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Pastor Vic's Message
“Stewards of Grace”
October 19, 2008
1 Peter 4:10
This morning
we will take time to look at only one verse. This verse has 14 words in the
Greek manuscript. Each word is packed with meaning. In verse 10 and 11, Peter
summarizes the major principles about spiritual gifts and assumes the
controversy regarding the misuse of gifts is settled.
Ecstatic utterances are last mentioned in I Corinthians 14. If we carefully
study Paul's discussion of the charismatic controversy in Corinth, we would
understand why none of the other NT churches had that problem. He argued for a
better way.
Did you know that 400 years before this was written, some Greek mystery
religions considered speaking in tongues to be the height of their religious
experience? They assumed that if they did not know what they were saying, it
must be the language of the gods. Plato did not allow his disciples to speak
in tongues. It is also interesting to me that Peter is writing now 15 years
after the problem in Corinth. He assumes the problem is settled. Peter
summarizes the charismatic issue in 2 verses. It is important what he says and
may be just as important what he does not say.
The second word (kathos) in translation comes first and is often translated
'even as' or 'just as' or 'since'. Wuest says this adverb suggests a
comparison of quality or quantity, so he translates this one word with the
phrase, "In whatever quality or quantity..."
This little word introduces the principle of stewardship. Peter is going to
tell us that we are responsible to minister by the standard of what we have
received and in the manner we have received. This word gives us the standard
for our stewardship. We minister according to the quality or quantity we have
received. You can’t give what you don’t have.
This little word is introducing a comparison. It suggests a variable. The
standard is not the same for everyone. This is not a law that says everyone
must be a good steward and minister 2 hours a day. Peter does not say to be a
good steward you have to be a missionary for 2 years. Peter does not say you
have to give 50% of everything you have to the church. Peter says, "Just
as..." This is the standard by which God measures your stewardship: just as
each one has received.
And the first word (ekastos) means 'each one' or 'each person' or 'each
individual'. This word is only used one other time by Peter in 1:17 when he
talks of God's judgment. Peter is writing to churches not individuals; he sees
groups of people in his mind as he writes this letter. He is writing to some
lonely, alienated, and suffering people. He does not know them personally.
However he is trying to emphasize a point, so he varies from his norm. Each
one is different. We are not clones according to Peter. We did not all receive
the same thing. He starts the verse with this word to emphasize it.
However, Peter's norm is contrasted with Paul's use of this word 23 times in I
Corinthians. This word only occurs 60 times in the NT outside of I
Corinthians. Do you see the difference? The Corinthian church was full of
individuals. Paul was addressing specific problems. Everyone was doing his own
thing in the Corinthian church without regard for the welfare of one another.
But Peter is different. He has been writing to the whole church, but here he
deviates and focuses on the importance and privilege of each individual. No
one that he is writing to is left out. Who is he writing to? Believers. Every
Christian is included in this principle. "Just as each individual has
received..." Everyone is different; everyone is important.
The first word gave us the standard for stewardship. (In whatever quality or
quantity) The second word identifies who the stewards are. (each one) Now the
third word tells us we have something.
The third word (elaben) is the verb, 'has received'. The grammar suggests I
have received the whole thing. Whatever it is that each individual has
received, he has received all of it. And in whatever quality or quantity he
has received it his stewardship will be measured.
Let's ask HOW we have received it. Peter does not answer that question, but in
5:5 Peter says, that God gives it to the humble. And in II Peter 1:3 he says
again we have been given everything we need for life and godliness.
So there is no hint that you had to pray and fast 40 days to receive it. You
did not receive it because of your church attendance. You did not receive it
because of anything you did or anything you will do. Peter simply says, "Just
as each one has received..." Just by becoming a Christian you have received
it. Not because of what you did, but because of what you are.
That suggests that each one may have received it differently and may have
received a different amount. I do not have what you have. I cannot be a
Christian like you and you cannot be a Christian like me. Each individual has
received and Peter is going to challenge you to be a good steward of what you
have received.
Peter's principle is that God requires us to minister in the quantity and
quality of which we have received. You cannot give what you do not have, but
you are responsible for what you do have. Peter said, "Such as I have, give I
unto thee."
