<p>12:48 <i>But he that did not know and did things worthy of stripes, he shall be beaten with few stripes- </i>We have here a clear statement of the principle that knowledge makes us responsible to judgment, being 'asked the more' at that day if we have been 'given much'. <br />&quot;A fool's mouth is will be his destruction, and his mouth calleth for strokes i.e. condemnation at the judgment, Lk. 12:47,48&quot; (Prov. 18:6). By our words we may be <i>shouting out for condemnation</i>.</p><p>We all commit sin worthy of &quot;stripes&quot;. The word is only found elsewhere in the gospels in 10:30, of the wounding of the man saved by the Samaritan. And that man is each of us.</p><p><i>And to whom much is given, of him shall much be required-</i> The judgment will 'require' of us a life lived in accordance with the knowledge of the Lord's will which we have been given. This is helpful to bear in mind when considering whether those who know less than we do are in fellowship with the Lord. Many of them are- it's just that we have been given more knowledge, and more shall be required of us.&nbsp; The same word is used of how the Father seeks or requires fruit from His trees (13:6); the more effort He has made with them, the more fruit is required. And that seeking of response from us is ongoing now in the Lord's relationship with us; He in this sense searches for us until He finds us (15:6; 19:10; Jn. 4:23 s.w.).</p><p><i>And to whom people commit much, of him will they ask the more</i>- Speaking of the principle of responsibility upon which our judgment will be conducted, the Lord hints at Angelic involvement in the judgment: &quot;to whom men (our guardian angels?) have committed much, of him they will ask the more&quot; (Lk. 12:48 AV). See on Lk. 6:38. We who are literate, living in an age of mass ease and technology, we who have the benefit of hindsight in looking back upon the development of God's purpose with this earth... have had much committed to us. And much is therefore required.</p>