Lucas 16
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Lucas 16
Guzik adds - “Give an account of your stewardship” are words that everyone will hear, both sinner and saint. All will have to give account in some way, and we will give account to God. Spurgeon once noted that each of us will have to give account of our stewards whip regarding our time, our talents, our substance, and our influence. For each of us, our stewardship will one day come to an end. The preacher’s voice, mental faculties, and strength will not last forever. The wealth of this world may not last even in this life. A mother’s stewardship over her children changes and diminishes greatly. If Jesus does not come first, we all will die and pass from this life to the next. (REDEEM THE TIME!) (Luke 16) Warren
Lucas 16
Guzik - Jesus added the thought that the businessmen of his day (sons of this world) were more wise, bold, and forward-thinking in the management of what they had (more shrewd) than the people of God were with managing what they had (the sons of light). Some consider this to be one of Jesus’ most difficult parables, because it seems that Jesus used an obviously dishonest man as an example for His disciples. Yet God sometimes uses evil things familiar to us with to illustrate a particular point, without praising the thing itself. Other examples of this principle are when Paul used things like war and slavery as illustrations of the Christian life. Yet, the dishonest steward was a good example on several points. First, he knew he would be called to account for his life and he took that seriously. Christians should take seriously the idea that they will be called to account, and that idea can be a joy if we are properly about our Master’s business. Second, he took advantage of his present position to arrange a comfortable future. Jesus’ assessment is still true: the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. If we pursued the Kingdom of God with the same vigor and zeal that the children of this world pursue profits and pleasure, we would live in an entirely different world. It could be said that it is to the shame of the Church that Coca-Cola is more widely distributed than the gospel of Jesus Christ. Simply, it is because the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. “Go to the men of the world, thou Christian, and do not let it be said that the devil’s scholars are more studious and earnest than Christ’s disciples.” (Maclaren) (Luke 16) NET Note - 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. Brian Bell - Sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation (KJV - where NAS "kind" is "generation" in KJV) – Pharisees & Scribes. Key – only in their generation. [mark the limit to it] They were wiser in carrying on their enterprises, than the sons of light are in carrying out theirs. These only invest in this life, thus are better at it because it is their sole focus. “They are clever for today and fools forever!” (Morgan). Sons of light - the disciples. Different both in motive and method. These wisely make investments in the future kingdom. The worldly are more creative in working toward their aims than those enlightened. (ED: READ THAT AGAIN!) Many well-intentioned people are bound, when seeking solutions, by lack of imagination, freedom and grounding in reality. The people of this world are much better at seeing opportunities and profiting from them, than are the children of God. Eph .5:15-17 “Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” If only the Christian was an eager and ingenious in his attempt to attain goodness as the man of the world is in his attempt to attain money and comfort, he would be a much better man. If only men would give as much attention to the things which concern their souls as they do to the things which concern their business, they would be much better men! Over and over again a man will expend 20x’s the amount of time and money and effort on his pleasure, his hobby, his garden, his sport” as he does on his church. Our Christianity will begin to be real and effective only when we spend as much time and effort on it as we do on our worldly activities. Money is not immoral. Money is entirely non-moral. There is no evil in money and there is no good in it. It can be used for both. It can be used to blast our own souls, and others around us, or to bless our own souls, and those around us. John Wesley’s motto regarding money, “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” Jesus urges his followers not to use the materials of this world in a wicked way, but for noble ends. Martin Luther took the perspective that believers are merely stewards of any wealth we might have, but that God is the Owner of it all writing "Therefore we must use all these things upon earth in no other way than as a guest who travels through the land and comes to a hotel where he must lodge overnight. He takes only food and lodging from the host, and he says not that the property of the host belongs to him. Just so should we also treat our temporal possessions, as if they were not ours, and enjoy only so much of them as we need to nourish the body and then help our neighbors with the balance. Thus the life of the Christian is only a lodging for the night, since we have here no continuing city, but must journey on to heaven, where the Father is." Bruce