Steward: overseer of a household in the master’s stead. Quite an important job. I was thinking of writing on this topic
since Tuesday but today my interest was further peaked by a conversation I had
with my mom and sister by the pool. We
were discussing love languages, theirs being serving and verbal/thoughtful
sentiments respectively, and mine being up to debate. We finally decided that my love language is to
make people happy and comfortable. Hey
even my friends have lovingly dubbed me “Mom” because I oversee the plans and watch out for
those in my “family” [there may be some other not so great reasons but we won’t
discuss those]. So in light of these
events, I circled back to my previous study on the use of the word steward in the
Bible. Oiokonomos [Greek], according to
Strong’s Concordance, means the manager of a household, a guardian. Also, a steward was often formerly a slave
who had been freed but continued caring for the household in a different
position. [see the parallels already? either way, keep reading]. My quest for
the relevance of this word started when I was rereading Ephesians 3.
“For this reason, I Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you
Gentiles—assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that
was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation.” So here, Paul has been entrusted with the
responsibility to share the grace of God by proclaiming the gospel. Paul gives various analogies as related to us
and God, and us being God’s stewards on earth until the master returns is one
of them.
In the Old Testament, the word steward is used in a literal sense. Different rulers and kings have stewards that they command. The change in the New Testament is that we are now the stewards.
These are a few short notes that I took on each of the following references..in context of course.
1 Cor. 9:17
preach the gospel, and when it is not our will we are “still entrusted with a stewardship”
1 Tim 1:4
stewardship from God that is by faith, and “the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart, and a good conscience and a sincere faith”
Titus 1:7
talks of the qualities of an overseer, or steward, of the church, “not be arrogant or quick tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain”
1 Peter 4:10
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another—as good stewards of God’s varied grace,” so we all have different gifts of stewardship
All these passages filled out my view of stewardship and how vital it is in the Body of Christ. We are His entrusted stewards sharing the Good News and preparing the household for the return of the Master.
In the Old Testament, the word steward is used in a literal sense. Different rulers and kings have stewards that they command. The change in the New Testament is that we are now the stewards.
These are a few short notes that I took on each of the following references..in context of course.
1 Cor. 9:17
preach the gospel, and when it is not our will we are “still entrusted with a stewardship”
1 Tim 1:4
stewardship from God that is by faith, and “the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart, and a good conscience and a sincere faith”
Titus 1:7
talks of the qualities of an overseer, or steward, of the church, “not be arrogant or quick tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain”
1 Peter 4:10
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another—as good stewards of God’s varied grace,” so we all have different gifts of stewardship
All these passages filled out my view of stewardship and how vital it is in the Body of Christ. We are His entrusted stewards sharing the Good News and preparing the household for the return of the Master.
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