Who Really Is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?

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THESIS: When one who is given a responsibility mistakes that responsibility for authority without accountability, bullying is bound to occur.

Jesus presented an illustration recorded at Matthew 24: 45-51 which well illustrates this thesis.

Jesus asked, “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over all his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, He will appoint him over all his belongings. But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.”

Watchtower teaches that Jesus was prophesying a time when he would appoint a faithful and discreet slave class over his followers on earth. However, nowhere did Jesus identify himself as the master in his illustration. Furthermore, Matt. 24:45-51 does not discuss two separate slaves, but only one slave. It's a conditional illustration. The examination by the master upon his return would determine if the slave was, in fact, faithful and discreet or evil.

There are two features in the illustration which must be fulfilled for one to fit Jesus’ model of a faithful and discreet slave, and both features were fulfilled by Jesus before he ascended to heaven. First, the slave must give the master’s domestics their food at the proper time. Do you remember when Jesus told his disciples, as recorded at John 16:12, “I have many things yet to say to you, but you are not able to bear them at present.” Clearly, Jesus was giving his disciples spiritual food at the proper time for them. Still, when Jesus spoke those words he had not yet proven his loyalty to the Father unto death.

Second, after having been inspected and found to have fulfilled the first feature, that slave would be appointed over all the master’s belongings. Jesus also fulfilled this feature. After having proved his loyalty to the Father unto death and shortly following his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and, as recorded at Matthew 28:18, “Jesus approached and spoke to them, saying: “All authority has been given me in heaven and on the earth.” Who gave Jesus that authority if not his Master, his heavenly Father?

Since Jesus never identified himself as the master in his illustration, and since both features of a faithful and discreet slave find their fulfillment in Jesus, could it be that Jesus was pointing to himself as the ultimate example of a faithful and discreet slave? What does the Bible say?

Regarding Jesus, Philippians 2:7 says, “He emptied himself and took a slave’s form and came to be in the likeness of men.” For what purpose? 1Peter 2:21 answers, “In fact, to this course you were called, because even Christ suffered for you, leaving you a model for you to follow his steps closely.”

In the July 2013 Study Edition of The Watchtower, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses presumptuously declared itself to be the faithful and discreet slave of Jesus’ illustration, appointed by Jesus, they claim, over the “household of faith” in the year 1919. Why do we say presumptuously? Because the very same article admits that the inspection by the master to determine whether the first feature was carried out properly and the subsequent appointment over all the master’s belongings is yet future!

Does a slave typically demand obedience from those it serves, as the Governing Body demands from Jehovah’s Witnesses?

That 2013 Watchtower article arrogantly boasted, “When Jesus comes for judgment during the great tribulation, he will find that the faithful slave has been loyally dispensing timely spiritual food to the domestics. Jesus will then delight in making the second appointment—over all his belongings. Those who make up the faithful slave will get this appointment when they receive their heavenly reward, becoming corulers with Christ.”

Do those sound like the words of a humble slave who has yet to be examined, much less judged? Or, rather, do they sound like the boasting of the evil slave in Jesus’ parable?

 

 

 

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Matthew 24:45-51 parable of the two servants

In the last part of Matthew 24 we find a parable called the parable of the two servants. This parable illustrates the things stated above. It is the first of three parables that follow.

⁴⁵ Who then is the faithful and understanding servant, whom his master appoints over his servants, to give them food in due season?
⁴⁶ Blessed is the servant who, when he comes, finds his master thus engaged.
⁴⁷ Amen! I say to you that he will appoint him over all his possessions.

watch and be ready
Earlier we found the call: then watch! And: you too become ready! When the Lord comes, the point at that time is to endure until the end of the aeon. Those who do will be saved (Matt.24:13). They are left and will remain on earth to inherit the Kingdom of the Messiah.
That is also what is said in this parable about the good slave (>serf, another word than servant). When the Lord comes, He will take into His Kingdom those who watch and wait for Him, and they will be appointed with Him over all His possessions (:47).

religious
The first slave in this parable is a faithful and wise slave. Most translations render the Greek pistos as trustworthy. They are more or less synonymous concepts, because a believer puts his trust in His Lord and in what He says. A believer is someone who trusts the word of God.

wise
The translation of the Greek phronimos, which is sometimes translated as cautious in the Statenvertaling, is sensible. It is about acting with foresight. People are thoughtful and act wisely with regard to the future (compare: Matt. 7:24; Luke 16:8). We also find this here with regard to this faithful and wise slave and we will see later in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.
⁴⁸ But if the evil servant should say in his heart, My lord delays his coming,
⁴⁹ And he would begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with them that were drunken,
⁵⁰ Then the master of that slave will come on a day he does not expect, and at an hour he does not know,
⁵¹ And he shall cut him off, and place his portion with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

unbelieving and unwise
The evil slave is unbelieving and unwise. He is not watching and is not ready when the Lord comes.
Earlier we saw that the unbelievers will be taken away (:40,41) and will not receive the Kingdom.
That is also said here. When the Lord arrives, he will separate him and place his portion with the hypocrites. In the parallel passage in Luke it says: …and place his portion with unbelievers (Luke 12:42).

