The claim is that by using the words “the faithful and discreet slave” in Matthew 24:45 Jesus refers to Gerrit Lösch, Samuel F. Herd, Mark S. Lett, Geoffrey W. Jackson, Kenneth E. Cook Jr., Gage Fleegle, Jeffrey Winder, Jody Jedele, Douglas M. Sanderson, David H. Splane, and Jacob Rumph.
The article shows that this is a false interpretation because:
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Taking any text in the Bible as a prophecy requires a clear scriptural basis; it must be supported by the context, which is not the case.
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None of the five other illustrations in Jesus’ great prophecy in Matthew 25 are prophecies, but they stress the importance of doing the will of God when Jesus comes as the judge in the great tribulation. This must also be the meaning of the illustration about the faithful and discreet slave.
The basic doctrines of Jehovah’s Witnesses have a solid basis in the Holy Scriptures. But in the last part of the 20th century and in the 21st century, some of these basic doctrines have been modified, and new ones have been introduced. Of the new understandings that have been presented, a few represent progress, such as the present understanding of the generation in Matthew 24:34. But most new understandings have led the readers astray, such as the rejection of the full inspiration of the Bible and that both the ransom sacrifice and the resurrection have been devalued and restricted.
The Governing Body’s new understanding of the accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures is a revolution because it undermines the principle of interpretation that Bible Students and Jehovah’s Witnesses have followed for 120 years.
The new understanding of Jesus’ illustrations represents a small progress. But the members of the Governing Body refuse to apply the same principles of understanding to the illustration of the faithful and discreet slave (Matthew 24:45-47) as they do to other illustrations of Jesus.
I quote The Watchtower of March 15, 2015, page 11:
7 For many years, God’s people found this approach [the type-antitype approach] to Bible accounts faith strengthening. Why, then, have things changed?…
10 Jehovah has helped “the faithful and discreet slave” to become steadily more discreet. Discretion has led to greater caution when it comes to calling a Bible account a prophetic drama unless there is a clear Scriptural basis for doing so. Additionally, it has been found that some of the older explanations about types and antitypes are unduly difficult for many to grasp. The details of such teachings—who pictures whom and why—can be hard to keep straight, to remember, and to apply. Of even greater concern, though, is that the moral and practical lessons of the Bible accounts under examination may be obscured or lost in all the scrutiny of possible antitypical fulfillments. Thus, we find that our literature today focuses more on the simple, practical lessons about faith, endurance, godly devotion, and other vital qualities that we learn about from Bible accounts.
On page 12, we read:
3 We noted in the preceding article that over recent decades, the faithful slave has gradually come to explain the Scriptures with less emphasis on symbolic prophetic pictures and more on practical application. In the past, our literature at times assigned specific symbolic meanings even to small details of Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, including the lamps, the oil, the flasks, and so forth. Is it possible, though, that we were allowing the spotlight to shift from the parable’s simple, urgent message? As we will see, the answer is of vital importance.
These words represent both moving forward and moving backward, as I will show below:
A CLEAR SCRIPTURAL BASIS
The principle that we must always have “a clear scriptural basis” for our application of any text in the Bible is a universal principle. I will now discuss this principle.
THE ACCOUNTS IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES
Paragraph 10 says that the members of the Governing Body will not view any account in the Hebrew Scriptures as a prophetic drama unless there is “a clear Scriptural basis for doing so.” This is a sound principle in which I agree.
However, the present members of the Governing Body are applying this principle in such an extreme way that almost no account in the Hebrew Scriptures is prophetic in their view.
Belief in the full inspiration of the Bible is built on the following basis:
- Every word in the Bible is inspired by God.
- The nuances and subtleties of the original text are important.
- Every account in the Bible is included with a particular purpose.
I have written four articles with the theme, “The members of the Governing Body do not believe in the full inspiration of the Bible,” where I demonstrate that the members of the Governing Body reject points 2) and 3).[1]
Point 3) indirectly implies that a great number of accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures have prophetic meaning because they are included with a particular purpose, and the purpose of all these accounts cannot just be to tell stories.
Paul confirms this in Romans 15:4:
For all the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction, so that through our endurance and through the comfort from the Scriptures we might have hope.
We note the words “all the things that were written,” which must refer to the accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures. All these things were written “for our instruction,” which must refer to God’s servants at any time. This teaching should give us hope, suggesting that the accounts have a deeper meaning than their mere historical context.
We can, for example, read about the prophet Elijah. He challenged 450 Baal prophets at Mount Carmel, caused fire to rain down from heaven, and was taken into the atmosphere (heaven) and put down in another place. According to Paul, these accounts must be prophetic dramas of greater things that can give us hope, as Malachi 4:5, 6 also confirms. But the members of the Governing Body do not accept that the accounts concerning Elijah are prophetic dramas.
In my book, My Beloved Religion — And The Governing Body, third edition, pages 338-343, I use six pages (338-343) to discuss in detail ten criteria that make “a clear scriptural basis” to take the accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures as prophetic types or pårophecies:
- Explicit declarations of prophetic types
- References to groups of prophetic types
- Clues in other books of the Bible
- Accounts with special or peculiar content
- General expressions identify prophetic types
- The words about the restoration of all things
- Accounts connected with prophetic words in the prophets
- Texts that are written down after their initial fulfillment must represent prophetic types
- Persons and events that are said to be signs or portents.
- Prophetic actions that are said to refer to the last days.
