Limitless Word

1 Corinthians 4:1

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
1 Corinthians 4:1 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB So let a man think of us as Christ’s servants, and stewards of God’s mysteries.
  • KJV Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
  • NKJV Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
  • NASB This is the way any person is to regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.
  • NLT So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Paul says he and his fellow workers should be regarded simply as servants of Christ entrusted with God's revealed truths. It matters because it sets the right, humble measure for evaluating gospel ministers.

Overview

Correcting the Corinthians' tendency to elevate favorite leaders, Paul reframes apostles as under-rowers serving Christ and stewards managing the 'mysteries of God'—the gospel once hidden, now revealed in Christ. A steward owns nothing but answers to his Master, so honor belongs to Christ, not the messenger. This guards the church from personality cults and keeps Christ central.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 26

  • 1 Pet 4:10As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
  • Titus 1:7As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach—not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not greedy for money.
  • 1 Tim 3:9They must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
  • Eph 6:19Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will boldly make known the mystery of the gospel,
  • 2 Cor 4:5For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
  • Col 1:25–27I became its servant by the commission God gave me to fully proclaim to you the word of God,
  • 1 Cor 9:16–18Yet when I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because I am obligated to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
  • Rom 16:25Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
  • Col 2:2that they may be encouraged in heart, knit together in love, and filled with the full riches of complete understanding, so that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ,
  • Col 4:3as you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
  • Eph 1:9And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
  • Luke 16:1–3Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
  • Eph 3:3–9that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
  • 2 Cor 11:23Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
  • Matt 24:45Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
  • 2 Cor 12:6Even if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me,
  • Luke 12:42And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
  • 1 Tim 3:6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same condemnation as the devil.
  • 1 Cor 2:7No, we speak of the mysterious and hidden wisdom of God, which He destined for our glory before time began.
  • 1 Cor 4:13when we are slandered, we answer gently. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.
  • 1 Tim 3:16By common confession, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed in throughout the world, was taken up in glory.
  • Matt 13:11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
  • 2 Cor 6:4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;
  • 1 Cor 3:5What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.
  • Mark 4:11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
  • Luke 8:10He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

Christ at the center

Christ crucified is the wisdom and power of God; he is our Passover sacrificed for us, the firstfruits of resurrection, the foundation on which everything is built.

How 1 Corinthians 4:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.