Luke 12:48

12:48 But the one who did not know his master’s will ¹  and did things worthy of punishment ²  will receive a light beating. ³  From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, ⁴  and from the one who has been entrusted with much, ⁵  even more will be asked. ⁶ 

Luke 16:2-13

16:2 So ⁷  he called the manager ⁸  in and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? ⁹  Turn in the account of your administration, ¹⁰  because you can no longer be my manager.’ 16:3 Then ¹¹  the manager said to himself, ‘What should I do, since my master is taking my position ¹²  away from me? I’m not strong enough to dig, ¹³  and I’m too ashamed ¹⁴  to beg. 16:4 I know ¹⁵  what to do so that when I am put out of management, people will welcome me into their homes.’ ¹⁶  16:5 So ¹⁷  he contacted ¹⁸  his master’s debtors one by one. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 16:6 The man ¹⁹  replied, ‘A hundred measures ²⁰  of olive oil.’ The manager ²¹  said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write fifty.’ ²²  16:7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ The second man ²³  replied, ‘A hundred measures ²⁴  of wheat.’ The manager ²⁵  said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ ²⁶  16:8 The ²⁷  master commended the dishonest ²⁸  manager because he acted shrewdly. ²⁹  For the people ³⁰  of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries ³¹  than the people ³²  of light. 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, ³³  so that when it runs out you will be welcomed ³⁴  into the eternal homes. ³⁵ 

16:10 “The one who is faithful in a very little ³⁶  is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 16:11 If then you haven’t been trustworthy ³⁷  in handling worldly wealth, ³⁸  who will entrust you with the true riches? ³⁹  16:12 And if you haven’t been trustworthy ⁴⁰  with someone else’s property, ⁴¹  who will give you your own ⁴² ? 16:13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate ⁴³  the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise ⁴⁴  the other. You cannot serve God and money.” ⁴⁵ 

Matthew 18:23-35

The Parable of the Unforgiving Slave

18:23 “For this reason, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. ⁴⁶  18:24 As ⁴⁷  he began settling his accounts, a man who owed ten thousand talents ⁴⁸  was brought to him. 18:25 Because ⁴⁹  he was not able to repay it, ⁵⁰  the lord ordered him to be sold, along with ⁵¹  his wife, children, and whatever he possessed, and repayment to be made. 18:26 Then the slave threw himself to the ground ⁵²  before him, saying, ⁵³  ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you everything.’ 18:27 The lord had compassion on that slave and released him, and forgave him the debt. 18:28 After ⁵⁴  he went out, that same slave found one of his fellow slaves who owed him one hundred silver coins. ⁵⁵  So ⁵⁶  he grabbed him by the throat and started to choke him, ⁵⁷  saying, ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ ⁵⁸  18:29 Then his fellow slave threw himself down and begged him, ⁵⁹  ‘Be patient with me, and I will repay you.’ 18:30 But he refused. Instead, he went out and threw him in prison until he repaid the debt. 18:31 When ⁶⁰  his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were very upset and went and told their lord everything that had taken place. 18:32 Then his lord called the first slave ⁶¹  and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me! 18:33 Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ 18:34 And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him ⁶²  until he repaid all he owed. 18:35 So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive your ⁶³  brother ⁶⁴  from your heart.”

Matthew 25:19

25:19 After ⁶⁵  a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them.

Romans 14:10-12

14:10 But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? ⁶⁶  And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? ⁶⁷  For we will all stand before the judgment seat ⁶⁸  of God. 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” ⁶⁹  14:12 Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ⁷⁰ 

Romans 14:1

Exhortation to Mutual Forbearance

14:1 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions. ⁷¹ 

Colossians 4:1-5

4:1 Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven.

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. 4:3 At the same time pray ⁷²  for us too, that ⁷³  God may open a door for the message ⁷⁴  so that we may proclaim ⁷⁵  the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁷⁶  4:4 Pray that I may make it known as I should. ⁷⁷  4:5 Conduct yourselves ⁷⁸  with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities.

[12:48]  ¹ tn Grk “did not know”; the phrase “his master’s will” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the contemporary English reader.

[12:48]  ² tn Grk “blows.”

[12:48]  ³ tn Grk “will receive few (blows).”

[12:48]  ⁴ tn Grk “required from him”; but the words “from him” are redundant in English and have not been translated.

[12:48]  ⁵ sn Entrusted with much. To be gifted with precious responsibility is something that requires faithfulness.

[12:48]  ⁶ tn Grk “they will ask even more.”