One or more of these criteria can be applied to most accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures, indicating that they are prophetic dramas or prophetic types. But the members of the Governing Body reject most accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures as prophetic dramas or prophecies.
[1]. You can find these articles by clicking on https://mybelovedreligion.no/, and then clicking on the magnifying glass typing the word “inspiration”.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF JESUS
To view the illustrations of Jesus in the right light, we need to understand some basic principles about how he taught people. On one occasion, the disciples asked Jesus why he used illustrations, and we read in Matthew 13:10-18:
10 So the disciples came up and said to him: “Why is it you speak to them by the use of illustrations?” 11 In reply he said: “To YOU it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of the heavens, but to those people it is not granted. 12 For whoever has, more will be given him and he will be made to abound; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
13 This is why I speak to them by the use of illustrations, because, looking, they look in vain, and hearing, they hear in vain, neither do they get the sense of it; 14 and toward them the prophecy of Isaiah is having fulfillment, which says, ‘By hearing, YOU will hear but by no means get the sense of it; and, looking, YOU will look but by no means see. 15 For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive, and with their ears they have heard without response, and they have shut their eyes; that they might never see with their eyes and hear with their ears and get the sense of it with their hearts and turn back, and I heal them.’
16 “However, happy are YOUR eyes because they behold, and YOUR ears because they hear. 17 For I truly say to YOU, Many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things YOU are beholding and did not see them, and to hear the things YOU are hearing and did not hear them. 18 “YOU, then, listen to the illustration of the man that sowed.
The point Jesus made is that he used illustrations so that the people would not understand his words. How does this make sense? Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9, 10, indicating that his listeners were not interested in the truth about God. Jesus says that “the heart of this people has grown unreceptive” and “with their ears they have heard without response.” As a result, the people heard the illustrations but left without understanding much.
The disciples of Jesus neither did understand the illustrations. But Jesus said in verse 16 that “happy are YOUR eyes because they behold.” The reason was that his disciples had a different motive than the people in general; they wanted to understand the illustrations, and therefore we read in 13:36:
36 Then after dismissing the crowds he went into the house. And his disciples came to him and said: “Explain to us the illustration of the weeds in the field.”
The disciples asked Jesus to explain a particular illustration, and when he did, they understood it.
The conclusion we can draw from this is that those who want to be followers of Jesus today can only understand the illustrations Jesus explained, or those that contain clues in the text itself or in the context.
In other words, Our explanation of the illustrations of Jesus must have “a clear scriptural basis.”
ILLUSTRATIONS WITH A FIGURATIVE MEANING
Most of the illustrations of Jesus are said to refer to the kingdom of heavens, which means that they exclusively refer to the 144,000 members of the heavenly government. Only four of Jesus’ illustrations are prophecies:
- The illustration of the wheat and the weeds. (Matthew 13:24-30,36-43)
- The illustration of the dragnet. (Matthew 13:47-50)
- The illustration of the sheep and the goats. (Matthew 25:31-46)
- The illustration of the man of noble birth who traveled to a distant land. (Luke 19:11-27)
The reason we can say that these illustrations are prophecies is that the context shows it, which means there is “a clear scriptural basis” for taking them as prophecies. All other illustrations express particularly important situations in connection with the kingdom of the heavens. I will use one example about the sower who went out to sow, as we see in Matthew 13:1-10:
1 On that day Jesus, having left the house, was sitting by the sea; 1 and great crowds gathered to him, so that he went aboard a boat and sat down, and all the crowd was standing on the beach.
3 Then he told them many things by illustrations, saying: “Look! A sower went out to sow; 4 and as he was sowing, some [seeds] fell alongside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell upon the rocky places where they did not have much soil, and at once they sprang up because of not having depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose they were scorched, and because of not having root they withered. 7 Others, too, fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell upon the fine soil and they began to yield fruit, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty. 9 Let him that has ears listen.”
10 So the disciples came up and said to him: “Why is it you speak to them by the use of illustrations?”
This illustration of Jesus does not include any clues that could identify its parts. The structure of the illustration, with all its specific details, shows that it should not convey a single, important truth, as is the case with the illustration about the pearl of great value in Matthew 13:46.
It is impossible to guess who represents the sower, the grain that was sown, and the different kinds of soil where the seeds fell. This means that if Jesus had not explained the meaning of the illustration, we would not have understood anything. This becomes clear when we study the interpretation of Jesus in 13:18-23:
18 “YOU, then, listen to the illustration of the man that sowed. 19 Where anyone hears the word of the kingdom but does not get the sense of it, the wicked one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart; this is the one sown alongside the road. 20 As for the one sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and at once accepting it with joy. 21 Yet he has no root in himself but continues for a time, and after tribulation or persecution has arisen on account of the word he is at once stumbled. 22 As for the one sown among the thorns, this is the one hearing the word, but the anxiety of this system of things and the deceptive power of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23 As for the one sown upon the fine soil, this is the one hearing the word and getting the sense of it, who really does bear fruit and produces, this one a hundredfold, that one sixty, the other thirty.”
I have already mentioned that almost all of Jesus’ illustrations deal with those who will inherit the kingdom of heaven. The only illustration dealing with persons who will live on the earth when it becomes a paradise,is the illustration of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:31-46.
