Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G104 Parable of the Unjust Steward and Other Teachings
Luke 16:1–18

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All New Testament verses quoted in this article are from the English Majority Text Version, and Old Testament verses are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Luke 16:1-18

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager, and this man was accused to him as wasting his possessions.

2 And calling him, he said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Render an account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

3 “Then the manager said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the management away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.

4 I know what I will do, so that whenever I am removed from the management, they will receive me into their houses.’

5 And having summoned each one of his master’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

6 And he said, ‘A hundred baths of olive oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

8 So the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this age are shrewder in their own generation than the sons of light.

9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by the mammon of unrighteousness, so that whenever you fail, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10 He that is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in what is least is also unjust in much.

11 Therefore if you were not faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you what is genuine?

12 And if you were not faithful in what belongs to another, who will give to you what is yours?

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were hearing all these things, and they were mocking Him.

15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. Because that which is exalted among men is an abomination before God.

16 The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone enters forcibly into it.

17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and everyone who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

In this lesson, we will study the parable of “The Unjust Steward,” spoken by the Lord Jesus to His disciples, along with other teachings He gave both to His disciples and to the Pharisees who opposed Him.

Luke 16:1-2

1 He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a manager, and this man was accused to him as wasting his possessions.

2 And calling him, he said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Render an account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’

After the Pharisees and the scribes criticized the Lord Jesus for teaching and eating with sinners, the Lord Jesus told them three parables that revealed the mercy of the God toward sinners. These were the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son, which we studied in Luke chapter 16.

Following that, the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples the parable of the unjust steward. Although the Lord Jesus intended to teach His disciples, the Pharisees, the scribes, and others among the crowds following Him also heard it.

The reason the Lord Jesus specifically taught His disciples the parable of the unjust steward was because He wanted them to know how to properly manage the blessings and gifts that the God had given them. The parable reminds the disciples that they must be stewards not only of material possessions but also of time, talents, and opportunities granted by the Lord, all to glorify the God.

In the society of that time, a steward was someone entrusted by the master with full authority over his property. Therefore, a steward’s unrighteousness caused serious damage to the master. The unjust steward in the parable had been appointed to manage the estate of a wealthy man, but he was unfaithful and squandered his master’s possessions. His wastefulness could have taken various forms.

1. Poor management:

• • Investing unwisely, causing financial losses.
  • Failing to collect debts on time.
  • Lending or leasing the master’s property under unfavorable terms.
  • Neglecting proper care of the assets (leading to damage or loss).

2. Using the master’s property for personal purposes:

• • Taking the master’s money or goods for personal spending.
  • Living lavishly, indulging in food, drink, and parties using the master’s resources.
  • Using entrusted assets to make personal purchases.

3. Fraud in the job:

• • Falsifying accounting records.
  • Taking bribes from debtors in exchange for reducing their debts.
  • Reporting inflated expenses and keeping the difference.
  • Misreporting inventory quantities to steal or sell items for personal gain.

4. Negligence in the role as the master’s representative:

• • Failing to represent the master’s best interests in transactions.
  • Not working diligently; neglecting assigned responsibilities.
  • Not fulfilling one’s duties regarding the assets entrusted for management.

The incident where the dishonest steward was ″accused″ before his master may have involved a covert report made by other servants. Although the Greek verb ″διαβάλλω″ (diaballō – G1225) /dee-ab-al’-lo/ figuratively means to slander, speak ill of, or falsely accuse, in the context of the parable, it implies a covert report of the steward’s wrongful actions.

It is very likely that the accusations were accompanied by solid evidence, which led the master to summon the steward, confront him about his misconduct, and dismiss him. The master also demanded an account of the steward’s management. This means the steward had to hand over the records, documents, and assets to the master and explain whatever the master wanted to know about his stewardship.

Luke 16:3-4

3 “Then the manager said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the management away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.

4 I know what I will do, so that whenever I am removed from the management, they will receive me into their houses.’

Facing the loss of his job, the dishonest steward began to think and plan how to secure his future. Although he may have accumulated some wealth, he still needed a stable source of income. He could not work the land, as he lacked the strength to dig and till the soil. The verb ″σκάπτω″ (skaptō – G4626) /skap’-to/ literally means “to dig” but figuratively means “to farm” or “to work the land.” He also could not bring himself to beg. In both Jewish and Greek societies at the time, begging was viewed as shameful, especially for someone who had held a high-ranking position as a steward.