Goettsche - I’ve enjoyed reading a number of secular books on management, books on historical events, counseling insights from those outside the church, and biographies of great leaders. The reason I read these books is because I have learned that often the people of the world see some things more clearly than the people of the church. (Taking a Lesson from the World) Praised (1867)(epaineo from epí = upon or intensifies meaning of + aínos = praise) is literally to bestow "praise upon" -- to commend, to praise, or approbate (formally or officially approve). In classical Greek the verb epaineō means to approve, sanction, to praise, give a public mark of esteem. In the spirit of the OT, this word for praise involves commending God for himself, his qualities, and his works. This word is also used in commending people. Excitingly, we learn that God will commend believers for faithful service. Now in this context God is clearly not commending the man's dishonesty. It is a man (the master) who knows business commending the slick acumen of his manager. Epaineo - 6x in 5v - praise(5), praised(1). - Lk. 16:8; Ro 15:11; 1 Co. 11:2; 1 Co. 11:17; 1 Co. 11:22. Note that of these verses the verb appears only once in relation to God (Romans 15:11). In the other four verses it refers to man’s praise or commendation of man. Epaineo - 28x in 28v in the Septuagint - In Ps 34:2 and Ps 44:8 the idea is to boast (in God). Other uses (below) refer to praise to God (or His Word). - All uses Ge 12:15 = "praised her to Pharaoh"; Ps. 10:3; Ps. 34:2; Ps. 44:8; Ps. 56:4 = "In God, whose word I praise"; Ps. 63:3 = "Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You"; Ps. 63:11; Ps. 64:10 "all the upright in heart will glory"; Ps. 102:8; Ps. 105:3 = "Glory in His holy name"; Ps. 106:5 = "That I may glory with Your inheritance"; Ps. 116:19 = "Praise the LORD!"; Ps. 145:4 = "One generation shall praise Your works to another,"; Ps. 147:12 = "Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem!"; Eccl. 4:2; Eccl. 8:10; Eccl. 8:15 = "So I commended pleasure"; Dan. 5:1 Shrewd (5429)(phronimos from phronéo = think, have a mindset related to phren = diaphragm, regarded by ancients as seat of mental and spiritual activity, came to mean mind or understanding) is an adjective which describes one who is thoughtful, sagacious or discreet. It describes the quality of one's thinking which is the result of insight and stands in opposition to moros which means foolish. The idea is that there is understanding combined with wisdom and insight. Phronimos implies a cautious, sensible, prudent character and in Mt 10:16 refers to one as "shrewd" as a serpent. One who is shrewd has clever discerning awareness, acute perception and sharp powers of judgment. Phronimos also includes the ideas of one who is prudent, sensible and practically wise in relationships with others. There is a type of phronimos that is desirable (eg, here in Mt 7:24, 10:16, et al) and a type that is not desirable (Ro 11:26, 12:16) this latter describing the person who relies on their own innate wisdom. Phronimos -14v - Matt. 7:24; Matt. 10:16; Matt. 24:45; Matt. 25:2; Matt. 25:4; Matt. 25:8; Matt. 25:9; Lk. 12:42; Lk. 16:8; Rom. 11:25; Rom. 12:16; 1 Co. 4:10; 1 Co. 10:15; 2 Co. 11:19 Steven
Lucas 16
Guzik quips "The derision of the Pharisees was based on their own self-interest. They were lovers of money. Often we reject the message of Jesus because it hits too close to home." (Luke 16) Solomon described men like the Pharisees Proverbs 13:1 A wise son accepts his father’s discipline, But a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. Proverbs 14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. Proverbs 15:12 A scoffer does not love one who reproves him, He will not go to the wise. Rod Mattoon applies this truth - Let me ask, "Do you find yourselves making fun of Bible preaching, godly living, or Christians that desire to walk with God? Do you have the traits of a scorner? Do you turn up your nose about the importance of serving one master in your life? Do you turn up your nose about the importance of making the Lord more important than money?" (Treasures from the Scriptures)) Warreniersbe - The Wall Street Journal quoted an anonymous wit who defined money as "an article which may be used as a universal passport to everywhere except heaven, and as a universal provider for everything except happiness." The writer might have added that money is also a provoker of covetousness and competition, a wonderful servant but a terrible master. (Borrow Be courageous Luke 14-24) May our hymn to Him and may our prayer to Him be this stanza from Be Thou My Vision (Play Fernando Ortega's version): Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise. Thou my inheritance now and always. Thou and Thou only first in my heart, High king of heaven, my treasure Thou art. Pharisees (5330)(pharisaios) is transliterated from the Hebrew parash (06567 - to separate) from Aramaic word peras (06537) ("Peres" in Da 5:28-note), signifying to separate, owing to a different manner of life from that of the general public. They were a small but highly influential group who emphasized meticulous observance the Torah supplemented by their numerous extrabiblical traditions, and they taught that by keeping the Law one could righteousness before God and retains his favor. Ironically, it