ILLUSTRATIONS THAT ARE PROPHESIES
The disciples were interested in the kingdom of the heavens, and on one occasion, they believed that this kingdom would come when Jesus entered Jerusalem. To show that the kingdom should not come in a short time, Jesus told a prophetic illustration, as we see in Luke 19:11-27:
11 While they were listening to these things he spoke in addition an illustration, because he was near Jerusalem and they were imagining that the kingdom of God was going to display itself instantly.
12 Therefore he said: “A certain man of noble birth traveled to a distant land to secure kingly power for himself and to return. 13 Calling ten slaves of his he gave them ten miʹnas and told them, ‘Do business till I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent out a body of ambassadors after him, to say, ‘We do not want this [man] to become king over us.’ 15 “Eventually when he got back after having secured the kingly power, he commanded to be called to him these slaves to whom he had given the silver money, in order to ascertain what they had gained by business activity. 16 Then the first one presented himself, saying, ‘Lord, your miʹna gained ten miʹnas.’ 17 So he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because in a very small matter you have proved yourself faithful, hold authority over ten cities.’ 18 Now the second came, saying, ‘Your miʹna, Lord, made five miʹnas.’ 19 He said to this one also, ‘You, too, be in charge of five cities.’ 20 But a different one came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your miʹna, that I kept laid away in a cloth. 21 You see, I was in fear of you, because you are a harsh man; you take up what you did not deposit and you reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I judge you, wicked slave. You knew, did you, that I am a harsh man, taking up what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Hence why is it you did not put my silver money in a bank? Then on my arrival I would have collected it with interest.’ 24 “With that he said to those standing by, ‘Take the miʹna from him and give it to him that has the ten miʹnas.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten miʹnas!’— 26 ‘I say to YOU, To everyone that has, more will be given; but from the one that does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Moreover, these enemies of mine that did not want me to become king over them BRING here and slaughter them before me.’”
Because the illustration has both a temporal and a topical setting, and because Jesus told it to correct the disciples’ view of an imminent establishment of the kingdom of God, it must be a prophecy.
According to Acts 1:11, Jesus should return in the same way that he ascended to heaven. This clue indicates that the man of noble birth is Jesus, who went to heaven and will return with kingly power. In my book, My Beloved Religion — And The Governing Body, third edition, pages 50-63, I present strong evidence that Jesus returned with kingly power in the year 1914. As for identification, we can say that the man represents Jesus, the distant land represents heaven, and his return refers to the year 1914.
But what about the concrete things that are mentioned in the illustration: the citizens who hated the king, the ambassadors, three slaves, ten minas, ten cities, five minas, five cities, one mina, a cloth, a bank, and the interest of the mina. Can we say that each of these things refers to something concrete in connection with the return of Jesus? Absolutely not! These things are mentioned in connection with the illustration’s setting, and, taken together, they describe the illustration’s situation and its final fulfillment.
When the heavenly Kingdom with Jesus as king was established in 1914, no ambassadors were sent to the Kingdom. But the nations of the world could be said to be hating the king because they did not accept that Jesus was the rightful ruler over all humans on earth.
All the details about the three servants and the minas represent the situation in which Jesus would judge his servants when he returned. The prospective heirs who were supporting his Kingdom would be rewarded with his approval, and the prospective heirs who did not fully support his Kingdom would be removed from the Kingdom.
This is a theme that we find in several of Jesus’ illustrations: Those who do the will of God will be rewarded when he returns.
THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF JESUS IN HIS GREAT PROPHECY
What has run like a common thread through this discussion is the basic principle that any interpretation must have “a clear scriptural basis.” The setting of the illustration about the man who traveled to a distant land is the return of Jesus as king. Therefore, we know that this illustration is a prophecy.
The illustration of the wheat and the weeds and the illustration about the dragnet both mention the conclusion of the system of things (aiōn), and therefore, we know they are prophecies. The illustration of the sheep and the goats refers to the last judgment, when Jesus acts as the judge; therefore, it is a prophecy.
The important point is that none of the illustrations of Jesus, except the four mentioned ones, have “a clear scriptural basis” showing that they are prophecies.
According to Matthew 24:3, the apostles asked Jesus about the sign that would show that he had returned as king and was present, and that the conclusion of the system of things was a reality. Verses 3 to 22 refer to events that would occur in the first century CE until Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 CE, and similar but greater events that would occur in the conclusion of the system of things, indicating that Jesus was present.
Verses 23 to 28 in chapter 24 refer to events that occurred between 70 CE and 1914 CE, when the presence of Jesus began. Verses 29 to 51 in chapter 24 and verses 1-46 in chapter 25 refer to events in connection with the Som of Man coming as the judge in the great tribulation at the end of his presence.
Table 1.1 The setting of Matthew chapter 24
| Mattew 24:3-22 | Events in the first century until the great tribulation in 70 CE
Events during Jesus’ presence until the final great tribulation |
| Matthew 24:23-28 | Events in the period between 70 CE and 1914 CE. |
| Matthew 24:29-25:46 | Illustrations connected with The Son of Man coming as judge in the great tribulation. |
The basic principle I have followed is that only when there is “a clear scriptural basis,” that is, only when the context clearly shows that an illustration is a prophecy, can we take it as such.
As a background for the discussion of the illustrations, we should remember that the Greek word parousia (“presence”) refers to the period from 1914 to the great tribulation, whereas the Greek word erkhomai (“to come”) refers to Jesus coming as the judge in the great tribulation.
I will now consider the illustrations in Matthew 24:32-25:30.
