First Corinthians 4

Continuing on from chapter 3, Paul writes:

I Corinthians 4:1 and 2:

^4:1Thus a man must calculate us as assistants of Christ and stewards of (the) mysteries of God; ^.2here from-now-on you must seek-after among the stewards in order that someone may be found believing.

In this manner any man (human-being) who is a holy-person must calculate us (any one of you should reckon, count, compute logically regarding myself and Apollos) as:

·         assistants of Christ (Christ's attendants serving in subservience to him; the word “assistants” literally means: under-rowers, ordinary sailors on a ship who are in subordination and act/serve under the immediate direction of their captain)

·         and stewards of God's mysteries (house-managers or administrators of God's household-matters pertaining to God’s purposes, plans, actions, etc, that He kept secret).

The word “mystery” throughout Paul’s letters means “secret.” A mystery contains the details that are known and can be understood by those involved in it and by those to whom it has been revealed – it is not inexplicable to those involved in it.

Paul continues: Here from now on (in this category regarding the rest, pertaining to the time remaining, henceforth)…

·         you must seek-after among the stewards (look for among the stewards, those whom you consider, or those who consider themselves, to be stewards)

o   for the purpose and result that

o   someone (any one) among these stewards would be found believing (adjectively described as being faithful, having active belief/faith, trusting what God and the Lord Jesus Christ have given them to believe).

The criteria for a person to be an assistant of Christ and a steward of God's mysteries is that he/she believes what God and the Lord Jesus Christ say and then he/she carries it out accordingly. If someone would claim to be an assistant of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God but does not believe and act accordingly, then this person is not a steward – and consequently this person is not to be believed.

Paul is continuing to teach that it is God and the things of God that are important, that God and the Lord Jesus Christ are whom they ought to believe and obey – all of the assistants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries should function correctly by believing the information that God makes known to people to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety.

[Reference: Deuteronomy 29:29; Matthew 13:11; Luke 12:36-59, 16:1-13; Acts 26:12-18; Romans 11:25, 16:25; I Corinthians 2:1 and 7, 15:51; Ephesians 3:1-12; Colossians 1:25-29; I Timothy 3:9 and 16; Titus 1:7; I Peter 4:10 and 11.]