The dishonest steward came up with a plan to build a network of relationships so that after being removed from his position, he could start some kind of business through the goodwill of people who would be grateful to him.

Luke 16:5-7

5 And having summoned each one of his master’s debtors to him, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

6 And he said, ‘A hundred baths of olive oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’

7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’

The act of telling the debtors to rewrite their bills and reduce the amount they owed made the steward appear as a benefactor to them. As a result, the debtors would be inclined to form connections with and assist the steward when he was in need. This action, however, continued to cause a loss for the master.

Yet, based on the practices of that time, stewards often charged additional commissions on top of the debts, so it is possible that the steward was merely reducing his own personal profit. That was the profit he had planned to pocket for himself after collecting the debts, had he remained in his position. If this was the case, then he was very shrewd, able to benefit from his unjust practices even after losing his job.

Luke 16:8

8 So the master praised the unrighteous manager because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this age are shrewder in their own generation than the sons of light.

The master did not praise the steward for his unrighteousness but for his shrewdness, how, in a difficult situation, he knew how to make the most of what he had to secure his own future. In Jewish and Greek societies at that time, building relationships based on favors was a common strategy to ensure future support, and the steward cleverly applied this.

″The sons of this age″ refers to those who do not belong to the Lord, people whose lives are driven by worldly interests and pleasures. They are focused solely on the present and immediate gain. They may be highly skilled in achieving worldly goals and handling earthly matters.

″In their own generation″ implies, within this present life. This world belongs to the children of the world.

″The sons of light″ are those who have accepted the salvation of the God and belong to Him. They have been delivered from the darkness of sin and death and brought into the light and eternal life (Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9). They live according to the values and principles of the Bible. Their lives are marked by love, righteousness, and holiness. They are granted wisdom from God.

When it comes to dealing with people in the world and handling life’s difficulties in this earthly life, those who do not belong to the Lord are often more shrewd than those who do. This is because those outside the Lord may use dishonest methods to achieve their goals and benefit themselves. We can understand that the Lord Jesus was simply stating the reality of the cleverness, sometimes even the cunning, of worldly people. We should not think that the Lord Jesus intended His disciples to imitate this kind of worldly shrewdness.

Luke 16:9

9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by the mammon of unrighteousness, so that whenever you fail, they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

The teaching above is the wisdom that the Lord Jesus wants His disciples to have.

The noun “mammon of unrighteousness” does not mean wealth gained from unrighteous deeds. Rather, money and wealth in this life are considered unrighteous when they become the object of worship and pursuit. In reality, they are unreliable and temporary, destined to perish. They are often used by worldly people for selfish and sinful purposes.

“Make friends” implies using money and material wealth to help others and meet their needs. This action yields results of eternal value because it is a good deed pleasing to God.

The pronoun “they” in the phrase “they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” does not refer to the people being helped. In reality, the helpers may die before those they help, and those helped may die without repentance, without salvation. The pronoun “they” in this statement by the Lord Jesus should be understood as including God, the angels, and the saints in heaven.

“The eternal dwelling” refers to the residence of God and His people, the Holy City Jerusalem in heaven. This city will descend from heaven to the earth in the new heaven and new earth, as prophesied in Revelation 21.

Luke 16:10

10 He that is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in what is least is also unjust in much.

This verse has been the subject of a dedicated sermon, which we have explained in detail. Brothers and sisters, you can read and listen to the sermon titled “Faithful in What Is Least,” which we have posted on the website https://preachingfromthebible.net/ [1]. Below, we provide a brief summary from that sermon.

[Excerpt:]

The term “faithful” (G4103) literally means reliable and is often understood as loyalty and dedication in fulfilling duties, obligations, or offices. This adjective is also used to describe the virtue of steadfast faith in the Lord and wholehearted obedience to Him among God’s people.

“What is least” refers to responsibilities, tasks, or opportunities that may seem insignificant in the eyes of men but serve as occasions to demonstrate faithfulness to the Lord and others, regardless of how minor their outcomes may appear.

. . .

A person who “is faithful in what is least” is honest and dedicated to fulfilling even the smallest duties, obligations, or offices.

. . .

A person’s faithfulness “in what is least” reflects their careful, thoughtful, and self-respecting character, and surely, it becomes their habit. Therefore, when entrusted with a greater task, that person will also perform it faithfully, bringing about great success.