was the zeal of the Pharisees for the Law that caused them to become focused on rituals and external acts that symbolized in their warped way of thinking that they were keeping of the Law. They abandoned true religion which is internal and of the heart and exchanged it for external behavior and ritual as their means by which they would achieve (self) righteousness. Thus it is not surprising that they would oppose the authority of Jesus the Righteous One the only Source of righteousness acceptable to God. These hypocrites claimed to know the Scriptures but they missed the truth of how one might attain true righteous which was described very clearly in Genesis 15:6-note when Abraham "believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him (imputed or placed on his "spiritual account") as righteousness." We see this same truth in Isaiah 53:11 "As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant (MESSIAH - JESUS), will justify (DECLARE RIGHTEOUS) the many, As He will bear their iniquities (cf 1 Pe 2:24-note, 2 Cor 5:21-note, 1 Cor 1:30). Earlier in Jesus' ministry the Pharisees had invited Him to meals in their homes (Lk 7:36-note, Lk 11:37-note, Lk 14:1-note), but from this time (after Luke 16) until His Crucifixion He was never invited to share a meal with them. Their antagonism and animosity toward Jesus was reaching a "fever pitch" and eventually became a plot to kill Him! It is an amazing thought that the plot to kill Jesus was being orchestrated by the leaders of religion in Israel! Pharisaios in Luke and Acts - Lk. 5:17; Lk. 5:21; Lk. 5:30; Lk. 5:33; Lk. 6:2; Lk. 6:7; Lk. 7:30; Lk. 7:36; Lk. 7:37; Lk. 7:39; Lk. 11:37; Lk. 11:38; Lk. 11:39; Lk. 11:42; Lk. 11:43; Lk. 11:53; Lk. 12:1; Lk. 13:31; Lk. 14:1; Lk. 14:3; Lk. 15:2; Lk. 16:14; Lk. 17:20; Lk. 18:10; Lk. 18:11; Lk. 19:39;Acts 5:34; Acts 15:5; Acts 23:6; Acts 23:7; Acts 23:8; Acts 23:9; Acts 26:5; Phil. 3:5 Lovers of money (5366) philarguros is from philos = loving or friend + arguros = silver, money) is a adjective meaning loving money or covetous. It describes a person obsessed with money, one who is "fond" of money, one who is avaricious (greedy of gain = excessively acquisitive especially in seeking to hoard riches) and implies obsessive acquisitiveness especially of money. This form of covetousness naturally flows out of a selfish heart and is “a root of all kinds of evil.” This trait would naturally follow "self love" as it indicates the means for the gratification of self. This adjective describes a person who is fond of money with the connotation of this person having a greedy disposition. The word appears as a proper name in one secular writing! Imagine living with that name! But that is in a sense what the Pharisees did for it is one of several "names" Jesus attached to these evil men! Scoffing (1592)(ekmukterizo from ek = out + mukterizo = mock from mukter = nose, nostril) means literally they were holding up their nose at Jesus! They were ridiculing Him, sneering at Him, treating Him with disdain and contempt. This is repudiation in the most severe degree! The imperfect tense indicates they were manifesting this evil behavior toward Jesus again and again, over and over. One can envision them listening to the His words in Lk 16:1-13 and scoffing over and over, after every sentence He spoke! The Messianic Psalm 22 emphasizes that this scoffing of Jesus will continue for Ps 22:7 says "All who see me sneer (Lxx = ekmukterizo) at me." But guess what? God gets the last laugh so to speak, for this same verb is used in the Septuagint of Ps 2:4 which says "He who sits in the heavens laughs, The Lord scoffs (Lxx = ekmukterizo) at them." The only other use of ekmukterizo in the Septuagint is in Ps 35:16. Rod Mattoon makes a play on the meaning of ekmukterizo entitling his sermon on Lk 16:14-18 "Thumbs Up or Thumbed Up Noses!" (Treasures from the Scriptures)) The only other NT use of ekmukterizo is by Luke describing the mocking attitude of those at the foot of Jesus' cross, indicating that mocking or scoffing at Jesus had become the pattern from Luke 16 to the end of Jesus' life. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers (SURELY INCLUDING THE PHARISEES) were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if (SINCE) this is the Christ (MESSIAH) of God, His Chosen One.” (Luke 23:35+) Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. BGT Luke 16:15 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁ δὲ θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν· ὅτι τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὑψηλὸν βδέλυγμα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ. KJV Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. NET Luke 16:15 But Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in men's eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God's sight. CSB Luke 16:15 And He told them: "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly admired by people is revolting in God's sight. ESV Luke 16:15 And he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. NIV Luke 16:15 He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight. NLT Luke 16:15 Then he said to them, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. NRS Luke 16:15 So he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of others; but God knows your hearts; for what is prized by human