Also, cast out the useless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
The Sheep and the Goats
- “And when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne.
- “And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
- “And indeed, He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left.
- “Then the King will tell the men on His right; “Come, you men who have been blessed by My Father; inherit the kingdom *prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
- “For I hungered, and you gave Me food to eat. I thirsted, and you gave Me a drink. I was a foreigner, and you were hospitable to Me.
- “I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to Me.”
- “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying; “Lord, when did we see you hungering and fed you, or thirsting and gave you a drink?
- “And when did we see you as a foreigner and were hospitable, or see you naked and clothed you?
- “And when did we see you being sick or in prison and came to you?
- “And answering, the King will tell them; “Amen I tell you: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.
- And then He will tell the men on His left; “Depart from Me, you men who have been cursed into the fire of ages2“fire of ages” is literal. It’s traditionally translated “eternal fire” here, but that’s less literal and “fire of ages” also captures the severity of the fire, which the traditional interpretation doesn’t. *prepared for the Accuser3“The Accuser” is literal. The Greek word used here is “διάβολος” (diabolos), and it’s the root of our English word “devil”. Much like “Christ” (see note on Matt 1:1) “devil” isn’t a name but rather a descriptive title. and his angels.
- For I hungered and you didn’t give Me food to eat. I thirsted, and you didn’t give Me a drink.
- I was a foreigner, and you weren’t hospitable to Me; naked, and you didn’t clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit Me.
- “And then they will answer, saying; “Lord, when did we see you hungering, or thirsting, or a foreigner, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t serve you?”
- “Then He will answer them, saying; “Amen I tell you: whatever you didn’t do for one of the least of these, you didn’t do for Me.
- And these will depart into the punishment of ages,4“punishment of ages” is literal. It’s traditionally translated “eternal punishment” here, but that’s less literal and “punishment of ages” also captures the severity of the punishment, which the traditional interpretation doesn’t. but the righteous into the life of ages.”5“life of ages” is literal, and captures the duration as well as the quality of the life, which the traditional interpretation of “eternal life” doesn’t.
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