“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Matthew 25:29 ESV1
Read Matthew 25:14-30
God Realties—that’s what my sister calls them—those things that are always true in the physical realm which parallel things that are without exception accurate in the spiritual realm. Light always penetrates the darkness. It could be as insignificant as a match in a deep dark cave, but that little light chases away the darkness surrounding it. Likewise, God always overcomes Satan; no matter how much it appears like Satan is in control when God shows up, the devil has to leave. Water always fills up the lowest place first. The same is true with the Holy Spirit; every time, He is drawn to the humble furnishing them with His power, while He is repelled by and rejects the proud. Living things always grow and change. Similarly, one’s spiritual state should be uninterruptedly characterized by increase and expansion.
In His teaching, Jesus often pointed out God Realities. This was particularly true when He taught in parables. During a lesson Jesus taught His closest disciples concerning His Return, He told this parable:
“‘For it [the Kingdom of Heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”’” (Matthew 25:14-30).
The Reality of the Relationship
Though the text doesn’t directly say, we can infer that this parable is a Kingdom of Heaven parable. The pronoun it appears in the text and beacons us to figure out the word for which it stands. Therefore, we must refer to what immediately precedes the word it. In doing so, we find another parable beginning with the words “‘Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like’” (Matthew 25:1a). We can safely assume those are the words that can take the place of the pronoun it. As we have discovered in our previous studies of other Kingdom of Heaven parables, all such parables teach something about the relationship between God and man. Jesus taught clearly that the Kingdom of Heaven was not so much a place—a realm which Christians will inhabit sometime in the future—but rather a Person with Whom Believers can begin a vibrant relationship now.
That being said, we can deduce that the man going on a journey, the master mentioned in this passage, is Jesus Himself. This parable is part of a discussion Jesus was having with His disciples that was primarily about the End of the Age and His Return. (Read Jesus’ entire lesson in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21). In the context, it is obvious Jesus is the One who would leave and someday return to require an account for that which He had given.
We also know that this parable is directed toward those who are Christ-followers, not the population at large. This can be determined by reading the above-mentioned Scriptures. All of the authors made a point of mentioning that Jesus was speaking to His closest disciples as He taught this lesson (see Matthew 24:3, Mark 13:3-4, and Luke 12:22). We can further deduce this truth by referring to the word Jesus used that is translated servant here. In Greek, the language that the New Testament was originally written, this word is doulos. A doulos is a servant or attendant “who gives himself up to another’s will. [As a metaphor, these are] those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men; [they are] devoted to another to the disregard of [their] own interests.”2
To discover the God Reality Jesus was intending His disciples to understand concerning His relationship with them, we will attempt to examine this parable as close as possible to the way Jesus’ audience would have heard it. To do that, some of the words contained within will be defined according to the original Greek. Some of the meaning in these Scriptures is clouded with our English translations; many of the common words translated here have a deeper meaning in the language in which they were first recorded. (The internet allows anyone to make such discoveries. I used www.blueletterbible.org in my study of this passage).
One obvious example of this language difficulty is in the word talent. In English, talent means a special natural ability or aptitude that one possesses physically or mentally. That is not at all what those in Jesus’ presence would have thought. To Jesus’ audience, a talent was “a sum of money weighing a talent …; a talent of silver in Israel weighed about 100 pounds (45 kg); a talent of gold in Israel weighed about 200 pounds (91 kg)”3 According to this information, using what these precious metals are worth today, a talent of silver would be equivalent to about $30,000 and a talent of gold would be around $4.6 million. Multiply those amounts by the number of talents each servant in Jesus’ parable received and, whether Jesus was talking about silver or gold, you will realize the master in this story had great faith in the stewardship of those in his employ.
So, what did Jesus expect His disciples to realize when He told a story about a master going on a journey and giving great sums of money to his devoted servants to use in his absence? What aspect of God’s relationship with His Children was Jesus stressing? We can get a hint in what Jesus told His disciples two days later. Jesus continued the discussion concerning His departure saying,
“‘It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you’” (John 16:7).
Jesus explained Who this Helper is and what He would do:
“‘The Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you’” (John 14:26).
The Holy Spirit was poured out on these and other Christ-followers a few weeks later at Pentecost. Jesus wanted His Followers to realize that The Holy Spirit is an extravagant Gift, but, in addition to that, He is a Person, a Constant Companion, and a Helper, who would be intimately connected to each of them. Talk about the relationship between God and mankind!
