Understanding 1 Corinthians 4: Servants and Stewards

1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

There is a lot packed into chapter 4 of 1 Corinthians. The entire chapter can be looked from a perspective of Paul addressing four topics. We will look at the first two in this post.

The right attitude towards the apostles (4:1-2). Paul was adressing a congregation that was divided, pitting one leader against another and we see him trying to move them away from this wrongful mentality. He reminds them that there is only one head of the church and that is Christ. No one else is meant to be take that place by creating divisions and groups. Christ is the head, and we are to be servants, fellow labourers of HIM. The greek word for servant used here is ‘Hyperetas’ which means an under-rower, the one who rows in the lower deck of a ship, taking direction from the one in charge. Similarly, we as believers are under the authority and command of Jesus, helping move forward the church/ kingdom work. All those who row are one, working together for one purpose and no one is above the other.

The other description that Paul uses is being a steward of God’s mysteries. With a steward comes an element of trust. The steward would manage and distribute what the Master has put him in charge of. Distribute is pretty straight forward, it is sharing the gospel and love of Christ through words and actions. To manage, it would mean to preserve and protect the truth of God. A steward has delegated authority from his master and an accountability to his master. And for a steward, the most important aspect would be his faithfulness to his Master.

Warning against judging others (4:3-5). God is the judge of everyone, we are not to take His place. What matters to God is the heart and motive of a person. God is the only one who truly knows what lies within someone’s heart and that makes Him qualified to be the judge. This should help us put things in perspective and when we tend to focus on others actions or attitudes, may we look within and be mindful of our own heart and our motives. It is easy to be critical and it is also easy to get distracted by looking at someone and what they do through a critical lens. And it is also very easy to get disheartened when we are on the receiving end of criticism.

Is there anything that the Spirit has been convicting you of lately? May Psalm 139:23-24 be our prayer ” Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

While Paul talks about being independent of the judgement of others and being concerned only with being accountable to God, we have to remember that there is value in having fellow spiritually mature people around us who operate in the spirit and help us stay accountable and give us Godly wisdom and support when needed. God did not intend for us to operate and keep ourselves in a silo as then there is a greater danger to be decieved.

Paul emphasizes that apostles and every follower are servants of Christ, urging unity within the church and warning against divisions. He highlights the importance of being stewards of God’s mysteries, faithful and accountable to Him. Ultimately, only God can judge motives, encouraging self-reflection over critical judgment of others.

God Bless.