Being Servants And Stewards Of God Series

1 Cor 4:1-5 Being Servants and Stewards of God

We have covered the first 3 chapters of 1 Corinthians over the last 10 weeks. Today is our 11th Sunday on this book.

• I believe by now we have an idea of the problems the church in Corinth is facing.

• Surely this is not a happy thing for Paul, who founded the church barely 5-6 years ago.

• It would not be easy for him to see the church fragmented by divisions and with other problems which we will be covering in the following chapters.

He was mainly addressing the PROBLEMS OF THE CHURCH

• I believe he must have written both 1 and 2 Corinthians with a heavy heart.

• Imagine this, we have 1 and 2 Corinthians, the longest written work of Paul directed to one congregation and addressing not doctrines of the faith but mainly problems.

• I believe we can, over time, identify with Paul’s struggles and concerns.

We are not better today. Over the centuries, we have seen the same problems happening in churches.

• God has included these letters as inspired Scriptures for the benefit of His church because we need them.

In 2 Corinthians, which is written about 1-2 years later, we see Paul covering more or less the same concerns again.

• And worst still, there were “false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ” (2 Cor 11:13) challenging Paul’s authority openly.

Have you been criticised, misunderstood or wrongly accused in ministry?

• Today we are going to learn from Paul, who addresses his accusers in 1 Cor 4.

• Paul moves from addressing “church problem” to a more personal problem – the attacks of some Corinthians against him, questioning his conduct and authority.

• Let us glean from the wisdom of Paul’s words.

1 Cor 4:1-5 ESV

1This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. 3But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

What do you do when you are wrongly accused?

• Paul set us a good example in his response.

(1) Understand Your Authority (where does our authority come from)

(2) Know Your Accountability (who are we accountable to)

(3) Trust in God’s Final Appraisal, not men’s.

PAUL UNDERSTANDS WHERE HIS AUTHORITY LIES

• 1 Cor 4:1 “This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

• He has already said earlier in 3:5 that they are “servants”.

• 3:5 “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each.”

• That word used is doulos in Greek, the common word for bond-servant or slave, with an emphasis on service.

Paul uses another word here – hyperetas in Greek – which is less common and it literally means “under-rower”, which we cannot capture in English.

• An “under-rower” refers to the slaves under the deck of a ship, pulling the oars.

• They have no engines in those days, so the way to move a ship is to row it, with the help of these “under-rowers”.

• Their only responsibility is to row and to keep rowing and rowing as long as they are told to do so.

Paul’s use of this word seems deliberate. He wants to emphasize that they are subjects of their master and take orders from him.

• They have no status, unlike what the Corinthians were doing, trying to elevate their leaders to a position that is too high.

This “under-rower” is under authority. He does not give orders; he takes orders.

• Paul says this is how you should regard us - as apostles under authority.

• Whose authority? The authority of Christ, our Master - the One who has called us, and in the words of 3:5, who has “assigned us” to this task.

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Paul added one more term – we are “stewards of the mysteries of God.”

• The phrase “mysteries of God” is used commonly by Paul to describe the truth of God, which was once hidden in the past but is now revealed to us through Christ.

• See Romans 16:25-27. The mystery refers to the revelation of Christ and the Gospel, which we are now entrusted with.