beings is an abomination in the sight of God. YLT Luke 16:15 and he said to them, 'Ye are those declaring yourselves righteous before men, but God doth know your hearts; because that which among men is high, is abomination before God; GWN Luke 16:15 So Jesus said to them, "You try to justify your actions in front of people. But God knows what's in your hearts. What is important to humans is disgusting to God. NKJ Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. NAB Luke 16:15 And he said to them, "You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God. MIT Luke 16:15 He said to them, "You are intent on validating yourselves by public opinion, but God detects what is in your hearts. What is held in high regard by human values is repudiated as stench in the presence of God. NJB Luke 16:15 He said to them, 'You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God. ASV Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. DBY Luke 16:15 And he said to them, *Ye* are they who justify themselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what amongst men is highly thought of is an abomination before God. BBE Luke 16:15 And he said, You take care to seem right in the eyes of men, but God sees your hearts: and those things which are important in the opinion of men, are evil in the eyes of God. NAS Luke 16:15 And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. NIRV Luke 16:15 Jesus said to them, "You try to make yourselves look good in the eyes of other people. But God knows your hearts. What is worth a great deal among people is hated by God. RSV Luke 16:15 But he said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men Luke 10:29; 11:39; 18:11,21; 20:20,47; Pr 20:6; Mt 6:2,5,16; 23:5,25-27; Ro 3:20; James 2:21-25 God knows your hearts 1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Chr 29:17; 2 Chr 6:30; Ps 7:9; 139:1,2; Jer 17:10; Jn 2:25; Jn 21:17; Acts 1:18; 15:8; 1 Cor 4:5; Rev 2:23 or that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God Ps 10:3; 49:13,18; Pr 16:5; Isaiah 1:10-14; Amos 5:21,22; Mal 3:15; 1 Pe 3:4; 5:5 Luke 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 16:14-18 Scoffing or Submitting? - Steven Cole Luke 16:14-15 Why False Teachers Mock the Truth, Part 1 - John MacArthur Luke 16:14-16 Why False Teachers Mock the Truth, Part 2 - John MacArthur THE DETESTABLE DECEPTION OF PRETENTIOUS PIETY And He said to them, "You are those who justify (dikaioo) yourselves in the sight of men - NLT = ""You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts." Jesus is now directly addressing the Pharisees who practiced a religion of outward show before other men. Their religion was false, fake and phony! Here Jesus accuses them of literally "declaring their own righteousness!" Their desire was for the approval of men, not the approval of God. Their self-righteousness produced no transformation in their heart. If they scoffed when Jesus spoke about money, imagine their reaction to His "frontal assault" on the very foundation of their false religion! And He may be speaking of the propensity of men to use their wealth to justify themselves before other men. Have we not all seen wealthy church members who court favor and honor of men with their wealth? They are "justifying" themselves before men. In the sight of men literally reads "before men." But not in the sight of God! Their thin "veneer" of external righteousness might be enough to fool men, but not God! And why not? As Jesus explains it is because God knows their hearts. In Matthew 23 addressing the Pharisees Jesus said "So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Mt 23:28) Bob Utley on those who justify themselves in the sight of men - This could refer to either public, weekly alms-giving or ostentatious giving in the temple (cf. Mark 12:41–44). Luke often records Jesus’ teachings about this kind of self righteousness (cf. 10:29; 16:15; 18:9, 14). This was the problem of the Pharisees! Mattoon - These men, are like many today. They were consumed with self-justification, justifying themselves before men. The only problem with that is they will not stand before men one day to give an account of their soul and neither will you. We will all stand before the Lord Jesus Christ (ED: EITHER AT THE "BEMA SEAT" JUDGMENT OF BELIEVERS OR THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT OF UNBELIEVERS - 2 Cor 5:10+, Rev 20:11-15+, Book of Life, All the Major Judgments in the Bible). The Bible declares the fallacy of self-justification. You are not as good as you think, no matter how religious you think you are.....God's view and man's view of sin are at different ends. Sin is not done by chance, but by choice. Sin is not liberty to do what you want, it is lawlessness. Sin is not weakness, it is willfulness. It is not a disease, it is a decision. Jesus taught the importance of examining yourselves in order to conquer self-justification and having a ministry with other people. Self-righteousness claims to be both lawgiver and judge, claiming authority that belongs only to the Lord. The attitude of "judge" in the self-righteous person creates problems in the area of judging others. The self righteous, judgmental person tends to deny and oppose the Gospel, because the Gospel proclaims man's sinfulness and lostness even as it proclaims God's mercy and grace. The self-righteous person does