Commentary on First Peter (121)

Christian are to be "good stewards of the manifold grace of God." The word for "good" is kalos, which can also mean faithful or honorable in this context. As for "stewards," they are usually household slaves who manage the family's affairs, including its business and property. Some translations say "managers" instead, as in the HCSB. The NIV's "faithfully administering" is disappointing, although it is not entirely outrageous. It is an accurate description of what a good steward does, but a literal translation here would help retain the original implications.

The fact that Christians are "stewards" tells us something about how we must exercise the spiritual gifts.

First, a household servant manages his master's possessions and not his own, so that he must give an account of what he does with the duties and assets that have been assigned to him. He must faithfully carry out his master's intentions and maximize his master's interests. The negative side to this is that he has no option to sit still and do nothing, whether due to fear or sloth. A passive servant, and not just a deceitful one, is nevertheless called "wicked" and "worthless" by the Lord (Matthew 25:24-30).

Second, for believers to be stewards over the spiritual gifts means that they are not to wander aimlessly with them or to exercise them only on random occasions. Rather, a steward is a manager, so that he administers his master's assets purposefully and strategically, making plans and calculations to achieve his master's goals.

Likewise, Christians should be deliberate and systematic in their use of the spiritual gifts. It is easy to imagine how this applies to a preacher. He trains, he studies, and he preaches. But even the ordinary pastor should be more deliberate and systematic in exercising his gift of preaching and teaching. There should be a design and a purpose behind every major ministry decision. Then, the problem is that many preachers settle into a comfortable routine and stop taking new steps to advance his master's cause.

In any case, once we give it some thought, it is not difficult to realize how those with other spiritual gifts can also better fulfill their assignments with a greater sense of purpose and a more organized approach. Consider, for example, those with the gifts of hospitality and financial giving. In the main, the church is responsible to facilitate the use of spiritual gifts, so that everything might be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40).

Although we have already derived from verse 10 so much about what it means to be a good steward of spiritual gifts, Peter himself elaborates on the issue in verse 11. As mentioned, although he does not offer us a list, he splits the gifts into two broad categories, or into two types of activities, namely, speaking and serving.

Regarding the speaking gifts, he writes, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God." Under this category would belong preaching, teaching, exhortation, among other manners of public speech. One who exercises a speaking gift must not spread his own opinion, prejudice, and speculation, but he is to do it as if he is speaking the very words of God, with utter dependence on divine revelation and spiritual unction.

As for the serving gifts, he writes, "If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides." Under this category belong those so-called practical tasks, or all the legitimate church duties that do not fall under the speaking gifts. These includes administration, giving, hospitality, and mercy (such as attending to the sick and the poor). Again, one who exercises a serving gift is not to perform his duties out of his own human resources, for Peter refers to a God-given ability that is distinguished from mere fleshly power. Rather, the spiritual endowments of God imparts an otherworldly quality to one's service.

The word translated "provides" denotes an abundant provision, suggesting that God is generous with his spiritual gifts. Thus a properly functioning congregation should overflow with spiritual blessings and heavenly endowments. There should be no shortage of words of wisdom and knowledge, expressed through faithful teaching and forceful exhortation, and no shortage of the strength and the will to serve.

In combating charismatic excess, some have unknowingly adopted the exact viewpoint of the fanatics regarding the spiritual gifts, only that they respond differently, so that they become things to be shunned. They are regarded as gimmicks for entertaining and for boasting. The difference is that, with such an idea about the spiritual gifts, the fanatics still gladly embrace them, while the rest refuse to give them any place.

But we know that this is a false conception of the gifts. They are not as the fanatics present them, but neither are they merely christianized versions of natural abilities that even unbelievers possess. No, the true manifestations of the Spirit are characterized by a divine quality, a heavenly power. It is not up to the church to accept or reject them, for we are in desperate need of them. To put it another way, these gifts are God at work through men, and we are in desperate need of God in our lives and ministries.

Our disagreement with the charismatics, then, has to do with their false understanding of the spiritual gifts and their weak emphasis on spiritual power. Our disagreement with the others, on the other hand, is that they relegate God's activities almost exclusively to "hidden" events, such as in conversion and what is called ordinary providence. For all we know, they could be deists and few would notice the difference. But God provides in overwhelming abundance, and not in a barely detectable measure. Our homes and churches should be flooding over with spiritual riches, divine blessings, and heavenly power. And to this end we pray, "so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." Amen.