Immediately begins explaining a point here about the parable of the talents in Matthew // Luke, saying:Peter Kirby wrote: ↑Wed Apr 17, 2024 10:22 pm in context: discussing The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew 18
- "the nobleman, who goes into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, is Christ"
- "those who have received the ten talents are those who have been entrusted with the dispensation of the Word"
- no explanation: "who had multiplied the pound fivefold, he did not render the praise which he assigned to the first, nor did he specify the word authority"
- "His citizens who did not wish Him to reign ... are perhaps Israel who disbelieved Him, and perhaps also the Gentiles who disbelieved Him"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatic_(Gnosticism)
Commentary on Matthew 14.12-13
But some one will say that, perhaps, we act with impiety, who, because of the secret and mystical import of some of the Scriptures which are of heavenly origin, wish them to be symbolic, and endeavour to expound them, even though it might seem ex hypothesi that we had an accurate knowledge of their meaning. But to this we must say that, if there be those who have obtained the gift of accurate apprehension of these things, they know what they ought to do; but as for us, who acknowledge that we fall short of the ability to see into the depth of the things here signified, even though we obtain a somewhat crass perception of the things in the passage, we will say, that some of the things which we seem to find after much examination and inquiry, whether by the grace of God, or by the power of our own mind, we do not venture to commit to writing; but some things, for the sake of our own intellectual discipline, and that of those who may chance to read them, we will to some extent set forth.
But let these things, then, be said by way of apology, because of the depth of the parable; but, with regard to the question at what time the man — the king — in the parable wished to make a reckoning with his own servants, we will say that it seems that this takes place about the time of the judgment which had been proclaimed. And this is confirmed by two parables, one at the close of the Gospel before us, [Matthew 25:14-30] and one from the Gospel according to Luke. [Luke 19:12-27] And not to prolong the discussion by quoting the very letter, as any one who wishes can take it from the Scripture himself, we will say that the parable according to Matthew declares, For it is as when a man going into another country called his own servants, and delivered unto them his own goods, and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one talent; [Matthew 25:14-15] then they took action with regard to that which had been entrusted to them, and, after a long time, the lord of those servants comes, and it is written in the very words, that he also makes a reckoning with them. [Matthew 25:19] And compare the words, And when he began to make a reckoning, [Matthew 18:24] and consider that he called the going of the householder into another country the time at which we are at home in the body but absent from the Lord; [2 Corinthians 5:6] but his advent, when, after a long time the lord of those servants comes, [Matthew 25:19] the time at the consummation in the judgment; for after a long time the lord of those servants comes and makes a reckoning with them, and those things which follow take place. But the parable in Luke represents with more clearness, that a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return, and when going, he called ten servants, and gave to them ten pounds, and said to them, Trade ye till I come. [Luke 19:12-13] But the nobleman, being hated by his own citizens, who sent an ambassage after him, as they did not wish him to reign over them, came back again, having received the kingdom, and told the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to himself that he might know what they had gained by trading. And, seeing what they had done, to him who had made the one pound ten pounds, rendering praise in the words, Well done, you good servant, because you were found faithful in a very little, [Luke 19:17] he gives to him authority over ten cities, to-wit, those which were under his kingdom. And to another, who had multiplied the pound fivefold, he did not render the praise which he assigned to the first, nor did he specify the word authority, as in the case of the first, but said to him, Be also over five cities. But to him who had tied up the pound in a napkin, he said, Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant; [Luke 19:22] and he said to them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it unto him that has the ten pounds. [Luke 19:24] Who, then, in regard to this parable, will not say that the nobleman, who goes into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, is Christ, going, as it were, into another country to receive the kingdoms of this world, and the things in it? And those who have received the ten talents are those who have been entrusted with the dispensation of the Word which has been committed unto them. And His citizens who did not wish Him to reign over them when He was a citizen in the world in respect of His incarnation, [Luke 19:14] are perhaps Israel who disbelieved Him, and perhaps also the Gentiles who disbelieved Him.
Only, I have said these things with the view of referring his return when he comes with his kingdom to the consummation, when he commanded the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know what they had gained by trading, and from a desire to demonstrate from this, and from the parable of the Talents, that the passage he who wished to make a reckoning with his own servants [Matthew 18:23] is to be referred to the consummation when now he is king, receiving the kingdom, on account of which, according to another parable, [Luke 19:12] he went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
But let these things, then, be said by way of apology, because of the depth of the parable; but, with regard to the question at what time the man — the king — in the parable wished to make a reckoning with his own servants, we will say that it seems that this takes place about the time of the judgment which had been proclaimed. And this is confirmed by two parables, one at the close of the Gospel before us, [Matthew 25:14-30] and one from the Gospel according to Luke. [Luke 19:12-27] And not to prolong the discussion by quoting the very letter, as any one who wishes can take it from the Scripture himself, we will say that the parable according to Matthew declares, For it is as when a man going into another country called his own servants, and delivered unto them his own goods, and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one talent; [Matthew 25:14-15] then they took action with regard to that which had been entrusted to them, and, after a long time, the lord of those servants comes, and it is written in the very words, that he also makes a reckoning with them. [Matthew 25:19] And compare the words, And when he began to make a reckoning, [Matthew 18:24] and consider that he called the going of the householder into another country the time at which we are at home in the body but absent from the Lord; [2 Corinthians 5:6] but his advent, when, after a long time the lord of those servants comes, [Matthew 25:19] the time at the consummation in the judgment; for after a long time the lord of those servants comes and makes a reckoning with them, and those things which follow take place. But the parable in Luke represents with more clearness, that a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return, and when going, he called ten servants, and gave to them ten pounds, and said to them, Trade ye till I come. [Luke 19:12-13] But the nobleman, being hated by his own citizens, who sent an ambassage after him, as they did not wish him to reign over them, came back again, having received the kingdom, and told the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to himself that he might know what they had gained by trading. And, seeing what they had done, to him who had made the one pound ten pounds, rendering praise in the words, Well done, you good servant, because you were found faithful in a very little, [Luke 19:17] he gives to him authority over ten cities, to-wit, those which were under his kingdom. And to another, who had multiplied the pound fivefold, he did not render the praise which he assigned to the first, nor did he specify the word authority, as in the case of the first, but said to him, Be also over five cities. But to him who had tied up the pound in a napkin, he said, Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant; [Luke 19:22] and he said to them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it unto him that has the ten pounds. [Luke 19:24] Who, then, in regard to this parable, will not say that the nobleman, who goes into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, is Christ, going, as it were, into another country to receive the kingdoms of this world, and the things in it? And those who have received the ten talents are those who have been entrusted with the dispensation of the Word which has been committed unto them. And His citizens who did not wish Him to reign over them when He was a citizen in the world in respect of His incarnation, [Luke 19:14] are perhaps Israel who disbelieved Him, and perhaps also the Gentiles who disbelieved Him.
Only, I have said these things with the view of referring his return when he comes with his kingdom to the consummation, when he commanded the servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know what they had gained by trading, and from a desire to demonstrate from this, and from the parable of the Talents, that the passage he who wished to make a reckoning with his own servants [Matthew 18:23] is to be referred to the consummation when now he is king, receiving the kingdom, on account of which, according to another parable, [Luke 19:12] he went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.