“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
The Apostle Paul spoke about the Holy Spirit and His filling of individual Christians saying,
“According to the measure of faith that God has assigned … Having gifts [of the Spirit] that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them … in proportion to our faith” (Romans 12:3b & 6).
Every person who receives Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is blessed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps each one become all God intended him/her to be and works through each person to build up others and bring them closer to the Savior. But not all Christians receive the same amount, shall we say, of the Holy Spirit. What each one receives is dependent on that one’s faith.
The Reality in the Response
So, let’s take a look at the characters in Jesus’ story to see how each of them responded to the large sum of money his master placed in his care. In the process, we will be uncovering the God Reality Jesus intended to share. Remember, the talents placed in each servant’s care are a picture of the Holy Spirit.
The servant in Jesus’ parable “‘who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more’” (Matthew 25:16). The verb went at once is poreuō in Greek and means to pursue the journey on which one has entered; … to depart from life; to follow one, that is: become his adherent.”4 The verb traded is ergazomai in Greek and means to “labour, … make gains by trading, … work out; exercise, … [and] earn by working … to acquire.”5 In considering the Greek definitions of these common English words, we realize that this doulos was indeed fully devoted to his master and had great respect for him. This servant walked away from any agenda he held personally for his life and pursued completely the will of his master. He put all his effort into the responsibility with which he was entrusted and used fully what he was given. In working hard, he was able to obtain as much for His master as he was given originally.
Jesus went on to illustrate through the second servant, “‘So also, he had the two talents made two talents more’” (Matthew 25:17). Though the word may seem much the same, the verb translated made in this verse is different from the word translated gained in the previous verse. This Greek word, translated as made, is the word kerdainō. It can mean “to gain [or] acquire; [but it is used metaphorically as to gain salvation]; to gain Christ’s favour and fellowship.”6 To me, by the use of this word, it seems as if Jesus was saying that this devoted servant of the master was aware that he wasn’t endowed with the resources or the ability the first servant had but that knowledge didn’t deter him. Whereas the first servant put his whole body into stewarding what the master had given him, this second servant put his entire heart into what he had received. It was his love for his master that motivated him. Though he may have not worked as hard as the first servant, he won favor and received the grace he needed to make a significant profit. His attitude allowed him, like the first servant, to double what he had been given.
In contrast, “‘he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money’” (Matthew 25:18). The verb translated went in this verse is far different from the one translated similarly in verse 16. This went is in Greek, aperchomai. It means “to go away in order to follow anyone… as a leader; … of departing evils and sufferings; of good things taken away from one; of an evanescent [vanishing, imperceptible] state of things.”7 The word translated hid, in Greek, is kryptō, meaning “to hide …; escape notice; … to conceal (that it may not become known).”8
The fact that this servant was given only one talent means very little; he could have been given one hundred talents and the result would have been the same. Relying on the definitions of the Greek words above, we can deduce that this servant didn’t love or respect his master; he didn’t want to be associated with him or with his generous allotment. He went in his own direction and concealed what had been given him. Though he must have at one time pledged his allegiance to his master, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been referred to as a doulos, when the moment of truth came, he didn’t want anyone to know he belonged to this master or that he was supposed to be working for his master’s gain.
The Reality in the Return
Jesus continued the story with, “‘Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them’” (Matthew 25:19). When called upon, each of the servants came forward (see Matthew 25:20, 22 & 24). In Greek this is, proserchomai, which means “to come to, approach; draw near to; to assent [agree with, subscribe to, yield to, to give in, concede to].”9 Regardless of what he had to present, each doulos came to the master in humility. No matter how one feels about Jesus now, when He returns and calls for an accounting, everyone will give Him the honor He deserves. The Apostle Paul wrote:
“At the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow, in Heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
Both the servant given five talents and the servant given two talents approached their Master with humility and reported that they had been blessed to make twice what he had invested in them. Interestingly, both of these servants used the word kerdainō for the word gained in their explanation. This was the word Jesus used in describing the job the second servant had done. The use of this word makes it clear that they both realized they hadn’t made these gains in their own strength but something beyond them had shown them favor, had assisted their efforts, and made the increase possible.
