I have been unable to gain a consensus on whether Jesus was referring to Ministers etc in Luke 12:47 as David Guzik asserts or if both verses 47 & 48 refer to the amount of knowledge of one has of God's word as John Gill and several others assert?
Luke 12:47 & 48 KJV
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
David Guzik's commentary
Selected exerpts
For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known: The
art of being a hypocrite depends on concealment, but one day all will be revealed. We can
only be hypocrites before men, but never before God. He sees through the actor's mask we
put on.
In 1985, a nationally known evangelist and preacher wrote a book condemning sin in
America, especially sexual sin and pornography. Just a short time later, he tearfully
confessed years of involvement in these very sins, and promised repentance - but was
arrested for similar crimes again a few years down the road. His hypocrisy may have
surprised many people, but not God. He knew all along.
Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people? Jesus answers Peter, saying that this is addressed to every one, that all are to be like a faithful and wise steward (manager).
In this sense, we are all in the Jesus Management Training school. He is teaching us
all how to be good, godly stewards for Him.
All who are servants of Jesus must be ready for His return, but those who are ministers
among His servants must all the more be ready. "Ignorance of the Divine shall not
wholly excuse the sinner, he shall be beaten, but his stripes shall be few, his damnation
shall be gentle compared with a minister's, that knows his Master's will but does it not;
teaches it to others, but does it not himself . . . God looks upon wicked, loose, and
scandalous and mischievous ministers as the greatest transgressors, and he will deal
with them as such." (Poole)
John Gill's commentary
And that servant which knew his Lord's will,.... Not his secret, but his revealed
will; the will of God, which lies in the declarations of his grace and mercy in the
Gospel, and in the commands and ordinances expressed in his word; and which are the
good, perfect, and acceptable will of God; the knowledge of which is necessary, in
order to practice: and where there is a spiritual and saving knowledge, there
will be practice: but there may be knowledge, where there is no practice, and which
was the case here: Christ here distinguishes between wicked servants, some being
knowing, and others ignorant; and accordingly the aggravations of their guilt are
more or less:
and prepared not himself; so the Arabic and Ethiopic versions supply, but the Syriac
version, "for him", that is, for his Lord: but it may as well be read as in the
Vulgate Latin, without any supplement, "and prepared not"; he took no thought nor
care about doing it; there is no preparation, readiness, nor disposition, in a
natural man, to the will of God: no man is prepared or ready to do it, but he that
is regenerated, or is made a new creature; who has the laws of God written on his
heart, and who has the Spirit of God put within him, to cause him to keep them; and
who has faith in Christ, and strength from him to observe them; but there may be
knowledge, where such a preparation is wanting; persons may know much, and profess
to know more, and in works deny all, and be to every good work, unfit, disobedient,
and reprobate: this clause is left out in the Persic version:
neither did according to his will; the will of God is done aright, when what is
done, is done according to the command of God, in the strength of Christ, from love
to him, in the exercise of faith on him, and with a view to his glory, and without
any dependence on what is done; but there may be knowledge, without any thing of
this: the words, "neither did", are wanting in the Syriac version: and such a man
that has knowledge without practice,
here are some Scriptures I have consulted in search of an answer
John 15:22 KJV
If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no
cloke for their sin.
Mat 5:19 KJV
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach
men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do
and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 12:37 KJV
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
Matthew Chapter 23 which excoriates the Scribes and Pharisees says that they will be more guilty by virtue of their position in the Synagogues.
However, if I read John 15:22 correctly it would seem to agree with Gill's assessment.
If there are any other sources to help me understan this enigma please let me know.