JANUARY 5, 2020
FAITHFUL STEWARDS OF THE GOSPEL
INTRODUCTION:
1. In the preceding chapter the Apostle had set forth the minister’s office and responsibility. This he did in order to show the absurdity of groups being formed under the banners, as it were, of their various ministers. The point was well made as he presented the ministry in its true light, meaning that they were all of them God’s servants, and laborers together with Him. The church is God’s husbandry, and God’s building, and the various ministers were not only not rivals, but were actually co-laborers, whose callings were complimentary one to another. This being the case, the factions needed to come together behind all of their faithful ministers,thus forming a unified church. This reality also emphasizes the awful responsibility that all of God’s ministers have to be true to Him and His word in the work of the ministry. He warned all who were called to such holy work to be careful, not only to build upon the proper foundation (Christ), but to use the proper (God-ordained) materials, for their work would surely be put to the test.
2. In this chapter, the Apostle deduces from the preceding discussion the following teaching regarding the proper light in which the people should regard the ministry. They should regard their ministers as the servants of Christ, and dispensers of the truths which God had revealed.
I. THE PROPER LIGHT IN WHICH THE CHURCH SHOULD REGARD ITS MINISTERS.(VERSES 1-6)
A. MINISTERS ARE TO BE SEEN FIRST AND FOREMOST AS DISPENSERS OF THE TRUTHS WHICH GOD HAS REVEALED. (VERSE 1)
1. This is the conclusion or deduction from the preceding discussion.
2. Ministers are the servants of Christ, and stewards of God.
3. “Let a man,” i.e. everyone “account of us,” i.e. regard us as being “the ministers of Christ.” Literally an under-rower, i.e. a subordinate servant of any kind.
4. Ministers are to think of themselves as Christ’s servants, entirely in subjection to Him. They have no authority of their own, and therefore, their whole business is to do what they are commanded.
5. “And stewards of the mysteries of God.” Stewards were generally slaves appointed as managers or overseers. It was their business to direct the affairs of the household, and dispense the provisions. It is as a dispenser that ministers are here called stewards.
6. As dispensers of the mysteries of God, i.e. the Gospel, they were to reveal the truths which God had revealed to them.
a) They are called mysteries, because they are, as we have seen already, undiscoverable by human reason.
b) They are called mysteries, because into such knowledge men must be initiated, as we saw in the second chapter.
c) This term is never used in reference to either baptism or the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. The Roman Catholic Church assumes that ministers are dispensers of the sacraments, which they erroneously assume have the mysterious powers of grace in them.
B. THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALIFICATION OF A DISPENSER IS FIDELITY. (VERSE 2)
1. “Moreover,” or perhaps it should read, “In this matter,” In the matter of being a steward of the mysteries of God, fidelity is an absolute requirement.
2. As the minister is a servant, he must be faithful to his Master, and as a dispenser, he must also be faithful to the souls of those who are placed under his oversight.
3. The great thing required of ministers is fidelity, not assuming any other than ministerial powers to themselves, and not venturing to go beyond their Lord’s commands.
C. IT IS A SMALL MATTER HOW MEN ESTIMATE THE FAITHFULNESS OF MINISTERS, SINCE IT IS IN THE EYES OF THEIR MASTER THAT THEY STAND OR FALL. (VERSE 3)
1. Faithfulness to duty supposes responsibility to someone. Paul says that someone is not individual church members, nor is it himself, but the Lord whom he serves, and to whom he belongs.
2. The Apostle therefore said that to him “it is a very small thing,” or literally, “It amounts to nothing that I should be judged of you.”
3. This does not refer to the judicial judgment of the church, but simply to the opinions of individuals, or even groups.
4. They had not sent him. He was not their steward. Therefore, he was not much worried about “man’s judgment,” or literally, “by human day.” As “the day of the Lord” speaks of the day of God’s judgment, human day speaks of man’s judgment.
5. In denying that his responsibility was to the Corinthians, or that he feared any human tribunal, he was not asserting that he was his own judge. “I judge not my own self.” a) It is not enough that our own conscience does not condemn us. It is a partial and often an unenlightened judge.
b) Many men think themselves faithful who are actually most unfaithful. But the Master Himself will judge right.
D. THE CONSCIENCE OF THE STEWARD MAY BE FREE FROM CONDEMNATION, YET HE IS NOT THEREBY JUSTIFIED. (VERSE 4)
1. “For I know nothing by myself,” i.e. he was aware of no violation. This evaluation was done honestly, and in light of the requirements of his Master.
2. Yet, he was not thereby justified. He is not here speaking of the doctrine of justification, but rather of the true fidelity of his ministry. Only the Lord Himself was the competent and final judge.
E. THE FINAL AND FULL EVALUATION OF ONE’S MINISTRY MUST WAIT UNTIL THE LORD RETURNS. (VERSE 5)
1. The true judgment must wait until the Nobleman, Who has gone to receive His Kingdom, returns from the far country. (See Luke 19:12ff)
2. This speaks of the second advent of our Lord.
3. This is the appropriate time, for then shall be done what cannot be done before. “He will bring to light the hidden works of darkness.”
4. The judgment of men’s works will then take in all, and reveal every motive of the heart, and make manifest its counsels.
5. “And then, shall every man have praise of God.” Paul uses the word praise and not recompense. Though he was criticized by many at Corinth, he knew that there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness. Even though his conscience was not the final judge, it still bore witness of a faithful ministry, one that would receive praise.
6. Paul was not only confident for himself in this respect, but for all them also who, like him, could look for Christ’s appearing with joy and confidence. (II Tim. 4:8)
7. Every faithful servant of Christ will then have praise. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
F. THE POINT HERE EMPHASIZED IS THAT MINISTERS ARE TO BE SEEN AS SERVANTS AND STEWARDS, NOT AS GODS. (VERSE 6)
1. “These things” refers to the figures by which he represented himself, Apollos, and other ministers. They are instruments in the hand of God.
2. Thus, they were “not to think above that which is written.” That is, they were not to estimate ministers above the scriptural standard. (Jer. 9:23, 24)
3. The reason for this caution was to keep them from being puffed up for one against another, or one above another, as followers of this or that minister, who they thought to be superior to the rest.
4. Pride is always a fearful thing.
5. We will further consider this matter of pride under our second main heading, as we continue this subject in our next lesson. (Verses 7-13)
II. A CAUTION AGAINST PRIDE AND SELF-CONCEIT. (VERSES 7-13)
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