| Christian Life and Doctrine | April 1967 |
Christian Stewardship
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” —I Corinthians 4:1,2
AS FOLLOWERS of the Master we have a great responsibility as to how we use our time, strength, and other talents in the service of the divine cause. This we could speak of as a stewardship. But the stewardship particularly referred to in our text is not one over our own resources, but a stewardship over riches which the Lord has especially imparted to us. It is described by Paul as a stewardship over “the mysteries of God.” As ministers of Christ we have a vital responsibility to be faithful in the use of these “mysteries.”
It is the truth of the divine plan which Paul here describes as “the mysteries of God.” Some of these mysteries are individually identified. For example, we have the mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) Paul also refers to a mystery with respect to the resurrection of those who will live and reign with Christ a thousand years. All down through the age these have fallen asleep in death to await the resurrection, but at this end of the age, beginning with our Lord’s second presence, those who “die in the Lord” do not remain asleep in death, but are “changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” Paul refers to this as a mystery, and a very wonderful mystery it is. (I Cor. 15:51,52; I Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 14:13) How glad we are that our Heavenly Father, through the Holy Spirit, has revealed this mystery to us! We can lay hold of this as one of the things to be experienced when we reach the end of the narrow way; we can, that is, if we continue to be faithful to our stewardship.
Jesus compared the spiritual blindness of the scribes and Pharisees of his day with the blessed position of his own disciples, saying that it had been given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. (Mark 4:11) At the time Jesus spoke these words the disciples had not yet received the Holy Spirit, so they did not understand the mysteries then as clearly as they did later, or as we are privileged to do today. Nevertheless they had been highly favored of the Lord, and at Pentecost this favor was further manifested in pouring out the Holy Spirit upon them.
The “mysteries of the kingdom of God,” as mentioned by Jesus (Luke 8:10), comprehend the entire plan of God for the redemption of mankind from sin and death through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the “restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (I Tim. 2:3-6; Acts 3:19-21) How glad we are that it has been given to us to know and appreciate these mysteries, these precious doctrines of the divine plan! God has touched our hearts and has given us his Holy Spirit, and our minds have been enlightened.
Fundamental Truths
The “mysteries of God” are the fundamental doctrines of the truth. How do we know which doctrines of the divine plan are fundamental? One method of doing this is to determine whether or not a doctrine has a bearing on how we live our Christian lives. Ideas which have no bearing on how we live while they may be interesting, are not of first importance.
One of the doctrines which helps point out to us what the will of the Lord really is, and how and why we can enjoy his fellowship, is the one pertaining to the creation and fall of man. We know that our first parents were created perfect and were given the opportunity of living on the earth under edenic conditions forever, but that they failed because of their disobedience to divine law. We know that this resulted in plunging the whole world into sin and death. Thus we know that by nature we are members of a sin-cursed and dying race.
This truth was brought to our attention at the time we symbolized our consecration. We were then asked if we recognized the fact that by nature we were sinners and had no standing before the Lord in our own merit. We were also asked if we had accepted Christ and were depending on the merit of his shed blood to cover our imperfections and make us acceptable to God. Answering these questions then was important to us, and in our hearts and lives we must continue to answer them correctly if we expect to retain God’s favor. It is the constant realization that, apart from him and the provision he has made for us through Christ, we are as nothing, and this greatly helps us to maintain a true spirit of humility before the Lord.
It is fundamentally important to know that “the wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23) Many believe and teach that the wages of sin is eternal torment. For us to proclaim this doctrine would not he faithfulness to our stewardship of the mysteries of God, for this crude, erroneous view of sin’s penalty is not one of the mysteries of God. While this is an extreme illustration, it emphasizes the importance of holding to all the doctrines of the truth in as great a degree of purity as possible, lest in any way we misrepresent the Lord in our ministry by giving out false conceptions of his divine plan of the ages.
The Abrahamic Covenant, the New Covenant, the call of the church, the time of our Lord’s second presence, and the harvest work at the end of the age—indeed, all the great features of the divine plan—in one way or another have a bearing on the manner in which we serve the Lord. This is one of the things which makes them fundamental. Another thing is the fact that these “mysteries of the kingdom of God” can all be established definitely by direct statements from the Word of God. The Lord has not left them to conjecture, or to supposition.
