God bless you too MennoSota.
I wonder what a Presbyterian pastor would say in his commentary about the passage, or even John Calvin?
Albert Barnes who was a Presbyterian Pastor but died some time ago, wrote:
Verse 31.
When the Son of man, etc. This is in answer to the question which the disciples proposed to him respecting the end of the world, Mt 24:3. That this refers to the last judgment, and not, as some have supposed, to the destruction of Jerusalem, appears
(1.) from the fact that it was in answer to an express inquiry respecting the end of the world.
(2.) All nations were to be assembled--which did not take place at Jerusalem.
(3.) A separation was to take place between the righteous and the wicked --which was not done at Jerusalem.
(4.) The rewards and punishments are declared to be eternal. None of these things took place at the destruction of Jerusalem.
In his glory. In his own proper honour. With his glorified body, and as the Head and King of the universe, Acts 1:11, Ep 1:20-22, 1Thes 4:16 1Cor 15:24,25.
The throne of his glory. This means, in the language of the Hebrews, his glorious or splendid throne. It is not to be taken literally, as if there would be a material throne or seat of the King of Zion. It expresses the idea that he will come as a King and Judge to assemble his subjects before him, and to appoint them their rewards.
(v) "When" Dan 7:13, Zech 14:5, Mt 16:27, 19:28, Mk 8:38, Acts 1:11, 1Thes 4:16 2Thes 1:7, Jude 1:14, Rev 1:7
The story is told to the disciples, not to Jews in general. But may that be a point you do not care to discuss?
He goes on to say:
Verse 32.
And before him, etc. At his coming to judgement, the world will be burned up and destroyed, 2Pet 3:10,12, Rev 20:11. The dead in Christ, i.e., all true Christians--shall be first raised up from their graves, 1Thes 4:16. The living shall be changed --i.e., shall be made like the glorified bodies of those that are raised from the dead, 1Cor 15:52-54, 1Thes 4:17. All the wicked shall rise and come forth to judgement, Jn 5:28,29, Dan 12:2; Mt 13:41,42, Rev 20:13. Then shall the world be judged, the righteous saved, and the wicked punished.
And he shall separate, etc. Shall determine respecting their character, and shall appoint them their doom accordingly.
(w) "And before him" Rom 14:10, 2Cor 5:10, Rev 20:12 (x) "separate them" Eze 20:38, Mt 13:49
"shepherd divideth" Ps 78:52, Jn 10:14,27
So far the Presbyterian pastor follows a similar explanation to the one I gave to you in my previous post. Le's see how he proceeds:
Verse 33. Shall set the sheep, etc. By the sheep are denoted, here, the righteous. The name is given to them because the sheep is an emblem of innocence and harmlessness. See Jn 10:7, 14-16, 27; Ps 100:3, 74:1, 23:1
On his right hand. The right hand is the place of honour, and denotes the situation of those who are honoured, or those who are virtuous. See Eccl 10:2, Eph 1:20, Ps 110:1, Acts 2:25,33.
The goats. The wicked. See Eze 34:17.
The left. That is, the left hand. This was the place of dishonour, denoting condemnation. See Eccl 10:2.
(z) "right hand" Heb 1:3
So far he has not taken your preferred line of explanation, The one clouded by bad theology. Let's see what he says next:
Verse 34.
The King. That is, the Lord Jesus, the King of Zion and of the universe, now acting as Judge, Lk 19:38, Jn 18:37, Rev 17:14, 19:16.
Blessed of my Father. Made happy, or raised to felicity by my Father. Mt 5:3.
Inherit the kingdom. Receive as heirs the kingdom, or be received there as the sons of God. Christians are often called heirs of God, Rom 8:17, Gal 4:6,7, Heb 1:14, 1Jn 3:2.
Prepared for you, etc. That is, designed for you, or appointed for you. The phrase, from the foundation of the world, is used to denote that this was appointed for them in the beginning; that God has no new plan; that the rewards which he will now confer on them he always intended to confer. Christ says to the righteous that the kingdom was prepared for them. Of course God meant to confer it on them. They were individuals; and it follows that he intended to bestow his salvation on them as individuals. Accordingly, the salvation of his people is uniformly represented as the result of the free gift of God, according to his own pleasure, bestowed on individuals, and by a plan which is eternal, Rom 8:29,30, Eph 1:4, 5, 11, 12, 2Thes 2:13; 1Pet 1:2, Jn 6:37. This is right and consistent with justice; for,
(1.) all men are by nature equally undeserving.
(2.) Bestowing favours on one does not do injustice to another, where neither deserves favour. Pardoning one criminal is not injuring another. Bestowing great talents on Locke, Newton, or Paul, did not injure me.
(3.) If it is right for God to give eternal life to his people, or to admit them to heaven, it was right to determine to do it, which is but another way of saying that God resolved from all eternity to do right. Those who perish choose the paths which lead to death, and will not be saved by the merits of Jesus. No blame can be charged on God if he does not save them against their will, Jn 5:40, Mk 16:15, 16.
(a) "blessed of" Ps 115:15 (b) "inherit" Rom 8:17, 1Pet 1:4 (c) "the kingdom" 1Thes 2:12, Rev 5:10 (d) "prepared" 1Cor 2:9, Heb 11:16
What he says above is consistent with his Presbyterian theology, it has backing from the passages he cites but not in the passage he is discussing. The story told in Matthew 25:31-46 gives no special emphasis to "individuals" but nevertheless it is true that people are individuals however they may be grouped. In this case they are grouped into two separated categories, the righteous on the right of the King and the wicked on his left. But let's see what else he says:
Verses 35,36. I was an hungered. The union between Christ and his people is the most tender and endearing of all connections. It is represented by the closest unions of which we have knowledge, Jn 15:4-6; Eph 5:23-32, 1Cor 6:15. This is a union not physical, but moral; a union of feelings, interests, plans, destiny; or, in other words, he and his people have similar feelings, love the same objects, share the same trials, and inherit the same blessedness, Jn 14:19, Rev 3:5, 21, Rom 8:17. Hence he considers favours shown to his people as shown to himself, and will reward them accordingly, Mt 10:40, 42. They show attachment to him, and love to his cause. By showing kindness to the poor, and needy, and sick, they show that they possess his spirit--for he did it when on earth; they evince attachment to him, for he was poor and needy; and they show that they have the proper spirit to fit them for heaven, 1Jn 3:14,17, Jas 2:1-5, Mk 9:41.
Was a stranger. The word stranger means a foreigner, or traveller; in our language, one unknown to us. To receive such to the rites of hospitality was, in eastern countries, where there were few or no public houses, a great virtue. See Gen 18:1-8, Heb 13:2.
Took me in. Into your house. Received me kindly.
Naked. Poorly clothed. Among the Jews they were called naked who were clad in poor raiment, or they who had on only the tunic or inner garment, without any outer garment. Mt 5:40, Acts 19:16; Mk 14:51,52, Job 22:6, Isa 58:7.
(e) "For I was" Is 58:7, Eze 18:7 (f) "stranger" 1Pet 4:9, 3Jn 1:5
Time to pause, since this post is long enough already. The rest of Albert Barnes's explanation can be posted if you want. I may post it eventually anyway. It is interesting and despite occasional theological biases in his explanation he has thus far avoided the very bad theology that created the explanation that you gave MennoSota.