NO ONE KNOWS THE TIME AND HOUR FOR THE COMING (ERKHOMAI) OF JESUS
We should note that in the prophecies about his coming as the judge in the great tribulation, Jesus always refers to himself in the third person as “the Son of man.”
The first three illustrations stress two points:
- In general, people will be ignorant of the sign indicating that Jesus is present and that he will soon come as judge.
- The people in general will be swept away by the great tribulation, just as the people were swept away by the flood in the days of Noah.
The fig tree
32 “Now learn from the fig tree as an illustration this point: Just as soon as its young branch grows tender and it puts forth leaves, YOU know that summer is near. 33 Likewise also YOU, when YOU see all these things, know that he is near at the doors.
34 Truly I say to YOU that this generation will by no means pass away until all these things occur. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. 36 “Concerning that day and hour nobody knows, neither the angels of the heavens nor the Son, but only the Father.
Jesus mentioned different events that should happen during his presence (verses 3-22). These events could be compared to the appearance of leaves on the fig tree, which indicates that summer is near. When his followers saw these events, they would know they were close to the time when Jesus would come as the judge in the great tribulation. But the exact time for this could not be known.
Whereas the illustration refers to events during the presence (parousia) of Jesus, the focus is on the imminent coming (erkhomai) of Jesus: “he is near at the doors.”
The days of Noah
37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the presence of the Son of man will be. 38 For as they were in those days before the flood, eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark; 39 and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away, so the presence of the Son of man will be.
Jesus used literal things like seed, trees, and fish, and events involving them, like catching fish in a net and the growth of trees, to illustrate particular points. In this situation, he used the fact that the people who lived before the flood were ignorant of what would come, and that the flood unexpectedly swept them away.
In a similar way, people will be ignorant of what is coming, and the great tribulation will unexpectedly sweep them away.
Some will be taken along
40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned; 41 two women will be grinding at the hand mill: one will be taken along and the other be abandoned. 42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because YOU do not know on what day YOUR Lord is coming (erkhomai).
The adverbial “then” has an antecedent, and this is when the people will be swept away. This illustration points out that there are two possibilities: either a person will “be taken along” and survive like Noah and his family survived the flood, or they will be left behind and will be swept away (verse 39).
| As information to his followers, Jesus used these three illustrations to stress that people in general will be ignorant, and they will swept away by the great tribulation. |
Now Jesus turns his attention to his followers and speaks directly to them in the following illustrations.
PROVE YOURSELVES READY WHEN THE SON OF MAN COMES (ERKHOMAI) IN THE GREAT TRIBULATION?
The same theme as expressed by the heading of being alert is seen in all the following illustration.
Prove yourselves ready when the Son of Man comes
43 “But know one thing, that if the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account YOU too prove yourselves ready, because at an hour that YOU do not think to be it, the Son of man is coming.
Jesus has shown that his followers should know the generation in which the great tribulation will come because of the sign he gave. But they would not know the exact time of the great tribulation.
Jesus makes the same point, saying that a householder does not know when a thief will come. Then he uses “you” in the plural and addresses his followers by saying, “prove yourselves ready.”
The faithful and discreet slave
45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. 47 Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings.
Jesus has admonished his followers to be ready when he comes. In the next illustration, he, in reality, asks: “Who will prove to be ready? by using an illustration of a slave (householder) who faithfully fulfills his task of giving literal food to the other slaves at the times when his Lord has decided. “Who will be the faithful and discreet slave?”; “who will prove himself ready?”
Fortunately, the context of Matthew 24:45-47 is found in Luke 12:35-48, and this illustration will be discussed in detail separately.
The evil slave
48 “But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.
The Greek conjunction ean (“if”) and the verb legō (“say”) in the subjunctive in verse 48 show that the words about the evil slave are hypothetical. The same situation is seen in verse 45, where the pronoun tis (“who”) together with the conjunction ara (“then” — a marker of the possibility of something” — Louw and Nida). The two words together show that this is a possible or hypothetical situation.
What is ironic is that the members of the Governing Body do not take the illustration of the evil slave as a prophecy, pointing to particular wicked persons. But they take the words about the faithful and discreet slave as a prophecy pointing to the following 11 men:
Gerrit Lösch, Samuel F. Herd, Mark S. Lett, Geoffrey W. Jackson, Kenneth E. Cook Jr., Gage Fleegle, Jeffrey Winder, Jody Jedele, Douglas M. Sanderson, David H. Splane, and Jacob Rumph. [1]
This is a false interpretation!
The first illustration in Matthew 24, is the one in verses 32-35 about the fig tree, showing that Jesus’ followers should know the generation of his presence but not the exact time for his coming as the judge in the great tribulation. After this illustration, Jesus presents five illustrations showing that people in general will be ignorant, but Jesus followers are admonished to be ready and do God’s will when he comes.
Luke chapter 21, verses 29-33, includes the illustration of the fig tree and the instruction that Jesus’ followers should know the generation of his presence. After these verses in Matthew 24, there are the five illustrations discussed above. After the same words in Luke 21:29-33, there are no illustrations, but the following words (verses 34-36):
34 “But pay attention to yourselves that YOUR hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon YOU 35 as a snare. For it will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth. 36 Keep awake, then, all the time making supplication that YOU may succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man.”