Paul wrote that we now “see through a glass, darkly” (I Cor. 13:12), and this is true. The main body of truth made up of the fundamental doctrines might be likened to a mountain which we are approaching. At a distance we can clearly see the outline of the mountain, but the details may not be distinctly discerned. However, as we get nearer and nearer to the mountain these details are seen with increasing clarity. So is with the truth of the divine plan. On certain minor matters, some may hold views slightly different from those held by others of the brethren. But the great truths which make up the “mountain” stand firm and unchanged, and we should rejoice in the efforts of all to continue growing in grace and knowledge, realizing that we will not see all truth clearly until we actually reach the kingdom. For “the path of the just is as a shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”—Prov. 4:18
Faithfulness
Faithfulness to our stewardship of the mysteries of God means more than preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, although this is a very important part of it. We are to be faithful also in contending earnestly “for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3) Paul admonished the brethren at Philippi, “that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”—Phil. 1:27
We are also to be faithful to all the conditions of the ministry. Paul sums these up for us beautifully in the 6th chapter of II Corinthians. In the 5th chapter, beginning with verse 15, he reminds us of the motivation for our consecration. It was the fact, he says, that Christ died for us, and from this we reason that we do not belong to ourselves, but to him who loved us and died for us.
This leads to our acceptance into the body of Christ and to becoming “new creatures” in Christ Jesus. Paul wrote, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (vs. 17) Continuing in the next verse Paul says, “And all things [which are “new”] are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.”
Paul is saying that as new creatures in Christ Jesus we have been given a new vocation, which is to be ministers of reconciliation. This is another way of describing our stewardship of the mysteries of God. He informs us (vs. 19) “that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of reconciliation. Now then, (vs. 20) we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: … be ye reconciled to God.”
A Blameless Ministry
It is, then, as ministers of reconciliation that we serve as ambassadors of Christ. This is an important aspect of our stewardship of the mysteries of God. In the opening verse of chapter 6 Paul speaks of this as being workers together with God, and then in verse 3 he admonishes, “Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed.” Throughout the remainder of this chapter, Paul speaks of the various facets of Christian endeavor which are involved in a ministry that God can approve, one that is not blameworthy in his sight or in the sight of those who are in harmony with him.
He says that we are to approve ourselves as the ministers of God, “in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings.” Paul was himself an approved ambassador of Christ, a faithful steward of the mysteries of God, and he had experienced all these things and had been faithful in them. How much every minister of Christ needs patience! We need patience in dealing with those to whom we minister, and we need patience to endure the afflictions which result from our faithful stewardship.
Faithfulness as stewards of God’s mysteries may well involve necessities and distresses. It did for Paul. There were times when he suffered want, and was hungry. He was cold in his prison cell in Rome. He was distressed by stripes, by imprisonments, and in riots which enemies stirred up against him. And through it all he was a faithful laborer, and watchful (some translations say, going without sleep and food) for the welfare of his brethren.
Conditions in the world have changed since Paul’s day, and faithfulness to our stewardship may not lead to such extreme hardships now as it did then. But we should be willing to endure these experiences if in the Lord’s providences they come upon us. We, like Paul, should be willing to go without sleep and food if need be in the service of our Lord and of his people, and in bearing witness to the truth. These are things that are involved in a faithful stewardship of the mysteries of God.
But let it be noted that these experiences are not in themselves the ministry of the truth, but rather the trials which we are called upon to endure in order that we might be approved ambassadors of Christ. If we weaken under these tests, become discouraged, and step aside for an easier way of life, it means that we are not proving faithful as stewards of the mysteries of God.
Other Requirements
There are still other requirements in connection with a faithful ministry of the truth. Paul continues, “By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the Word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.” (vss. 6,7) “By pureness,” Paul says. We could think of this as pureness of Christian character. We could think of it also as diligence in maintaining the purity of the truth. Both these aspects of pureness are important to an approved ministry.
“By knowledge,” Paul continues. We need to know the truth in order to minister it to others. Maintaining a pure knowledge of the truth has an important bearing on how we serve the Lord, as we have seen, and it also bears a vital relationship to our ministry.
“By longsuffering, by kindness.” There is a relationship between these two facets of Christian character. In I Corinthians 13:4 Paul says, “Love suffereth long, and is kind.” When passing through trials due to opposition and misunderstandings, sometimes the tendency is to become irritable, which in turn may lead to unkindness. This means that we are not bearing up under our trials as well as we should. Trials do not give us an excuse for being unkind, for unkindness always manifests something less than full development of love. And let us not try to cover our sins of unkindness by the claim that we are simply registering “righteous indignation.”
“By the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned.” To be a faithful steward of the mysteries of God it is essential that we be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the Lord’s Spirit, the Spirit of love. This calls for an emptying of selfish desires and ambitions. If we are to be faithful stewards of God’s mysteries, we cannot permit self-interest of any kind to turn us aside from faithfulness to our stewardship.