Now WHAT have we received? The 4th word in this sentence is charisma. To
understand this word you need to understand 'charis' and 'chara'. Charis is
used 153 times in the NT and is usually translated 'grace'. Chara is used 59
times in the NT and is usually translated 'joy'.
In the Greek literature, grace and joy are closely related. Grace may be
something, someone, or a situation causing joy. It is something beautiful,
like a gift of the gods that causes pleasure. Grace is something given by one
who has something to one who has nothing. A beautiful lady was said to be full
of grace because she gave pleasure to an observer. When we have spiritual
grace we give pleasure to God.
The NT church gave this word a broader meaning. Grace is used of the gospel,
the Spirit-filled man, a state of man, thanks, a greeting, salvation,
something from God.
But the word we have here is 'charisma' not 'charis'. The 'ma' ending on a
Greek word suggests it is the result of something or the act of doing
something. So literally 'charisma' would be the result of grace and used in
the Christian context it would be the result of God's grace. Each one has
received a result of God's grace. Some translators call this a spiritual gift.
Charisma is the result of God's grace or it is the act of God's grace. God has
charisma; His nature is charis.
As we have seen in the Greek literature, grace seemed to emphasize outward
beauty. In 4:11 Peter summarizes the grace we have received as our ability to
speak and serve. These are visible abilities we have to minister to the
Church. That is why in II Peter 1:5-8 Peter tells us there are some attitudes
that needed to be added to the grace we have received. We say a man is
charismatic or has charisma when he is outwardly flashy or attractive. That is
consistent with the normal Greek usage of the word, but the NT makes 'grace'
much more. Grace is the nature of God. Jesus came full of grace and truth.
The Corinthians were defining grace like their culture and Paul was refocused
the emphasis to the unseen.
Again today in many churches there is visible/cultural focus on the word
'charisma'. In the Corinthian discussion of gifts, Paul makes a distinction
between this word 'charisma' and the word 'pneumatikon', both usually
translated as spiritual gifts.
A literal translation of Peter is, "Just as each individual has received
'charisma' unto one another it be ministering."
The focus turns to "...unto one another..." The preposition 'unto' denotes
direction; therefore, what we have received is to be directed toward 'one
another'.
This whole phrase reads, "unto one another it be ministering". The 'it' is the
result of grace we have received. It is singular in form. That means that
Peter sees this result of grace thing as a whole. We received a package of
grace.
These first two words are also used in 4:8 where Peter says literally, "unto
one another be having love". In verse 8, Peter is saying we have love, but in
10 he says we minister grace to, toward, unto, one another. The object of our
ministry is one another. I think it significant that Peter used this parallel
idea only twice in his writings and they are separated by only 14 words. He is
concerned about the believers building up one another in church.
The 8th word in this verse (diakonountes) is translated 'be ministering' or
'keep on serving'. According to Vincent, this term is applicable to any kind
of service, official or not. It is significant that the grammar of this
participle is plural in form. So Peter is saying, 'All of you keep on
ministering unto one another.' Each one has received a charisma, but what each
one has is for the whole group of believers.
Gifts are to be directed toward the believers in the church, not to the
individual, not those outside the church. Gifts are for the building up of the
body of Christ, not for any personal benefit. A good steward will never use
what he has received to edify himself. The grace each one has received must be
directed toward one another.
"Just as each one has received a result of grace, all of you keep on
ministering it unto one another..." God made the church like a body so we need
each other.
The next 3 words (hos, kaloi, oikonomoi) can be translated literally, 'as
noble stewards'. This is the common word for 'as' which Peter used in 1:14
also.
There are 2 words for 'good' in the NT. This one means intrinsically good by
its nature while the other word (agathos) means simply beneficial. That's why
I chose 'noble’ to translate this word here. I Thessalonians 5:15 says,
"follow after that which is 'agathos'(beneficial)" and 5:21 says, "hold fast
that which is 'kalos'(good by nature)." The English translates both words as
'good'.
The word for 'steward' is a combination of two Greek words which mean
literally, 'house' + 'law' or 'arranger'. The steward is the one entrusted
with the treasures of the whole house. It could be translated 'administrator',
'manager', or 'economist.' The only thing required of a steward is
faithfulness.
As a church, we are a group of stewards. Peter says we are to function as
noble stewards. We receive as individuals, but we function as a group, for the
group. He said that in chapter 2 also.
