Luke 12:41-46 “Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?" (42) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? (43) Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. (44) Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. (45) But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, (46) the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”
We have seen thus far that ministry gifts that refuse to teach the full counsel of God and ministry gifts that refuse to answer their call are both in danger of incurring eternal damnation. However as revealed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture, there is one further category of ministry gift that also has the potential to incur eternal damnation, for the Lord Jesus stated that these ministers will be appointed their portion with the unbelievers. So what behaviour do these ministers display that causes our Lord to place them with the unbelievers on that day? When this passage declares that they begin to beat the Lord’s servants, the word translated “beat” also means to “offend”. In other words these ministers live hypocritical lifestyles by living in the flesh and gratifying the lusts of their flesh, and in doing so these ministers cause the Lord’s servants to become offended with Christianity resulting in their falling away from following the Lord. And so, just as the Lord is justified in condemning the minister who refuses to warn people to repent from their wickedness, so it is that He is also justified in condemning the minister who, through the example of living an ungodly lifestyle, causes others to enter into eternal damnation when they fall away from following the Lord Jesus.
Philippians 3:17-19 “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. (18) For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (19) whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle Paul admonished the church to follow the example of his lifestyle and other ministers like him. Paul then went on to tell us in this passage that he wept for other ministers of the gospel who were not walking as godly examples to the flock, for he tells us that they walk as enemies of the cross because their belly is their god and that they set their minds on earthly things. Paul tells us that end is of such ministers is destruction. Clearly in this passage the apostle Paul is describing the same ministers that Jesus said He would appoint their portion with the unbelievers. And so by examining various passages of scripture, we have seen in this section that the Lord’s ministers will incur a different judgement to the saints on that day. As an aside I need to mention that ministers that forfeit their salvation as discussed in this section are treated the same as all unbelievers, in that they are cast into hell at the end of their lives just as all unbelievers are.
Michael E.B. Maher
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