“By the Word of truth, by the power of God.” It is the Word of truth that we are to proclaim, not the opinions of men—not even our own opinions. We may hold thoughts which appear reasonable, but if they are not supported by the Word of God they have no real place in our ministry of the truth. And to the extent that we make faithful use of the Word of God in our ministry, that ministry will be “in the power of God”; for the Word of God is powerful, and “sharper than any two edged sword.”—Heb. 4:12
“By the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.” Paul wrote that we are to “put on the whole armor of God,” but putting on this armor is not in itself the discharge of our stewardship. It is, rather, a necessary preparation for the duties of our ambassadorship. The various parts of the Christian’s armor represent different aspects of the truth and the manner in which it serves to protect us as new creatures, the “sword of the Spirit” being our offensive weapon as we go forth to minister the mysteries of the kingdom of God.—Eph. 6:10-19
Under All Conditions
We are to be faithful stewards of God’s mysteries under all conditions. Paul mentions some of these conditions: “By honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”
“As dying, and behold, we live.” All true ambassadors of Christ are suffering and dying with him. The goal of our efforts is to be faithful unto death. At the same time we enjoy a blessed hope of life, and even now we live by faith in the promises of God. Thus, while the way of the stewards of God’s mysteries is a difficult one, at the same time it is a way of rejoicing, for we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.—Rom. 12:12; 5:1,2; Phil. 4:8
“As poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.” Jesus himself was a faithful steward of the mysteries of God, and how truly poor he was as far as the good things of earth were concerned. Jesus did not so much as own his own home. He said that while the foxes of the fields have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, the Son of man did not have a place to lay his head. Jesus devoted everything to his ministry, and when he had finished his course in faithfulness, apparently he left only the clothing which covered him. This was divided among the soldiers, who cast lots for his seamless garment.
But how many indeed have been made rich by Jesus’ ministry! These riches have come down to us, and we rejoice in them. We are blessed by his wonderful words of life, and have peace with God through the merit of his perfect sacrifice. Truly, in Jesus we have a wonderful example of One who was poor, yet through his ministry made many rich; and these riches will continue to flow for the blessing of others, even during the Millennial Age.
“As having nothing, yet possessing all things.” All things which we could call our own were surrendered to the Lord at the time of our consecration. Now we are using whatever we have in his service, as stewards of the mysteries of God. A poet wrote, “Naught that I have my own I call, I hold it for the Giver.” This should be true with respect to all our earthly goods; and this really makes us poor.
But at the same time we possess “all things.” We are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. One of our choice possessions is the Holy Spirit, which guides and strengthens and comforts us in our every time of need. We belong to God, and the half has never been told of all the spiritual riches this implies; but faithfulness as stewards of the mysteries of God is essential in order to continue holding these unseen riches.
Heart Enlargement
Verse 11 reads, “O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.” Enlargement of the physical heart is a serious ailment, and if not corrected sooner or later leads to death. But the reverse is true of the spiritual, or symbolic heart. Paul wrote that he had an enlargement of the “heart,” and all truly faithful stewards of the mysteries of God will also experience this. If this does not occur, it means that we are hard-hearted and therefore lack a proper response to the needs and opportunities of our stewardship.
An “enlarged heart” in the spiritual sense will manifest itself in an untiring zeal to serve the Lord and his people. It will be reflected in our patience with the imperfections of others and our kindly attitude toward them, even those who may disagree with our viewpoints and are not sympathetic toward our efforts as ambassadors of Christ. Heart enlargement will enable us to rejoice that others are preaching the Gospel.
We have abundant evidence of Paul’s enlargement of heart. In his letter from a Roman prison to the brethren in Philippi, Paul reassured them that his experience in being imprisoned had resulted in a “furtherance of the Gospel.” He said, “I would that ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel; so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; and many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the Word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: the one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: but the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel. What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”—Phil. 1:12-18
We know of no instances today in which the Gospel is preached insincerely and through “envy and strife.” We quote Paul’s reference to his own experience rather to illustrate the attitude of an “enlarged heart” toward the preaching of the Gospel even under such circumstances. Paul did not rejoice in the wrong motives of others, but he did rejoice that the Gospel was preached despite this unhealthy condition.
Paul was fully committed to his stewardship of the mysteries of God. He knew that this meant proclaiming the message. For himself, he knew that it was vitally important that an ambassador of Christ be pure in heart, patient, motivated by love, and kind even under stress. He knew that he needed the whole armor of God. He knew that he should expect hardships, persecutions, afflictions, necessities, and distresses.
But Paul did not permit his trials to shrink his heart. His outlook for the service continued to be broad, and his attitude toward his brethren, even those who would injure him, continued to be loving. What an example of faithful stewardship this is for us! Paul knew what was required in an understanding of the truth and in the personal application of its principles in order to be an approved steward of the mysteries of God. He also knew what was required of faithfulness in proclaiming the truth in order to discharge his responsibility as an ambassador of Christ. And he was faithful in both respects. May this also be true of each one of us!