These verses (Luke 21:29-33) confirm the conclusion that the six illustrations in Matthew chapter 24 are not prophecies but figurative admonitions to Jesus’ followers to keep awake and be ready. Table 1.2 lists similar expressions in Jesus’ great prophecy:
Table 1.2 Words about being ready in Jesus’ great prophecy
|
Matthew |
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| 24:42 | keep on the watch. |
| 24:44 | prove yourselves ready. |
|
Mark |
|
| 13: 33 | keep looking, keep awake. |
| 13:35 | keep on the watch. |
| 13:37 | keep on the watch. |
|
Luke |
|
| 12:35 | let your loins be guarded. |
| ” | let your lamps be burning. |
| 12:40 | you also, keep ready. |
| 21:34 | pay attention to yourselves that YOUR hearts never become weighed down. |
| 21:36 | keep awake. |
| ” | and in standing before the Son of man. |
There is not “a clear scriptural basis” for taking any of the six illustrations in Matthew 24:32-51, including the words about the faithful and discreet slave,” as a prophecy.
The context shows that all six illustrations admonish Jesus’ followers to be ready and be doing the work of a faithful and discreet slave when the Son of man comes.
[1]. See The Watchtower of July 15, 2013, page 25.
THE TWO ACCOUNTS DEALING WITH THE FAITHFUL AND DISCREET SLAVE
There is no other of Jesus’ illustrations that are more important for the members of the Governing Body than the illustration of the faithful and discreet slave because it is the very basis for their authority. The mere fact that the members of the Governing Body rest their authority on an illustration is in itself questionable. However, the members of the Governing Body deny that the words about the faithful and discreet slave represent an illustration — they view these words as prophetic, as describing one trait of the sign of Christ’s presence. I will discuss this issue below and show what the members of the Governing Body do not understand.
Let us look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:45-47:
45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! 47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.48
These words are formed like a question. But the context does not tell us anything about the background of this question. The accounts of the great prophecy of Jesus in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13, and Luke 21 differ in length and detail.
Fortunately, there is a parallel account of Matthew 24:43-51 about the faithful and discreet slave and the evil slave, with many details in Luke 12:35-48. Table 1.1 compare the texts of these two accounts
Table 1:3 A comparison between Matthew 24:43-51 and Luke 12:35-48
| MATTHEW 24:43-51 | LUKE 12:35-48 |
|
42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it. 45 “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! 47 Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings.48 “But if ever that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ 49 and he starts to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, 50 the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, 51 and he will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his place with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.
|
35 “Be dressed and ready and have your lamps burning, 36 and you should be like men waiting for their master to return from the marriage, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. 37 Happy are those slaves whom the master on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them ready, happy are they! 39 But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”
41 Then Peter said: “Lord, are you telling this illustration just to us or also to all?” 42 And the Lord said: “Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time? 43 Happy is that slave if his master on coming finds him doing so! 44 I tell you truthfully, he will appoint him over all his belongings. 45 But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming,’ and starts to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting him and at an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones. |
There can be no doubt that the account in Luke chapter 12 and Matthew 24 are parallels. This is seen by the red, blue, orange, and green text. The important point is that the account in Luke chapter 12 has a setting that is lacking in Matthew chapter 24. And this setting shows that the words in Matthew 24:45-47 are part of a greater illustration.
I have already shown that the words about the faithful and discreet slave are not part of the sign of Jesus’ presence, because this sign is described in verses 4-22 of Matthew chapter 24. That the words about the faithful and discreet slave also occur in Luke 12:42-44 confirms this, because the sign of Jesus’ presence is not mentioned in this chapter.
AN ANALYSIS OF LUKE 12:35-48
I will now discuss the different details of the text, and I will start with Luke 12:35-38:
35 “Be dressed and ready and have your lamps burning, 36 and you should be like men waiting for their master to return from the marriage, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. 37 Happy are those slaves whom the master on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them ready, happy are they!
The situation illustrates a master attending a wedding with a group of slaves. Weddings in ancient Israel could last for seven days, and the illustration shows that the slaves would not know when the master returned from the wedding. The point in the illustration is that the slaves had to be awake and ready to open the door for the master, regardless of when he would return.
To drive home his point, Jesus tells another illustration about a householder who does not know when a thief would break into his house, as we see in verses 39 and 40:
39 But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”
Then Jesus stresses the points of both illustrations in verse 40:
“You also, keep ready, because, at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”
Please note that the master who would return from the wedding and the householder are persons in the illustrations, and therefore, they do not picture Jesus in any sense or situation. But the actions of the slaves of the master and of the householder illustrate the importance of the disciples of Jesus being ready when the Son of man returns.
When Peter heard the illustration about the master and his slaves, he asked a question, as we see in verse 41:
41 Then Peter said: “Lord, du you mean this parable for us, or for everyone? (NIV)
The meaning of this question has been viewed differently because of the possible meanings of the Greek preposition pros. This preposition with the accusative can, according to Mounce, be rendered as “to; towards.” But it can also be rendered, “concerning; in respect to.” Because Jesus is speaking to his disciples and not to everyone, I think the meaning of pros as “concerning; in respect to” is the correct one. I, therefore, view the NIV rendering of Luke 12.41 as better than the NWT84. In other words, does this illustration refer to us disciples or to everyone?”
The pronoun “us” logically refers to the disciples of Jesus who are mentioned in 12:1, and “everyone” may refer to “a crowd of so many thousands” that are mentioned in the same verse. Peter refers to “this illustration” (parabolē), and the demonstrative pronoun “this” must refer to the illustration about the master and the slaves in verses 35 to 38.
Thus, Peter’s question is whether the admonition to be ready to open the door for the master at any time only refers to the disciples or to all people.
