Luke 16:9

Post by **_Rae** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 5:19 pm

Luke 16:9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings."

Could someone help me out with this verse? Thanks!

Post by **_darin-houston** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:31 pm

Steve has spoken on the entirety of this parable as being one of the most difficult in the bible. This final verse is a little easier, perhaps, as regardless of how you see the rest of the parable, it is clear that whatever wealth or possessions we have in this life (regardless of the means, perhaps) is best spent with eternal returns in mind -- spread the wealth, so to speak and share in love with others so that we will be well-received in eternity.

(maybe...I can't remember precisely)

Post by **_Paidion** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:52 pm

Luke 16:9 "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings."

Could someone help me out with this verse? Thanks!

The problem lies entirely with the mistranslation of aiōnios" as "eternal". When it is properly translated as "permanent", the problem disappears, at least for the most part.

The NASB's "wealth of unrighteousness" may also be a bit misleading. The traditional "unrighteous mammon" better portrays Jesus' meaning. He refers to money as "unrighteous mammon" for Mammon was the god of riches, and is the god of many people throughout history. The way some people use money out of avarice makes it "unrighteous" for those people.

But however money is used, if it is used to make friends (and make friends it will), then if you run out of money, and become homeless, the friends to whom you gave will feel obliged to help you, and will take you into their own houses to live. Some of them may allow you to live with them permanently. But if not, you can go from one to another, and always have a place to stay.

Post by **_darin-houston** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:03 am

This is way beyond me, but see the following from another bible forum (http://bibleforums.org/forum/showthread.php?t=101083)

But the demonstrative adjective "this" (τουτου) is missing in the second verse:

16:8 "sons of this age" (TOU AIWNOS TOUTOU / του αιωνος τουτου) is fairly clearly talking of worldly people, of this age.

16:19 "into eternal/perpetual dwellings" (EIS TAS AIWNIOUS SKHNAS / εις τας αιωνιους σκηνας)

ie. 16:19 isn't talking about the same age.

Besides, that's not the noun, but the adjective form, AIWNIOS, eternal, which refers to EIS TWN AIWNA, which throughout the LXX (whenever not qualified/specified with a demonstrative adjective "to this age / to that age") refers not to this age, but is equivalent to DI' AIWNOS in classical Greek, 'through age' = "eternal, forever".

Ps49:11 has "and their tombs (KAI OI TAFOI AUTWN) their houses (OIKIAI AUTWN) to the age (EIS TON AIWNA)".

Ecc12:5 has "man (O ANQROPOS) into his eternal home (EIS OIKON AIWNOS AUTOU)"

Post by **_Rae** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:46 am

Thanks Paidion! That makes a lot of sense!

If you have time, could you translate what Darin posted from that other forum?

Post by **_Paidion** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:10 pm

Hi Rae. I am not sure what you are asking me to do. Are you asking me to translate every Greek phrase which the author uses? In most cases, he offers what he thinks is a translation before every Greek phrase which he inserts in parentheses. The Greek is quite confusing, since it is not a transliteration, but the English characters you would get if you typed the Greek characters on an English keyboard.

What I will do is post the context of the passage in question. Jesus had just given the parable of the dishonest steward, and then he said:

The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it fails they may receive you into the permanent dwellings.

He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? Luke 16:8-11

I think Jesus was essentially saying that we should not be dishonest as the steward in the parable was, but we should as shrewd as he.

Shrewd Characterized by keen awareness, sharp intelligence, and often a sense of the practical.

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