1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.… I. MINISTERS THE STEWARDS OF GOD. 1. Divinely commissioned. A call to the ministry is a call from God, or it has in it no worth or authority. Let a man possess the consciousness of this commission, then he will go forth with authority and power. Without it his lips will falter and his heart fail. 2. Divinely qualified. There must be — (1) Mental fitness. A minister must be "apt to teach."(2) Moral fitness. The first condition is conversion of heart; the next, holiness of life. How lifeless and barren a ministry without this! 3. Divinely sustained. With all the help and happiness of such outward encouragements as it is the duty of Churches to give, ministers feel that they need Divine strength. II. AS MINISTERS, WE ARE ENTRUSTED WITH THE GOSPEL. It is our duty — 1. To expound it. Expository preaching has not received sufficient attention. 2. To apply it. It is not sufficient to elucidate the principles of the gospel, they must be enforced. The gospel — (1) Makes known the pardon which has been provided for sinners; and it is incumbent on the stewards of God to beseech them to be reconciled to God. (2) Is a trumpet-call to Christian perfection. To transform men we must be persuasive — intensely practical. 3. To defend it. (D. Thomas, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.WEB: So let a man think of us as Christ's servants, and stewards of God's mysteries. |
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