Today’s reading is 1 Corinthians 4:1-5:13.

Continuing the theme started yesterday on preachers, I’m struck again by what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. “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 trustworthy.”

I know Paul is telling the Corinthians how they should view preachers. I can’t help but realize this is how we ought to view ourselves (especially those who are preachers). We are not to view ourselves as great orators. We are not to view ourselves as stellar performers. We are not to view ourselves as the great leaders of men. We are not to view ourselves as the indispensable cogs of the wheel. Rather, there are two keys.

1. Servant of Christ.

Certainly, we are servants of the congregation. Surely, we are under the oversight of our shepherds. No doubt, we serve our brethren. But first and foremost, we answer to Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and Master. He determines what we speak. We must always remember that.

2. Steward of God’s mysteries.

“Chicken Soup for the Soul” is nice. I love to read self-help books. Maxwell, Blanchard, and Covey can easily become my trinity. There are numerous good things we can pass on from many sources. However, the one true source for us is God’s word. Others may give us perspective and teach us something about God’s word, but if we are passing on warmed-over, and sanctified pop culture instead of God’s word, if we are simply proof-texting to teach our favorite business manual, we had better step back and regroup. We are stewards of God’s mysteries, not popular management styles. As stewards, we must show ourselves trustworthy.

So then, the question for me today is what can I do to serve Christ as I work with this local congregation and what would a faithful steward do with God’s mysteries today? I need to go work on those things.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Acts 27:9-10 used to give me a great deal of trouble.

“Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, ‘Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives’” (ESV)

After all, here was Paul, an inspired apostle, saying there would be great loss of life on this ship. But, in the end, no life was lost. Acts 27:44 says, “And so it was that all were brought safely to land” (ESV).

This actually teaches me something about apostleship and inspiration. I don’t know why I have ever referred to the apostles as the “inspired apostles” as if somehow everything they said came directly from God. The Bible never calls them that. And yet, I have heard that taught and I have said it myself. This passage, however, demonstrates that the apostles were not inspired. The Bible teaches that the Scriptures the apostles wrote were inspired in II Timothy 3:16-17, but it never says the apostles themselves were inspired.

When Paul told the captain there would be no loss of life, he wasn’t speaking for God. His every word was not inspired. Only what God wanted him to write down as Scripture was. Therefore, God did not fail here. Paul did not fail. Paul was simply relying on his knowledge of sea travel to make this statement. Of course, it would have been true had God not intervened.

When Paul later told his shipmates no loss of life would come, that was true because that came from the angel of God.

Anyway, the whole point of this is to clarify our language. Paul wasn’t an inspired apostle. Neither were any of the other apostles. Rather, God used the apostles and prophets to record His inspired word. We had better listen to it.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC