Who really is the 'slave' of Matthew 24:45?

We have been taught to view the “slave” as a composite, impersonal class, necessarily “faithful and discreet,” an anonymous theocratic construct to which we pay homage as somehow representing Jehovah himself. The anointed as individuals are then seen as the domestics, who are recipients of the feeding, but not the judging by the returning master, which has according to us, already happened to them wholesale as a group, way back in 1918. But is that really the way Jesus portrayed things in his parables? Was the master’s accounting to be with his slaves as a “class” of two already separated households, or with each individual slave personally, both good and evil, working in the same household side by side prior to his arrival?

To be judged as a class or individually?

Both in Luke 12:42 and Matthew 24:45, Jesus refers to the faithful steward or slave in the singular, addressing and thereby challenging each and every Christian in his capacity as an individual to prove himself worthy by his discreet conduct during the master’s absence. The evocative question, “Who really is the faithful steward,” is designed to stir each and every anointed soul to respond: Jesus is addressing me personally here, I must strive to fit that description; necessity is laid upon me to feed the domestics of his household and to keep on the watch! No doubt, each individual “slave” or “steward,” is ultimately to become part of a class, the way the “domestics” or “body of attendants” are portrayed. But when and how does this come about?

Before his return, Jesus views each and every slave as an individual who will be judged as such. That way, no evil slave, quietly sneaking in among a group of faithful ones, will be in line for favourable judgment by virtue of his being part of a ‘faithful and discreet slave class,’ simply because at his future return, Christ will judge, not a group, but individual slaves as faithful or otherwise. After this judging there will be two separate groups, similar to the forming of two classes, ‘sheep and goats,’ after the nations have been judged.

In contrast, Jesus refers to the “attendants” as a composite “body,” to be viewed as a class of domestics who receive food at the proper time from individual faithful anointed Christians during the long period of the master’s absence. Jesus’ words are quite emphatic: “Faithful steward,” “evil slave,” “faithful and discreet slave,” all are viewed singularly! “Domestics” and ‘body of attendants” are plural and distinctly viewed as a class, exactly opposite to what the Watchtower portrays; choose for yourself who to believe. It is the “slaves,” both good and evil, that receive judgment as individuals according to their deeds, not the “domestics” as a class!

The parallel account in Mark 13:34, also has the concept of slaves as individuals, “to each one” of which was given his specific work. In turn, upon arriving, each slave then alive will have to render an account for himself to the Master of the household.

Similarly, because Jesus in Luke 12:42, upon introducing the “steward” [singular] that is faithful and discreet, says: “If ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming…’” he seems to be saying that any slave, exemplified by “that” hitherto faithful individual, could over time and just prior to his coming turn tyrannical and abusive towards his fellow slaves. Otherwise, if “that” faithful slave is to be viewed as a composite entity, the whole ‘class’ could turn out to be evil! Clearly, this is not what Jesus could have meant. Let’s hope not!

To sum up: Before Christ’s future coming to judge, all anointed slaves as individuals, whether they will turn out to be good or evil, are charged with providing spiritual food for the composite body of domestics, and to keep on the watch! At the master’s coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, the evil slaves, having joined the ‘new world beast,’ will be judged as individuals, while forming what could then be described as a class or group of unfaithful ones to be destroyed by Christ himself. Similarly, faithful individuals will then be revealed as the body of Christ.

Has the master already come, or is he yet to do so?

In Matthew 24:50, Jesus refers to himself as the master of the evil slave. Hence evil slaves, along with the faithful ones are side by side in his household. Over the years, numerous anointed ones, as part of God’s household, have apostatised from the truth, which could not happen if Christ has already arrived and declared the “slave” faithful and discreet. After his momentary arrival and judging, no evil slaves could ever be found among the faithful again!

Does the supplying of food to the anointed continue after Christ has arrived?

While Jesus was still present on earth with his disciples, he himself was in charge of his domestics, supplying them with spiritual food. Then, during his long absence, he put his slaves as individuals in charge of feeding his body of attendants. “Happy are those [individual] slaves whom the master on arriving finds watching! Truly I say to you, He will gird himself and make them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them.” Thus, as soon as Jesus arrives to judge his slaves, they will cease supplying food to one another, but join him at his banquet, just as he said: “…that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom.” Those found faithful then will at once be glorified together with the resurrected ones and caught away to join Jesus in heaven where they will be appointed over all his belongings.

