Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Corinthians 4:2
Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
2. Moreover it is required in stewards ] The majority of MSS. and versions read here at the beginning of this verse. The sense would then be, “in this world, moreover, it is customary to make diligent inquiry for a trustworthy man.”
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Moreover … – The fidelity required of stewards seems to be adverted to here, in order to show that the apostles acted from a higher principle than a desire to please man, or to be regarded as at the head of a party; and they ought so to esteem them as bound, like all stewards, to be faithful to the master whom they served.
It is required … – It is expected of them; it is the main or leading thing in their office. Eminently in that office fidelity is required as an indispensable and cardinal virtue. Fidelity to the master, faithfulness to his trust, as the virtue which by way of eminence is demanded there. In other offices other virtues may be particularly required. But here fidelity is demanded. This is required particularly because it is an office of trust; because the masters goods are at his disposal; because there is so much opportunity for the steward to appropriate those goods to his own use, so that his master cannot detect it. There is a strong similarity between the office of a steward and that of a minister of the gospel. But it is not needful here to dwell on the resemblance. The idea of Paul seems to be:
(1) That a minister, like a steward, is devoted to his masters service, and should regard himself as such.
(2) That he should be faithful to that trust, and not abuse or violate it.
(3) That he should not be judged by his fellow-stewards, or fellow-servants, but that his main desire should be to meet with the approbation of his master – A minister should be faithful for obvious reasons. Because:
- He is appointed by Jesus Christ;
- Because he must answer to him;
- Because the honor of Christ, and the welfare of his kingdom is entrusted to him; and,
- Because of the importance of the matter committed to his care; and the importance of fidelity can be measured only by the consequences of his labors to those souls in an eternal heaven or an eternal hell.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
It is required of all servants, but especially of chief servants, such as stewards are, who are intrusted with their masters goods, to be dispensed out to others. The faithfulness of a steward in dispensing out his masters goods lies in his giving them out according to his masters order, giving to every one their portion, not detaining any thing from others which it is his masters will they should have; as Paul gloried, Act 20:20,27, that he had kept back from the Ephesians nothing that was profitable for them, nor shunned to declare to them all the counsel of God; not giving holy things to dogs, or casting pearls before swine, contrary to Christs direction, Mat 7:6.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. MoreoverThe oldestmanuscripts read, “Moreover here” (that is, on earth). Thecontrast thus is between man’s usage as to stewards (1Co4:2), and God’s way (1Co 4:3).Though here below, in the case of stewards, inquiry ismade, that one man be found (that is, proved to be) faithful; yetGod’s steward awaits no such judgment of man, in man’s day,but the Lord’s judgment in His great day. Another argument againstthe Corinthians for their partial preferences of certain teachers fortheir gifts: whereas what God requires in His stewards isfaithfulness (1Sa 3:20,Margin; Heb 3:5); asindeed is required in earthly stewards, but with this difference (1Co4:3), that God’s stewards await not man’s judgment to test them,but the testing which shall be in the day of the Lord.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Moreover, it is required in stewards,…. Upon mentioning that part of the character of Gospel preachers, as stewards, the apostle is put in mind of, and so points out that which is principally necessary in such persons: as,
that a man be found faithful; to the trust reposed in him; to his Lord and master that has appointed him to this office; and to the souls that are under his care: and then may a minister be said to be so, and which is his greatest glory, when he preaches the pure Gospel of Christ without any human mixtures, the doctrines and inventions of men; and the whole Gospel, declaring all the counsel of God, keeping back nothing which may be profitable to souls; when he seeks not to please men, but God; and not his own glory, and the applause of men, but the honour of Christ, and the good of souls: and such a faithful steward was the apostle himself.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Here (). Either here on earth or in this matter. It is always local.
Moreover (). Like in 1:16 which see, accusative of general reference, as for what is left, besides.
It is required (). It is sought. Many MSS. read , ye seek, an easy change as and came to be pronounced alike (Robertson, Grammar, p. 186).
That a man be found faithful ( ). Non-final use of with first aorist passive subjunctive of , the result of the seeking (). Fidelity is the essential requirement in all such human relationships, in other words, plain honesty in handling money like bank-clerks or in other positions of trust like public office.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
It is required [] . Lit., it is sought for; thus agreeing with found in the following clause.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “Moreover it is required in stewards.” (hode loipon) “here for the rest or remainder” (zeteitai en tois oikonkmois) “It is sought among stewards or housekeepers or houseguards” – this seeking or requirement is of God. The steward cares for and gives account of his oversight over that which belongs to another.
