16:1 Jesus 10 also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who was informed of accusations 11 that his manager 12 was wasting 13 his assets.
1:10 For there are many 16 rebellious people, idle talkers, and deceivers, especially those with Jewish connections, 17
1:1 From Paul, 18 a slave 19 of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith 20 of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,
1 tn Grk “unrighteous mammon.” Mammon is the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. The call is to be generous and kind in its use. Zacchaeus becomes the example of this in Luke’s Gospel (19:1-10).
2 sn The passive refers to the welcome of heaven.
3 tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).
4 tn Or “faithful.”
5 tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9.
6 sn Entrust you with the true riches is a reference to future service for God. The idea is like 1 Cor 9:11, except there the imagery is reversed.
7 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
8 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
9 tn Grk “God and mammon.” This is the same word (μαμωνᾶς, mamwnas; often merely transliterated as “mammon”) translated “worldly wealth” in vv. 9, 11.
sn The term money is used to translate mammon, the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. God must be first, not money or possessions.
10 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn These are not formal legal charges, but reports from friends, acquaintances, etc.; Grk “A certain man was rich who had a manager, and this one was reported to him as wasting his property.”
12 sn His manager was the steward in charge of managing the house. He could have been a slave trained for the role.
13 tn Or “squandering.” This verb is graphic; it means to scatter (L&N 57.151).
14 tn Grk “the faithful message in accordance with the teaching” (referring to apostolic teaching).
15 tn Grk “the healthy teaching” (referring to what was just mentioned).
16 tc ‡ The earliest and best
17 tn Grk “those of the circumcision.” Some translations take this to refer to Jewish converts to Christianity (cf. NAB “Jewish Christians”; TEV “converts from Judaism”; CEV “Jewish followers”) while others are less clear (cf. NLT “those who insist on circumcision for salvation”).
18 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
19 tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”
20 tn Grk “for the faith,” possibly, “in accordance with the faith.”