Matthew 24:45 - Faithful and Discreet Slave

by **ApolloBSGVP04** on Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:32 pm

I was wondering if anyone could help me understand this passage more clearly. What specifically is Jesus talking about? It's really important to me because I have some friends that seem to have misinterpreted this passage. 
 
I think Jesus is simply warning us to always stay on the watch, since we do not know the day or the hour of his return. As a matter of fact, he states just that in the passages before Matthew 24: 45. I think the faithful and discreet slave is any Christian who lives his or her life as if Jesus will return the next day. What do you all think? Is there something deeper I missed? 
 
Thank you for your help. 
 
- Dave 
Edited by: <A HREF=http://p203.ezboard.com/bherbsdiscussionboard.showUserPublicProfile?gid=apollobsgvp04>ApolloBSGVP04</A> at: 12/4/05 10:44 pm

by **holmesr** on Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:24 pm

Is your friend by any chance a JW? 
-They say its the watchtower society 
If that’s where you were going with this post then I would say that you are right. There is no reason to see this as speaking of an organization or denomination. Jesus is speaking to people about individual accountability as the consequences of their actions. Look at the verse above... Two in the field one taken... Individual accountability for how the servant will act as the master is away, and when he returns. To see this as pertaining to a group is a stretch of interpretation that strays away from Jesus' original intent by applying faulty hermeneutics... 
Hope that helped. 
Always ask yourself, first and foremost, “What would the original audience have understood this to mean?” Then if there are other reasons to find a deeper meaning in scripture then those can be explored and weighed... But not merely on a whim like the JW's do. They read the watchtower into all sorts of verses... 
Blessings, 
RH

by **perigrini** on Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:25 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>I was wondering if anyone could help me understand this passage more clearly. What specifically is Jesus talking about? It's really important to me because I have some friends that seem to have misinterpreted this passage. 
 
I think Jesus is simply warning us to always stay on the watch, since we do not know the day or the hour of his return. As a matter of fact, he states just that in the passages before Matthew 24: 45. I think the faithful and discreet slave is any Christian who lives his or her life as if Jesus will return the next day. What do you all think? Is there something deeper I missed?<hr></blockquote> 
I can offer my opinion. 
 
I think you're interpretation is not too far from mine. I'll post the verse and the few following it... 
 
<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Mat 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 
Mat 24:46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 
Mat 24:47 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 
Mat 24:48 "But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,' 
Mat 24:49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 
Mat 24:50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect {him} and at an hour which he does not know, 
Mat 24:51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.<hr></blockquote> 
The verses after the one you cited are a negative example of the slave in consideration. That is, an evil slaves says in his heart "my master is not coming for a long time" and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards. 
 
This negative example is given in contrast to the faithful and sensible slave....which, one could infer, would do the opposite of what the evil slave does. 
 
So what is the evil slave doing? 
Acting AS IF our Lord will not come for a long time. 
This isn't to say that His return is imminent, or not imminent. 
 
And how does this evil slave act in relation to acting as if the Lord will not come for a long time? 
 
He beats the other slaves (misuses his authority for personal advantage). 
He eats and drinks with drunkards (does not live a Godward life but instead he keeps poor company and behaves in a glutoneous fashion without wisdom or constraint...bearing a bad witness to Christ). 
 
Note verse 50 "...the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect {him} and at an hour which he does not know..." 
Notice the thing here? Often people simply point to the part about the master coming on a day when he does not expect and an hour which he does not know. But we must also pay attention to the first part of that..."the master of THAT slave". That is, it is to the evil slave that the coming of the master is when he does not expect. The implication here is that is not the case for the faithful and sensible slave. 
 
That is the same sort of information provided here... 
 
<blockquote>Quote:<hr>1Th 5:4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief<hr></blockquote> 
That is, for the faithful and sensible slave (the true brethern) is not in the darkness that the day would overtake them as a thief in the night. 
 
So what is the faithful and sensible slave expected to do? I believe verse 45 gives us a clue to that... 
 
<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Mat 24:45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time?<hr></blockquote> 
It seems the slaves, all of them, are put in charge of His household...it is the faithful and sensible slaves who "give them their food at the proper time". 
I believe the household represents the world, not just Christians. The reason I believe this is in relation to this verse in conjunction with another passage... 
 
<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Mat 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 
Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."<hr></blockquote> 
At the end of this same book (Matthew) Jesus gives the Great Commandment to Go and make disciples of all the nations...which I believe is the household referenced in the previous passage. And the feeding in the proper time I believe is the discipling, baptizing and teaching that we are told to do...and the proper time is before the end of the age...which fits with this verse... 
 
<blockquote>Quote:<hr>Mat 24:14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.<hr></blockquote> 
 
 
Anyway, there's my 2 cents worth. 
 
Blessings, 
 
perigrini

by **ApolloBSGVP04** on Sun Dec 04, 2005 10:04 pm

<blockquote>Quote:<hr> Is your friend by any chance a JW?<hr></blockquote> 
 
As a matter of fact, he is. He's been trying to recruit me, but I've been ducking him recently, saying I've been busy and things of that nature. 
 
Frankly, I'm tired of running. Since I have the real truth, I shouldn't have to hide from them. 
 
Anyway, thanks for the insight guys. <img src=http://forums.catholic.com/images/smilies/signs/blessyou.png ALT=":blessyou">

by **holmesr** on Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:46 am

A wonderful book that you should get is "Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's Witnesses" by John Rhodes. It is very thourough. It will give you all of the ammo that you need. Become knowledgable about them but focus on one issue at a time (the book will help you with this) It even gives you questions to ask about certain things. Trust me its worth taking a look at. But I wouldnt use it like a handbook in front of him. Little by little chalenge on key issues. confronting your friend with the truth in a way that will keep him comming back while eroding his confidence in the JW's teachings is the most loving thing you can do. They really dont understand the context into which scripture was spoken. They see everything in light of the watchtower. Its a good book. Itll help you a lot...Take notes 
Be encouraged they may sound like they know the Bible really well but in all actuality they are pretty ignorant when it comes to understanding it. They are just used to preaching the party line, being that they do it all of the time. 
Blessings in the Lord, 
HolmesR

by **DE438** on Tue Dec 27, 2005 5:12 pm

Matthew 24:45-47 points to one man only who is given the stewardship over the Lords household of faith. He was to bring forth the new "meat in due season", the reaping message of Harvest of the Wheat, at the end of the Gospel Age. This man is C.T. Russell who lived 1852-1916 and produced that message ina series of books entitled; "Studies in the Scriptures" which the JW's are not encouraged to read. In fact they ave repudiated most of what he taught. He was not the founder of the JW's as they claim. J.R Rutherford is their Pappy. Russell died in 1916, the JW's came about in 1931 by Rutherford. If you are seeking truth, read Russell's books. Get a handle on God's Plan of the Ages. 
DE438 Psalm 50:5

Matthew 24:45 - Faithful and Discreet Slave

Matthew 24:45 - Faithful and Discreet Slave

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