When each of these two servants was able to show the profit he had made while putting to use his master’s property, “‘his master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master”’” (Matthew 25:21 & 23). The first two servants had both been good stewards of what they were given and made something out of what had been bestowed upon them. They both heard the same encouraging words and received the same reward. No distinction was made between them. They had both had taken their responsibility seriously, used what the master had entrusted to them, and brought forth a significant return on their master’s investment in them.
Notice how the master regarded what the servants probably saw as an enormous amount of money as being little (see Matthew 25:21 & 23). Because of their faithfulness in using what they had received, each of these servants was going the be entrusted with a great deal more. Remember, Jesus was likening the massive amounts of money given into these servants’ care as the Holy Spirit given into a Believer’s life. The Holy Spirit is an exceedingly great gift. Not only it is hard to imagine what is available to Christ-followers through the indwelling Spirit now, but it will be mind-boggling to discover what is yet available of His power to those who faithfully believe.
The narrative then turned to the servant “who had received the one talent” (Matthew 25:24a). He too came in humility; he couldn’t help but realize his place. But he also came with justification and accusation, “‘saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours”’” (Matthew 25:24b-25).
Before I deal with the master’s reaction to this servant’s casting of blame, I want to point out that the master, who pictures Jesus, didn’t deny the accusation that he was “‘“reaping where [he] did not sow, and gathering where [he] scattered no seed”’” (Matthew 25:24b). In fact, he agreed with this assessment (see Matthew 25:26). The master concurred with the accusatory servant because Jesus does exactly what the servant claimed. I, for one, am glad for Jesus’ reaping where He did not sow and gathering where He did not scatter seed. The whole world is under the devil’s control; he is called the god and the ruler of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31 & 14:30). All humanity is born into slavery to Satan because we have inherited a sin nature from our forefather, Adam (see Romans 5:12). Through His blood, Christ’s purchased humanity from Satan and allowed us to become Children of God (see Acts 20:28 & John 1:12). Thus, Jesus reaped where He did not sow and gathered where He scattered no seed. Praise God!
When the servant who had received the one talent was called upon to give an account for his use of his master’s money, he had nothing to return but that which he had been given. Instead of repenting, he had the audacity to criticize his master and offer excuses.
This servant readily admitted his fear (see Matthew 25:25). The Greek word used here for afraid is actually phobeō. It is where we get our word, phobia, and it means “to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away); … to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm; … be afraid of one; to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm).”10 But this admission just proved this servant’s lack of love for his master.
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19).
Love for the Master, Jesus, drains out all of the fear of our faithfully serving Him. Because of His love for us, we can trust Him knowing that He has blessing not harm planned for us.
The master pointed out this servant’s other faults. “‘“You wicked and slothful servant”’” (Matthew 25:26a). The Greek word for what is translated wicked doesn’t mean morally bad. The word is ponēros, which means “pressed and harassed by labours; … toils, annoyances, [and] perils”11 It is actually the same word Jesus used in the Lord’s Prayer when He taught His Followers to pray, “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13b). It is not just unpleasant circumstances that Jesus taught His followers to pray but deliverance from the evil one, Satan. This servant was unable to make something out of what he was given because he was burdened and oppressed by Satan himself. But lest we feel sorry for him and accept this excuse, may we remember deliverance from this kind of suffering is available through prayer.
Because he belonged to the master, this servant had what he needed to stand up to and push back to harassment with which the evil one was taunting him.
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome [evil], for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
“His divine power [the Holy Spirit] has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3).
“Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
It seems that this troubled simply refused to ask for help. Quite possibly, this servant’s main problem was that he was slothful (see Matthew 25:26). He was too lazy to care about his master, too passive to consider his master’s business, too indifferent to want to be known as one belonging to the master, too indolent to put what he had received to work, too idle to pray, and too unmotivated to do anything but conceal that with which he had been entrusted.
The third servant’s slothful attitude was grievous to his master and earned him this chastisement,
“‘“You ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest”’” (Matthew 25:27).
Earlier, it was disclosed that each servant was given a specific number of talents based on his ability (see Matthew 25:15). The master had no expectation that this third servant would be anywhere near as fruitful as the first or even as productive as the second servant. The master knew this one had limitations but the master didn’t expect those disadvantages to render this one completely unproductive.
