In biblical terms, the concept of a custodian is closely related to the roles of guardianship, stewardship, and oversight. While the specific term "custodian" is not frequently used in most English translations of the Bible, the underlying principles are evident throughout Scripture. Custodianship involves the responsibility of caring for, managing, and protecting that which is entrusted to an individual or group.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the role of a custodian can be seen in various forms, such as the responsibilities of priests, Levites, and other appointed leaders. The Levites, for example, were given the charge of the tabernacle and its furnishings. Numbers 3:7-8 states, "They are to perform duties for him and for the whole congregation before the Tent of Meeting, attending to the service of the tabernacle. They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting and fulfill the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle."

The concept of custodianship is also evident in the role of parents and elders, who were responsible for teaching and guiding the next generation in the ways of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 emphasizes this duty: "These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the idea of custodianship is expanded to include spiritual oversight and stewardship. The Apostle Paul speaks of the role of stewards in the church, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness. In 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 , Paul writes, "So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful."

The role of a custodian is also reflected in the responsibilities of church leaders, such as elders and overseers, who are tasked with shepherding the flock of God. In Acts 20:28 , Paul exhorts the Ephesian elders, "Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood."

Spiritual Custodianship

Beyond physical and organizational responsibilities, the Bible also speaks to the spiritual custodianship entrusted to believers. Christians are called to be custodians of the faith, preserving and proclaiming the gospel message. Jude 1:3 urges believers to "contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints."

Furthermore, believers are seen as custodians of their own bodies, which are temples of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 , Paul reminds the Corinthians, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body."

Conclusion

The biblical concept of a custodian encompasses a wide range of responsibilities, from the care of physical spaces and objects to the spiritual oversight of individuals and communities. Whether in the context of family, church, or personal life, custodianship is a sacred trust that requires diligence, faithfulness, and a heart aligned with God's purposes.(n.) One who has care or custody, as of some public building; a keeper or superintendent.

The Church of Notre Dame De Lorette in Paris with Its Yellow ...
... feign prayer;"the Madeleine is too classic and serene and sombre in its interior
to suggest anything but a museum, from which the proper custodian is absent ...
/.../corelli/the master-christian/xiii the church of notre.htm

The Next Day, and the Next after That, were Passed by the Cardinal ...
... money?". The custodian looked amazed, and the attendant priest who was escorting
Cardinal Bonpre through the building, frowned. "The ...
//christianbookshelf.org/corelli/the master-christian/x the next day and.htm

Conclusion
... a sense of defeat. The past cannot be forced to yield the hidden knowledge
of which it is the custodian. Sources are very scanty ...
/.../messenger/christian hymns of the first three centuries/vii conclusion.htm

March the Ninth Nearing Home!
... And well had he guarded his treasure! "I have kept the faith." He was the custodian
of "unsearchable riches," and he watched, day and night, lest any infernal ...
/.../my daily meditation for the circling year/march the ninth nearing home.htm

Death and Life from the Ark
... woods; the cart drawn by meek oxen, and loaded with the unadorned wooden chest,
in the midst; the two sons or descendants of its faithful custodian honoured to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/death and life from the.htm

He Leadeth Me in the Paths of Justice for his Name's Sake.
... It was to preserve these truths in their integrity and freshness that He founded
His unerring Church and committed to it the office of custodian and expounder ...
//christianbookshelf.org/callan/the shepherd of my soul/vi he leadeth me in.htm

The Machinery of the Society
... But though the crowd is the object of Christianity, it is not its custodian.
Deal with the Founder of this great Commonwealth Himself. ...
/.../the machinery of the society.htm

The Story of Panthea.
... He saw her, too, in her tent, in the presence of her maidens, at all times; and
as she looked upon him as only her custodian and guard, and as, too, her mind ...
//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter x the story of.htm

I Saw no Temple There
... With the Church in ceaseless evidence before their eyes as the acknowledged custodian
of Christianity; with actual stone and lime in every street representing ...
/.../the greatest thing in the world and other addresses/i saw no temple there.htm

The First vision "In Heaven": Chapters 4-5
... For Shem is spoken of as the custodian of this "dwelling place." The word "placed"
in Genesis 3:24 is (...) shaken), and it means to station or dwell in a ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the first vision in heaven .htm

Custodian (2 Occurrences)
... (n.) One who has care or custody, as of some public building; a keeper or
superintendent. Multi-Version Concordance Custodian (2 Occurrences). ...
/c/custodian.htm - 7k

Custody (27 Occurrences)

/c/custody.htm - 15k

Escape (142 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) A sally. 9. (n.) The unlawful permission, by a jailer or other custodian,
of a prisoner's departure from custody. 10. (n.) An apophyge. 11. ...
/e/escape.htm - 38k

Cushy (5 Occurrences)

/c/cushy.htm - 7k

Canon
... The canon does not derive its authority from the church, whether Jewish or Christian;
the office of the church is merely that of a custodian and a witness." So ...
/c/canon.htm - 68k

Old (3966 Occurrences)
... The canon does not derive its authority from the church, whether Jewish or Christian;
the office of the church is merely that of a custodian and a witness." So ...
/o/old.htm - 101k

Testament (13 Occurrences)
... The canon does not derive its authority from the church, whether Jewish or Christian;
the office of the church is merely that of a custodian and a witness." So ...
/t/testament.htm - 101k

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Custodian: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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