Is Jesus’ coming or arrival for judgment meant to be ongoing over many decades?

Although a presence can be ongoing, the coming or arrival that precedes it is by definition a momentary act, a once off, never to be repeated event! Since scripture contains many references to his coming and arrival, but no mention is ever made again of any departure subsequent to his return, it follows that he is still on the way, approaching, near, but not yet present! “I am coming again and will receive you home to myself!” The judgment is instant and final, just like his coming for this very purpose will prove to be! The result will be immediate, ‘One will be taken along to heaven; the other will be abandoned to destruction.’

What are “all his belongings?”

In 1.Corinthians 15:24-28, Paul describes the scope of Christ’s kingly power that he secures just prior to his future coming to inaugurate his Parousia. “All things” will then be “subjected to him,” the only exception being the One who subjected all things to him. This includes “all government and all authority and power” along with “all enemies,” which also are to become his belongings. But was the ‘faithful and discreet slave’ really appointed over the governments of the world and all other belongings of Christ in 1918? Obviously even up to now this hasn’t happened yet. Psalm 2 verse 8 gives another indication of what “all his belongings” really mean when, sometime soon now, upon receiving his kingly power he returns to share them with his faithful slaves: “Ask of me, that I may give nations as your inheritance and the ends of the earth as your own possession.” Clearly, then, all his belongings are not limited to his ‘spiritual interests here on earth,’ over which they were already appointed upon his departure in 33 C.E. Rather, they signify rulership over the whole universe, including angels!

Has Jesus himself already been given authority over all his belongings?

Daniel 7 tells us that Jesus, upon approaching the Ancient of Days, is given “rulership and dignity and kingdom,” and that then “the peoples, national groups and languages [would] all serve even him.” Have all the nations been serving Jesus for the past 90 odd years? Hardly. Clearly, then, even Jesus himself has not yet received authority over all his belongings. So how could he have appointed his slaves over them almost a century ago? Verse 26 links the taking away of the rulership from the last beast with the sitting of the Court, at which point, according to verse22, “the definite time arrived that the holy ones took possession of the kingdom itself.” Was the rulership of the last beast taken away in 1914 or any time since then? No. Could it be that the kingdom of the beast and that of the holy ones overlap for any length of time? No, “for what fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness?”

Do slaves that turn out to be evil at Christ’s future coming to judge his household need replacing?

According to the Watchtower this would be the dilemma faced by Christ if he were yet to arrive to judge his household at his “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and glory,” since many of his anointed slaves would then be judged as evil. But where does Jesus ever indicate that the unfaithful ones need replacing? At the harvesting of the “wheat,” since there are a lot of “weeds,” does Jesus have to replace them by quickly planting some more “wheat?” Or did he already sow the correct amount of wheat that he required? Similarly, when the dragnet “got full,” it was hauled in but once, and the fish were separated. Did the unsuitable fish have to be replaced with fine fish, by casting the net out yet again? Absolutely not! When the net was hauled in it already contained the complete number of fine fish! So too the weeds sown by the wicked one were in addition to the required number of the sons of the kingdom! “I know my sheep, and my sheep know me…and I give them everlasting life, and they will by no means ever be destroyed, and no one will snatch them out of my hand!” Though many are invited, few are chosen.

Was Israel a composite servant or slave class?

Jehovah indeed referred to the entire nation of Israel as “my witnesses,” my “servant whom I choose.” But was this composite slave class ever faithful or discreet for any length of time? Did Jehovah judge them faithful as a class? Voluminous prophetic accounts quickly dispel any such myth. In fact, time and again he almost exterminated his ‘slave class’ for their apostasy and rebellion, so that a mere remnant of individuals was left remaining of his composite people!

Have things been different since the founding of the new nation of spiritual Israel?

All went relatively well in the first century Christian congregation. By the second century however, as the anointed congregation became a big and powerful organization, the spiritual rot set in. Apostasy among the elders and overseers became rampant, so that faithfulness and discretion all but vanished from Jehovah’s “slave class,” as we would call it. Similarly, in our time a revival of Christianity happened. We too have become a big and powerful organization. The time is now ripe for Jesus to return and judge his slaves! According to the prophets, a mere remnant of the so-called “slave class” will be found faithful and discreet as individuals in that day! Only such ones will then be appointed over all his belongings by joining Christ in ruling the world. Happy are such individuals as pull their heads out of the ‘composite’ sand of 1914/18, and get ready to meet their God!