not want to hear about being a sinner. The result is the rejection of Jesus Christ." (Treasures from the Scriptures)) Steven Cole on justify yourselves before men - Outwardly, the Pharisees could compare themselves with others and justify themselves, because they did more and went farther than the average Jew. They were meticulous in keeping all the outward rules, but they were living before men and not before God, who examines our thoughts and motives. They were filled with pride and hypocrisy, which God hates. When they gave alms, they did it to be noticed by men. When they uttered long prayers, it was to impress others with how spiritual they were. Although they may have fooled others, they could never fool God. Jesus rips off their mask of righteousness and exposes them for what they were, detestable in the sight of God. True religion is a matter of the heart before God. The instant you get a glimpse of God in His absolute holiness, the light of His glory also shows you how vile and filthy your own heart is before Him. Rather than boasting in your good deeds and parading your supposed righteousness before others, you shrink back in fear of being instantly consumed. You despair of ever being righteous enough to present yourself before God, because you know how deceitful and desperately wicked your heart is. But that is precisely where the gospel breaks in, because you also realize that if you are to stand before God, you need a Savior and Mediator. You need a righteousness other than your own. Jesus is that Savior; He extends a free pardon to every sinner who repents and trusts in Him. He clothes the believing sinner with His perfect righteousness, reconciling us to God. In that new relationship with God, we then learn to live, not as pleasing men, but God, who examines our hearts (1Th 2:4). Jesus is saying that if you are not living openly before God, judging your sin on the thought level, seeking to please God with your thoughts and attitudes, as well as with your words and deeds, then you are living as a Pharisee, not as His disciple. Christians don’t live to impress others with how spiritual they are. Christians live openly in the sight of God, seeking to please Him. Thus the first thing our text proclaims is that God’s kingdom comes in the person of Jesus the King. Christianity is not a matter of following a bunch of outward standards. It is a matter of submitting ourselves to His authority, down to the heart level. But, as our text shows, that is not the only possible response. (Scoffing or Submitting)
Lucas 16
Guzik - It is one thing to justify yourselves before men, because smooth words and a “loving” smile can deceive men. But God knows your hearts—when you serve another master, it is impossible to be justified before God, no matter what men think. For some people the idea God knows your hearts is comfort; for others it is a curse. (Luke 16) As
Lucas 16
Guzik - God judges our hearts with a different set of values. Men may honor someone because of their wealth or their public display of spirituality; but God sees who they really are. (Luke 16) ESV Study Bible says highly esteemed (hupselos) among men "includes any kind of human achievement not done for the glory of God." (ESV Study Bible - this resource can be borrowed) Robert Stein on highly esteemed (hupselos) among men - This is a proverb that warns us not to conform to the way this world thinks (cf. Ro 12:2). Jesus was not saying that values of the world are not exactly the same as God’s or that at times they are different or that frequently they are different. Rather the value system of this world is “detestable,” i.e., an abomination to God (cf. 1 Cor 3:19). An example of this is found in Luke 18:9–14. (See Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) What the Bible Teaches says that highly esteemed (hupselos) among men "takes in a wide scope that includes all of society's values, all that men place value upon in the world of commerce, pleasure and religion. The word "abomination" originally meant that which totally offends the sense of smell. This is one of the most sweeping condemnations of the present evil age (Gal 1:4) to be found in all of Scripture!" (What the Bible teaches – Luke) ILLUSTRATION - Have you checked the labels on your grocery items lately? You may be getting less than you thought. According to U.S. News & World Report, some manufacturers are selling us the same size packages we are accustomed to, but they are putting less of the product in the box. For example, a box of well-known detergent that once held 61 ounces now contains only 55. Same size box, less soap.How something is wrapped doesn’t always show us what’s on the inside. That’s true with people as well. We can wrap ourselves up in the same packaging every day—nice clothes, big smile, friendly demeanor—yet still be less than what we appear to be. Justify (1344)(dikaioo from dike = right, expected behavior or conformity) primarily means to make right. Dikaioo is in the present tense indicating the Pharisees were continually trying to justify themselves before men, to "declare themselves righteous!" In contrast, when God justifies, He declares a sinner righteous on the ground of the propitiation offered by the Lord Jesus (Ro 3:24-26+) and He does this in moment of time. In other words, at the moment of salvation the saved sinner who is now