Anybody Up to Analyzing the Parable of the S & G? (page 2)

snowbird

Ok.

I've been out of the loop for awhile.

I thought they abandoned that along with the notion that the separating work is happening now.

Wow.

Anyway, imo, there are sheepish and goatish Christians.

Syl

AnnOMaly

They no longer believe the separating is now - you're right on that - it's future at/after the GT.

Terry

Ask yourself if Jesus is speaking or not and if Jesus is speaking about himself or not. ?

For example. If I'm talking about myself and I start out saying this: "When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.

... then what is the point in objectifying an "other-ness".

It is weird, odd and bizarre not to mention wholly unnecessary!

Now here is another peculiarity.

The Reward and Punishment section give the REASON for reward and punishment as WORKS!

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why:

I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.'

Quite tellingly, the sheep and goats seem to expect a FAITH BASED reward! You might say they are befuddled because it isn't GRACE at work (UN-deserved) but, rather DESERVED because of WORKS. The rug is pulled out from under them:

"Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about?

Their MASTER makes it crystal clear!

"....you failed to do one of these things..."

Works and not Faith are spotlighted!

I suspect that the book of Matthew was written long before the polished dogma of St.Augustine's Faith not Works got entrenched in Church institutional thinking.

This scripture constantly switches from Son of Man to King to Master as though 3 different layers of authorship had worked it out in subsequent translations!

Remember, the Jesus chronicles were ORAL TEACHINGS for many, many years before anybody came along and put such specific dialogue and characterizations on to them!

The passage of years allowed many guesses, arguments, conjectures and theological battles to take place before a permanent record chiseled it all in stone.

It is a hodgepodge. Puts the burden on INTERPRETATION and places the authority in the church, seems to me.

PSacramento

The sheep were the faitful that did good for "goodness sake", with no notion of recompense and were chartiabel with ALL, while the goats were the selfish ones that were charitable with only their own.

AnnOMaly

Anyway, imo, there are sheepish and goatish Christians.

I agree. Although ... couldn't the separating tie up with the Rev 20 'end of time' judgment which would be for everybody?

PSacramento

It is also the only tiem that Jesus note which acts/work, HE deems worthy.

Much like his Brother James and his view on taking care of widows.

snowbird

Interesting thoughts, all.

Thanks.

Terry, I can't read the final part of your post.

Syl

snowbird

Revelation 20:4-6 I saw thrones. Those put in charge of judgment sat on the thrones. I also saw the souls of those beheaded because of their witness to Jesus and the Word of God, who refused to worship either the Beast or his image, refused to take his mark on forehead or hand—they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years! The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were up. This is the first resurrection—and those involved most blessed, most holy. No second death for them! They're priests of God and Christ; they'll reign with him a thousand years. MSG

I believe the above to be pre-millenial and applies to those who were judged as sheep by the Master.

11-15 I saw a Great White Throne and the One Enthroned. Nothing could stand before or against the Presence, nothing in Heaven, nothing on earth. And then I saw all the dead, great and small, standing there—before the Throne! And books were opened. Then another book was opened: the Book of Life. The dead were judged by what was written in the books, by the way they had lived. Sea released its dead, Death and Hell turned in their dead. Each man and woman was judged by the way he or she had lived. Then Death and Hell were hurled into Lake Fire. This is the second death—Lake Fire. Anyone whose name was not found inscribed ... MSG

I believe this to be post-millenial.

Syl

PSacramento

Terry,

It wasn't so much about works but the motive behnd the works.

Jesus didn't say to the goats you did nothing, he said that they didn't take care of HIM and to that they asked, when didn't we take care of YOU?

It was a parable and lesson on motives, the sheep were loving and charitbale to all with no notion of recompense, hense their surprise finding out they took care of "Jesus", the goats on the other hand, took care of only those they wanted, their "Own".

snowbird

More powerful stuff from the Master!

Matthew 7:21 -23 "Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.' MSG

Syl

Anybody Up to Analyzing the Parable of the S & G?

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