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To: HarleyD

You may have missed the gist of the post. I meant that Matt 25 is instructions to us on how to behave and what happens if we misbehave. The Genesis reference is a list of begottens, which really don’t have the same impact to our souls.

Matt 25:

1
1 “Then 2 the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
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3 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
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The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,
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but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
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Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
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At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
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Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
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The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
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But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
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While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.
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4 Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
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But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
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Therefore, stay awake, 5 for you know neither the day nor the hour.
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6 “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey 7 called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
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To one he gave five talents; 8 to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately
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the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.
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Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
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9 But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
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After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
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The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. 10 He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’
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His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
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(Then) the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’
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His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
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Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter;
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so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’
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His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! 11 So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?
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Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
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Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.
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12 For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
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13 And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
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14 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,
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and all the nations 15 will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
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He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
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Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
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For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,
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naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’
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Then the righteous 16 will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
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When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
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When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
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And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
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17 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
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For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
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a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
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18 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’
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He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’
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And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”


What we have to do, why we have to do it and what will happen to us depending on what we do.

This by itself to me is proof against Calvinism.


6,063 posted on 09/12/2007 8:42:12 AM PDT by MarkBsnr (V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae. R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.)
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To: MarkBsnr
This by itself to me is proof against Calvinism.

That is all well and good but you need to read the passage in context. "Foolish" is always applied in scriptures to an unbeliever. "Wise" is applied to believers. So in the parable of the five "foolish" maidens and the five "wise" maidens there are (5) unbelievers and (5) believers waiting for the return of Christ. The foolish (unbelieving) maidens thought that the believers (wise) could give them salvation. Instead they were rightfully instructed to hurry to the source but it was too late.

As far as the wicked servant, well he didn't have the right perspective of God either, now did he?

The bottom line in Matthew 25 IS the separation of the sheep and the goats. Please note what Matthew tells us about this process:

One should notice the contrast in this exchange. Matt 25:29 states plainly that everyone who is given something it will produce fruit in abundance. Everyone who is NOT given something, his works will be taken away. Please note how this is phrased. It is rather interesting.

The separation of the sheep and the goats is also interesting. The sheep did not know they were doing anything for Christ. When He stated all the things they did, they responded with, "When did we do this...".

The goats on the other hand had an opposite response. When Christ said they had not done this for Him, they thought they had. They asked the same question, "When did we do this...". They thought their works backed them up.

I find Matthew 25 to be more against works and relying upon God's promise that He has given us salvation and our works than anything else.

6,068 posted on 09/12/2007 10:36:25 AM PDT by HarleyD
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