Matthew 25:8

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. AND THE FOOLISH SAID UNTO THE WISE, GIVE US OF YOUR OIL; FOR OUR LAMPS ARE GONE, OUT, [ sbennuntai (G4570)] - rather, as in the margin, 'are going out;' for oil will not light an extinguished lamp, though it will keep a burning one from going out. Ah! now at length they have discovered not only their own folly, but the wisdom of the other class, and they do homage to it. They did not perhaps despise them before, but they thought them righteous overmuch; now they are forced, with bitter mortification, to wish they were like them....

8._And the foolish said to the wise. _This is a reproof of the late repentance of those who never think of what they are in want of, till _the door is shut _against every remedy. For those who do not make provision for a long period are charged with folly, because they are careless, and flatter themselves amidst their poverty, and allow the season of mutual intercourse to pass in such a way as to despise the aids which were offered to them. As they do not, in proper time, bethink themselves about procuring oil, Christ, mocking the knowledge which they have acquired when it is too late, shows how their stupidity will be punished, when they shall see themselves to be empty and unprovided, while there is no remedy....

1-13 The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews, and explain the great day of Christ's coming. See the nature of Christianity. As Christians we profess to attend upon Christ, to honour him, also to be waiting for his coming. Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites the foolish ones. Those are the truly wise or foolish that are so in the affairs of their souls. Many have a lamp of profession in their hands, but have not, in their hearts, sound knowledge and settled resolution, which are needed to carry them through the services and trials of the present state. Their hearts are not stored with holy dispositions, by the new-creating Spirit of God. Our light must shine before men in good works; but this is not likely to be long done, unless there is a fixed, active principle in the heart, of faith in Christ, and lov...

Verse Matthew 25:8. _OUR LAMPS ARE GONE OUT._] σβεννυνται, _are going out_. So then it is evident that they were _once_ lighted. They had once hearts _illuminated_ and _warmed_ by faith and love; but they had _backslidden_ from the salvation of God, and now they are excluded from heaven, because, through their _carelessness_, they have let the light that was in them become _darkness_, and have not applied in _time_ for a _fresh supply_ of the salvation of God. A Jewish rabbin supposes God addressing man thus:-_I give thee my_ _lamp, give thou me thy lamp; if thou keep my lamp I will keep thy_ _lamp; but if thou extinguish my lamp I will extinguish thy lamp_. That is, I give thee my WORD and testimonies to be a _light_ unto thy feet and a _lanthorn_ to thy steps, to _guide_ thee safely through

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 THE FOOLISH SAID UNTO THE WISE, GIVE US OF YOUR OIL,.... A graceless person may be able to see the grace of God in others, be convinced of it, and acknowledge it, as these foolish virgins did: they saw that the wise virgins had oil, that is, grace; this they knew by the bright burning of their lamps, by their readiness in trimming them, and that in a different way from them; by their sedate composure of mind, and confidence of soul, notwithstanding the midnight cry; and by their ardent and affectionate desire to meet the bridegroom. A graceless person may also see a need of grace: these foolish virgins had no such sense, when they first took up their profession; they went on a long time in a course of religion, without any thoughts of it; and the sense they had now was not of the need of it, in the vessels of their hearts, but in their lamps only; nor was it from the Spirit of God, b...

Matthew 25:1. _Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom._ And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. There did not seem to be much difference between them. They were all virgins, they all carried lamps, their lamps were all lit; sad, peradventure, the lamps of the foolish were quite as bright as those of the wise. The difference was unobservable to most onlookers, but it was an essential and fatal difference. Ah! dear friends, it is the lack of oil that is the ruin of many a professor's lamp. Men have a name to live, but they have not the true life which is the evidence of the effectual working of the grace of God within their souls. They make a profession of religion

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

MATTHEW 24:42 TO MATTHEW 25:13. Abbreviating Mark 13:33, with its simile of the absent householder, into one verse (Matthew 24:42; _cf._ Luke 21:36), Mt. inserts (_a)_ the short simile of a householder off his guard, (_b)_ the longer one describing the absent master and the careful and careless stewards (for these _cf._ Luke 12:39), (_c_) the parable of the bridesmaids (Mt. only). At...

"What will happen in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the situation which arose when ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish took their lamps, but did not take oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels together with their lamps. When the bridegroom was long in coming, all of them settled down to rest and slept. In the middle of the night the cry went up, 'Look you, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!' Then all these virgins awoke, and they prepared their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise ones. 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out.' But the wise answered, 'No; we cannot do that in case there is not enough for us and for you. Go rather to those who sell oil, and buy it for yourselves.' While they went away to buy oil, the bridegroom came; and those who were ready entered wi...