Friends of the Unrighteous Rich??

[newgene87]

Okay. I came across this verse while I was studying and I want to believe this is a mistranslation, a add on of the missing gospels or something cuz this seems like something Jesus would not say. So, in Luke 16:9, Jesus says something that is a contradiction or really seems like a contradiction. "And 'I SAY UNTO YOU, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon (riches) OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitation." Okay..."mammon of unrighteousness" just sounds so connected with the world. And that is easily referenced to 1John where it says, "Love not the world, neither THE THINGS IN THE WORLD....". Now that says world and not friend BUT we go to James 4:4 and we have, "ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore WILL BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD (and can't I imply, things in the world??) Is the enemy of God". So, since this jumps out to me maybe this passage in Luke is one of those John 8:1-11 and the last chapter of Mark??? And if its permissable in Luke, someone please educate me why Jesus would say this? When James and John tells us otherwise.  Thanks. -)

[Gina]

I've removed my reply upon further consideration, too. :-D

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hi newgene87

Great insight Gina!

Here is another version of the Scripture you are considering:

Luk 16:5  `And having called near each one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first, How much dost thou owe to my lord?
Luk 16:6  and he said, A hundred baths of oil; and he said to him, Take thy bill, and having sat down write fifty.
Luk 16:7  `Afterward to another he said, And thou, how much dost thou owe? and he said, A hundred cors of wheat; and he saith to him, Take thy bill, and write eighty.
Luk 16:8  `And the lord commended the unrighteous steward that he did prudently, because the sons of this age are more prudent than the sons of the light, in respect to their generation.
Luk 16:9  and I say to you, Make to yourselves friends out of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye may fail, they may receive you to the age-during tabernacles.

Who is OUR Lord, but THE LORD. 

So.   If we see a "sinner", who in our books is deserving of 40 lashes by a iron tipped leather whip, and we reduce the charge to only 6 lashes with a feather duster, the exercise of mercy after getting the guilty to admit the level of their guilt, renders appreciation for the levity of the penelty. When our authority to act on our Lord's behalf is counted back to us, the mercy we have given, shall not be appointed as violation of the Lord, but as representation of HIS MERCY to us and all. 

Tit 3:3  For there was a time when we also were deficient in understanding, obstinate, deluded, the slaves of various cravings and pleasures, spending our lives in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another.
Tit 3:4  But when the goodness of God our Saviour, and His love to man, dawned upon us, not in consequence of things which we,
Tit 3:5  as righteous men, had done, but AS THE RESULT OF HIS OWN MERCY HE SAVED US....

So you make friends OUT OF THE MAMMON....seeing yourself as a steward of the Lords Authority to act on our Lord's behalf with HIS Mercy.

Remember also the King which pardoned the debtor who went and exacted every last penny that was due to him. When the King heard about the unmerciful fellow, he put him in prison and why? Because He had given the chap Mercy and this was the expectation that had to follow but didn't.

To whom much is forgiven, much is required! ~

[Deborah-Leigh]

God counts things that ARE NOT as thought they WERE (Rom. 4:17). And so, although not all individuals have as yet been forgiven of their sins, in God's mind the end of His plan to save all is already a fact. Jesus plainly says that if we do not forgive others of their sins, NEVER WILL GOD FORGIVE US (Matt. 6:14-15). But God knows that eventually (in the resurrection to Judgment), all will forgive others their sins and therefore God will also forgive them. Hope this helps your understanding.
    God be with you,
    Ray
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4490.0.html

[Deborah-Leigh]

Okay, you guys are still asleep and I am in Africa time...LOL 4.10 am your time whilst here is 10.15 and the sun is up and shining!

Here is another snippet...a tad off topic...yet...I love how this shows how God is ahead of us ALL!

http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3709.0.html

We sin... God forgives it.
We repent... God removes it.

That's the way it's done and it will be done that way with every human being.

All have sinned... God has forgiven all.
All will repent... and all sin will be removed.

[Kat]

I removed my reply upon reconsideration.

mercy, peace and love
Kay

[markn902]

Gene that is confusing! I looked at some different translations on my esword and the CLV has that verse stated as a question.


Luk 16:9 And am I saying to you, Make for yourselves friends with the mammon of injustice, that, whenever it may be defaulting, they should be receiving you into the eonian tabernacles?

That makes a whole lot more sense to me anyway. I am not sure how they got to that translation as the other translations in my esword have it as a statement rather than a question.

Mark

[Deborah-Leigh]

...And Paul says...drum roll.....

2Co 11:8  I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 

[Gina]

Gene that is confusing! I looked at some different translations on my esword and the CLV has that verse stated as a question.


Luk 16:9 And am I saying to you, Make for yourselves friends with the mammon of injustice, that, whenever it may be defaulting, they should be receiving you into the eonian tabernacles?

That makes a whole lot more sense to me anyway. I am not sure how they got to that translation as the other translations in my esword have it as a statement rather than a question.

Mark

That's more like it. Thank you for pointing that out!

[mharrell08]

Okay. I came across this verse while I was studying and I want to believe this is a mistranslation, a add on of the missing gospels or something cuz this seems like something Jesus would not say. So, in Luke 16:9, Jesus says something that is a contradiction or really seems like a contradiction. "And 'I SAY UNTO YOU, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon (riches) OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitation." Okay..."mammon of unrighteousness" just sounds so connected with the world. And that is easily referenced to 1John where it says, "Love not the world, neither THE THINGS IN THE WORLD....". Now that says world and not friend BUT we go to James 4:4 and we have, "ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore WILL BE A FRIEND OF THE WORLD (and can't I imply, things in the world??) Is the enemy of God". So, since this jumps out to me maybe this passage in Luke is one of those John 8:1-11 and the last chapter of Mark??? And if its permissable in Luke, someone please educate me why Jesus would say this? When James and John tells us otherwise.  Thanks. -)

The phrase 'they may receive you', that's talking about those of the world, not God. Verse 11 & 12 give the meaning to the parable:

Luke 16:11-12  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

Remember, these run of parables all talk about money just like Ray mentioned at the last conference in 2009. The unjust steward lost his position because he was stealing, that cost him his job. If one cannot be faithful with the world's fortunes, how could he be trusted with the true riches from God?

The steward then shows favor on the people of the land by giving them a discount so that they may return that favor once he is out of office. The people of the world, though unrighteous, should not be showed disdain but rather mercy [mercy triumphs judgment - James 2:13] and maybe even favor if the situation is needed. You never know when the people of the world can used by God to befriend you.


Marques

[Gina]

I love your analogy, Marques.  I see why Kat took down her reply.

This is a fantastic topic by the way!