Jesus does not answer Peter’s question directly, but he tells another illustration that is formed as a question (verse 42):
“Who really is the faithful steward (oikonomos), the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time?
The study note in NWT13 to Luke 12:42 has the following comments regarding the substantive “steward”:
steward: Or “house manager; house administrator.” The Greek word oi·ko·no’mos refers to a person placed over servants, though he himself is a servant. In ancient times, such a position was often filled by a faithful slave who was placed in charge of his master’s affairs. Therefore, it was a position of great trust. Abraham’s servant “who was managing all [Abraham] had” was such a steward, or household manager. (Ge 24:2) This was also true of Joseph, as described at Ge 39:4. The “steward” in Jesus’ illustration is referred to in the singular, but this does not necessarily mean that the steward represented only one particular person. The Scriptures contain examples of a singular noun referring to a collective group, such as when Jehovah addressed the collective group of the Israelite nation and told them: “You are my witnesses [plural], . . . yes, my servant [singular] whom I have chosen.” (Isa 43:10) Similarly, this illustration refers to a composite steward. In the parallel illustration at Mt 24:45, this steward is called “the faithful and discreet slave.”
The explanation of the word “steward” is correct. But the last part of the quotation is an attempt to smuggle into the Scriptures the doctrine of Jehovah’s Witnesses about the superior position of the 11 men in the Governing Body. But this attempt is amateurish because the clause, “Similarly, this illustration refers to a composite steward” is self-contradictory. It is correct that the words about “the faithful steward, the discreet one” represent an illustration. But the contradiction is the claim that the steward in the illustration is composite — the parts of the illustration only have a literal meaning, while they are used to illustrate something.
The illustrations of Jesus consist of words with literal references to historical situations. The situation here is a household (oikos) with a master and a slave who serves as the steward or house administrator (oikonomos), as well as other slaves with different duties in the household or as workers in the master’s fields. The meals in the household are at the same time every day (“the proper time”), and each slave will get a certain measure of the food supplies at each meal. The duty of the house administrator is to make the food ready at the proper time of the meals, so each slave gets his measure of the food.
The claim that the house administrator (oikonomos) is a “composite steward,” i.e., that there are two or more persons that are referred to as “the steward,” is pure nonsense! This is an illustration in which Jesus used literal words to refer to a literal situation in historical time. What the person who wrote the note does is to treat the illustration as a prophecy, claiming that the faithful steward refers to several persons. But there are no clues in the context that this illustration is a prophecy. Moreover, to introduce a covert interpretation into an explanation of a Greek word is to mislead the readers.
The background for these unscholarly comments is that the 11 members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that “the faithful steward, the discreet one,” is a prophetic reference to them, and that “the measure of food supplies” that should be given to each slave is a reference to the literature (spiritual food) that the members of the Governing Body publish. The words in the note are chosen to prepare the readers for this interpretation.
Let us then return to the illustrations of “the faithful steward, the discreet one” and “the thief that would come.” Jesus interpreted the illustration in the following way in verse 40:
you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it.
On the basis of these words, Peter asked whether the admonition to “keep ready” was meant only for the disciples of Jesus or for a greater audience.
Jesus did not answer this question directly, but he asked the question, “Who will it be?” “Who will be ready at the unlikely time for the coming of the Son of man?” To stress this point, Jesus connects it to another illustration quite similar to the master-and-slave illustrations. This illustration also includes the master of the house and his steward. The steward is in charge of the household, and his primary duty is to arrange the meals for the other slaves at the times decided by the master and to give each one “his measure of food supplies.”
Please keep in mind that this illustration represents a literal account of what happened in different households in Israel in the first century and that the illustration is not a part of the sign showing that Jesus had returned and was present. A steward who was doing his job by distributing the food to his fellow slaves at the meals was faithful and discreet. The contrast would be the steward who did not do his job but instead was beating his fellow slaves, ate the food supplies, and drank so much wine that he became drunk.
This contrast between the two slaves would answer the question of Peter regarding the admonition to keep ready. Which steward was ready by doing his job when his master came? That would of course be the faithful steward, the discreet one. And now we better understand the reason why Jesus started his illustration with a question: “Who will prove to be like the faithful steward when his master comes? Jesus did not say that his admonition to keep ready only related to the disciples of Jesus whom Peter knew. But he left the issue open: “Who will be ready?” In other words, any human being could prove to be faithful and discreet and, therefore, get the reward when his master came.
To understand the full force of Jesus’ illustrations in Luke chapter 12 and the similar illustrations in Matthew 24:42-51, we need to identify the master of the steward. This master does not refer to Jesus Christ, the Son of man. Why can we say that? Because of the personal pronoun his (autos) in the genitive, i.e., “his master.” The master of the faithful steward in Luke 12:42 (the same as the faithful and discreet slave in Matthew 24:45) is the owner of the house (ho kyrios tēs oikias).
We can draw the same conclusion from Matthew 24:50. This is a part of a hypothetical situation because verse 48 starts with the words, “but if ever” (ean de eipē). If the slave becomes wicked, “the master of the slave” (ho kyrios tou dolou) will come and punish him. The coming of the Son of man in the great tribulation will be a real event that with certainty will happen. It does not make sense to portray a hypothetical situation and say that if the slave becomes wicked, Jesus, as the master of the slave will come and punish him. But true to the nature of the illustration, “the master of the slave” who will come if the situation turns out to be bad, must be “the master of the house.”