in Christ by grace through faith is 100% justified in the eyes of God. We call this "past tense salvation." This is the major difference between religion and salvation, for the former says "do" and the latter says "done." (cf Jn 19:30+) In this passage Jesus is saying the Pharisees sought to make themselves right in the eyes of God (cf Lk 10:29+). Stated another way, by their "righteous" deeds ("righteous" in their eyes), the Pharisees sought to save themselves or earn their salvation. We know from Ephesians 2:9+ that salvation is "not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." (cf Ro 3:20, 21+, Ro 3:28+, Ro 4:5+, Gal 2:16+, Titus 3:5-6+, 2 Ti 1:9+) Dikaioo - 35v - acknowledged...justice(1), acquitted(1), freed(3), justified(24), justifier(1), justifies(2), justify(4), vindicated(3). Matt. 11:19; Matt. 12:37; Lk. 7:29; Lk. 7:35; Lk. 10:29; Lk. 16:15; Lk. 18:14; Acts 13:39; Rom. 2:13; Rom. 3:4; Rom. 3:20; Rom. 3:24; Rom. 3:26; Rom. 3:28; Rom. 3:30; Rom. 4:2; Rom. 4:5; Rom. 5:1; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 6:7; Rom. 8:30; Rom. 8:33; 1 Co. 4:4; 1 Co. 6:11; Gal. 2:16; Gal. 2:17; Gal. 3:8; Gal. 3:11; Gal. 3:24; Gal. 5:4; 1 Tim. 3:16; Tit. 3:7; Jas. 2:21; Jas. 2:24; Jas. 2:25 Highly esteemed (5308)(hupselos from hupsos/hypsos = height, elevation) literally means high, lofty, raised, elevated. 1. lit. Mt 4:8; Rev 21:10, 12; uplifted Acts 13:17. Comparative Heb 7:26.—2. fig. exalted, proud, haughty Lk 16:15; Ro 11:20; 12:16. Hupselos - 11v - conceited*(1), exalted(1), haughty(1), high(6), highly esteemed(1), uplifted(1).Matt. 4:8; Matt. 17:1; Mk. 9:2; Lk. 16:15; Acts 13:17; Rom. 11:20; Rom. 12:16; Heb. 1:3; Heb. 7:26; Rev. 21:10; Rev. 21:12 Detestable (abomination) (946)(bdelugma from bdelusso = emit foul odor, turn away from something or someone on account of "stench" from bdeo = to stink; related - bdekluktos) describes something foul, that which is extremely hated, disgusted, detested or abhorred. The first NT use of bdelugma is in Mt 24:15+ which is fitting as it describes the "Abomination (bdelugma) of desolation" (the Antichrist) (cf Mk 13:14+). Bdelugma - 6v - abomination(3), abominations(2), detestable(1). Matt. 24:15; Mk. 13:14; Lk. 16:15; Rev. 17:4; Rev. 17:5; Rev. 21:27 Luke 16:16 "The Law and the Prophets [were proclaimed] until John; since that time the Gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. KJV Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until Jn: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John Luke 16:29,31; Mt 11:9-14; Jn 1:45; Acts 3:18,24,25 since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached Luke 9:2; 10:9,11; Mt 3:2; 4:17; 10:7; Mark 1:14 and everyone is forcing his way into it. Luke 7:26-29; Mt 21:32; Mark 1:45; Jn 11:48; 12:19 Luke 16 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Luke 16:14-18 Scoffing or Submitting? - Steven Cole Luke 16:14-16 Why False Teachers Mock the Truth, Part 2 - John MacArthur Luke 16:16-18 Why False Teachers Mock the Truth, Part 3 - John MacArthur JESUS AFFIRMS A TRANSITION FROM THE LAW AND PROPHETS TO THE GOSPEL The Law and the Prophets (prophetes) - This phrase refers to the Old Testament. The literal Greek reads "the law and the prophets until John." Were proclaimed is added by the NAS translators but is not in the Greek. The ESV adds the verb "were" and has "were until John." The NET has "were in force." The NRSV has "were in effect." The Law and the Prophets alludes to the fact that the Pharisees had access to the truth of the Law (of Moses, the Torah from Genesis to Deuteronomy) and the Prophets (standing for the remainder of the OT). Steven
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Guzik has an interesting thought - In Jesus’ day, there were hundreds of revolutionaries willing to use violence to bring in the kingdom of God. While we do not imitate their violence, we do imitate their dedication, their willingness to sacrifice, and their passion to see the Messiah reign. In a sense, we are also at war. (Luke 16) Let me attempt to summarize - Regardless of how one interprets biazo, it is clear that the Pharisees had missed what was really of value in God's eyes (Lk 16:15) while all around them were those who realized their need (cf Lk 15:1) and they were seeking forcefully (energetically) or being urged to hear and respond to the proclamation of the good news of the Gospel so that they might gain entrance into the Kingdom of God (be justified). I can recall the resistance of my relatives when at age 39 they tried to talk me out of what I perceived as my desperate need for Jesus Christ and my guess is many of you reading experienced similar or even worse resistance including ostracism or physical abuse! Surely those experiences would speak to the difficult of entering the narrow door and the need to force our way in, of course fully realizing that without the supernatural enabling power of the Holy Spirit none would have entered that narrow door by grace through faith. O great is the unfathomable mystery of God's sovereignty and man's free will! Prophets (4396)(prophetes from próphemi = literally to tell beforehand in turn from pró = before, in front of, forth, on behalf of + phemí = speak, tell) is primarily a forth-teller or one who speaks out God’s message, primarily to their own generation, usually always calling the people to God's truth for