by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
Now we continue with the prophetic passage featuring the Lord Jesus as the Great Shepherd separating the sheep from the goats during the Final Judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. This marks the end of the Olivet Discourse chapters (24 & 25) for the Gospel according to Matthew. It is also the end of the last of this gospel’s 5 Great Discourses of the Lord to his disciples and for all believers. After this section, Matthew’s gospel tells about the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord in his 3 remaining chapters (26-28). For the 2 other Synoptic Gospels of Mark and Luke, the Olivet Discourse in their respective gospels are also followed by their remaining last 3 chapters narrating the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Mark: 14-16; Luke: 22-24). This might be mere coincidence; or it may indeed, reveal the Holy Spirit of God inspiring his gospel writers!
Reading Matthew 25:31-46 is quite straightforward. The Greek and English translations usually have 3 subsections: vv. 31-33, vv. 34-40, and vv. 41-46. After a few passes though, it seemed to me that this pericope may be seen as following a 5-part structure or grouping (see the following table). The first part is obviously an introduction to the entire passage. In my view, the next 4 parts each have something good to say about the “sheep” but also judgment for the “goats.” It is quite Hebraic in style as parallelisms abound with related yet contrasting or even negating ideas in the verses. We shall see that the Greek verses are quite crisp and concise in showing these differences.
| Portion/Segment Grouping | Verses |
| First – Introduction | Matthew 25:31-33 |
| Second – Come/Depart | Matthew 25:34 and 25:41 |
| Third – Praise/Accusation | Matthew 25:35-36 and 25:42-43 |
| Fourth – Question | Matthew 25:37-39 and 25:44 |
| Fifth – Answer | Matthew 25:40 and 25:45-46 |
The first portion, the introduction, in Matthew 25:31-33 is quite familiar (as elucidated by previous other Olivet Discourse sections) and gives the clear opening setting of this passage. Matthew 25:31 says that when the Son of Man comes in his glory with all the angels with him, he will sit upon his throne of glory. In the next verse, all the nations (or races) will be gathered before him and he will separate them from one another just as a shepherd separates the sheep (πρόβατα from πρόβατον “probaton”) from the goats (ἐρίφων from ἔριφος “eriphos”). [In ancient Israel’s herding and pasturing economy, sheep and goats do often mix and need to be separated by the shepherd as they have different needs, can injure each other (with their horns) or get different transmitted diseases.] This verse (v. 32) seems to be a parallel to Ezekiel 34:17. The next verse, Matthew 25:33, then says that he will have the sheep stand on his right side and the goats on his left. [“Sheep” and “goats” are used only in these verses (vv. 32-33) and nowhere else in the rest of the passage.] This scene appears to be during the (Great White Throne) Final Judgment found in Revelation 20:11-15.
The 2nd segment, in Matthew 25:34, has the King (the Son of Man) saying to those on his right side to come (using an imperative verb form) to him, describing these (people) as those who have been blessed by his Father, and inherit (another imperative verb from) the Kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Now a contrasting verse, Matthew 25:41 is the logical/literary counterpoint constituting this second part. Verse 41 now has the King saying to those on his left side to depart (also using an imperative verb form) from him, describing these (people) as those being cursed into the eternal fire having been prepared for the devil (διαβόλῳ from διάβολος “diabolos” also meaning slanderer, false accuser) and his angels. These people on the left are to share the devil’s fate.
For the 3rd segment, the SBL GNT texts of Matthew 25:35-36 and 25:42-43 are given below (with my formal translation in interlinear format):
35ἐπείνασα γὰρ καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με, ξένος ἤμην καὶ συνηγάγετέ με,
For I hungered and you(pl) gave to me to eat, I thirsted and you(pl) gave me drink, I was a stranger and you(pl) invited me in,
36γυμνὸς καὶ περιεβάλετέ με, ἠσθένησα καὶ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με, ἐν φυλακῇ ἤμην καὶ ἤλθατε πρός με.
naked and you(pl) clothed me, I was sick and you(pl) visited me, I was in prison and you (pl) came to me.
The contrasting parallels are now given by vv. 42-43. Notice the addition of the highlighted words:
42ἐπείνασα γὰρ καὶ οὐκ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα καὶ οὐκ ἐποτίσατέ με,
For I hungered and you(pl) did not give to me to eat, I thirsted and you(pl) did not give me drink,
43ξένος ἤμην καὶ οὐ συνηγάγετέ με, γυμνὸς καὶ οὐ περιεβάλετέ με, ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ καὶ οὐκ ἐπεσκέψασθέ με.
I was a stranger and you(pl) did not invite me in, naked and you(pl) did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you(pl) did not visit me.
The Greek words in vv. 42-43 are almost the same words found in vv. 35-36 except for the addition of the negating adverbs (οὐκ “ouk” or οὐ “ou” meaning not), some rearrangement and the dropping or replacement of some words. Very clear contrasts; of praise or accusation. And these differences set up the reasonable question as to when these things occurred.
We will continue next week.
God bless us all.