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Luke 12:48
ESV But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
NIV But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
NASB but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
CSB But the one who did not know and did what deserved punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.
NLT But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
KJV But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

What does Luke 12:48 mean?

Jesus finishes explaining an important perspective on leadership to Peter. Peter wants to know if the disciples are on the same level as the thousands in the crowd surrounding them. Jesus says no. Not only will the disciples have more responsibility, but they will also be judged by stricter criteria.

As leaders in the church, the disciples—and all leaders—are responsible for feeding believers with the truth about Jesus, salvation, and how to live a godly life. They are not to take advantage of their position by being lazy, indulgent, or abusive. They are also to be mindful that they are responsible for knowing Jesus' expectations of His followers. If they, personally, fail to meet those expectations, they will be judged severely (Luke 12:41–47). Those believers who do not know Jesus' expectations and fail will be judged less severely.

This is a hard passage to interpret. Jesus is comparing Christians to servants in a household and the disciples and future church leaders to higher-ranking servants who are given the responsibility to care for and train the others. In that context, a beating for failure to fulfill their master's expectations was normal.

Within the metaphor, however, what is the equivalent to being beaten? It may be the discipline God metes out on His children whom He loves (Hebrews 12:5–6), or merely the natural consequences of our actions. The literal beating was already taken by Jesus during His trials and while He hanged on the cross. James later writes, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1). Those who want to be church leaders and teachers need to bear this in mind. For those who are saved, Jesus carried the punishment for when they fail with this responsibility. For church leaders who are not saved, they will experience more torment in hell (Revelation 20:11–15).

Jesus' point is that Peter should not let his pride make demands that he is not willing to take responsibility for. Yes, the disciples will receive higher honor than the crowd. With that honor, however, comes significantly more responsibility and accountability.
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