The fact that this instruction from Paul comes from a pastoral epistle (letter) shows that, once again, the pastor is responsible for the flock but this is not about the pastor’s behavior necessarily but about the charge given to him by God to rebuke those who teach different doctrines than what is found in Scripture because some false teachings were devoted to myths, fables, and endless (and useless) genealogies that are only speculative at best. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” The behavioral expectations that are listed are prohibitions for a pastoral position as God’s steward.įirst Timothy 1:3-5 “ As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.”Īn overseer is like a shepherd overseeing a flock and in this case, it is the church that the overseer (or pastor) is over and he is a steward, God’s steward, and must live a life that is above reproach, otherwise he is not fit to pastor a church at all. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. Titus 1:6-8 “I f anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. If we don’t use our gifts, we might lose what we have, as referenced in Matthew 25, because we’ve not been good stewards with what God has entrusted us with. I believe that Peter is talking about gifts of the Spirit because of the context of this chapter (1st Pet 4) and the gifts are not for our own purposes but for the purposes of the church to serve one another. The point is that Jesus expects us to use our earthly wealth for His kingdom purposes as He is the Master, otherwise what we have will be taken away and given to others.įirst Peter 4:10 “ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents” (Matt 25:26-29). Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:23) but the one who had been given one buried and or did nothing with it at all and the master says “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. You have been faithful over a little I will set you over much. The one who received two talents also doubled his talents and the master also said “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21). One servant doubled his five talents to ten (Matt 25:20) and the master says “Well done, good and faithful servant. It should be noted that the talent is a monetary value of money (as the Greek says) and is equivalent to about twenty years labor, so it’s a significant amount of money we’re talking about and this parable is about the stewardship that God has entrusted to us with what we’ve been given. Parables are earthly stories that teach a heavenly concept and this is what Jesus was doing in the Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14-30) and the man going on the journey is likely Jesus Himself Who gives His servants talents (Matt 25:14) and “To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29 “ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. Every one of us have been given talents, time, and treasure so what have we done with these and what will we do with them since we are all stewards of God.
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