In the economy of God all the powers of heaven cooperate with the whole-hearted, earnest workers in this world in carrying forward His design in saving the lost.
-Ellen G. White, Letter 74a (1897)
The Greek word “oikonomia” (οικονομία) has deep roots in Greko-Roman society and language. This word has been rendered in the New Testament Bible as “stewardship, dispensation, administration, commission, and management.” Undoubtedly, it has a significant meaning, but is it hiding something that we can learn about, even in the twenty-first century?
The word “oikonomia” appears only nine times in the New Testament (Luke 16:2,3,4; 1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 1:10, 3:2,9; Col. 1:25; 1 Tim. 1:4). The word “oikonomia” is a combination of two words “oikos” meaning “house, household” as a family consumption unit, a network of relationships as well as an estate, manufacturing unit. The word “nomos” means “law, custom, management, and administration.” Hence, the word “oikonomia” or stewardship literally means “household management or administration” or even keeping (upholding) the household’s law, as all corporately grow the wealth and capital of the household.
It is worth noticing that in Greco-Roman society and culture, that is, the context in which the gospel was propagated, the household was the major hub for all activities and economic growth. There was no stewardship without the household. According to Leshem,[1] every household had four major branches: the wife or matron; children; slaves or servants; and property. Aristotle wrote which branch took priority in managing the household: “It is clear then that oikonomia takes more interest in the human members of the oikos than in its inanimate property, and in the excellence of these than in that of its property, which we call riches, and more in that of its free members than in that of slaves.” [2]
The interest in the eternal well-being of the members of God’s household is apparent through Paul’s writings. To the Corinthians (1 Cor. 9:16), he writes of “necessity” (NKJV) or “obligation” (NRSV) that he received for proclaiming the gospel “without charge” or “free of charge” (1 Cor. 9:18) to the Corinthians as “stewardship” (NKJV) or “dispensation” (KJV) (1 Cor 9:17). Furthermore, when addressing the Ephesians, he stressed the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you (Eph. 3:2, NAS). Following his chain of thought, Paul continues to speak about the he oikonomia tu misterio” (ἡ οἰκονομία τοῦ μυστηρίου) (Eph. 3:9, BYZ) that is “stewardship of the mystery” (NASV_ of the gospel. In other words, Paul saw his ministry as a commission by God to His household, that is, to His people that He redeemed. Paul realized the great obligation and responsibility as a steward of the gift of the gospel to present this amazing news of God’s grace to different churches and all the people.
When addressing the Colossians, Paul yet again stresses that he is writing to them and serving them according to the “commission” (NRSV) or stewardship from God (NKJV) (Col. 1:25). In addition, when writing to the young elder Timothy, he was warning him of the difficulties and challenges he will face in the assembly of believers, he added that they chose those things rather than: the stewardship from God that is by faith (1 Tim. 1:3-4, ESV). It is evident that there is an owner in the household, and the steward performs his stewardship duties for the master while having the commission of the master and the eternal well-being of the household dwellers as his priority and urgency.
Paul sees stewardship as the highest calling or a commission a disciple receives. Once a disciple or a student receives a commission and gifts from the master, he is accountable for using those gifts for the care, growth, and multiplication of the riches of the household. All mission, evangelism, revival, discipleship, and church planting are deeply embedded in being a steward of the gifts of the master and growing of His household.
Paul reminded members of the Ephesians church that because of Christ they are now fellow citizens with the saints and are of God’s household (Eph. 2:19). By belonging to God’s household through the sacrifice and gift they received in Christ, gratitude is born and that is expressed through complete surrender and eagerness to steward all the gifts Christ offers them.
Hall summarizes: “The ‘oikonomos’ has responsibility for planning and administrating (putting into order, or ‘nomos’) the affairs of a ‘oikos.’ Not only does this suggest that economics (oikonomia) is a significant part of Christian stewardship; it means that what we call economics is more than the term regularly connotes in our vocabulary today! Reflecting upon the word picture, we might conclude that stewardship has not only to do with money, budgeting, and finances, but with the whole ordering of our life, our corporate deployment of God’s varied grace in the daily life of the world.” [3]
Next time, we will examine the extent of the stewardship or what we are stewards of.
—Anton Kapusi is the lead pastor of Pueblo First Seventh-day Adventist Church. Photo by Pexels.
[1] Leshem, D. (2014a). “The Distinction between the Economy and Politics in Aristotle’s Thought and the Rise of the Social.” Constellations. December 4. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467 -8675.12128/abstract
[2] Aristotle. (1944). Politics. Aristotle Volume 21. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. Translated by H. Rackham.
[3]Hall, D.J. (1990). The Steward: Biblical Symbol Come of Age, Grand Rapids MI, W.D. Eerdmands. p.41.