This conclusion is supported by the illustration in Mark 13:32-37:
32 “Concerning that day or the hour nobody knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the Son, but the Father. 33 Keep looking, keep awake, for you do not know when the appointed time is. 34 It is like a man traveling abroad who left his house and gave the authority to his slaves (doulos), to each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to keep on the watch. 35 Keep on the watch, therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house (ho kyrios tēs oikias) is coming, whether late in the day or at midnight or before dawn or early in the morning, 36 in order that when he comes suddenly, he does not find you sleeping. 37 But what I say to you, I say to all: Keep on the watch.”
This is an illustration that is similar to the one in Luke 12:35-38. Luke uses the designation “their master” (ton kyrion autōn) and Mark uses the designation “the master of the house” (ho kyrios tēs oikias). So, there can be no doubt that “his master” (ho kyrios autos) in Luke 12:42 and Matthew 24:45 refer to the master of the house and not to the Son of man, Jesus Christ.
But if this is correct, what is the relationship between the illustrations in Luke 12:35-48 and Matthew 24:43-51 and the coming of the Son of man as the judge in the great tribulation? The answer is found in Luke 12:40.
“You also, keep ready, because, at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”
This is the only thing the illustration in Luke 12:35-38 about the slaves that should be watching shows. And this is the only thing that the illustration about the steward in Luke 12:42-44, who faithfully does his job whenever his master comes, shows.
This means that the details of the illustrations do not have any prophetic meaning. But all the details portray the whole situation whose only purpose is to show the importance of the servants of God being occupied with Christian works and being ready and watching when the Son of man comes in the great tribulation.
Therefore, the claim that the faithful steward, the discreet one, and the faithful and discreet slave, picture a small group of 11 men who will give others spiritual food at the proper time, is a total misunderstanding of the words of Jesus.
A COMPARISON OF THE GREEK DETAILS OF MATTHEW 12:45-47 AND LUKE 14:42-44
The verses of our interest are Matthew 24:45–47, and according to the context, the events described by these verses must occur during the great tribulation. These verses parallel Luke 12:42–44, and I will translate the verses and compare them:
Table 1.4 The translation of the words in Luke 12:42-44 and Matthew 24:45-46
As we already have seen, the verses in Luke 12 and Matthew 24 are very similar. In Luke 12:42, the person is called “steward” (oikonomos), which refers to the slave in charge of the master’s household. This is confirmed in verse 43, where the steward is called “slave” (doulos).
In the parallel in Matthew 24:45, the person is called “slave” (doulos). So, the situation is exactly the same in both instances. The duties of such slaves were to arrange the meals and give the other slaves the food that they should have at the appointed times of the meals. Luke 12:42 uses the word “food allowance” (sitometrion)—what the slaves rightly should have—and Matthew 24:45 uses the word “food” (trofē). This word can also refer to a “portion,” so there is no real difference between the two words.
In the epithets of the slave, there is the conjunction kai (“and”) in Matthew. But this word is lacking in Luke. Literally, Matthew says: “who is the faithful slave and the wise (one).” In Greek, the conjunction kai needs not always be translated as “and.” In Galatians 5:16, for example, a good translation would be “even,” and I use this translation in Matthew 24:45.
In connection with the duty of the slave and his appointment, Luke uses the verb kathistēmi (“appoint”) in the future, while Matthew uses the same verb in the aorist. It is clear from the use of the aorist in the Christian Greek Scriptures that it can refer to completed and uncompleted actions. Therefore, there is no linguistic reason to use the English past tense or perfect for the aorist verb “appoint” in Matthew 24:45 and to use the future in Luke 12:42.
The Greek form estin is the present form of the verb eimi (“to be”). Greek present is not a tense but the imperfective aspect, and it can be used for past, present, and future. Because Jesus asks a question about a situation that has not yet materialized, and he uses the future form kathistēmi, the temporal reference of estin must be future. Therefore, I translate “Who then will be the faithful steward/slave?” and not “Who then is the faithful steward/slave?”
Moreover, in Luke 12:35–40, Jesus admonishes his listeners to be ready. And as his reply to Peter’s question whether Jesus’ illustration only refers to the disciples or to all people, Jesus, in effect, asks: “Who will it be?” This means that each individual must decide, and the appointment as a steward must occur after the individual has made his or her decision.
Because the words in Matthew 24:45–47 are very similar to the words in Luke 12:42–45, the setting must be the same, namely, who will be on the watch when Jesus comes.
This is confirmed by the words in Mark 13:33–37, which are very similar to the words in Luke 12:35–40. Thus, the appointment in Matthew 24:45, which is expressed by the aorist, must be future and not completed, just as it is in Luke 12:42.
Because Greek aorist is not a tense but only an aspect, the perfective one, it merely focuses on the action to appoint without any details visible as to manner or time, and the context shows that this action is future. This is exactly the same focus as Greek future. But a similar focus is made by different linguistic factors: In the case of the aorist, the aspect of the verb and the context indicate future reference, while in the other case, the future verb form alone and not the context indicates future reference.
One reason why it is easy to misunderstand the words in Matthew 24:45-47 about the faithful and discreet slave is that the context of these three verses is lacking in Matthew chapter 24. However, when we study the context of the similar words in Luke chapter 12, where we find the illustration of the slaves that should be watching for their mater’s return at any time, and that the words about the faithful and discreet slave represent the answer Jesus gave to Peter’s question, then we realize that the words about the faithful and discreet slave are not a prophecy but an illustration stressing the importance of being occupied with Christian works and being on the watch when Jesus comes in the great tribulation.
| The “faithful and discreet slave” refers to any Christian who is faithful and keeping on the watch when Jesus comes as the judge in the great tribulation. It does not refer to a class or group that gives spiritual food during Christ’s presence. |
The basic point of the illustration is:
“Be occupied with Christian works, and keep on the watch because you do not know the day and hour when the Son of man is coming.”
