In another article in this issue, the importance of careful stewardship of our material resources is emphasized. However, these are not the only things of which we have been made stewards. We are told in 1 Peter 4:10 that “as every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” In the same way Paul (and those associated with him) sought to be accounted “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1). The root word (translated “steward”) has the sense of a “house distributor” and is also used in connection with the unjust steward of Luke 16, as well as to describe a bishop or overseer — “the steward of God” (Titus 1:77For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; (Titus 1:7)). In another form, the word may also be translated “stewardship” or “dispensation,” and Paul uses the word several times in this way. “A dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me” (1 Cor. 9:17); “in the dispensation of the fullness of times” (Eph. 1:1010That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: (Ephesians 1:10)); “according to the dispensation of God” (Col. 1:2525Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (Colossians 1:25)). From these and other scriptures we see that God has given gifts to men and has also committed His truth to men, but as stewards who are expected to be faithful in the administration of what they have received.
Faithfulness
There are several things to be noticed in this stewardship. First of all, the Spirit of God uses the expression “every man” when these gifts are mentioned. It is not a question of largeness of gift, for there are “diversities of gifts,” but rather faith to use what has been committed to us. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the Lord was free to give a servant five, two, or one talent(s). Each was expected to trade with what he had received. So God does not hold us responsible for what has not been given to us, but rather expects us to use for Him whatever gift we have received.
Second, it is a serious thing when something is committed to us to use wisely and to distribute to others. Paul evidently felt this very keenly, as being the vessel to whom the truth of the church was specially communicated from a risen Christ in glory. He had the option of preaching the gospel willingly, but even if he did not, he realized the solemn fact that “a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me” (1 Cor. 9:17). While we have not received revelations in the same way as Paul did, yet the principle remains the same, and God looks to us to exercise our gift and minister the truth of God as we have received it.
When the man with the one talent hid it in the earth (Matt. 25:2525And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (Matthew 25:25)) and the servant with the one pound simply kept it in a napkin (Luke 19:2020And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: (Luke 19:20)), the Spirit of God describes both as “wicked servants.” If it was a serious thing for the steward in Luke 16 to waste his master’s goods, how much more so when eternal realities have been committed to us! The unjust steward in Luke 16 is, no doubt, a picture of Israel, who had been unfaithful as a testimony for God in the earth. As a result, the stewardship has been taken away from them and given to the church. The “natural branches” of testimony (pictured by the olive tree — Romans 11:1717And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; (Romans 11:17)) have been broken off, and the Gentiles, as from a “wild olive tree,” have been grafted in. But has the church been any more faithful than Israel? No, for as a testimony, it too has failed. As a result, God will remove the church from this world when the Lord comes and bring Israel back into blessing again.
In the meanwhile, God has left us here, and until we are called home, our responsibility as stewards remains. If the church has failed collectively as a testimony, it is all the more reason for us to be faithful as individuals. As Christ was a faithful witness when Israel had failed and all was against Him, so should we be.
Our Twofold Ministry
The ministry committed to us is twofold. Paul could tell Timothy that “our Saviour God . . . desires that all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4 JND). First of all, then, it is a great privilege, and also a solemn responsibility, for every believer to preach the gospel. It may not be in a public way nor even audibly at all times. Rather, we should seek to live Christ and to “be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15). In the uncertain and stressful world of today, men’s hearts are indeed “failing them for fear” when they contemplate the future. What a privilege to be able to give hope beyond this world and to speak to them of Christ and His salvation!
But more than this, God has now revealed to us His purposes in Christ — purposes that were hidden in God from before the foundation of the world. “All the counsel of God” has now been given to us, connected with His purposes concerning His Son. Thus, when Paul preached the gospel, He began, not with man’s need, but rather with God’s purposes in Christ. When Paul spoke of “my gospel,” he was referring to much more than simply salvation from the penalty of our sins. When an individual receives the gospel today, he learns that he is not only saved from judgment, but part of the church, that jewel of God’s purposes that has a heavenly calling. The truth connected with all this is infinitely precious to God and to Christ, and it has been given to us, not to hoard, but to disseminate. If we have been given a greater understanding of the truth than others, we can use it in two ways. Either we can use it to accredit and distinguish ourselves, or we can seek to act as stewards, using it for the blessing of the whole body of Christ.
The Natural and the Spiritual
Spiritual stewardship is unique. In natural things, if we give them to others, then we lose them ourselves. If we give money or material things away, we are normally poorer in consequence. But we know that God is no man’s debtor. If we give for His glory what has been committed to us as stewards — what is really “another man’s” — will God not make it up to us? Indeed He will! When the Philippians, who were poor, gave something to Paul, he could assure them that “my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:1919But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)). When he exhorted the Corinthians to give liberally, he also told them that God would “minister bread for your food” and that they would have “all sufficiency in all things” (2 Cor. 9:8,10).
In spiritual things, the wonderful reality is that even though we share all that we have with others, we do not lose it ourselves. Rather, in the distributing of it as faithful stewards, our enjoyment of it is enhanced, and our hearts are refreshed by the privilege of giving it to others. In one sense, as we have seen, we are stewards of spiritual things, but in another sense, God calls those things “your own” (Luke 16:1212And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? (Luke 16:12)). What we have as material things we must leave behind when we leave this world, but what we have as spiritual riches will be ours for all eternity. We do not have much longer to act as stewards, and for this reason, let us remember that “it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2).
W. J. Prost