Thematic Bible: Civil service


Thematic Bible








"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.' Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' read more.
But his master answered him, 'You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed? Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Therefore he said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. So he called ten of his servants, gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' read more.
And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, ' Master, your mina has earned ten minas more.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, be in authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.' Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'I will judge you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a hard man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already!' 'I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.'"



Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons and, kneeling down, asked something of him. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking for. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." read more.
He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right or my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask." Verse ConceptsSelfishness

At the same time, he was hoping that money would be given him by Paul. So he sent for him often and conversed with him. Verse ConceptsGovernorsHope, Nature OfLove, Abuse OfMoney, Uses OfCovetousness, Example OfConversationFinances