2) “That a man be found faithful.” (Greek hina) in order that.” – a required accounting, checking, or monitoring of one’s conduct in positions of responsibility encourages faithfulness, honesty and integrity. (pistos tis eurethe) “faithful each one or everyone should be found.” God is man’s judge. Rom 14:12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
2. But it is required in ministers (211) It is as though he had said, it is not enough to be a steward if there be not an upright stewardship. Now the rule of an upright stewardship, is to conduct one’s self in it with fidelity. It is a passage that ought to be carefully observed, for we see how haughtily (212) Papists require that everything that they do and teach should have the authority of law, simply on the ground of their being called pastors. On the other hand, Paul is so far from being satisfied with the mere title, that, in his view, it is not even enough that there is a legitimate call, unless the person who is called conducts himself in the office with fidelity. On every occasion, therefore, on which Papists hold up before us the mask of a name, for the purpose of maintaining the tyranny of their idol, let our answer be, that Paul requires more than this from the ministers of Christ, though, at the same time, the Pope and his attendant train are wanting not merely in fidelity in the discharge of the office, but also in the ministry itself, if everything is duly considered.
This passage, however, militates, not merely against wicked teachers, but also against all that have any other object in view than the glory of Christ and the edification of the Church. For every one that teaches the truth is not necessarily faithful, but, only he who desires from the heart to serve the Lord and advance Christ’s kingdom. Nor is it without good reason that Augustine assigns to hirelings, (Joh 10:12,) a middle place between the wolves and the good teachers. As to Christ’s requiring wisdom also on the part of the good steward, (Luk 12:42,) he speaks, it is true, in that passage with greater clearness than Paul, but the meaning is the same. For the faithfulness of which Christ speaks is uprightness of conscience, which must be accompanied with sound and prudent counsel. By a faithful minister Paul means one who, with knowledge as well as uprightness, (213) discharges the office of a good and faithful minister.
(211) “ Entre les dispensateurs;” — “Among stewards.”
(212) “ Et d’une facon magistrale;” — “And with a magisterial air.”
(213) “ Auec science et bonne discretion, et d’vn coeur droit;” — “With knowledge and good discretion, as well as with an upright heart.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(2) Moreover it is required . . .Better, Moreover here (on earth) inquiry is made in the case of stewards in order that it may be found that one is faithful. The word found having the force of discovered, or proved to be (as in Mat. 1:18; Rom. 7:10). The argument here is that, as in the case of an earthly steward, inquiry is made into his character as to whether he be trustworthyso it will be with them who are stewards of the mysteries of God. That inquiry is, of course, made in regard to an earthly steward by his master in whose service he is; and so the Lord alone, whose stewards the Apostles were, shall be the inquirer into their faithfulness. If we take 1Co. 4:2 as it is in our English version, it would seem to imply that on this point of faithfulness the Church might prefer one steward to another. This would be to suggest that to some extent, therefore, party-spirit might exist, which would be contrary to the whole argument from the commencement of the Epistle, and strikingly at variance with the remarks which immediately follow in 1Co. 4:5. The rendering adopted above is a more literal translation of the best Greek texts, and also perfectly in harmony with the general sense of the passage.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. Faithful The sophos, or sage, was expected to be original, fertile, creative of plausible and, if possible, true theories. Of the steward could only be required that he be faithful in transmitting and communicating what he had received.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
