Discipleship in Ministries: Jesus’ Parable of the Talants Matthew 24:14-31   A talant was equal to 6000 drachma or denarii which was day's wage. It would thus be a lifetime of earnings. As Jesus describes these three servants and their response to their talants, the talant would then be "The Gospel & Ministry with the Gospel, that is God's Commitment of the Word and Ministry of Reconciliation to believers: Gospel itself - 2 Cor. 5:21 & 18a - JC paid for our sins & reconciled us to God. Our ministry with it - 2 Cor.5:18-20 - as ambassadors, we have the word (v.19b - message) and the ministry (v.18b) of reconciliation. In Mat. 25:16 the 5-Talant servant doubled in faith his ministry with the Gospel. In Mat. 25:17 the 2-Talant Person doubled in faith his ministry with the Gospel. In Mat. 25:18 the 1-Talant Person did not even apply the minimum of simply believing the Gospel. The 5-Talant Ministry: The believer with a very fruitful faith and ministry of the Gospel by making and developing many disciples & eventually presenting them before the Lord Jesus Christ at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (25:20-21). The 2-Talant Ministry: The believer with a rather modest, moderate faith and ministry of the Gospel (25:22-23). The 1-Talant Ministry: The unbeliever with no faith and no ministry, who might have at least just believed, as the minimum for eternal life (25:24-30). An unbeliever who had heard the gospel, even perhaps joining a local church, but had said "No" to the Gospel and any related ministry. As in 1 Cor. 3:15, he could have been "saved but singed." After death at the judgment, there will be no opportunity of a second chance for eternal life. The expression, "weeping and gnashing of teeth," is found in describing the Gehenna to which unbelievers will be consigned, as in: Mat.13:42 - the tare/darnel cast into the furnace of fire Mat.13:50 - the foul fish cast into the furnace of fire Mat. 22:13 - the improperly attired man at the wedding cast into outer darkness Mat. 24:51 - the dismembered, wicked servant assigned among the hypocrites Luke 13:28 - rejected, unbelieving workers of unrighteousness.