In order to be complete, I also need to discuss the words “your Lord” in the two clauses in Matthew 24:42:
Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
Who is “your Lord” who is coming in this verse? At first glance, the reference appears to be to Jesus Christ, since his coming is mentioned in Matthew 24:30, 39, and 44. However, there are two problems with this view. The first problem is that when the coming of Jesus in the great tribulation is mentioned, the subject is always “the Son of man” and not “the lord,” The second problem is that the word “lord” (kyrios) is determined with the pronoun “your.”
When a substantive is determined in this way, there must be an antecedent, a particular reference. When the words “your lord” is used in a clause, there must be antecedents, i.e., both the persons referred to by “your” and “the lord” must be identified, usually before this mention, or in some instances afterward. But there are no such antecedents to “your lord” in the context. I suggest the following solution:
When we look at table 1:3, we see that the clauses, “Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord is coming,” in Matthew 24:42 and “Be dressed and ready and have your lamps burning,” in Luke 12:35 have the same green color. The words “keep on the watch” and “be dressed and ready” have the same meaning, and, therefore, the two passages say the same thing. I have already pointed out that a part of the overall setting of the situation mentioned in Luke chapter 12 is missing in Matthew 24. Because of this, I suggest the following changed setting:
Table 1.5 The comparison between the setting in Luke chapter 12 and Matthew chapter 24
| Matthew 24:35 [Luke 12:36-38] Matthew 24:43-44
42 Keep on the watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord (kyrios) is coming. [ 36 and you should be like men waiting for their master (kyrios) to return from the marriage, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. 37 Happy are those slaves whom the master (kyrios) on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them ready, happy are they!] 43 “But know one thing: If the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have kept awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 On this account, you too prove yourselves ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour that you do not think to be it. |
Luke 12:35-40
35 “Be dressed and ready and have your lamps burning, 36 and you should be like men waiting for their master to return from the marriage, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. 37 Happy are those slaves whom the master on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. 38 And if he comes in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them ready, happy are they! 39 But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”
|
I have moved the text in verses 36 to 38 in Luke chapter 12 to a position after verse 42 and before verse 43 in Matthew 24. If this new setting is correct, “your master” in Matthew 24:42 has a clear antecedent. The reference of “lord” (kyrios) in Matthew 23:42 is to “the master” (kyrios) in Luke 12:36, 37. This understanding will solve both the problems that I have outlined above.
I would like to mention the word “therefore” (oun) in Matthew 24:42. It could seem to refer to verses 37 to 41 in Matthew chapter 24. But it is more likely that oun refers to the following text. The reason why the persons should keep on watch should be that they did not know the time or hour.
I would like to stress that my suggestion is not an attempt to add anything to the text in Matthew chapter 24. But just as I show there is a setting in Luke chapter 12 for the words about the faithful and discreet slave in Matthew 24:45-47, a setting that is not written in Matthew chapter 24, the setting in Luke chapter 12 may also be applied to Matthew 24:42.
| The comparison between Matthew 24 and Luke 12 shows that “the faithful and discreet slave” mentioned in Matt 24:45-47 is not a prophecy referring to the 11 members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
But Jesus asks which of his servants will be like a faithful and discreet slave who does God’s work and who is ready when the Son of man comes as the Judge in the great tribulation. |
CONCLUSION
The members of the Governing Body demand that to take an account in the Hebrew Scriptures or Christian Greek Scriptures as a prophetic drama or a prophecy, there must be “a clear scriptural basis.”
This is a correct demand. However, the members of the Governing Body interpret this requirement so strictly in connection with accounts in the Hebrew Scriptures that they view almost none of these accounts as prophetic dramas or prophecies. This is the same as contradicting the view that each account in the Scriptures is included with a particular purpose.
The members of the Governing Body neither follow the requirement of “a clear scriptural basis” in connection with the illustrations of Jesus. In this article I have shown that there is nothing in the context showing that Matthew 24:45-47, dealing with the faithful and discreet slave, is a prophecy that is fulfilled on the 11 members of the Governing Body. To the contrary, the five other illustrations in the context have a figurative meaning. And the parallel account in Luke 12:35-47 shows that the question “Who is the faithful and discreet slave” related to the great tribulation and to which persons are ready for the coming of Jesus Christ.
OVERSKRIFT 3
Dette er en eksempeltekst til nettsiden. Når du skriver tekst til nettsiden så er det viktig å huske på at det både er en potensiell kunde som leser dette, men også Google skal «lese» denne teksten. Prøv å skriv innhold som er informativ for det produktet eller den tjenesten du tilbyr, der søkeord, fraser og setninger flettes inn på en naturlig og lettleselig måte.
CONCLUSION
Dette er en eksempeltekst til nettsiden. Når du skriver tekst til nettsiden så er det viktig å huske på at det både er en potensiell kunde som leser dette, men også Google skal «lese» denne teksten. Prøv å skriv innhold som er informativ for det produktet eller den tjenesten du tilbyr, der søkeord, fraser og setninger flettes inn på en naturlig og lettleselig måte.
