“Stewards of the Mysteries of God”

 

Ray Steadman was a famous preacher and author from California.  He passed away in 1992 and at his request on his tombstone in Grants Pass, Oregon, are engraved these words: "He was a faithful steward." As a noted author Ray had received many accolades during his lifetime, but he wanted to be remembered as simply a servant who faithfully dispensed God's glorious truth to God's people.  That seems to be the same sentiment of Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God".  A “steward” is defined as an “overseer” who has been given a responsibility to oversee the distribution of funds, or some other items.  As Paul uses it here specifically, it is being an “overseer” of the “mysteries of God”.  Although Paul was speaking of himself and Apollos as they had been inspired by God with the miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit, we can also infer this to apply to us today as Christians.  Let me explain, the purpose of that specific measure of the Holy Spirit was to aid in the spread of the Gospel message, but also in enlighten believers concerning the will of God.   When the entire will of God was revealed in what we have in the Word of God today, those gifts began to fade away because they had served their purpose (I Corinthians 13.9-12).  Today, since we have the complete will of God laid out in the written form of the Bible, all Christians now become stewards of those same mysteries.  Try to imagine it in the view of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25.  In that parable, a manager was going out of town.  However, while he was away, he gave his employees a responsibility of being good stewards of the talents he had given to them.  They were to be good stewards of these talents while they were in their possession to ensure they were used appropriately.  In the parable, we have two of the stewards that were rewarded for their service in caring for their talents, and one who was punished for not.  In the case of us being “stewards of the Mysteries of God”, Jesus is the manager who has left this earth for a period of time and we are His servants.  The talent that He has left for us is the Word of God.  In time He will return as the manager in the parable did and we will be judged on what we have done with the Word that He has given to us. As Christians, we all have responsibility of sharing the message of God’s will to the world.  Have you been a faithful steward with the gift you have been given?  If not, as you are reading this, the Manager has yet to return…but make no mistake, He will soon!