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No doubt some of you are aware through earlier threads of the fact that I am a practising Christian. However there is one parable in the Bible that leaves me scratching my head - the parable of the talents (Matthew 25). "The kingdom of Heaven is like..." In this case it concernes a master who gives his men talents before going on a long journey. To one he gives five talents, to a second two, and to a third, one. When he cam back, he was well pleased with the servant who had doubled his to ten, pleased with the one who had doubled it to four, but furious with the one who had hidden it in the ground and had done nothing with it. "Had you put it in the bank, at least I would have got something back..." It obviously has nothing to do with money, so what is the meaning of the parable? This is not a wind up, it's been bugging my for years, brought to the surface because somebody read it out in church last week.

Off the top of my back-sliding head:



God gives us gifts (talents) - singing, speaking, cleaning out grease pits, whatever. God is pleased if we use these gifts for his glory (define glory however you like), and displeased if we keep our gifts under wraps because they are worthless there.



How's that?

i believe talents were currency. or are you yanking our chains Acc? :-3

lady cop wrote: i believe talents were currency. or are you yanking our chains Acc? :-3
No. It's just a coincidental pun. The talents in the story was money, the talents in my post was, well, talents.

i should have known you were being allegorical, metaphorical and rhetorical! :rolleyes:

lady cop wrote: i should have known you were being allegorical, metaphorical and rhetorical! :rolleyes:
Oooooo..........

someone's been reading the thesarus.

Wolverine wrote: Oooooo..........

someone's been reading the thesarus.i don't need to :p

lady cop wrote: i don't need to :p
you have it memorized?

well good for you:p

Thank you all for your comments.

Sounds like it didn't help. :-3

The "long journey" bit has to do with Jesus going back to heaven after His resurrection. His return from the long journey is His second coming. He's looking to see how we have made use of the spiritual gifts He has given us to win souls. He views the giving of spiritual gifts to us as a kind of investment, and He will be looking for a return on that investment when He comes, and will hold us all...Accountable.

We better get busy eh?:o

Actually the "talent" referred to is a tremendous amount of money. 5 talents would be in the nature of millions of dollars in today's currency.

Though I do see an interpretation that relates to the individual skills of folks.

Shalom

Ted:-6

It would seem to me in the short form the parable implies that each individual is to make the best use of whatever s/he has been given by God

As far as being cast into hell Jesus was often prone to using very expressive language to make a point.

I have it on good grounds that there will be now shovelling of coal down there. Either they have switched to stokers or natural gas fired burners. LOL

Shalom

Ted:-6

Ted wrote: ...I have it on good grounds that there will be now shovelling of coal down there. Either they have switched to stokers or natural gas fired burners. LOL

Shalom

Ted:-6Ted, here's a scientific and scholarly view on the thermodynamics of Hell which might shed some light on the subject;)

http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/hellthrm.html

Telaquapacky:-6

That is a humorous site for sure. However, since hell does not exist as a placeit is only of present day humour..

Shalom

Ted:-6

Accountable wrote: Off the top of my back-sliding head:



God gives us gifts (talents) - singing, speaking, cleaning out grease pits, whatever. God is pleased if we use these gifts for his glory (define glory however you like), and displeased if we keep our gifts under wraps because they are worthless there.



How's that?
I'm a christian too and you are so right. The talents is about the gifts God gives us.Also he talks about us bearing fruits and this is not the kind you eat.

Frederick wrote: No doubt some of you are aware through earlier threads of the fact that I am a practising Christian. However there is one parable in the Bible that leaves me scratching my head - the parable of the talents (Matthew 25). "The kingdom of Heaven is like..." In this case it concernes a master who gives his men talents before going on a long journey. To one he gives five talents, to a second two, and to a third, one. When he cam back, he was well pleased with the servant who had doubled his to ten, pleased with the one who had doubled it to four, but furious with the one who had hidden it in the ground and had done nothing with it. "Had you put it in the bank, at least I would have got something back..." It obviously has nothing to do with money, so what is the meaning of the parable? This is not a wind up, it's been bugging my for years, brought to the surface because somebody read it out in church last week.
In interpreting the Bible, there is no correct answer over a wrong one, there is only a concensus of opinion.

