2. American Standard Version
3. Luke
4. 16
5. Vers.

Study

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Commentarius in hunc versum  

By Brian David
Explanation of Luke 16:8 Erläuterung zu Lukas 16:8 Explicación de Lucas 16:8 Explication de Luc 16:8 Spiegazione di Luca 16:8 路加福音16:8的解释

This verse is where the "Parable of the Unjust Steward" really jumps the tracks in the literal sense. The steward has been scrambling around trying to paper over his misuse of his master’s funds – and possibly actually cheating his master by cutting sweetheart deals with his debtors – and actually gets praised for it! Then Jesus appears to say that worldly people are actually smarter and craftier than enlightened, spiritual people. It is strange stuff, and has led commentators to great lengths and a high degree of creativity in their efforts to see a good message.

Understood spiritually, the verse makes much more sense.

The external ideas of worship represented by the steward are indeed empty – calling him "unrighteous" (a more literal translation than "unjust") means there is no love of serving others there. But they are still based on true ideas about the Lord and man, and we can still use that truth to assess our thoughts and affections – a concept indicated by the word "prudent" (a more literal translation than "shrewd"). And indeed, when these external ideas were applied to the debtors (those who have learned ideas but not yet taken them to heart) it helped them enter firmly into intermediate spiritual states (in verses six and seven).

The "sons of this world in their generation," meanwhile, are the external ideas produced by a church; the "sons of light" are true ideas coming from the Lord.

What this verse is really saying, then, is that the things exchanged between the steward and the debtors – external forms of worship and external true ideas – are the most useful tools for helping external people reach intermediate spiritual states. Better things await, but first you have to get there.

    Studere interiorem