“This is how one should regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”
– 1 Corinthians 4:1–2
1 Corinthians 4:1–2 are two of my favorite verses in the whole book of First Corinthians. The way that Paul describes himself and leaders in the church but really every follower of Christ here. It’s two fold. He says we should be regarded as servants of Christ and the word their uses for servants is a word that would be used to describe the under rower on a boat. So picture the lowest galley of slaves on a boat. That’s what the word is for servant here. Just row here, row there, do whatever your master, the captain of the ship says to do.
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.”
So we’re under rowers. We are servants of Christ. He’s the captain of our lives and we do whatever he says. We go wherever he leads. We are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. And the mysteries of God there is a reference to the gospel, the cross of Christ and we are stewards of this gospel. So we’ve been entrusted with this possession and it is the most valuable possession. It’s the very gospel of Jesus Christ and so we are to steward it in this world. So we’re servants of Christ, stewards of the mysteries of God. Stewards of the gospel.
1 Corinthians 4:1–2 Teaches How to Be a Successful Servant For Christ
So with those roles that we have in our life. So just think about that in your life, my life today you and I are servants of Christ and we are stewards of the gospel. What is required of us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. And 1 Corinthians 4:2 says the one thing, that it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. I want you to think about that word because I believe 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 are giving you and me a clear definition for success in our lives. What is success in your life?
And you think about it, the world has all kinds of answers to that question for you. Success in your life and likely you have some thoughts, some ideas that come to your mind that are what the world says is successful. But here in 1 Corinthians 4:2 God is saying in his word what success is in your life as a servant of Christ and a steward of the gospel. Success is you being faithful. A faithful servant of Christ doing whatever he says. A faithful steward of the gospel making it known in the world. This is success for you. This is success for me. So God, we pray. Well, first of all, we praise you for the privilege of being servants of Christ for it is the great honor of our lives that we would be servants of Jesus. We wouldn’t want it any other way.
Faithful Stewards for Christ
We’re so glad to be your servants. We know that we have an option of being slaves to sin in ourselves or slaves to Jesus and we’re so thankful that you made us slaves to Jesus. For there we find true freedom and true joy and true life. So thank you for making us servants of Jesus and stewards of the gospel.
Not only we heard it but you’ve entrusted it to us. We believed it. Now we have the privilege of sharing it so that others can experience eternal life. Thank you for making us stewards of the gospel. So God, we pray today like if today was our last day on earth, we pray that we would be found faithful servants and faithful stewards today and help us to do whatever you call us to do today, to obey you, to walk with you. We’re under rowers. Just tell us what to do.
Living It Out
We want to do it. Help us to live like that today and help us to be stewards, faithful stewards of the gospel today. Help us to share it. And help us to guard it in your church. Help us to promote it in the world, to proclaim it in the world, to proclaim it as someone who doesn’t know it.
God we pray that if today was our last day, the justice day, we would be found faithful servants and faithful stewards and we pray the same if you give us tomorrow and the same if you give us the next day, the next day, the next day, until one day we stand before you and God, we pray. We want to hear on that day, “Well done good and faithful servant, faithful steward.” God, please help us to live for this definition of success. Make us successful according to 1 Corinthians 4:1–2 we pray in Jesus name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