[16:2]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the reports the man received about his manager.

[16:2]  ⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:2]  ⁹ sn Although phrased as a question, the charges were believed by the owner, as his dismissal of the manager implies.

[16:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “stewardship”; the Greek word οἰκονομία (oikonomia) is cognate with the noun for the manager (οἰκονόμος, oikonomo").

[16:3]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events in the parable.

[16:3]  ¹² tn Grk “the stewardship,” “the management.”

[16:3]  ¹³ tn Here “dig” could refer (1) to excavation (“dig ditches,” L&N 19.55) or (2) to agricultural labor (“work the soil,” L&N 43.3). In either case this was labor performed by the uneducated, so it would be an insult as a job for a manager.

[16:3]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “I do not have strength to dig; I am ashamed to beg.”

[16:4]  ¹⁵ tn This is a dramatic use of the aorist and the verse is left unconnected to the previous verse by asyndeton, giving the impression of a sudden realization.

[16:4]  ¹⁶ sn Thinking ahead, the manager develops a plan to make people think kindly of him (welcome me into their homes).

[16:5]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the manager’s decision.

[16:5]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “summoning.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:6]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the first debtor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:6]  ²⁰ sn A measure (sometimes translated “bath”) was just over 8 gallons (about 30 liters). This is a large debt – about 875 gallons (3000 liters) of olive oil, worth 1000 denarii, over three year’s pay for a daily worker.

[16:6]  ²¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[16:6]  ²² sn The bill was halved (sit down quickly, and write fifty). What was the steward doing? This is debated. 1) Did he simply lower the price? 2) Did he remove interest from the debt? 3) Did he remove his own commission? It is hard to be sure. Either of the latter two options is more likely. The goal was clear: The manager would be seen in a favorable light for bringing a deflationary trend to prices.

[16:7]  ²³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the second debtor) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[16:7]  ²⁴ sn The hundred measures here was a hundreds cors. A cor was a Hebrew dry measure for grain, flour, etc., of between 10-12 bushels (about 390 liters). This was a huge amount of wheat, representing the yield of about 100 acres, a debt of between 2500-3000 denarii.

[16:7]  ²⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the manager) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:7]  ²⁶ sn The percentage of reduction may not be as great because of the change in material.

[16:8]  ²⁷ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[16:8]  ²⁸ sn Is the manager dishonest because of what he just did? Or is it a reference to what he had done earlier, described in v. 1? This is a difficult question, but it seems unlikely that the master, having fired the man for prior dishonesty, would now commend those same actions. It would also be unusual for Jesus to make that point of the story the example. Thus it is more likely the reference to dishonesty goes back to the earliest events, while the commendation is for the cleverness of the former manager reflected in vv. 5-7.

[16:8]  ²⁹ sn Where this parable ends is debated: Does it conclude with v. 7, after v. 8a, after v. 8b, or after v. 9? Verse 8a looks as if it is still part of the story, with its clear reference to the manager, while 8b looks like Jesus’ application, since its remarks are more general. So it is most likely the parable stops after v. 8a.

[16:8]  ³⁰ tn Grk “sons” (an idiom).

[16:8]  ³¹ tn Grk “with their own generation.”

[16:8]  ³² tn Grk “sons.” Here the phrase “sons of light” is a reference to the righteous. The point is that those of the world often think ahead about consequences better than the righteous do.

[16:9]  ³³ tn Grk “unrighteous mammon.” Mammon is the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. The call is to be generous and kind in its use. Zacchaeus becomes the example of this in Luke’s Gospel (19:1-10).

[16:9]  ³⁴ sn The passive refers to the welcome of heaven.

[16:9]  ³⁵ tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).

[16:10]  ³⁶ sn The point of the statement faithful in a very little is that character is shown in how little things are treated.

[16:11]  ³⁷ tn Or “faithful.”

[16:11]  ³⁸ tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9.

[16:11]  ³⁹ sn Entrust you with the true riches is a reference to future service for God. The idea is like 1 Cor 9:11, except there the imagery is reversed.

[16:12]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “faithful.”

[16:12]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “have not been faithful with what is another’s.”

[16:12]  ⁴² tn Grk “what is your own.”

[16:13]  ⁴³ sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.

[16:13]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”

[16:13]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “God and mammon.” This is the same word (μαμωνᾶς, mamwnas; often merely transliterated as “mammon”) translated “worldly wealth” in vv. 9, 11.

