Servants and Stewards

As Paul describes himself (and Apollos and Sosthenes) in verse 1 of chapter 4, he uses these two words: servants and stewards. This is how he asks the Corinthian Christians to understand them. It is, no doubt, how Paul understood himself. These words speak to both who he is and what he does.

"Servant." One under authority. Someone who works for someone else. In the Roman world, a personal servant or family servant would have been considered a part of the household, though without the full rights of a family member. Paul sees himself as part of God's household, but not as an equal to the Father-Son-Spirit. He works for them. He works under their authority and at their direction. He belongs to them. He is a servant of Christ. This gives him an identity - it is who he is. This also gives him direction and purpose in life - it is what he does.

The same can be said for "steward." A steward was a special class of household servant. The steward was the one entrusted with some part of the family wealth and business. It might be the steward's job to ensure the smooth running of the day-to-day operations of the household. Or it might be the steward's job to conduct the master's business in the master's absence. The steward represented the master in all things, and the steward was directly accountable to the master for the way in which he handled the master's responsibilities.

Jesus liked telling stories about stewards (Matthew 25, Luke 16). Remembering the Parable of the Talents, the third slave was harshly condemned for giving his single talent back to the master. The master had not entrusted that talent to the servant just to be kept safe. The master wanted the servant to do business with that talent. This is what the servant did not do. And this is why the master was so hard on him.

Paul understands himself to be a servant in God's household and a steward of God's mysteries. By "mysteries" he means the fulfillment of the old covenant in Jesus. God has entrusted a message, a story, a truth to him. God has not given him this gift for his own personal enjoyment. Instead, God has given it to him so that he can do business with it - the Master's business.

This is Paul's identity. It is his guiding idea about himself. It gets him up in the morning and it directs his steps during the day.

And it seems to me that Paul is not unique in this self-understanding. All of us who come to Christ find ourselves as trusted servants in God's household. God has drawn us into his family, and God is entrusting us with the mysteries of his love and mercy and grace. Each of us find ourselves with stewardship responsibilities. If we will
think of our identity in Christ more often, if we would set it at the forefront of our minds, we will find it directing our steps day-by-day.

Lord, may we remember today that we are your servants and stewards!