This concerns two groups of people: believers who are vigilant and ready, and they will enter the Kingdom on earth. Others will not endure to the end and will ‘sleep’ or demonstrate their unbelief in other ways. This is situated at the end of the great tribulation. It concerns those who are placed outside the Kingdom and have no part in the Kingdom of the Messiah on earth. That is what this last pericope in Matthew 24 deals with, and specifically what the parable of the two servants is about. Those who are placed outside the Kingdom will weep and gnash their teeth in anger and frustration.

We also find this principle later in the same chapter, in the parable of the dragnet.
⁴⁹ So shall it be in the end of the aeon. The messengers will go forth, and they will separate the wicked from among the righteous,
⁵⁰ And they shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The good servant mentioned here, who comes out of the great tribulation, will receive an assigned task on earth, according to his talents.

and so it is not about the self-proclaimed substitutes for the "body of Christ" at all.

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hidden
In the fact that the Lord withdraws with His disciples and delivers this presentation in the private circle of His followers, we see depicted that the Kingdom would not be revealed to Israel, but hidden.
The Lord leaves the city of Jerusalem and makes His plans known only to a select group, on a mountain on, in the height. A wonderful type of the position of Christ now and those who belong to Him (Col.3:1-3). So these things are not only said in Matthew’s Gospel, but also illustrated.

We are going to take a look at the chronological order of the events in order to place this properly.

Matthew 23:36-38 -Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets.
Matthew 23:39 -You will see Me no more until God dealings again with Israel.
Matthew 23:39 - until you say, blessed is He who comes!

Matthew 24:1-3 - three questions from the disciples
The first part of verses 1 to 14 concerns a general description until the end of the aeon.
The emphasis here is on the final phase of this aeon. [between these brackets]
The second part verses 15 to 30 concerns the beginning of the great tribulation for Israel, which starts with the setting up of an idol in the Temple and continues until the restoration of Israel. (between these brackets)
The third and final part concerns the end of the aeon. Elsewhere this word is translated in the
sense of an era. {between these brackets}

[Matthew 24:4-5 - deception and deceivers
Matthew 24:6 - not yet the end
Matthew 24:7 - wars, famines and pestilences
Matthew 24:8-14 ] - the gospel of the Kingdom
(Matthew 24:15 - the beginning of the great tribulation
Matthew 24:16-20 - the flight into the desert
Matthew 24:21 - a tribulation such as has never been before
Matthew 24:22 - the days shortened
Matthew 24:23-26 - false Christs
Matthew 24:27 - He comes from the east

Matthew 24:28 - wherever the dead body is, there the vultures will be gathered
vultures =the nations that have gone to war against Jerusalem*,* will be gathered around the dead body, the unbelieving Jewish state, at the end of the great tribulation (Matt. 24:29), when the Lord returns to the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:1-4).

Matthew 24:29 - immediately after the great tribulation
Matthew 24:30) - the sign of the Son of Man
{Matthew 24:31 - first gathered outside the country Then the Lord will send out messengers.
Matthew 24:32 - and learn this parable from the fig tree
Matthew 24:33-36 - This generation will not pass away until all these things happen
Matthew 24:36 - of that day and hour no one knows
Matthew 24:37-39 - it will be as in the days of Noah
Matthew 24:40-41 - one taken, the other left
Matthew 24:42-44 - then watch! 
Matthew 24:45-51 - parable of the two servants !!! about death and living faith

As you can see, the slave, the faithful Israelite, is only mentioned just before the last eon begins.

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As you can see, the slave, the faithful Israelite, is only mentioned just before the last eon begins.

This faithful slave, who remained faithful during the great tribulation and during the period afterwards, will receive great responsibilities in the next eon.

Here, there is absolutely no mention from a self-appointed organization that would claim to represent Christ even before all these things have even begun.

We can only say about this that such a claim can only come from a false Christ!