[18:23]  ⁴⁶ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[18:24]  ⁴⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:24]  ⁴⁸ sn A talent was a huge sum of money, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarius was the usual day’s wage for a worker. L&N 6.82 states, “a Greek monetary unit (also a unit of weight) with a value which fluctuated, depending upon the particular monetary system which prevailed at a particular period of time (a silver talent was worth approximately six thousand denarii with gold talents worth at least thirty times that much).”

[18:25]  ⁴⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:25]  ⁵⁰ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:25]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “and his wife.”

[18:26]  ⁵² tn Grk “falling therefore the slave bowed down to the ground.” The redundancy of this expression signals the desperation of the slave in begging for mercy.

[18:26]  ⁵³ tc The majority of mss (א L W 058 0281 Ë^1,13 33 Ï it sy^p,h co) begin the slave’s plea with “Lord” (κύριε, kurie), though a few important witnesses lack this vocative (B D Θ 700 pc lat sy^s,c Or Chr). Understanding the parable to refer to the Lord, scribes would be naturally prone to add the vocative here, especially as the slave’s plea is a plea for mercy. Thus, the shorter reading is more likely to be authentic.

[18:28]  ⁵⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:28]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “one hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be about three month’s pay.

[18:28]  ⁵⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so.” A new sentence was started at this point in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:28]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “and he grabbed him and started choking him.”

[18:28]  ⁵⁸ tn The word “me” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:29]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “begged him, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant here in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[18:31]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “Therefore when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[18:32]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the first slave mentioned in v. 24) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:34]  ⁶² tn Grk “handed him over to the torturers,” referring specifically to guards whose job was to torture prisoners who were being questioned. According to L&N 37.126, it is difficult to know for certain in this instance whether the term actually envisions torture as a part of the punishment or is simply a hyperbole. However, in light of the following verse and Jesus’ other warning statements in Matthew about “fiery hell,” “the outer darkness,” etc., it is best not to dismiss this as mere imagery.

[18:35]  ⁶³ tn Grk “his.” The pronoun has been translated to follow English idiom (the last pronoun of the verse [“from your heart”] is second person plural in the original).

[18:35]  ⁶⁴ tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a), whether male or female. Concerning the familial connotations, see also the note on the first occurrence of this term in v. 15.

[25:19]  ⁶⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[14:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “But why do you judge your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “weak” Christian who eats only vegetables (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “Or again, why do you despise your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “strong” Christian who eats everything (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ⁶⁸ sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.

[14:11]  ⁶⁹ sn A quotation from Isa 45:23.

[14:12]  ⁷⁰ tc ‡ The words “to God” are absent from some mss (B F G 6 630 1739 1881 pc) but are found in א A C D Ψ 0209 33 Ï lat sy co. External evidence somewhat favors their inclusion since Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine mss are well represented. From an internal standpoint, however, it is easy to see the words as a scribal gloss intended to clarify the referent, especially as a reinforcement to the quotation of Isa 45:23 in v. 11. Not only that, but the abrupt ending of the verse without “to God” is harsh, both in Greek and in English. In this instance, the internal considerations seem overwhelming on the side of the omission. At the same time, English stylistic needs require the words and they have been put into the translation, even though they are most likely not original. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

[14:1]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “over opinions.” The qualifier “differing” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[4:3]  ⁷² tn Though προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) is an adverbial participle related to the previous imperative, προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite), it is here translated as an independent clause due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:3]  ⁷³ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been rendered as substantival here, indicating the content of the prayer rather than the purpose for it. These two ideas are very similar and difficult to differentiate in this passage, but the conjunction ἵνα following a verb of praying is generally regarded as giving the content of the prayer.

[4:3]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “that God may open for us a door of the word to speak the mystery of Christ.” The construction in Greek is somewhat awkward in this clause. The translation attempts to simplify this structure somewhat and yet communicate exactly what Paul is asking for.

[4:3]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “so that we may speak.”

[4:3]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “in prison.”

[4:4]  ⁷⁷ tn The phrase begins with the ἵνα (Jina) clause and is subordinate to the imperative προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite) in v. 2. The reference to the idea that Paul must make it known indicates that this clause is probably best viewed as purpose and not content, like the ἵνα of v. 3. It is the second purpose stated in the context; the first is expressed through the infinitive λαλῆσαι (lalhsai) in v. 3. The term “pray” at the beginning of the sentence is intended to pick up the imperative of v. 3.

[4:5]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “walk.” The verb περιπατέω (peripatew) is a common NT idiom for one’s lifestyle, behavior, or manner of conduct (L&N 41.11).