How do we grow and mature out of following and pleasing people, out of divisions, and boasting in man? Let’s read our passage for today and see the answer:
“So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.”
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 NLT
Paul explained to the Corinthians how they should view himself, Apollos, Cephas, and all Christian leaders, by painting two different word pictures.
First: "servants of Christ." The words translated into English as "mere servants" are two words in Greek: "under" and "rower." "Under rowers" were those down in the lowest level of a ship, pulling the oars. They weren't the boat's captain; they were third-level servants, those assigned the task of moving the ship forward by much effort and hard work.
Paul's verbal imagery paints the picture of the Church as a ship, our Captain is Jesus Christ, and all are working together to take the vessel to its intended destination. The whole point in the description is this: all galley slaves are on equal footing. We are all under one Master pulling our oar in the same direction as He directs.
Christian leaders are not servants of men; they are servants of Christ. Faithful under rowers keep their oars in the water and are hard at work pulling that oar, ministering the gospel of Jesus Christ. No one should elevate or separate one servant from another because doing so detracts from Christ and His gospel.
Second, "stewards of the mystery of God." A "steward" is a "house manager," meaning he oversees all that happens in the house of his master. The steward owns nothing but is entrusted with all his master's possessions, fields, finances, etc. An example is Joseph, who was entrusted with the management of Potiphar's house (Genesis 39:3-6).
We saw this phrase "mystery of God" in 1 Corinthians 2:7 and understood the context to mean "the gospel of Jesus Christ" (2:1-5), which is the "oar" with which all Christians are rowing. All Christian leaders are to "steward" the truths of God's Word.
Jesus said, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old" (Matthew 13:52). Teachers and Preachers are to manage God's truth with excellence, not giving out what people want to hear, but rather what God has given him, the whole truth of God's Word. The message of the cross is the hidden treasure; we are all to find and dispense new gems of gospel truth, fresh discoveries, in addition to older truths that are precious.
There is no higher calling than to be a servant of God, entrusted with the message of the cross, called to be an under rower and steward of the gospel. As Spurgeon said, "If God has called you to be His servant, why stoop to be a king?"
To live and grow in the gospel, we must heed this truth: "Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful" (1 Corinthians 4:2). This admonition is a gospel one. It invites us to remember Jesus obeying His Father to the end, faithfully carrying His cross clear to Golgotha, enduring suffering of nails, thorns, and spear as He gave His life as an offering for our sin. "Having loved His own, He loved them to the end!" (John 13:1).
The instruction is for us who have come to live in this message of Christ crucified to remain faithful to the One who suffered for us: to fight our fight to the last round, to finish our race, and to glorify Him who died for us.
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