1Co 4:2 . If we read (see the critical remarks), we must understand the verse thus: Such being the state of the case, it is, for the rest, required of the stewards , etc., so that (1Co 1:16 ) would express something which, in connection with the relationship designed in 1Co 4:1 , remained now alone to be mentioned as pertaining thereto, while [600] again, quite in accordance with the old classical usage (see Lehrs, Arist. p. 84 ff.), would convey the notion of sic , i.e. “ cum eo statu res nostrae sint ” (Ellendt, Lex. Soph. II. p. 991). We might paraphrase, therefore, as follows: “ Such being the nature of our position as servants, the demand to be made upon the stewards of households [601] of course takes effect .” If we abide by the Recept [602] , must be rendered: But as to what remains, i.e. but as respects what else there is which has its place in connection with the relationship of service spoken of in 1Co 4:1 , this is the demand, etc.; comp on Rom 6:10 . It is a perversion of the passage to make it refer, as Billroth does, to the preceding depreciation of the supposed merits of the teachers: “ but what still remains for them is, that they can at least strive for the praise of faithfulness .” The rest of the verse says nothing at all about a being able to strive; for means nothing else but: it is sought at their hand ( requiritur ), i.e. demanded of them . See Wetstein. Hofmann’s interpretation, too, is an impossible one. He makes down to to be the protasis ; . . [604] , and that running on as far as in 1Co 4:4 , to be the apodosis: As respects that, however, which is further required, namely, that one be found faithful, it is to me, etc. This interpretation gives us, instead of the simple, clearly progressive sentences of the apostle, a long, obscurely and clumsily involved period, against which on linguistic grounds there are the two considerations (1) that would presuppose some demand already conveyed in ver 1, to which a new one was now added; and (2) that the of the apodosis in 1Co 4:3 would require to find its antithetic reference in the alleged protasis in 1Co 4:2 (comp Act 11:17 ; Baeumlein, Partik. p. 92 f.), namely, to this effect: to me, on the contrary , not concerned about this required faithfulness, it is , etc. Now the first is not the case, and the second would be absurd. Neither the one difficulty nor the other is removed by the arbitrarily inserted thoughts, which Hofmann seeks to read between the lines. [606]
] is sought with the design, that there be found . Hence the object of the seeking is conveyed in the form expressive of design . That is not equivalent to (Wolff, Flatt, Pott, and others) is plain here, especially from the correlation in which it stands to .
] i.e. any one of them . See Matthiae, p. 1079; Ngelsbach on the Iliad , p. 299, Exo 3 .
] Luk 12:42 ; Luk 16:10 ff.; Mat 25:21 ff.; Eph 6:21 , al [607] The summing up of the duties of spiritual service .
[600] The word would be singularly superfluous, and would drag behind in the most awkward way, were we, with Lachmann, to treat it as belonging to ver. 1, and to separate it by a point from .
[601] This . is not “uncalled for and superfluous” after (as Hofmann objects); for Paul had, in ver. 1, described the official service of the teachers by two designations, but now desires to attach what more he has to say in ver. 2 specially of the second of these designations, and hence he has again to bring in the .
[602] ecepta Textus receptus, or lectio recepta (Elzevir).
[604] . . . .
[606] In he finds: “Besides this, that the stewards act in accordance with their name.” By the antithetic , again, Paul means: “in contrast to those who conduct themselves as though he must consider it of importance to him.” By interpolations of this sort, everything may be moulded into what shape one will .
[607] l. and others; and other passages; and other editions.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
Ver. 2. That a man be found faithful ] Giving every man his due proportion of fit food, Mat 24:45 , not as he in the emblem, that gave straw to the dog, and a bone to the ass.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2. ] Moreover, here (on earth) (see var. readd. and reff. is emphatic, and points to what follows, that though in the case of stewards enquiry was necessarily made here below , yet he, God’s steward, awaited no such enquiry , but one at the coming of the Lord. Lachmann, I cannot but think somewhat strangely, places at the end of 1Co 4:1 ; . Stanley takes for ‘in this matter,’ and supports the meaning by Rev 13:10 ; Rev 13:18 ; Rev 14:12 ; Rev 17:9 ) enquiry is made in the case of stewards (or, it is required in the case of stewards), in order that (or that , the purport of the requirement expressed as its purpose) a man may be found (proved to be) faithful (emph.).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
1Co 4:2 . ( proinde igitur ) , . . .: “In such case, it is further sought in stewards (to be sure) that one be found faithful”. gathers up the position given to “us” in 1Co 4:1 ; is therefore pleonastic, but repeated for distinctness and by reference to the well-understood rule for stewards (Luk 12:48 ). brings in the supplement to an imperfect representation: it is not enough to be steward a faithful steward is looked for (an echo of Luk 12:42 f.). resembles , 1Co 1:10 (see note): the telic force of the conj. has not disappeared; one “seeks” a thing in order to “find” it.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Moreover = For the rest. Same as “besides” (1Co 1:16).
required = sought.
in = among. App-104.
that = in order that. Greek. hina.
a man = one. App-123.