. . .

“Much” refers to tasks of importance, requiring higher responsibility and having a broader influence in society or in the Church.

. . .

The term “unjust” (G94) literally means a lack of uprightness and is often used to refer to those who act deceitfully and treat others unfairly. In the Bible, this term is also used to refer to those who live in a way that does not align with the Word of God, and it can be translated into English as “the unjust.” This term is used by the Lord Jesus in Luke 16:10 to describe a person who does not complete their duties, obligations, or office with care and diligence, even if it is just “what is least.” The “unjust” the Lord refers to specifically denotes an attitude of unfaithfulness and dishonesty when managing what has been entrusted by the Lord or others or what one has voluntarily taken on.

[End of excerpt.]

In the context of this parable, Luke 16:10 implies that whether a person is faithful or unfaithful in managing even the smallest amounts of money and material wealth will become their habit. This habit will determine whether or not they will be entrusted with greater responsibilities. Spiritually, those of God’s people who fail to manage well the things the God entrusts to them in this life will not have a part in ruling the God’s inheritance in the life to come.

Luke 16:11-12

11 Therefore if you were not faithful with the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you what is genuine?

12 And if you were not faithful in what belongs to another, who will give to you what is yours?

“Unrighteous mammon” refers to all material wealth in the world, created and used in the world, which no one can take with them into the afterlife. Therefore, no matter how rich a person may be, that wealth does not truly belong to them. It is merely temporary wealth in the world, entrusted to them to manage. On a spiritual level, “unrighteous mammon” also includes health, abilities, skills, knowledge, status, position, and time.

“What is genuine” is the inheritance that the God will give to those who belong to Him and are faithful in managing “unrighteous mammon.” This also refers to the right to reign with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Eternal Kingdom. The extent of that authority, whether large or small, depends on the faithfulness of God’s people with what He has entrusted to them in this life. For those with children, their children are part of the inheritance that the God has entrusted to them (Psalm 127:3). They have the responsibility to raise them according to God’s Word, leading them to salvation so that they become a part of their eternal inheritance. Parents must carefully manage their children during the first 20 years of their lives by raising them in accordance with God’s Word. According to the Bible, the age of 20 is considered the age of maturity, when a person is responsible for themselves and must fulfill their duties to society (Numbers 1:3). However, parents should still guide their children according to God’s Word even after they have reached adulthood.

“Unrighteous mammon” is called “what belongs to another” because it belongs to God and does not truly belong to the person who possesses it. The Bible affirms:

“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalms 24:1).

“What is yours” refers to the inheritance that the God will give to His people in the life to come. He has promised:

“He that overcomes I shall give to him these things, and I shall be *God to him, and he shall be to Me a son.” (Revelation 21:7).

If a believer in God is not faithful in managing the money and material wealth entrusted to them, they will not receive the reward of “true riches” from the God in the life to come. That person will be saved but will not have a reward. The Bible calls this being saved ″so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15).

Being faithful in managing money and material wealth means knowing how to use them correctly for needs, using them to help those in need, and using them in the work of expanding the Kingdom of God.

Luke 16:13

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

In the Sermon on the Mount for His disciples, the Lord Jesus also taught:

“No one is able to serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and he will love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one, and he will despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24).

We have commented on Matthew 6:24, and we would like to quote that commentary below:

[Excerpt:]

No one can serve two masters at the same time. The duty of a servant is to be absolutely loyal to their master. In fact, it is impossible for someone to serve two masters simultaneously. Therefore, no one can say that they serve both God and Mammon (or any other false god).

The term “Mammon” (G3126) is an Assyrian word that was adopted and used by the peoples of the Middle East. Literally, it refers to money or wealth. Figuratively, it refers to the god of wealth. This term is used four times in the New Testament. In Luke 16:9 and 16:11, it is used literally to refer to money. In Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13, it is used figuratively to refer to the god of wealth.

Money is the means to meet all the needs of life, as God’s Word affirms:

“A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.” (Ecclesiastes 10:19).

The Vietnamese proverb says: “With money, you can even buy a god.” This is why humanity places their trust in money, becoming obsessed with it and spending most of their lives seeking it. Many people, for the sake of money, are willing to commit terrible sins. Perhaps all of us are familiar with the worship of the god of wealth by the Chinese and the Vietnamese. But other nations also worship their own gods of wealth.