them at that moment, often using the phrase "Thus saith the Lord." In the NT uses, prophetes referred usually to a person in the OT who spoke under divine influence and inspiration thus foretelling future events or exhorting, reproving, and threatening of individuals or nations as the ambassador of God and the interpreter of His will to men. Hence the prophet spoke not his own thoughts but what he received from God, retaining, however, his own consciousness and self–possession. Gospel (2098)(euaggelion from eú = good + aggéllo = proclaim, tell) is literally good news or glad tidings. In the NT euaggelion is used only of God's message of salvation in three senses (1) act of proclamation (preaching the gospel) (1 Cor 4:15), (2) the work of evangelization (spread of the gospel) (Phil 4:3), (3) the content of the message as an offer of salvation (good news) (Ro 1:16) Preached (the gospel, good news)(2097) (euaggelizo/euangelizo from eu = good, well + aggéllo = proclaim, tell; English = evangelize) means to announce good news and in this context it is the good news that the King has come and died for our sins to provide a way for sinners to enter into the Kingdom of God by grace through faith, not by works of righteousness (Titus 3:5) as emphasized by the Pharisees or in Paul's day by the Judaizers. Forcing...way (971)(biazo from bia = violence) means to overpower, impel, but also to rush into. To use or apply force, to inflict violence on. As noted above, in the middle voice the idea is to overpower or apply force and in the passive voice the idea is to urge, strongly urge or constrain. The only other use of biazo is in Mt 11:12 - see discussion below). We see these 2 main senses (apply force versus strongly urge) in the uses in the Septuagint (Ge 33:11; Ex 19:24; Dt. 22:25; 22:28; Jdg. 13:15-16; 19:7; 2 Sa 13:25; 13:27; Est. 7:8) Genesis 33:11 "Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have plenty." Thus he urged him (Lxx = biazo - strongly urge) and he took it. Judges 13:15 Then Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, "Please let us detain (Lxx = biazo - strongly urge) you so that we may prepare a young goat for you." Judges 19:7 Then the man arose to go, but his father-in-law urged (Lxx = biazo - strongly urge) him so that he spent the night there again. (Jdg 19:7 NAU) 2 Samuel 13:25 But the king (DAVID) said to (HIS SON) Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you." Although he (ABSALOM) urged (Lxx = biazo - strongly urged) him, he (KING DAVID) would not go, but blessed him (ABSALOM). 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But when Absalom urged (Lxx = biazo - strongly urged) him (KING DAVID), he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. (DAVID DID NOT KNOW HE WAS CONSPIRING TO KILL AMNON FOR HAVING VIOLATED HIS SISTER TAMAR - 2 Sa 13:28) Exodus 19:24 Then the LORD said to him, "Go down and come up again, you and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people break through (Lxx = biazo meaning forcefully, with violence) to come up to the LORD, or He will break forth upon them." Deuteronomy 22:25 “But if in the field the man finds the girl who is engaged, and the man forces(Lxx = biazo meaning forcefully, with violence) her and lies with her, then only the man who lies with her shall die. Esther 7:8 Now when the king returned from the palace garden into the place where they were drinking wine, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was. Then the king said, "Will he even assault (Lxx = biazo meaning forcefully, with violence) the queen with me in the house?" As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. The only other use of biazo is in Mt 11:12 which will be examined with several comments (with the awareness that Matthew's passage has been subject to a number of different interpretations) because some suggest this is a parallel passage that can help us interpret Jesus' meaning of biazo here in Luke 16:16. However, as discussed below, Matthew's use of biazo is in a different context so that they are not perfectly parallel passages. “From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent (biastes = one who uses force, impetuous, used only here in NT) men take it by force (harpazo = seize by force, same word used to describe the "Rapture")." Holman Apologetics Commentary on the Bible - Another issue is the influence of Matthew 11:12-13 for interpreting Luke 16:16. The passages have distinct contexts and must be approached individually. Matthew’s wording is different; he also said the kingdom of heaven arrives violently or suffers violence (biazetai) and that men of violence take it by force (biastai). While “kingdom of heaven” and the “kingdom of God” present the same idea, the rest of the imagery differs significantly. What Matthew attributed specifically to violent men must be attributed to all people in Luke, if indeed Luke and Matthew are taken to be parallel here. It is best to conclude that Matthew is of no value in determining how to handle Luke’s wording and that the remarks take place in distinct settings. John