This third servant blamed his master for his inability to make gains. The servant was right in his assessment (the master did not deny that he reaped where he did not sow and gathered where he did not scatter seed) but wrong in how he responded to this truth. His master’s actions were not the hindrance; this servant’s own laziness was the real problem. Had this servant not been so apathetic, he could have, because of his master’s confidence in him, overcome his fear and his burden and made something out of what he was given. Even the smallest bit of effort on his part, coupled with wisdom that was readily available, would have made a profit.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
The Reality in the Rejection
Sorrowfully, the master responded to the third servant’s faithlessness with,
“‘“Take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents”’” (Matthew 25:28).
One of the meanings for take, airō, in Greek, is “to take away from another what is his or what is committed to him, to take by force.”12 I believe this is the picture Jesus was trying to create. When this servant realized the value of what had been entrusted to him and that, because of his squandering, it was going to be taken from him, I imagine he suddenly found gumption he didn’t know he had and tried to hold onto the talent with all his might. This too little, too late effort was not successful. His talent was given to the one who showed the most aptitude for using it effectively.
The third servant didn’t only lose what had been placed in his care. He lost purpose and peace in what was yet to come. What he gained for his indiscretion was the greatest loss of all.
“‘“Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”’” (Matthew 25:30).
Cast, in Greek, is ekballō. It means “to cast out, drive out, … with [the] notion of violence; … [to] be deprived of the power and influence …: to banish …; to command or cause one to depart in haste …; to reject with contempt …; to lead one forth or away somewhere with a force which he cannot resist.”13 With intensity, this unworthy and useless servant was exiled from his master’s presence. Ironically, he had already been trying to distance himself from his master. I doubt he ever realized how painful separation from his master would be.
The very thing he thought he wanted, caused him unimaginable pain. The outer darkness, in Greek, exōteros skotos, is a place far from God filled with “darkness; … [and] ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, … together with their consequent misery.”14 In his new location, this servant experienced much lamenting and gnashing of his teeth; in Greek, gnashing is brygmos, and is “used to denote extreme anguish and utter despair.”15
Be aware, this parable is a picture of those who are saved and their varying treatment of the gift of the Holy Spirit. I do not believe that the Christian illustrated by the servant who received one talent and hid it will lose his/her salvation. But, without a doubt, such a one will lose his/her reward. Instead of entering into the joy of the Master, he/she will be spending at least some time in eternity in anguish lamenting the fact that he/she had such a bad attitude concerning the One he/she called Master, his/her lack of desire to be associated with the Master, and his/her refusal to use that which the Master had freely given him/her for life and godliness. (For more on this, consider the Apostle Paul’s explanation in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
The God Reality
So, have you discovered the God Reality found in this parable? Jesus put it this way, “‘“For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away”’” (Matthew 25:29). We might say, “Use it or lose it.”
Maybe you think this God Reality is a little too harsh. Perhaps you feel that Jesus certainly wouldn’t cause one of His Followers, no matter how unfruitful, any pain and agony. Do you believe everyone who believes upon Jesus for salvation and receives the gift of the Holy Spirit will get identical treatment in the hereafter?
If you find the God Reality presented in a spiritual context a little hard to process, let me come up with a similar story in a physical context. My story is not Spirit-inspired like the Bible nor am I attempting to elevate my words to the level of the Word of God. I am simply telling a story to illustrate Jesus’ points in hopes that a modern-day example concerning the physical realm may help you further understand the spiritual truth contained in these Scriptures.
Imagine a well-known sports-related clothing manufacturer decided to invest in the health of its customers, so they organized a contest. For a limited period of time, any person who purchased an item from their workout clothing line was entered into a drawing to win one of three prizes. The first prize was a lifetime membership to one of the highest acclaimed gyms in the nation with a retired Mr. Olympian as a workout coach. The second prize was a lifetime membership in a small, local fitness center in the neighborhood of its winner with access to a personal trainer. And the third prize was a commercial quality treadmill with a lifetime membership to a professional series of online exercise classes and live-streamed workout videos.
Consider the first-place winner, an athlete, excitedly taking full advantage of this opportunity. As much as possible, he visited the gym and gleaned advice from his coach so much so that he become a bodybuilder himself. He was so accomplished that he too entered some Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia contests and won a few titles.
Now, think about the second-place winner, an average but appreciative man who was interested in staying fit. He consistently visited his local fitness center—about forty-five minutes at a time, pretty much five times a week. Even though some of the machines were awkward for him and some of the exercises were difficult for him, he listened to the advice of his personal trainer and did his best. Because of his steadfastness and agreeable attitude, he gained the favor of his personal trainer who gave him several kinds of supplements, free of charge, to help him reach his goals.