faithful. App-150.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2.] Moreover, here (on earth) (see var. readd. and reff. is emphatic, and points to what follows, that though in the case of stewards enquiry was necessarily made here below, yet he, Gods steward, awaited no such enquiry , but one at the coming of the Lord. Lachmann, I cannot but think somewhat strangely, places at the end of 1Co 4:1; . Stanley takes for in this matter, and supports the meaning by Rev 13:10; Rev 13:18; Rev 14:12; Rev 17:9) enquiry is made in the case of stewards (or, it is required in the case of stewards), in order that (or that, the purport of the requirement expressed as its purpose) a man may be found (proved to be) faithful (emph.).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
1Co 4:2. ) Furthermore what God requires, and men too, in their stewards, is, that a man be found faithful. 1Co 4:3 corresponds to this paraphrase.-, is inquired after [is required]) by investigation, when the time comes. The correlative is, may be found.-, faithful) The Corinthians were not content with that.-, may be found) Every man in the mean time wishes to be thought faithful.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
1Co 4:2
1Co 4:2
Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.-God entrusted to the inspired men the truths he revealed to them through the Spirit. These truths were given to them to be taught to others for their salvation and edification. They were entrusted with the great spiritual truths brought to light in Christ Jesus for the salvation of the world. So Peter tells the Corinthians: According as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1Pe 4:10). Paul says: For the bishop must be blameless, as Gods steward. And Luke (1Co 16:1-12) gives an account of the unjust steward who was not honest in the use of the masters goods. So it is important that those entrusted as stewards with the truth of God should be honest and faithful in teaching to the world all that God has revealed for the salvation of the world. Not to teach all Gods commands is to leave the world in condemnation with its blood on the stewards who failed to teach the truths God committed to them. So Paul, to the elders at Ephesus, in leaving them, said: Wherefore I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God. (Act 20:26-27). Paul was an honest steward, distributing to others what God had entrusted to him for their good.
Teachers today are in a limited sense stewards of God to deliver his teaching to the world. He who refuses to teach the whole will of God is dishonest toward God and unfaithful to man. [Nothing short of an unswerving adherence to the simple gospel of Christ is divinely regarded as filling the required measure of this faithfulness as may be seen by the following exhortation: And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2Ti 2:2). Take heed to thyself, and to thy teaching. Continue in these things; for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee. (1Ti 4:16).]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
that: 1Co 4:17, 1Co 7:25, Num 12:7, Pro 13:17, Mat 25:21, Mat 25:23, Luk 12:42, Luk 16:10-12, 2Co 2:17, 2Co 4:2, Col 1:7, Col 4:7, Col 4:17
Reciprocal: Gen 39:9 – none Gen 47:14 – Joseph brought Exo 40:16 – according Num 31:30 – keep the 2Ki 12:15 – for they dealt 2Ki 22:7 – they dealt faithfully 2Ch 34:12 – faithfully Neh 7:2 – a faithful man Neh 13:13 – counted Pro 28:20 – faithful Jer 23:28 – speak Dan 6:2 – and the Mat 20:8 – unto Mat 24:45 – is Mat 25:14 – and delivered Luk 16:2 – give 1Co 3:5 – ministers 1Co 15:3 – I delivered Eph 4:12 – the work 1Th 2:4 – to be 1Th 5:13 – esteem 1Ti 1:11 – which 1Ti 4:6 – a good 2Ti 2:2 – faithful Tit 1:7 – as Tit 2:10 – showing Heb 3:5 – faithful Heb 13:17 – watch Jam 3:1 – knowing 1Pe 4:10 – good
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE WHOLE DUTY OF A STEWARD
It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
1Co 4:2
So St. Paul, in the year of our Lord 59. Does the twentieth century agree? Not altogether. The world cares very little about faithfulness; it worships success. Nelsons signal was, England expects every man to do his duty. The dictum of the present day is, Nothing succeeds like success. Only succeed, and it matters little what steps you take; no one will ask if you have been fair, and generous, and honest. You have succeeded, and success will hide any multitude of sins. But fail, and you must retire into the background altogether. Your high aim, your pure motives, your noble exertions, your magnificent perseverance, are all forgotten. You have failed, and the stern law of the survival of the fittest demands that you should be buried in oblivion. For it is required by Mammon that a man be found successful. Thus principles are sacrificed to policy, and any means are justified if only the desired success is obtained. No sense of stewardship or responsibility to a Higher Power remains.
Faithfulness to his master, then, is the whole duty of a steward.
I. Faithfulness will show itself in careful guardianship of the goods received.The goods are put absolutely into your hands, but they belong to the Master; you are not the proprietor, but the trustee; and the greater the portion given you the greater your responsibility. Be faithful to your portion. Do not complain if it be small. Do not be puffed up if it is greater than that of some. Who, indeed, can measure the greatness of the trust? For, We are put in trust with the Gospel; We are stewards of the mysteries of God. Be faithful to your charge. Learn for yourselves the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. Go forward as the four lepers of Samaria and make full discovery of the victory that our God has won and of the spoils that he has gained. Go forward from tent to tent, searching into every promise of the sacred Book; and then hold not your peace, but spread the good tidings far and wide. Unbelief is active in trying to destroy Gods truth. Superstition and priestcraft are veiling its beauty and simplicity. Be a good steward; be faithful to the Gospel entrusted to you.