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Guzik adds "As Jesus spoke of a new aspect of God’s work beginning after the ministry of John the Baptist, He didn’t want any to think that the new aspect of God’s work ignored or neglected the Law. But the new order that we must press into is not an order of rebellion; it is a new order of submission and obedience to God; His new order fulfills the Law." As an aside, this reminds me of God's promise of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:33+ (see also Heb 8:10+) where He says "this is the (NEW) covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." And in Ezekiel 36:27+ He explains how they will be able to obey the Law promising "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes (GOD'S PROVISION), and you will be careful to observe My ordinances (OUR RESPONSIBILITY)." (Luke 16) It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away - Scripture teaches that heaven and earth, the entire created universe, will indeed one day in the future pass away (Ps 102:25-26; Isa 51:6; Mt. 24:35; 2Pe 3:7, 10) Ps 102:25-26 “Of old You (JEHOVAH) founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. “Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. Comment - The Psalmist is saying God Himself will endure, that the Creation will perish but not the Creator! Than for one stroke of a letter (keraia) of the Law to fail (pipto) - The picture Jesus paints here is graphic. He is saying in essence that not even one stroke (see below) will drop out of the Biblical text. Don't miss Jesus' irony in this statement, keeping in mind that He is addressing the legalistic Pharisees! He is saying God would uphold and fulfill the smallest facet of the Law, which is what the strict Pharisees vainly attempted to do in obeying every minute aspect of the Law in their attempts to justify themselves! Leon
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Guzik writes that "the law concerning marriage is still binding—no matter how some Rabbis tried to explain it away. Some Rabbis taught that if a woman burned her husbands breakfast, it was grounds for divorce. Others considered finding a prettier woman was an acceptable reason to divorce....Since Jesus also taught that sexual immorality was acceptable grounds for divorce (Matthew 5:31–32, 19:7–9) and later the Apostle Paul added that desertion by an unbelieving spouse was also an acceptable reason (1 Corinthians 7:15). Because of those two clear allowances, we must regard Jesus’ command here to refer to the one who divorces his wife without Biblical cause and marries another; that this one commits adultery. Again, Jesus emphasized the point: Under the new covenant (since the ministry of John the Baptist), God still cares about His law and our obedience." (Luke 16) William Heth - In NT times, and perhaps already by the time the Greek translation (REFERRING TO THE GREEK SEPTUAGINT) was made, Jewish teachers (INCLUDING THE PHARISEES) had latched on to a potentially ambiguous reading of Dt 24:1 and established a tradition of reading it as a command. This is a key aspect of the Pharisees’ marriage and divorce practices that Jesus cannot condone. (Divorce and Remarriage: The Search for An Evangelical Hermeneutic) (Although the Pharisees described divorce as something Moses commanded, Jesus described it as something Moses merely permitted.) Judaism 101 (a Jewish website) writes that "Under Jewish law, a man can divorce a woman for any reason or no reason. The Talmud specifically says that a man can divorce a woman because she spoiled his dinner or simply because he finds another woman more attractive, and the woman's consent to the divorce is not required. In fact, Jewish law requires divorce in some circumstances: when the wife commits a sexual transgression, a man must divorce her, even if he is inclined to forgive her." (Divorce) Related Resource: See entry from the Mishnah William Luck adds "Our Lord’s primary teaching on divorce was in His great Sermon preached on a mountain to his disciples (Matthew 5). The focus of that was that men who treacherously divorce their wives in order to marry other woman or who are a party to breaking up someone else’s marriage in order to claim the newly released woman are guilty of adultery in the eyes of His father. Subsequent to that He had an interchange with the Pharisees (Luke 16) in which He reaffirmed those teachings in an illustration showing to the religious leaders that they were poor stewards of God’s Law, especially as it related to its divorce teachings.' (The Teaching of Jesus on Divorce — Matthew 19:3-12, Mark 10:2-12) Henry Alford has an interesting thought on why Jesus uses divorce and adultery as an example to show that the Law was not destroyed - "As early as Tertullian, in the third century, it was remarked, that an allusion was meant here to the adultery of Herod Antipas with his brother Philip’s wife, which the Pharisees had tacitly sanctioned, thus allowing an open breach of that law which Christ came to fulfill." NET Note explains that "The examples of marriage and divorce show that the ethical standards of the new era are still faithful to promises made in the presence of God (I.E., THEY HAVE NOT "PASSED AWAY"). To contribute to the breakup of a marriage, which involved a vow before God, is to commit adultery. This works whether one gets a divorce or marries a person who is divorced, thus finalizing the breakup of the marriage. Jesus' point concerns the need for fidelity and ethical integrity in the new era." (ED: SOMETHING THE PHARISEES DID NOT DO ESPECIALLY IN REGARD TO DIVORCE TEACHINGS.) Steven