Envision the third-place winner as a man who wasn’t really that interested in being healthy. He was entered into the contest simply because he bought a new pair of sweatpants in which he intended to lounge around his house. Though he received a prize that a number of other people would have cherished, he didn’t even bother to set up the treadmill. It remained in the box taking up space in his garage. For a while, he got phone calls from the customer service representatives of the company who offered the internet-based fitness classes he had won. But he got annoyed with their asking how they could help him become more fit, so he blocked their calls. Eventually, they quit trying to contact him. Every day after work, this man would slip into his favorite sweatpants and sit in front of the TV consuming junk food until it was time for bed.
Now imagine, twenty years later, because the well-known sports-related clothing manufacturer was considering if they should offer another similar contest, they reached out to the winners of the first contest. When they contacted the first-place winner of their previous contest, he was able to show them the medals from the bodybuilding competitions he had won. The second-place winner was able to report that he wasn’t on any prescription medication and he was able to freely engage in recreational sports activities often keeping up with others half his age. The third-place winner, obviously embarrassed when contacted, stammered on, between labored breaths, and made excuses about the treadmill being too difficult to get into his house and being too tired after work to workout. He then mentioned that he never wanted the treadmill anyway and offered to give it back because it was still in his box in his garage. All he had to show the representative from the well-known sports-related clothing manufacturer was his collection of sweatpants. Unfortunately, the pair he bought that entered him into the original contest was four sizes too small.
I don’t think it would be a surprise to anyone if the representative from the sports-related clothing manufacturer showed his disappointment in the lost potential of the gift that had been given to the third-place winner. He just might have said something like, “Didn’t you get calls from the company offering the internet-based fitness classes? Didn’t they offer to help you? Couldn’t you have asked them for instructions on how to set up the machine? If your goal was to watch TV, the least you could have done is put the treadmill in front of a TV and spend a few minutes a day walking while you were watching.” It wouldn’t have been out of place for this same representative to say, “Give the treadmill and the membership to the online workout classes to the bodybuilder. I know he will use them in his free time.”
The reality is that physical muscles are meant to be exercised; if you don’t use them, they begin to atrophy. If you are sedentary, you won’t actually lose your muscles, but you will lose their effectiveness. The Holy Spirit is meant to be put into action to enable Christians to produce spiritually something of worth for eternity. If you, as a Christian, don’t use the Gift God has given, you won’t lose your salvation, but you will definitely forfeit the opportunity to join God in doing something amazing through you, you will grieve the Spirit in you, you will give up the opportunity for eternal rewards and a greater commission in God’s presence, and you will earn for yourself much pain and sadness now and into eternity.
If you feel you may be neglecting the Gift that has been entrusted to you, don’t give up. There is still time for you to experience the positive side of this God Reality: if you use it, you will get more. Not many of us will become spiritual bodybuilders but I am sure that He who rightfully holds the title of Mr. Universe is willing to help abundantly any Christian who has the desire to make spiritual gains that last into eternity, a profit that will bring joy to both him/her and the Master.
“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32)?
“‘If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him’” (Luke 11:13)!
All of the Holy Spirit that our faith can handle is available to us. He is worth much, much more than we can imagine. And He can do through us what is impossible for us to do in our own strength. (See Ephesians 3:20). Fully embracing Him will never lead to disappointment and that is a reality both on Earth and in Heaven.
Check out my other articles concerning Christ’s Return:
Preparing for the Future @ https://blueturtletrails.com/preparing-for-the-future/,
A Day of Reckoning @ https://blueturtletrails.com/a-day-of-reckoning/ and
Here Comes the Groom @ https://blueturtletrails.com/here-comes-the-groom/
1 Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.
2 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1401/esv/mgnt/0-1/
3 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5007/esv/mgnt/0-1/
4 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4198/esv/mgnt/0-1/
5 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2038/esv/mgnt/0-1/
6 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2770/esv/mgnt/0-1/
7 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g565/esv/mgnt/0-1/
8 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2928/esv/mgnt/0-1/
9 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4334/esv/mgnt/0-1/
10 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5399/esv/mgnt/0-1/
11 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4190/esv/mgnt/0-1/
12 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g142/esv/mgnt/0-1/
13 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1544/esv/mgnt/0-1/
14 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4655/esv/mgnt/0-1/
15 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1030/esv/mgnt/0-1/