Buried Talents: The Gift-ocracy of the New Testament

The Parable of the Talents

We will next study the qualifications for elders and deacons. But before we approach this topic, we need to return to the Gospels. Jesus had much to say that relates to these issues. Most significant is His Parable of the Talents:

(Matt. 25:14-30) “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

“‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”

There are powerful lessons in this parable. Note these points.

A “talent” is literally a standard weight of silver or gold, while we understand that figuratively it refers to anything that allows us to serve God — an ability, a resource, even an opportunity.

Jesus praised the servants who provided a 100% return on the master’s money. Where do you get this kind of return risk free? Nowhere. In fact, the master condemned the one-talent servant saying, in effect, that he should have at least earned interest on the money. Even investing with the bankers was very risky in the First Century, when there was no FDIC insurance, no Federal Reserve Board, and no other protection for investors. If investing with the bankers was risky, imagine the risks the other two servants must have taken to yield such a high return for the master!

Thus, Jesus pronounces damnation on those who would take no risks. Those who pass by opportunities and who fail to give the Master a return on what he did for us will receive hellfire for having been too afraid of the Master. Safety is not found in doing nothing. Quite the opposite. Safety is found in Jesus. In grace. In the cross. When we look to rules and our works for safety, we understandably feel unworthy (we are!) and will be afraid to make mistakes (we will!) But Jesus condemns those who think this way. Do something for Jesus. Doing nothing is sure damnation.

Therefore, imagine the frustration of a Christian woman with the gift to teach, who must endure classes taught less well than she could teach and see students not reach their potentials as Christians for lack of instruction.

Imagine the frustration of a Christian woman with the gift of administration, who could run a benevolence or mission program far better than the best man available.

Imagine the frustration of a Christian women with the gift to speak in public, who cannot provide her Master with any return on His investment.

Imagine the frustration of the Holy Spirit who generously gives these gifts to men and women and finds the leadership of His Church too afraid of being wrong to allow the gifts to be used.

Imagine the anger of God when He sees His children unfed, His people lost, and His churches understaffed because over half of its members are severely limited in the service that they can perform.

Of course, women can teach ladies classes and pray among women, but such limited service no more fully utilizes their talents than limiting men to speaking to entirely male audiences or leading prayer among purely male groups would fully utilize their talents.

How many adult education programs have enough teachers among the men? How many benevolence or evangelism programs have failed for lack of leadership? How many women have dropped out, frustrated by their second-class citizen status?

The foremost objection voiced by those opposing full membership for women is that it is not safe to rely on an interpretation of these “ambiguous” passages. They argue that the safe thing to do is to not let women exercise their talents. But Jesus Christ Himself tells us what happens to those who think like this. The sin of the one-talent man is that he imagined that his master would be angry if he lost the money. He was wrong. His Master had more than enough money to lose. The Master wanted a return on his investment.

The Doctrine of Gifts

In the New Testament, the leadership of the church is to be based on the gifts given by God to His children. This is only a logical extension of Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. We often ignore the implications of the passages dealing with the use of gifts for church governance.

(Rom. 12:4-8) Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

What if a woman is given the gift of teaching? or of leadership? What does this passage tell her to do? God tells women that He gave them the gifts they have to be used in His service, and that refusal to do so is a sin.

(1 Cor. 12:7,11,18-21) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. … All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. … But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

Paul tells us that all gifts come from God, and that God gives each of us the gifts he wants us to have to serve the entire church — the common good. Women have the gifts they have so they can be “just as he wanted them to be.” And it is sin to prevent the use of God-given gifts.

We can’t tell the women, “We don’t need your gifts!” God says that if we didn’t need their gifts, He wouldn’t have given the gifts to them! And we can’t limit women to serving only other women. The gifts are for the common good — that is, the good of the total body.

(1 Cor. 12:27-31) Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues ? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Once again we see teaching and administering (governing) as highly valued gifts that are to be used. And it is expressly a sin to prevent their use by those whom God has chosen to have them.

Isn’t it obvious that the reference to prophets, as immediately beneath the apostles and above teachers and administrators, includes the women just mentioned in chapter 11?

When we consider who should have any position within the church, these lessons must be kept in mind. They are true whether or not they fit neatly within our traditions. If a woman has the gift to fill any of these roles, how can we deny her the use of her gift to serve the God who gave her the gift and, by so doing, called her to that service?

Would it be “safe” to violate the clear commands of these passages in order to obey a questionable interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:11-15? Why is it considered safer to violate 1 Corinthians 12 and all these other passages and not safe to violate 1 Corinthians 14:34-35? What makes one passage more dangerous than the other?

Wouldn’t it be “safer” to obey the Parable of the Talents (with its very express threat of condemnation for those who ignore the lesson) and those passages that follow its teachings than two very difficult passages that even our foremost scholars cannot agree on? Are we interpreting the Bible or are we doing what is most comfortable? Are we obeying God or are we running from a fight?

The Master’s anger burns against those Pharisees among us who fear Him too much, who refuse to cling to His grace, and who insist on trusting in their ability to find ways to be “safe.” There is no safety but in the love of God. And for the love of God, I would rather face my Creator having the best teachers that God gave us teaching, the best leaders leading, the best song leaders leading, the best prayer leaders leading prayers, and the best speakers speaking. God chose whom to give the gifts to. He will not complain if His gifts are used in His service.