Christian Servants/Stewards

Christian Ministry

Problems have been previously presented. Division and Immaturity. He presented the personal and the local church in pictures in chapters 1-3, now he presents Christian ministers (servants) here in chapter 4.

Corinthian problem: Sectarianism (1Cor1:10-17)

Division, divided over the baptizers and being disciples of them instead of Jesus

Corinthian problem: Worldly wisdom (1Cor2:1-16)

Intermixing worldly wisdom (philosophy, etc) with Godly wisdom. Which is foolish

Corinthian problem: Immaturity, carnality (1Cor3:1-17)

Because of the wisdom from the wrong place they were still carnal, immature, still looking to man instead of God, and men are just the servants of God.

(Transition) Paul is going to offer himself, and the apostles up to continue to reveal the problem and the solution. He will paint three pictures in this chapter for us regarding Christian servants/stewards.

Steward defined (1Cor4:1-6)

Steward displayed in humility (1Cor4:7-13)

Stewards example, paternal care (1Cor4:14-21)

Paul in painting the picture wants us to truly understand about Christian servants and stewards as well as where all judgment lays so we can learn from it, for a new problem is also introduced here too.

1 Corinthians 4:6 NASB95

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

According to 1Cor4:6 new problem identified as arrogance and judgmental (implied).

We need to avoid extremes when we look, when we evaluate people and their work in ministry. Now, we are to watch and test the spirits (1Jn4:1-6 as well as 2Jn). we need to watch and see if the ministry (service) is from God or from man. Paul will gives us some good characteristics of a true minister (servant) of Jesus Christ .

Steward defined

What is a steward, can you describe a steward? May we take a few minutes and let the scripture define a steward.

Question: what do you think the word steward means (1Cor1, 2)?

(Stewardship picture inserted here)

So, just from the simple definition given we know it is someone who is faithful, who is trusted, now may we look at the first part of our passage and the usage of the word steward (n) and stewardship (v).

1 Corinthians 4:1–2 NASB95

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

1 Corinthians 4:3–4 NASB95

3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.

1 Corinthians 4:5–6 NASB95

5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God. 6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

What did you see, what did you notice, what sticks out to you?

Pulling from the scripture:

Paul speaking of he, Apollos and Cephas are calling themselves servants and stewards (1Cor4:1)

Servant here is the word translated that would be “under-rower” described as a slave in the bottom of a ship who rowed the ship. Also an under-rower works with other under-rowers, they work as a team. Paul, Apollo’s, Cephas were a team.

Paul is saying he is not the captain, he is just a servant under orders as is Apollos and Cephas.

Steward here is a servant who manages everything for the master. Trusted with everything but owns nothing. The responsibility of the steward is to be faithful to the master and all that the master has entrusted to him.

(Illustration) How about a good biblical illustration (Lk12:41-48 ) when we are talking about being a faithful steward

Luke 12:41–42 NASB95

41 Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

Luke 12:43–44 NASB95

43 “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 44 “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Luke 12:45–46 NASB95

45 “But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; 46 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

A steward is to be faithful (1Co4:2)

We see that in the word from 1Cor4:2; and we see the illustration also with the reward in Lk12 passage.

(Transition) A steward who is faithful to God in his personal life, in his home life, will be faithful in his ministry of the word and as a good steward will be duly rewarded. now that brings to another issue that Paul brings up, Judgment, the servant, the steward of God is always under judgment.

A servants/stewards judgment

By man (1Cor4:3)

Paul did not sweat what man thought, he gave it very little thought

By self (1Cor4:3-4)

in like manner he did not even give much weight to judging himself, and don’t we do that, judge ourselves, and oftentimes such judgment is not in line with God’s judgment?

By God (1Cor4:4)

Hey jot down these scriptures for reference to check out on your own (Heb4:12; Mt18:15-17; Rom14:10; 2Cor5:10 and 1Sam16:7)

The most important judgment and the only one that really matters is God’s judgment and we know that He judges through the word you can check out Heb4:12, sometimes He may use other people with the word to bring correction (judgment) such as noted in Mt18:15-17.

Paul’s view here though is the final judgment when we stand before God (Rom14:10; 2Cor5:10).

Instructions on judgment, timing of judgment (1Cor4:5)

I think I need to back up and put a couple of verses up so that the instructions, the timing are understood because there is application there too.

1 Corinthians 4:5 NASB95

5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

Judgment when the Lord returns will bring to light the hidden things and will reveal the motives of the heart (1Cor4:5)

Now maybe give you the Hebrews passage too

Hebrews 4:12 NASB95

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Man looks at the outside, but God looks at the heart (check out 1Sam16:7)

Now having said that, back to our passage

1 Corinthians 4:6 NASB95

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.

Paul takes a personal turn, application to he, and to Apollos according to (v.6) so that, look at the application for them.

Question: In looking at 1Cor4:6 what is the reason Paul takes on these things on himself, what is the intended result?

The Corinithians were passing judgment on Paul were actually taking on the roll given to God , so they were playing God. Can we do that? Judge, take on the roll given to God and He alone? It is easy to judge a situation and misjudge it. For when you look at (v.6) we judge oftentimes by the wrong standard, we go by our thoughts, our preferences, our opinions instead of God’s Word. The real judge is God through His Word.

