I’ve little doubt that it’s literal but must of course be understood in light of the gospel. Our acceptance or rejection by God is based not on our merits (e.g. the quality of our forgiveness) but on the merit of Jesus – the perfect forgiver. As with all other areas of sin, our imperfect record of forgiving others is exchanged with Jesus’ perfect record when we accept his death in our place.
But having died to our sin, how can we still live in it (Romans 6)?! And that’s the point of the parable isn’t it. The servant’s failure to show mercy to his fellow-servant reveals that he hasn’t really died to his debt-incurring ways. The mercy of the king hasn’t changed him.
Hi Pete, could you explain how vs. 35 fits in today?
As in is this literal or a metaphor etc?
Hi Mark
I’ve little doubt that it’s literal but must of course be understood in light of the gospel. Our acceptance or rejection by God is based not on our merits (e.g. the quality of our forgiveness) but on the merit of Jesus – the perfect forgiver. As with all other areas of sin, our imperfect record of forgiving others is exchanged with Jesus’ perfect record when we accept his death in our place.
But having died to our sin, how can we still live in it (Romans 6)?! And that’s the point of the parable isn’t it. The servant’s failure to show mercy to his fellow-servant reveals that he hasn’t really died to his debt-incurring ways. The mercy of the king hasn’t changed him.