MATTHEW 25
The Parable of the Ten Young Women
"At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were then young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep.
“It was already midnight when the cry rang out, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!’ The ten young women woke up and trimmed their lamps. Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ‘No, indeed,’ the wise ones answered, ‘there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the store and buy some for yourselves,’ So the foolish ones went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed.
“Later the others arrived. ‘Sir, sir! Let us in!’ they cried out. ‘Certainly not! I don’t know you,’ the bridegroom answered.”
And Jesus concluded, “Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.
依據版本:新約現代英文譯本/現代中文譯本(修訂版)聯合聖經公會1995年版
該版中文版權代理為:香港聖經公會
ISBN 962 293 535 4
在這兒,寓言裡談到的是一個男人(新郎)和十個年輕女人(Young Women)要共赴婚禮的故事。根據朗文(Longman)字典的解釋,Woman是a fully grown human female─是成熟的女性。Woman不是Girl。她或許是伴娘,但決不可能是花童。但是伴娘怎麼可能會因為疏忽燈沒油而被拒在婚禮門外呢?她只是個工作人員而已啊!工作人員是婚禮所需要的,哪個婚禮會因為這種理由拒絕伴娘入場呢?
衡情論理,這十個女人很可能是該新郎要迎娶的對象,不然呢?
就算不能按照字面來解釋─因為耶穌只是在說寓言。但是,耶穌的腦袋裡會出現這種寓言,難道不是因為這樣的寓言俗民聽得懂嗎?那麼,俗民為何聽得懂?如果當時的現實環境中不存在一夫多妻的現象,俗民怎麼可能聽得懂這種寓言呢?
因此,就算耶穌不主張一夫多妻制,看來他也不反對啊。否則,他怎麼可能提出這樣的寓言?
耶穌是位一夫多妻制的主張者嗎?
如果他不是位一夫多妻制的主張者,怎麼可能說出個一位新郎和十個年輕女人要進結婚禮堂的寓言?
如果他是位一夫多妻制的主張者,或者他並不反對一夫多妻制,那麼天主教和基督新教又為何要反對一夫多妻制,然後還拿這個理由去攻打伊斯蘭教國家呢?
莫非,摩門教的原始教義真的比較接近耶穌的原始教誨?