II. Then remember the household around you.No man liveth unto himself. A sense of debtorship to souls accompanies the faithful servant of God. As followers of Him Who came to seek and to save that which was lost, we cannot be unmindful of the needs of a dying world.
III. The service of God is so much nobler than the seeking success.Most men look upon the world as indebted to them. They are discontented and vexed because the world has not done enough for them; they have not been as highly valued or as fully rewarded as, in their own opinion, they deserve. But the servant of God looks to God for his reward, and is a debtor to the whole world.
Rev. F. S. Webster.
Illustration
Will the church be in debt? asked a bystander of a clergyman who was looking on at a nearly finished church of great size and beautiful architecture. Yes, most heavily, was the answer. Is it not a pity, then, to build until they have money to pay for it? Oh! said the clergyman, I was not thinking of the bricks and mortarthey are paid for all rightI was thinking of the debt that we shall owe to the whole community aroundthe heavy responsibility of showing to them in our daily lives the love and power of God. We shall be terribly in debt that way.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
2
1Co 4:2. A steward or agent is supposed to be honest in handling the affairs of his master, for which he would not deserve any special thanks.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
1Co 4:2-5. Moreover As for what remains to be done in the discharge of this office; it is required of stewards Since they also, as well as lower servants in the family, are subject to account; that a man be found faithful That he act according to his commission, and neither withhold any privilege, or any part of Gods will from the people; nor deliver his own notions as the will of God, nor take more authority upon him than God has given him; as also that he discover and communicate divine truths and blessings as the hearers are able to receive them. With me it is a very small thing A thing that concerns me very little; that I should be judged of you , that I should be examined, as the word properly signifies, namely, in order to the being judged, or to a judicial sentence being passed, which is evidently the meaning of the same word in the last clause of the verse; or of mans judgment A judgment passed by any man whatsoever, though in the most solemn manner. The original expression, , is literally, human day; namely, of judgment, in allusion to the great day of judgment. Yea, I judge not myself Namely, finally, infallibly, definitively: my final state is not to be determined by my own judgment. For I know nothing by myself I am not conscious to myself of doing any thing evil, or of any unfaithfulness or negligence in the discharge of my ministry; yet am I not hereby justified Acquitted from all fault in Gods sight, who observes those failings in us which we cannot discern in ourselves; for who can understand his errors?
Psa 19:12 : or, I do not depend on my own conscience not condemning me, as a sufficient justification of myself in Gods sight: but he that judgeth me is the Lord By his sentence I must stand or fall. Therefore judge nothing before the time Appointed for judging all men; until the Lord come To judge the world in righteousness; who In order to pass a righteous judgment, which otherwise would be impossible; will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness The things covered with the veil of impenetrable obscurity, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart The most secret springs of action, the principles and intentions of every heart: and then shall every man Who is sincere, faithful, and praiseworthy; have praise of God Both commendation and reward.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Vv. 2. Now what remains to require of stewards is, that a man be found faithful. The meaning of the received reading ( …) is this: As to what may be required moreover (, for the rest) of stewards, it is that… According to this reading, the apostle means: the ministry of teaching being once confided by God to a man, the question is no longer if he is more or less eloquent, more or less profound, more or less captivating,
God, who chose and sent him, has alone to do with all these questions,but only if he is faithful, that is to say, if he gives out conscientiously what is committed to him, if he puts all the gifts and powers with which he is endowed into the service of this task; if, as a devoted servant, he has only one interest, the cause of his Master. He can only be called to account for the conscientious use of what he has received.
This clear and natural meaning suits the context and leaves nothing to be desired. But several Mjj. of the three families present different readings. Some (A C D F G P) read , which would signify: For the rest in these circumstances seek in stewards that each be found faithful… This meaning is inadmissible. In such a sentence two things, it is plain, are mixed up: an exhortation addressed to particular persons, the Corinthian readers (seek), and a general principle (in stewards; each, ). The Sinat. attempts to remedy this awkwardness by introducing after a , which can only be taken in an interrogative sense: In these circumstances, moreover, what else seek ye in stewards, than that each…? The meaning is good in itself; only, instead of in stewards, there would need to be in us. For if this question expresses a consequence to be drawn from 1Co 4:1, as the word would demand in this state of things, it would require to be in us (these particular stewards), and not in stewards in general. The following is likewise suitable only to a maxim.
