God Calls Us Servants of ChristThe Corinthians' regard for their favorite teachers had so divided the church that its members were identifying themselves as being "of" Paul, Apollos, or Cephas (Peter). Paul countered this mentality by pointing out that those who had preached the Word at Corinth were merely servants of Christ. In so doing, Paul used the language of slavery to refer to his ministry.
In the apostle Paul's day, slaves were regarded as property rather than persons. The slave, whose function was to serve his or her master, could be bought and sold at the discretion of the master and were often subjected to harsh treatment. It has been estimated that nearly one-third of the population of the city of Corinth consisted of slaves. Although they were a critical factor in the economy of the Roman empire, the tasks that slaves performed were considered too menial for those who were free. The Greeks in particular, regarded slaves with contempt.
In the biblical text, the term that is translated "servants" is one that referred to an assistant or a helper. In effect, Paul was telling the Corinthians that they should regard those who had preached the Word to them as Christ's "underlings." The same Greek word is used by Luke, the apostle Paul's frequent traveling companion, in referring to those who first delivered the gospel message as "servants of the word" (Luke 1:2). In light of that, Paul, Apollos, and Cephas were not superstars but merely servants charged with the responsibility of dispensing God's Word.
Paul also uses the word steward to refer to this ministry. The steward was literally a household manager, someone who was responsible for the daily administration of the master's affairs.
The steward was often a slave who was put in charge of other slaves and distributed the master's goods to them. The steward's primary obligation was tending to the master's interests (Luke 12:42-43; 1 Cor 4:2).
Like the stewards, Paul and his colleagues were given the responsibility of dispensing the "secret things of God," or literally "the mysteries of God." In Greek religion and philosophy, the word mystery was used to refer to truths that were revealed only to initiates. Paul had been entrusted with God's revealed truth, and as a steward, he exercised a measure of authority. It was authority derived from God. The truths he proclaimed did not originate with him.
Paul characterized himself more particularly as a steward of God's grace to the Gentiles (Eph 3:2; Col 1:25-27). While his role was unique in many ways, all Christians share a similar stewardship. We are all stewards of God's manifold grace: "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms" (1 Peter 4:10). Whether our gifts are intended to be used in the public arena or in the private, we are to derive our strength from God and to the primary goal of bringing Him glory.
Elsewhere, Paul referred to himself using the term diakonos, a word that literally means "one who waits on tables" (1 Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 6:4). It is the same term used of the servants who came to draw water at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:9). Paul compared his ministry and that of his colleagues to the role of a common household slave who provided table service while the master's family ate.
Paul also used the word doulos to refer to himself, even placing it before that of apostle (Rom 1:1). Although most English versions translate this word as "servant," his original readers would have recognized that he was identifying himself as a bond slave in the service of Christ.
Many of the people who read this were themselves slaves in a literal sense. Paul instructed Christian slaves to obey their earthly masters, with the knowledge that such obedience was a form of serving Christ (1 Tim 6:1; Eph 6:6). For some, this radical call to discipleship had grave implications. The apostle Peter urged Christian slaves to show respect, even to those masters who physically mistreated them (1 Peter 2:18-25). The use of the slave metaphor and the call to slaves to obey their masters, however, should not be seen as a biblical endorsement of the practice of slavery. In
1 Cor 7:21, Paul told Christian slaves to obtain their freedom by legitimate means whenever possible, and he asked Philemon to free the runaway slave Onesimus (Philem 16).
From the biblical perspective, then, the Christian has a dual status. Paul reminded Christian slaves that they were free in Christ, and he reminded the free that they were slaves of Christ (1 Cor 7:22). Like Paul, all Christians are servants of God.
This call to be Christ's servants is absolute. It demands complete surrender, even to the point of death: "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me" (John 12:26). Christ Himself has set the standard for us, showing His followers what the servant's lifestyle is like. By becoming incarnate, the Lord took on the form of a bond servant (Phil 2:7). He performed the task of a household slave when He washed the disciples' feet and urged them to follow His example: "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet" (John 13:13-14).
The title of servant is a needed corrective for a church living in an age that is obsessed with individual freedom and personal choice. Because we are servants of Christ, we do not live to please ourselves. We live only to please Him, our Lord and Master.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the stewardship of grace You have entrusted to me. Show me in this day how I can be faithful to that calling. Amen.
Thanks to John Koessler for allowing us to publish his material.www.johnkosessler.com
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John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077
John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077
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