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That certainly is something to think about [sic Matt 25:29-30]. Knowing our Calvinist friends

I always like challenges. Please note all the scriptures.

Mat 25:14-30 "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I would simply note the underline part of the passage. This was someone who did not know the Master for He would never have said "I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed". Of all the impertience believing it is our work and not the work of God in which we sow and reap. The implication is God didn't do anything but these are the works of my hands.

If you and jokus would have looked at John Gill's commentary in eSword you would have seen that God gives special grace to unbelievers much like He endows and entrusted to Judas power to heal the sick and preach the word. It doesn't mean that Judas believed in Christ. In the above illustration this man didn't know what his Master was like at all just as Judas didn't know the Christ.

It is a fallacy to think God only uses Christians to bring us to Him. He'll use anyone He darn well pleases. But in the parables of the talents it is obvious the one who went and buried his talent had no concept of his master.

There will be some in those days who will say, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?" but He will say, "Depart from me for I never knew you."

BTW-This kind of goes against the Catholic understanding of purgatory and hell. Some Catholics don't believe anyone winds up in hell which is not what the above scriptures (e.g. Lord, Lord...) would indicate. Did the person who buried his talent go to purgatory?

Regarding the Parable of the Talents:

Your explanation doesn't make sense to me, sorry. You are contradicting yourself. First, you underline:

'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed

And then, you write:

This was someone who did not know the Master for He would never have said "I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed".

Say what? He certainly DID know the Master, for then the Master said "'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank

Sorry, Harley, you'll have to come up with something more convincing to explain this away.

I most certainly agree that God can use ANYONE to bring people to God. Didn't God use the Persians to free the Jews from Babylonian power? In Isaiah, I believe, the Scriptures twice mention that Cyrus was the tool of God. But this has NOTHING to do with the parable! Read what is there, read the context. Consider the immediately prior and following parables - all about the Kingdom of God and entrance to it is based on our God-inspired works...As I have explained to you before about the Virgins, and, of course, the Goats and sheep parable. The same theme. As I have shown, the lazy slave KNEW about his master's ways - and was subsequently punished.

Now, if he was invincibly ignorant...! :-)

Some Catholics don't believe anyone winds up in hell which is not what the above scriptures (e.g. Lord, Lord...) would indicate. Did the person who buried his talent go to purgatory?

The Church teaches that there are people in Hell, as well as demons and the devil. She just doesn't teach WHO is specifically in hell (human-wise). If someone teaches otherwise, they are teaching heretical doctrine. Harley, you should know better than trying to equate heretics to Catholic Teachings. Did the person who buried his talent go to purgatory? Perhaps. It would be speculation to make that determination.

Regards