There remains the reading of B: : In this state of things, the only thing sought (, the only thing which remains) in stewards is that… This reading, though admitted by most commentators of our day, is no more admissible than the preceding, and for the same reason. The , in this state of things, can relate only to the case of 1Co 4:1, and consequently to the ministers denoted by the , us (Paul and Apollos), while the words: in stewards, give to this saying the character of an entirely general rule of conduct. We must therefore return to the reading and sense of the T. R. This is one of those cases in which all the presumptions of external criticism are of no avail, whatever may be said against exegetical reasons. It is easy enough to explain what has given rise to the corruption of the text in part of the documents of the three families, and so early as in the old versions. The beginning was made by substituting for , is sought, the imperative , seek, either to continue the series of the preceding imperatives (, ), and to give to the sentence a hortative turn (the same error as in most of the Mjj., Rom 5:1 : , and 1Co 15:49 : ), or as a mistake arising from the pronunciation of (in ) as . The imperative once admitted, led to the change of into to make this verse an application of the idea of the preceding verse.
, moreover, that is to say: beyond what God and Christ give to their agents; comp. the expressions: the grace given unto me, 1Co 3:10, and the , 1Co 3:5.
The relation between the two ideas of seeking and finding is evident. It is this relation which justifies the use of the conjunction , that. Men seek with the view of finding.
The idea of the verse therefore is: that the only thing for which the steward is responsible, is his fidelity. Now this is the very point on which man’s judgment is incompetent, 1Co 4:3-5.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. [It was not expected of the steward that he would procure or provide; he was merely to distribute that which was provided by the master. The apostles were not philosophers burdened with the discovery and invention of truth, but were mere dispensers of truth revealed to them by God–truth which must be thus revealed because it can not be discovered by any process of ratiocination. If the apostles faithfully rehearsed that which was revealed, nothing more could be asked of them.]
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
1Co 4:2-4. Another point involved in the teaching of 1Co 4:1 and bearing upon the church-parties. Like all stewards, Paul must (1Co 4:2) give an account of his stewardship: but as (1Co 4:3-4) God’s steward, he owes this account to God, and to Him only. The steward expects inquiry: and the master makes it, and the steward submits to it, in order that the latter may be found faithful. But, to Paul, the prospect of the Master’s inquiry has made it a very little thing whether or not his conduct be sifted, and its true worth discovered, by men. Like the great Day in 1Co 3:13, a human day of assize is personified; as though the day itself sifted conduct. So far from caring about the sentence of others, not even upon himself does Paul sit in judgment. This does not contradict 2Co 13:5 : for it refers only to examination with a view to sentence, i.e. of due reward or punishment. This, Paul does not attempt. He does not calculate the merit of his own conduct. For this, 1Co 4:4 gives a reason. In his conscience, that inner chamber (Rom 2:15) in which he contemplates his inner self, there is nothing which condemns him. Yet not in this fact does Paul find a sentence of approval from his great Judge.
(This he finds only in the Gospel of Christ.) And, because his consciousness of God’s favor does not depend on his own verdict about his own faithfulness, he does not sit in judgment upon himself. That Paul, who knew the secrets of his own heart, forbore to pronounce judgment about himself, was a warning to others not to do so. Notice Paul’s fully developed Christian character, 1Co 15:10; 2Co 1:12; and that even this was to him no ground for assurance of God’s favor.
He that examines etc.: who sifts my conduct in order to pronounce sentence upon it.
The Lord: Christ, soon to come, 1Co 4:5. As a steward, Paul’s conduct must be investigated; but he cares not for man’s examination; and does not even judicially examine himself. His judge is the Master.
Fuente: Beet’s Commentary on Selected Books of the New Testament
4:2 {2} Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
(2) Last of all, he warns the ministers that they also do not behave themselves as lords, but as faithful servants, because they must render an account of their stewardship to God.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
The most important quality in a steward is that he manage his master’s affairs so the desires of his lord materialize (cf. Mat 25:14-30; Luk 16:1-13; Luk 19:11-27; 1Pe 4:10). He must be faithful to his master’s trust. For Paul this meant remaining faithful to the gospel as he had received it and preached it (cf. 1Co 15:1-11).