After last week I realized there is more to say on stewardship because it is a really important topic which is most of the time totally ignored by Christians and not well understood by many. Besides stewarding our possessions, we are stewards also of the mysteries of God. This is sometimes called dispensation or even edification under the new covenant. Dispensation means a system of order or organization methods and governance of the church. Edification builds up and this includes being a good steward, even a good teacher of stewardship.

— Paul on Stewardship (1 Cor. 9:16-18)

1 Cor. 9:16-18:: For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation (oikonomia) of the gospel is committed unto me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

I we take this verse in context we shall see that earlier in this chapter Paul goes over all of the reasons why those that serve at the temple should be supported by it (vs. 13). He then goes on to why he has not taken advantage of what is owed him and others for serving God. Now in verse 18 he speaks of his reward which is to preach the gospel free of charge. He does not claim any of his rights to being paid to preach and teach.

Now there is nothing at all wrong with getting paid to preach and teach, but to Apostle Paul this is not a reward but stewardship or dispensation of the gospel. Think of it this way. Most of us have worked a secular job and we expect payment for our goods and service provided. He is thinking the same way, we get rewarded for services provided and that is usually money but could also include recognition, prestige, and popularity.

Kingdom mindset. Kingdom mindset. What is Paul talking about? Yeshua said it is more blessed to give than to receive. In Acts 20:27 Apostle Paul says to the Ephesians: I have not shunned to you to tell you the whole counsel of God.

Acts 20:35:: I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

There were cases when Paul took from certain churches to help need to need of others (2 Cor. 8-9). Such was the case from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to help the poor in Judea. In this we have no hint that Paul profitted off of these endeavours. In actually he supported equality here as in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:14). Not that he wanted it to become a burden unto the churches of Greece but rather a blessing unto them. If we give what we have then it will be given unto us, good measure, shaken together and running over, as people give unto our laps (Luke 6:38). It is part of what some say is “you can never out-give God”.

— The example of Shebna’s removal as steward (Is. 22:15-25)

The Septuigint allows us to link the greek new testament back to the old testament. This greek word oikonomia links back to the case of Shebna who was the steward over the house of Hezekiah. The septiugint uses the term oikonomia whereas other versions the hebrew word is sakan which has a slightly different definition. Some say Shebna was the treasurer but all we know for sure is he was some kind of steward or servant. It does not go well for Shebna and he seems to have dug his own grave. Verse 18 actually says he shall die. He kind of sounds like Haman in the story of Esther for Shebna is said to have had glorious chariots (vs. 18)

Is. 22:16:: ‘What have you here, and whom have you here, that you have hewn a sepulcher here,
As he who hews himself a sepulcher on high, who carves a tomb for himself in a rock?

Is. 22:19:: I will drive you out of your office,
And from your position he (or I) will pull you down.

Now I believe the language here is poetic and it is unlikely that Shebna dug an actual grave. Haman, however, built his own gallows. But we can ‘dig our own grave’ proverbially if we squander the Lord’s resources and act unfaithfully with what he has given unto us. In Shebna’s place a more faithful servant is installed name Eliakim:

Is. 22:20-21::
I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah
I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt;
I will commit your responsibility into his hand.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

I actually don’t like teaching this because a teacher is judged more harshly than a student. But it also shows the seriousness of proper stewardship. Remember in the very words of Yeshua what happens to the unfaithful servant.

Luke 12:45-46:: the servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Is 22:21-22 : I will clothe him with your robe and strengthen him with your belt; I will commit your responsibility into his hand. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.

Elkiah gets his robe, belt, and responsibilities. It is like the robe of righteousness we receive from the Lord. It is also like the robe the father gives to the prodigal when he returns to the way of righteousness. Eliakim also gets the belt, like what we might call the belt of truth. When we are given gifts we need to be ready to handle responsibilities. Even the Key to the House of David is a gift given to us. We are then able to open and close doors for ourselves and others.

Did you know that the key to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is held by an orthodox ethiopian family even though the church is shared amongst the Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic Church. Sometimes God has to trust keys to certain outside people since competition and dissentions makes any one party unfit to hold the keys.

— Other examples and considerations regarding stewardship in the New Covenant

We already covered the parable of the unjust steward last week found in Luke 16. The word oikonomia can also relate to God’s mysteries and ministering God’s grace.

Definition of stewardship: the job of supervising or taking care of something, such as an organization or property

1 Cor. 4:1-2:: Let a man so consider us, as servants (hypēretēs) of Christ and stewards (oikonomia) of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

Col. 1:25-27:: of which I became a minister (diakonos) according to the stewardship (oikonomia) from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

So Christ coming in to live in our hearts is a mystery of the gospel.

There are even verses that are translated as dispensation which is really a stewardship of what God calls us unto.

Eph 1:10:: that in the dispensation (oikonomia) of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

Note that the times here is kairos times, not chronological times. While this verse could point us to an eschatological understanding of the consummation of the age, it can just as easily be interpreted that at the proper or right times he gathers us all together. So today, if you hear his voice, hearken unto his call to pull together and not splinter. This is not the season to seek division, but unity.

We are even told that grace gets shared by His stewards:
Eph. 3:2:: if indeed you have heard of the dispensation (oikonomia) of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

1 Pet. 4:10:: As each one has received a gift, minister (diakonos) it to one another, as good stewards (oikonomia) of the manifold grace of God.

Thinking about church doctrines, this is how grace gets shared. Each group with a unique doctrine regarding grace stewards or teaches about grace because they steward their position. Apostle Paul certainly had a position regarding grace. We too have positions about grace, whether it is unlimited or limited, whether it can be lost and re-found. Eternal life or eternal death hangs in the balance. The bottom line is prodigal sons and daughters need to come home.

And it can result in edification but is really a stewardship of the gospel.

1Ti 1:4:: nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification (oikonomia) which is in faith.

Some bible version translate this verse as godly stewardship or training rather than edification. Edification does including building up the body and members in particular so it is also an appropriate view. We are being built up unto a house that is not divided, not dysfunctional, not involved in disputes and destructive quarreling. The stewardship piece of this comes about because we share or steward god’s grace amongst ourselves.

I would like to be known as a godly teacher and steward of god’s grace. This in not greasy grace, as some call it, nor is it judgement without mercy. We are called to holiness and that entails having an understanding of what sin is and how to avoid it and get healed of it’s traumatic effects.