(Transition) as servants/stewards of His truth we need to judge by the Word, is another servant being faithful to the task, the stewardship they have been given according to the Word. Are they preaching, teaching, and practicing the Word? for the things will all be revealed on that judgment day. And that leads us to our next point the humbleness example offered up by Paul.

Steward Displayed in Humility

Paul draws on humility and comparisons in our next section, in fact makes himself (servant/steward) and the apostles to be a spectacle unto the world (1Cor4:9)

1 Corinthians 4:7–8 NASB95

7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you.

1 Corinthians 4:9–10 NASB95

9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor.

1 Corinthians 4:11–12 NASB95

11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;

1 Corinthians 4:13 NASB95

13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

I want to pint out key verse in this section, talk for a minute or two then pull from the scripture.

1 Corinthians 4:9 NASB95

9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

To the Corinthians, remember they are a Roman colony the term “spectacle” would be a familiar term to them. A spectacle was a form of entertainment that was presented to pacify the people to try to keep peace. Do you remember the movie Gladiator, that would be considered a spectacle.

First would be the champion, or the strongest and goes down from there until they get to what they believed was the weakest, and that is what Paul is calling he and the apostles as he starts to give some contrasts in the verses. All with a purpose to humble themselves.

Who makes you different, what do you have that you did not receive, so the contrast is why do you boast? (1Cor4:7)

So who makes them any better, is it Paul, Apollos, how about Cephas? No, this is pride issue, for they all have the same thing (Christ and Him crucified) so then he contrasts with boasting, they should be humble but they were boasting and not of the Lord but the baptizer. A good biblical example of humility in a servant/steward is John the Baptism tin Jn3:27-30. You can check that out on your own.

(Transition) Paul uses some sarcasm in (v.8) tells the they are already full, but look what more he says

You have reigned as kings, Paul wishes the apostles did too. To reign with them. (1Cor4:8)

Contrast (1Cor4:8-9) kings and spectacles who are condemned.

Kings, puffed up, prideful, arrogant and the spectacles who are offered up for entertainment, many given over for death

Question: Looking at (1Cor4:10) what contrasts do you see?

We are fools, you are wise, you distinguished we dishonored (1Cor4:10)

Paul speaking of not being a king, being a spectacle, being a fool goes on to say what more they suffered

1 Corinthians 4:11–12 NASB95

11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure;

Question: what more did Paul offer us as what they suffered according to 1Cor4:11-12?

The apostles were hungry, thirty, poorly clothed, beaten, homeless, labored, reviled, yet they blessed even in persecution, they endured, were defamed, entreated. but wait there is more

1 Corinthians 4:13 NASB95

13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.

slandered, conciliate or reviled, scum of he world. Pretty dark contrast there isn’t it?

So the end result was the apostles were treated as the scum of the earth, filth of the earth.

(Faithfulness-1 picture inserted here)

Faithfulness in service and humbleness of mind are two important characteristics of a christian servant/steward. Willing to work, but also willing to suffer too. Willing to be despised vs. popular.

(Transition) the next characteristic that helps and that is some paternal care.

Stewards example, paternal care

Paul already defined the local church as a family (1Cor3:1-4) and what does a family have? A father. Paul is not calling himself their father (see Mt23:8-12) but a spiritual father to the, so lets look at this passage together.

1 Corinthians 4:14–15 NASB95

14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.

1 Corinthians 4:16–17 NASB95

16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

1 Corinthians 4:18–19 NASB95

18 Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power.

1 Corinthians 4:20–21 NASB95

20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. 21 What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness?

As a spiritual father to them Paul reminds them:

You are my beloved children, heed my warning (1Cor4:14)

They were his children in faith,they had a special relationship with him. He is not claiming apostolic authority over them but calling them his beloved children.

He takes no credit or their conversion for God does that, Paul was there and assisted in their birth. Remember he baptized very few of them (1Cor1:14-16)

There is only one father but any teachers (paraphrase) (1Cor4:15)

A child may have many teachers in their life, but only one father, it was the Lords Church and Jesus Christ they had been born of the father who is in heaven. Paul, Apollos and even Cephas were but teachers.

Paul offers himself to be imitated (1Cor4:16; 1Cor11:1)

Children have a way of imitating their parents and as a spiritual father he is calling for them to imitate him, not to draw them to him, but to Jesus whom he imitates.

1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB95

1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

He set the example to imitate, love, devotion, sacrifice, and service to them.

Remember that one of the problems with the church then, and even the church today is intermixing the wisdom of God and the wisdom of man and Paul told them not go beyond what is written (1Cor4:6) and that leads to another thing Paul was to them.

Paul was faithful to point out, to warn, to discipline when needed(implied) (1Cor4:18-21)

Pride is a terrible thing, it is a divisive thing and discipline is needed just as with a child needs a proper amount of discipline so did the church at Corinth, maybe the church today when matched to the standard in which we are going to be judged, the Word.

(Transition) Paul points out that the kingdom is more than words, it is backed by actions and that is what Paul is going to speak of in the next two chapters of 1Cor, actions and discipline. It is not easy to be a faithful servant, steward of the Lord, look at some of the things Paul listed they they endured.

God’s faithful servants deserve your love, respect, obedience to the word and prayer support too.

(Encouragement slide- A faithful servant) encouragement (Prayer) (Exit)