Following is another in a series of columns on The Baptist Faith & Message 2000.

The very idea of stewardship may be traced to the garden of Eden, where God commands Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28).

Article XIII of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 reads:

“God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and for helping others. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.”

---

Stewardship is not ownership. Good stewards faithfully manage what belongs to someone else and readily understand they are accountable to the owner. 

The Bible makes this clear. A steward is responsible for something that belongs to another (Gen. 43:19; 44:4; Matt. 20:8). Often, stewards are servants placed over other servants, as well as over their owners’ property (Luke 16:1). 

Regarding spiritual matters, the apostle Paul refers to himself, Apollos, and Peter as “servants of Christ and managers of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1-2). Pastors are overseers of “God’s household” (Tit. 1:7). And in a broader sense, all Christians are to be “good stewards of the varied grace of God” (1 Pet. 4:10).

The very idea of stewardship may be traced to the garden of Eden, where God commands Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). Although the first humans rebel and plunge creation beneath the curse of sin, God continues to entrust mankind with stewardship of the earth. All of this is grounded in the truth that God owns everything and that human beings will give an account for our use and protection of all he has delegated to us.

Christians bear an even greater privilege in stewardship, for we are citizens of God’s kingdom and trustees of the gospel. We are “bought at a price.” Therefore, we belong to Christ, and everything we have – including our bodies – is at his disposal (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Continue reading →