Now Peter gives us a little more information about what we have received,
about what we are to be stewards of. First he said it was a result of grace
and it was a singular gift, a package we received as a result of God’s grace.
He suggested that each one received a different quality and quantity. Now he
definitely identifies this grace as God's and emphasizes its diversity.
The last phrase in this verse is, "...of the variegated grace of God." Not the
variegated graces, but the variegated grace. God's grace is one, but the
manifestations are variegated.
Peter is emphasizing the varied grace of God which manifests itself in many
different ways. The emphasis is not on the amount or number, but on the
character and nature of the grace. There is a unity in Christ, but not a
sameness. Through the Holy Spirit there is a freedom and flexibility to use
the particular colors of grace we have received.
This word for variegated (poikilos) literally means many colored. Peter uses
it one other time in 1:6 to describe the trials that each one has. We have
many-colored trials and many-colored grace.
This is well illustrated by the nature of light. Jesus said the world will
know we are Christians by our love and by our unity. Think about it. When all
the colors get together there is a pure white. When we all work together as
designed we will reflect the true Light. White is a reflection of all the
colors. The world will see Jesus in our church. When there is no variety in
the church, where there is no color, there is darkness. Darkness is the
absence of any color. White is the reflection of all colors.
In an old photography book I read some facts about light that may intensify
Jesus claim to be the Light of the world. God is the Father of lights and we
are the children of Light.
Peter suggests that God's grace is a prism which projects many-colors. The
word 'poikilos' (I Peter 4:10) suggests that we as Christians are many-colored
because of Light flowing through grace.
In the field of photography it has been found that almost all colors can be
matched by mixtures of red, green, and blue or by subtracting 2 of the 3
subtractive colors: yellow, magenta, cyan. If 3 projectors are used to project
the 3 additive colors on a screen so they overlapped, the point at which all 3
overlapped would be white because the eye sees all colors equally. For all
practical purposes, white light can be thought of as a mixture of red, green
and blue light in the proper ratio.
When the many-colored graces of God are blended together in the Church, the
world sees the Light of Jesus. When all of our lights are seen together,
people should see Christ.
The illustration can be taken further. Where the red and green lights overlap,
yellow appears even though no light of that wave length is being projected.
The eye perceives yellow when an equal amount of red and green receptors are
stimulated.
Maybe this local church is small and no one has a yellow grace. If those with
the red and green function properly, many colors can be seen. The world can
see Jesus in any sized group.
Also in photography subtractive colors are used. If a primary color becomes
too dominant, a subtractive color can be introduced to correct the balance. If
a yellow filter comes between you and the white light, you see only yellow. If
the yellow comes between you and red or green, nothing happens. Yellow
transmits green and red. However, yellow absorbs blue so if yellow comes
between you and blue light, it appears black. A magenta (pink) filter
transmits blue and red, but makes green appear black. A cyan (turquoise)
filter transmits green and blue, but makes red appear black.
I think there are some people in the church that cannot complement others in a
one on one situation. In the right position they reflect Christ to the world,
but in the wrong position the world will see only darkness. Any 2 of the 3
subtractive colors will block out all the light. There may be someone you have
trouble working with. Does that mean one of you is right and the other is
wrong? No. God made you different and maybe you are not supposed to work
together. You must still respect and love one another, but recognize you do
not have complementary colors.
It is also interesting to note that with paints or water colors, no
combinations can be made to produce white. You must have the light shining
through your color to make a contribution to the many-colored grace of God.
The Church functioning properly will reflect the white light of Christ to the
world, not because we are pure white in and of ourselves, but because of the
grace of God shining through us as we function properly, building one another
up to the glory of God. The world will see unity in the church, not because we
are all the same, but because Christ uses our diversity to reflect Him.
Isn't it interesting what 2 or 3 filters can do to color! Isn't it interesting
how much authority Christ gives to 2 or 3 witnesses (Matthew 18)! We will only
reflect Jesus if there is unity in our diversity.
The last word for grace in this verse is charis not charisma. Grace is one of
those majestic words in the NT. And that great grace of God has been given to
us. Because of God’s grace we have received charisma, a result of God's grace
and that charisma is for the edification of the church. The command is to use
it.
Sunday
Morning Family Worship -- 9:00 a.m.
Vic Dunton,
Chaplain
Phone: (503) 829-8591
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