Matthew 25:15

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. AND UNTO ONE HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS, TO ANOTHER TWO, AND TO ANOTHER ONE. While the proportion of gifts is different in each, the same fidelity is required of all, and equally rewarded. And thus there is perfect equity. TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS SEVERAL ABILITY - his natural capacity as enlisted in Christ's service, and his opportunities in providence for employing the gifts bestowed on him. AND STRAIGHTWAY TOOK HIS JOURNEY. Compare , where the same departure is ascribed to God, after setting up the ancient economy. In both cases, it denotes the leaving of men to the action of all those spiritual laws and influences of Heaven under which they have be...

Matthew 25:15._To every one according to his own ability. _By this term Christ does not distinguish between natural gifts and the gifts of the Spirit; for we have neither power nor skill (688) which ought not to be acknowledged as having been received from God; and, therefore, whoever shall determine to give God his share will leave nothing for himself. What then is meant by saying, that the master of the house gives to each person more or less, _according to his own ability? _It is because God, as he has assigned to every one his place, and has bestowed on him natural gifts, gives him also this or the other injunction, employs him in the management of affairs, raises him to various offices, furnishes him with abundant means of eminent usefulness, and presents to him the opportunity. It is absurd, however, in the Papists to infer from thi

14-30 Christ keeps no servants to be idle: they have received their all from him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The day of account comes at last. We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have enjoyed. It is not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. It is the real Christian's liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer's servant, in promoting his glory, and the good of his people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him that died for him, and rose again. Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose in religion. They complai...

Verse Matthew 25:15. _UNTO ONE HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS - TO EVERY MAN ACCORDING_ _TO HIS SEVERAL ABILITY_] The duties men are called to perform are _suited_ to their situations, and the _talents_ they receive. The _good_ that any man has he has _received from God_, as also the _ability_ to _improve_ that good. God's graces and temporal mercies are _suited_ to the _power_ which a man has of _improving_ them. To give eminent gifts to persons incapable of properly improving them, would be only to lead into a snare. The talent which each man has suits his _own_ state best; and it is only _pride_ and _insanity_ which lead him to _desire_ and _envy_ the graces and talents of another. _Five_ talents would be _too much_ for some men: _one_ talent would be _too little_. He who recei...

FIVE TALENTS - See the notes at Matthew 18:24. The word “talents” here is used to denote indefinitely “a large sum,” and is designed to refer to the endowments conferred on people. We have retained in our language the word “talent” as referring to the abilities or gifts of men. ACCORDING TO HIS SEVERAL ABILITY - According to the ability of each one. According as he saw each one was adapted to improve it. So in the church and the world. God gives people stations which he judges them adapted to fill, and requires them to fill them. He makes “distinctions” among people in regard to abilities, and in the powers and opportunities of usefulness, requiring them only to occupy those stations, and to discharge their duties there, 1 Corin

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 25:1 _Parable of the ten virgins. _(Peculiar to St. Matthew.) This parable, as a continuation of the teaching of the last chapter, sets forth the necessity of having and retaining grace unto the end, in order to be able to welcome the advent of Christ. The duty of watchfulness and preparation for the great day is, of course, implied and set forth (Matthew 25:13); but the point is that the oil of God's grace alone enables the soul to meet the bridegroom joyfully, without dismay. The usual marriage customs of the Jews are well known. On the appointed day, the bridegroom, accompanied by his friends, proceeded to the bride's house, and thence escorted her, with her attendant maidens and friends, to his own or his parents' home. In the parable,

AND UNTO ONE HE GAVE FIVE TALENTS,.... A "talent" with the Jews, if of silver, was, according to Brerewood w, of the value of 375 l. of our money; according to Bishop Cumberland, 353 l. 11 s. 10 1/2 d.; and if of gold, was equal to 4500l. and, according to the latter, 5075 l. 15 s. 7 1/2 d.: so that five of these talents, if of silver, were 1875 l. and if of gold, 22,500 l. according to Brerewood; a very large sum for one servant to be intrusted with. The Persic version reads "pounds", as in Luke 19:13. By these talents, special grace is not meant; for the parable speaks not of what was wrought in these servants, but of what was committed to their trust, and of what might lie useless by them, and be taken away from them; whereas special grace is internal, something, implanted in man, and is an incorruptible seed, that can never be lost, or will be taken away; and it is certain, that one...

Matthew 25:14. _For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods._ This parable has to do with you who are professors of Christianity. He «called his own servants,» those who, by their own consent, were numbered amongst his household servitors: «He called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.» Not theirs, but his; and therefore to be used for him. If you are Christ's servant, your abilities are his, he has lent them to you to be employed for your Lord. «He called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.» Matthew 25:15. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

MATTHEW 25:15-16 avpedh,mhsen) euvqe,wj poreuqei,j {B} Although the external evidence supporting the reading adopted for the text is limited in extent, it is good in quality. More important, this reading best explains the origin of the other readings, which arose when copyists sought to eliminate the asyndeton as well as the ambiguity of where euvqe,wj belongs, by inserting de, before or after poreuqei,j. The punctuation adopted for the text is in accord with the usage elsewhere in Matthew (where euvqe,wj or euvqu,j invariably belongs to what follows) and with the sense of the parable (there is no point in the master’s departing immediately; there is much point...

CHAPTER 25 _ 1. The Parable of the Ten Virgins. (Matthew 25:1 .) 2. The Parable of the Servants and the Talents. (Matthew 25:14 .) 3. The Judgment of Nations. (Matthew 25:31 .)_ The second parable is the parable of the ten virgins. It is one which is interpreted by students of the prophetic Word in different ways; we are therefore obliged to give it our closest attention. “Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened to ten virgins that, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were prudent and five foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and did not take oil with them; but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now the br