PARABLES OF THE TALENTS
AND THE POUNDS
Parable of the Talents
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . 1 to 3
Parable
of the Pounds. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . 4 to 6
Summaries: . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. pages 7 to 19
From Talent
to Pound . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 7
Taking up
your Cross . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
8
Making His
Cross Mine . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 9
I
am Crucified with Christ . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 10
Jacob
and Israel . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . 11
Adam and
Eve . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . 12
Freedom
from the Law . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 13
Life
or Death . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . 14
The Cross
of Christ is the Answer . . . . .
. . . 15
Not
I, but Christ . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . 16
The
Keys of the Kingdom . . . . .
. . . . . . . . 17
The
Abudant Life . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . 18
Conclusion.
. . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
. . . 19
PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
page 1 of 3
Introduction:
Parables
are literal stories that we can understand,
but they have spiritual meanings that
tells us,
of the things of the spiritual realms,
The Kingdom of Heavens, The Kingdom of
God.
The contents are related to spiritual things.
we will not fully understand the spiritual
things of God.
if we take it literally,
and not look for the spiritual meaning,
The word talent does
not mean our talent or our ability,
that God has given us.
It is the Greek word, Talanton.
Talanton is the Hebrew's
heaviest measure of weight,
and it is used to measure various things,
such as gold, silver, brass, etc.
(Exo. 25:39; 1Ki. 20:39).
In
this parable, the talents refer to the Cross of Christ,
for it is the Cross that God will use
on the Judgment Day,
to weigh and measure all mankind.
The question on that day will be,
what have you done with the Cross of Christ,
redemption, eternal life that we can have
through the Gospel?
(Acts 17:31, 32; Rom. 2:16; 2Thes.
1:8).
Many
interpret these talents as gifts, such as preaching,
teaching, helping, singing, money, etc.,
that God has given to the Christians.
They say that we must use these gifts,
or they will be taken away
(v. 28).
The gist of this parable,
is not speaking of a Christian and
his works because:
1. The person who did not use the
talent,
was cast into outer darkness,
for his idleness,
where there is weeping and gnashing of
teeth (v.30).
This person is not a Christian.
A Christian may not receive much reward
for his little faith,
but he is not cast into outer darkness,
for a Christian is eternally saved.
Anyone who teaches this,
it is saying that we can undo the work
of Christ,
and He died in vain.
If we can lose our salvation,
then eternal life is not eternal but temporary,
and based on what we do,
and not on the finished work of the Cross
by Christ..
2. If these talents are responsibilities,
and dependent on what we do with these
talents,
for reward or punishment,
then salvation is by grace, and keeping
it is by works.
It is based on what WE DO and not what
CHRIST HAS DONE.
The Scriptures says
"Ye are saved
by grace through faith,
and that not
of yourselves,
it is a gift
of God, not of work,
lest any man
should boast"
(Eph. 2:8-9).
"The Just shall
live by faith"
(Rom. 1:17).
"Not of works
of righteousness which we have done,
but according
to His mercy
He saved us by
the washing of regeneration,
and renewing
of the Holy Spirit."
(Tit. 3:5).
3. The word ability in v.
15 comes from the Greek word, dunamis.
It means
power, or capability that
one has.
To each of them God gave the Cross of Christ
(talent),
to see what each would do with it.
Except for those who are mentally immature,
as babies
and little children, or mentally incompetent,
each of us has the power,
or capability to accept the Gospel of
God or to reject it.
4. Putting all the 3
parables of Mat. chapter 25 together,
we see the time sequence of these parables
more clearly.
a. The Catching up (the 10 virgin;
1-13)
b. The wicked servant, cast out into outer
darkness,
awaiting the final judgment (the
talents;14-30)
c. The final and eternal punishment, the
goats,
(the sheep and the goats; 31-46)
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
Theme: Salvation: (Mat.
25:14-30)
V.14-15;
"For the
kingdom of heaven,
is as a man traveling
into a far country,
who called his
own servants,
and delivered
unto them his goods."
"And
unto each of them, he gave something of value,
which are the goods (v.14),
talents (v. 15), and money (v. 18).
He went back to heaven,
and He shall return to see,
what each would do with what he left with
them
"And unto one
he gave five talents,
to another two,
and to another one;
to every man
according to his several ability;
and straightway
took his journey."
Many
misunderstand this parable,
because they only take the word talents,
from this parable.
Besides the talents, He also left 2 other
things,
goods and money.
We should also look at the Greek meaning
of these words,
to get a better understanding of the parable.
Jesus came to earth
to die and after His resurrection,
He left something for all of us,
before He ascended into the heavens.
He has given the whole world something
of value.
He will return to see what the human race
had done,
with the things He left with them.
The Greek word for several
is idios..
It means one's own, private.
The Greek word for
ability is DUNAMIS.
It means power, to be able, to will.
The word several ability
means each have his or her own ability
to accept or reject what He has left with
us.
The Talents, goods and money.
We each have the ability to, be able to,
willing to, receive it or reject it.
In this parable,
three different words
are used,
for the things that God
has given to the world.
1. In v. 14, they are called
goods.
2. In v. 15, they are labeled
talents.
3. In v. 18, it is referred
to as money.
1. GOODS: The Greek word
used for this is huparchonta,
and it means a property or possession,
which conveys that it is something that
we can possess or own.