I remember nearly 20 years ago, when I was still attending a Baptist church, I attended a spiritual conference for Korean Evangelicals in the U.S. During one of the sessions, a speaker preached on Matthew 6:24 with the following main idea:

In the past, before we knew the Lord, we worshiped money, which is Mammon. Money held the number one position in our lives. Now that we know the Lord, we have changed the master of that position. That is, we bring God into our lives to take the place of money. The way we treated money in the past, we now apply that same attitude towards the Lord. In the past, we desired money and were obsessed with it; now, with the same passion and longing, we direct that toward the Lord. In the past, we chased after money, searching for it; now, we chase after the Lord, seeking Him. In the past, once we had money, we continued to seek more and more. Today, when we have found the Lord and come to know Him, we continue to seek the Lord more and more, desiring more of Him. In the past, when we had money, we held onto it, hoarding it. Now, with the Lord, we hold onto Him and “store” Him in our hearts. In the past, when we had money, we enjoyed the pleasures and comforts that money provided. Today, with the Lord, we enjoy Him and all that He brings into our lives. In other words, the attitude we had toward money in the past, we should now have the same attitude toward the Lord. This means we serve the Lord and become His servants. Serving the Lord and being a servant to the Lord is no different from serving money and being a servant to money. Both are the same. The difference lies in the object of whom we serve and whom we are enslaved to.

It was a very unique sermon that touched my heart and helped me clearly understand how to serve God. It is a sermon I will always remember.

Besides money, people can also be enslaved to many other things, especially to the pleasures of life. However, the true people of God cannot serve both the Lord and anything else at the same time.

[End of excerpt.]

With the affirmation that mankind cannot serve both God and Mammon, the Lord Jesus concluded the parable of the unjust steward.

Luke 16:14-15

14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were hearing all these things, and they were mocking Him.

15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. Because that which is exalted among men is an abomination before God.

Not all, but the majority of the Pharisees were greedy. The Pharisees present and listening to the Lord Jesus teach His disciples about the unjust steward were those who were greedy for money. Therefore, they mocked Him. There were many reasons why the Pharisees mocked the Lord.

1. They viewed all material wealth as a blessing from God, so to them, wealth was a sign of righteousness. Therefore, they believed that the Lord Jesus was teaching something unreasonable. The Prosperity Gospel movement today also teaches that material wealth is a blessing from God, while poverty is the result of sin.

2. They thought that the Lord Jesus was attacking their wealth.

3. Perhaps they did not understand the meaning of the parable and misunderstood that the Lord Jesus was using it to promote dishonesty, while in fact, He was teaching about wisdom in managing the wealth of this life.

″Which is exalted among men” in the context refers to being respected by people based on human standards and principles, contrary to the standards and principles of God. For example: pursuing outward righteousness to gain the respect of others; performing good deeds with the wrong motives in order to receive praise; seeking the praise of men rather than seeking to be accepted by God. In the context of this passage of Scripture, being ″exalted among men” refers to people praising the Pharisees as righteous and holding them in high esteem.

Luke 16:16-17

16 The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone enters forcibly into it.

17 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.

The content of these two verses was previously taught by the Lord Jesus in two other instances, as recorded by Matthew.

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, until heaven and earth may pass away, one iota or one tittle shall by no means pass away from the law until all things are fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17-18).

“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men seize it. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” (Matthew 11:12-13).

The law refers to the commandments of the God given to humanity until the old heaven and old earth pass away. The prophets were those who preached about the coming of the Christ to accomplish the redemption of mankind by fulfilling the law’s demand that sin must be punished. The Lord Jesus was beaten, humiliated, and died on the cross to bear the penalty for the sins of all humanity. Thus, He fully satisfied the righteous requirement of the law regarding the punishment for sin. Since then, anyone who sincerely repents of sin and believes in the atoning death of the Lord Jesus is forgiven by the God, cleansed of sin by the Lord Jesus, and given the holy spirit (power from God) by the Holy Spirit to live a new, holy life pleasing to the God.

The Lord Jesus did not abolish the law or the prophecies, but He fulfilled the requirements of the law and the prophecies concerning the salvation of the God given to humanity through His death.

The God’s law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, will not pass away until “all things are fulfilled.” All things will be fulfilled when the old heaven and earth pass away, the new heaven and earth appear, heavenly Jerusalem comes down to the new earth, and the God and Christ dwell among humanity forever, as prophesied in Revelation 21 and 22. Until then, humanity must continue to fully obey the Ten Commandments of the God, as well as the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Commandment of the Holy Spirit (Exodus 20:1-17; John 13:14; Acts 15:29).