In reading the Bible one should prayerfully ask God to speak to you regarding what you need to learn as it applies to your life. After questioning, you need to LISTEN for His answer.

Commentaries are available to help you understand the Bible. They will give you information regarding the times and what certain words meant then.

It is then up to you to apply the teachings to your present day life.

SOJOURNER wrote: In interpreting the Bible, there is no correct answer over a wrong one, there is only a concensus of opinion.

In reading the Bible one should prayerfully ask God to speak to you regarding what you need to learn as it applies to your life. After questioning, you need to LISTEN for His answer.

Commentaries are available to help you understand the Bible. They will give you information regarding the times and what certain words meant then.

It is then up to you to apply the teachings to your present day life.
This is so true. When I don't understand something God always finds a way for me to understand what i just read. He is so Awesome my God in whom i give praise!!!

At a funeral I attended today, the gospel reading was on the talents and thus so was the sermon.

This evening while perusing "A GUIDE TO PRAYER FOR ALL GOD'S PEOPLE" I found the following under "Readings for Reflection".

The passages on the talents has been rolling around in my mind since you posted it and tho I just recently added my thouhts to this thread, I felt I needed to share this also.

In one of the parables Jesus tells the story of a certain nobleman who went abroad to obtain power for himself and then return. Before he left he called his ten servants, giving them each a twenty-dollar bill, and telling them, "Trade with this until I come back." When he returned he ordered his servants to be brought before him for their report.

The first man said, "Sir your twenty dollars have made one hundred".

"Fine," said the nobleman.

The second man said, "Sir, your twenty dollars have made fifty dollars."

"Excellent," said the nobleman.

The third man was the only one who made a speech. He said, "Sir, here is your twenty dollars. I kept it safe in a napkin, for I was afraid of you. Perhaps you do not know this, but you have a reputation of being a very hard man. You pick up what you have never put down. You reap where you have not sown, you gather into barns what you have not planted!"

The nobleman was incensed. He ordered the servant cast off his place into "outer darkness."

Here, I make an end of the story. The unfortunate servant was not "cast off" because he did not realize any profit for the nobleman. No. He was cast off because he did not "work at it."

WE are never under obligation to achieve results. Of course, results are important and it may be that that is the reason effort is put forth. But results are not mandatory. Much of the energy and effort and many anxious hours are spent over the probable failure or success of our ventures. No man likes to fail. But it is important to remember that under certain circumstances, failure is its own success.

To keep one's eye on results is to detract markedly from the business at hand. This is to be diverted from the task itself. It is to be only partially available to demands at hand. Very often it causes one to betray one's own inner sense of values because to hold fast to the integrity of the act may create the kind of displeasure which in the end will affect the results. However, if the results are left free to form themselves in terms of the quality and character of the act, then all of one's resources can be put at the disposal of the act itself.

There are many forces over which the individual can exercise no control whatsoever. A man plants a seed in the ground and the seed sprouts and grows. The weather, the winds, the elements, cannot be controlled by the farmer. The result is never a sure thing. So what does the farmer do? He plants. Always he plants. Again and again he works at it--the ultimate confidence and assurance that even though his seed does not grow to fruitition, seeds do grow and they do come to fruition.

The task of men who work for the Kingdom of God, is to Work for the Kingdom of God. The result beyond this demand is not in their hands. He who keeps his eyes on results cannot give himself wholeheartedly to his task, however simple or complex that task may be.

--From 'The Inward Journey' by Howard Thurman

SOJOURNER:-6

A wonderful quote from Thurman.

Excellent source.

May the Peace of Christ be with you.

Shalom

Ted:-6