2. TALENTS: The Greek word
for talent is Talanton.
A talent is a unit of measure, used to
weigh and measure things.
It is the heaviest unit of measure in
the Hebrew system of weights.
The talent was used to weigh gold (2Sa.
12:30), silver (1Ki. 20:39),
iron (1Chr. 29:7), bronze (Exo. 38:29),
and many other commodities.
A talent is to measure things.
3. MONEY: The word for money
is Argurion. It means silver.
Silver is used to purchase something.
Silver is the symbol of redemption.
Gold Is the symbol of deity,
silver is the symbol of redemption,
and brass or bronze is the symbol of judgment.
The Lord has given to the
whole world:
1. GOODS: Eternal Life; something
we can possess or own (Joh. 3:15-16; 1Joh 5:13).
2. TALENT: The Cross of Christ;
the death, burial and resurrection.
God will use the Cross of Christ to measure
all of us,
of what we have done with the Cross (Rom.
2:16; 2thes. 1:8; 1pet. 4:17).
He uses the word talanton, for
it is the greatest and final measurement.
3. MONEY: Redemption; Something
used for buying our souls.
He redeems the soul through the Cross
(Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7, 14).
What
the Lord has given to the world is,
The Gospel, the good news.
These three things, eternal life, the Cross,
and redemption,
are included in the Gospel.
Three different words are used in this
parable,
to help us understand the meaning of the
gift
that God gave to the world.
Salvation by the Cross of Christ is
the means,
through redemption is the act,
to give us eternal life is the possession.
V. 16-17;
"Then he
that had received the five talents went,
and traded with
the same, and made them other five talents."
"And likewise
he that had received two, he also gained other two."
The spiritual
message here is to look at these two,
the one who received the 5 talents,
and the one who received the 2 talents,
as one person. He represents the
believers.
The one who received the one talent,
and hid it in the earth represents the
unbelievers.
The numbers represent a spiritual message,
and not a specific amount.
Numbers has literal meanings,
but they also conveys spiritual messages,
especially in parables.
The numbers 5 and 2, together,
are associated and depicts the Christians.
1. Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2
farthings,
and not one of them is forgotten before
God? (Luk. 12:6).
2. Jesus fed the 5,000 with
5 loaves and the 2 fishes.
A definite and certain amount; believers
(Mar.
6:41).
Jesus fed the 4,000 with 7 loaves and few
(?) fishes.
Uncertain amount; doubters
(Mat. 15:34). See notes on feedings.
3. The Parables of the Unjust Steward.
In this parable the 5 (50) and the 2 (20)
are found by subtracting,
from the 100 oil and the 100 wheat because
the Christians in this parable,
were not concerned about spiritual things,
thus the 5 and the 2 is hidden,
until you subtract them.
(Luk. 16:5-7).
This parable depicts the Christian,
in the negative aspect and so we get the
5 and the 2 by subtracting.
They did not have any division (5) and
testimony (2) in their lives,
so it is not shown until you subtract
the 50 from the 100,
and the 80 from the 100 and you get 50
and 20 or 5 and 2.
Thus the comment;
"the children
of this world (unbelievers) is wiser,
than the children
of light" (believers).
(see notes on the Parable of the Unjust
Steward).
Christ
uses
the numbers 5 and 2,
because they symbolize the 2 things
that become part of a person when one
is born again,
and becomes a Christian.
These 2 things are what become part of
every Christian's life.
At times it is difficult to see it in
some of us.
The number 5: Represents
division, separation.
The Christian
becomes divided from the people and the world.
In the Gospels, wherever Jesus Christ
went,
the people are divided.
They must decide whether to believe,
that He is the Son of God or not.
So there is a division of believers and
unbelievers.
You find this true in your life,
when you speak to others about the Lord
Jesus Christ.
They avoid you as much as possible when
you testify for the Lord.
Luk. 12:51-53;
"Suppose
ye that I am come to give peace on earth?
I tell
you, nay; but rather a division;
For from henceforth
there shall be 5 in one house,
divided; 3 against
2, and 2 against 3."
"The father shall be divided against the son,
and the son against
the father,
the mother against
the daughter,
and the daughter,
against the mother;
the mother-in-law
against the daughter-in-law,
and the daughter-in-law
against her mother-in-law."
He said 3 against 2 = 5, 2
against 3 = 5,
twice he mentioned this 5 x 2 = 10,
10 is the number which signifies the human
race, mankind,
and at times the total person.
Again notice,
1. father, 2. mother, 3. son, 4. daughter,
5. daughter-in-law
(married to the son),
thus the mother-in-law is the mother mentioned
above.
The number 2: Represents testimony, witness.
Two: A Christian becomes
a testimony,
or a witness for the Lord.
The number 2 represents witness.
See 2 Cor. 13:1.
In the Gospels He called the disciples
by 2,
He named them by 2 and sent them out by
2.
In Heb. 6:18 God made an
oath by 2 immutable things.
In the Old Testament,
they who despised Moses' law died under
2 or 3 witnesses.
This is also true in
understanding a scripture verse.
We should not isolate or interpret a scripture
verse,
by itself, privately.
We should read the verse in the whole context,
and in view of the book that the verse
is from.
(2 Pet. 1:20).
We should also have other scriptures,
to enhance the true meaning of the verse.
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