The Gospel began to be preached during the time of John the Baptist. Since then, many people have made efforts to enter the Kingdom of God, and many have succeeded. They are the Church established by the Lord Jesus (Matthew 16:18). God’s people in the Church must fully obey the God’s commandments. For failing to obey the God’s commandments is sin. The Bible does not remove any of the Ten Commandments of the God, but it adds the New Commandment of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Commandment of the Holy Spirit.

The effort to enter the Kingdom of God refers to the determination to repent of sins, believe in the Gospel, and live according to the God’s will, as the Church has practiced since its establishment. This is not an effort based on one’s own will, such as striving to do good deeds or striving to participate in worshiping God… For when a person has made the decision to repent, believe in the Gospel, and live according to God’s Word, doing good deeds and worshiping God have become the nature of that person. A person enters the Kingdom of God entirely by the God’s grace and by their faith in His grace, not by any works of their own.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The obedience of God’s people to God’s commandments is not the reason they are saved, but rather the result of their salvation. They have been saved from the power and consequences of sin, so they no longer violate God’s commandments. The God has also prepared good works for them so they can live in them and perform them. Anyone who claims to be a child of God but does not obey God’s commandments is not truly God’s child. They are still living in sin, as they violate God’s commandments. The first good work of every child of God is to obey God’s commandments.

Luke 16:18

18 Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and everyone who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband commits adultery.

There is a surprise when the Lord Jesus speaks about divorce here. This can be understood as follows: The Lord Jesus is emphasizing that the law of the God cannot lose its validity, not even a single stroke of a letter. Immediately following that, He warns against the abuse of the law to divorce at will. Many men in Israel at that time were abusing Deuteronomy 24:1 to divorce their wives for trivial reasons.

“When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.” (Deuteronomy 24:1).

The term “uncleanness” in the original Hebrew of the Bible is the noun “עֶרְוָה” (ʿervâ – H6172) /er-vaw’/, which literally means nakedness, the shame of being naked, or inappropriate behavior in sexual relations.

There are two different schools of interpretation in Israel regarding the noun “עֶרְוָה”.

The Shammai school interprets this term as referring to improper sexual behavior but excluding adultery, since, according to the law, an adulterer must be put to death.

The Hillel school interprets it as anything that displeases a husband about his wife, including things like poor cooking.

Modern biblical scholars suggest that the term “עֶרְוָה” could encompass the following:

• Improper sexual behavior, such as: dressing provocatively, having sexually suggestive mannerisms outside the marital bedroom; being flirtatious with others; masturbating with objects, nowadays including what are called sex toys.
• A wife who was not a virgin when entering her husband’s home without informing her husband beforehand.
• A wife who is unable to bear children or has illnesses that prevent sexual relations with her husband.
• Improper behaviors such as: not obeying her husband, lying, gossiping…

The “divorce” that the Lord Jesus speaks of refers to the arbitrary divorce of a wife. The people of Israel in Jesus’ time relied on the interpretation of the Hillel school to divorce their wives at will. However, Jesus affirmed that anyone who divorces their wife for any reason and marries another woman commits adultery. The wife who is divorced is still considered the lawful wife of the man who has divorced her, so anyone who marries her also commits adultery, as they are engaging in sexual relations with someone else’s wife.

The teachings on divorce by Jesus, recorded in Matthew 5:31-32 and Matthew 19:9, highlight the only reason a person may divorce their wife: if the wife has committed adultery.

Later, the Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, allowed God’s people to accept the divorce of an unbelieving spouse who wishes to separate from them (1 Corinthians 7:15). God’s people may continue to live with an unbelieving spouse if the spouse is willing to live together. However, they may also choose to divorce an unbelieving spouse if the spouse not only rejects the faith but also worships idols or false gods, in line with the teachings in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

The misunderstanding or arbitrary interpretation of the law led many Israelites to divorce their wives at will and commit adultery. Jesus wanted to clarify the true meaning of the law in the context of marriage relationships. In one sense, how one treats their spouse is also a matter of managing what God has entrusted to them. A person with a spouse must be faithful in their duty as a husband or wife.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
05/03/2025

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/faithful-in-what-is-least/

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.