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words, "the dispensation of God which is in faith", have a meaning of even more
personal value than what we have advanced. The passage can be equally rendered:--
"Fables and endless genealogies, which furnish ground for disputations, rather than for
the exercising of the stewardship of God in faith."
To each and every servant of Christ comes the imperative need to know one's
stewardship. Why, says the apostle in effect, do you allow yourselves to be side-tracked
by the vain speculations of men? You know your stewardship--fulfil it! Why did the
apostle withhold certain phases of doctrine from the Corinthians? Because they were
carnal and walked as men. When the Corinthians objected, what was his answer?
"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and STEWARDS (ones
having a dispensation) of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that
a man be found FAITHFUL. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged
of you, or of man's day" (I Cor. 4: 1-3).
A person acting for himself may please himself as to the disposal of his goods and the
remission of debts, but a steward has no such right with the property of another. A
steward must not say to his Lord's debtors, "Take thy bill and sit down quickly, and write
fifty". Our doctrine must ever be preached "with longsuffering", but without alteration:--
"Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear" (Ezek. 2: 5).
To realize that our stewardship is a sacred trust places us beyond the criticism or the
approval of man.
"He that judgeth me is the Lord" (I Cor. 4: 4).
"Study to show thyself approved unto God" (II Tim. 2: 15).
As soon as one commences to fulfil the stewardship entrusted, so soon will advisers
arrive on every hand. "You ought to do this, that, or the other", will be a continual sound
in one's ears. It is a blessed thing under such circumstances to know one's stewardship
and to recognize that
"One is your Master, even Christ" (Matt. 23: 8).
The Berean Expositor is a stewardship. It is not run merely because those responsible
felt that it would be "nice" to publish a Christian magazine. Sometimes it is anything but
"nice". A definite deposit of truth demanding a channel for exposition called The Berean
Expositor into existence, and the realization of this must be taken into account by those
whose suggestions regarding the little witness have been consistently refused. Each one
called of the Lord to witness for Him has a stewardship and is accountable to Him alone:-
"Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or
falleth" (Rom. 14: 4).
There is yet further teaching for us before we pass on to the other features of the
"charge", and this we must consider in the next article of this series.