Thematic Bible: Steward
Thematic Bible
Steward » Figurative » Must be faithful
For as God's trustee a pastor must be above reproach, not stubborn or quick-tempered or addicted to strong drink or pugnacious or addicted to dishonest gain,
Verse Concepts
As all of you have received your spiritual talents, you must keep on using them in serving one another, as good trustees of God's many-sided favor.
Verse Concepts
As for us apostles, men ought to think of us as ministers of Christ and trustees to handle God's uncovered truths. Now in this matter of trustees the first and final requirement is that they should prove to be trustworthy.
Steward » Figurative » The faithful steward described
"You must keep your belts tight and your lamps burning, and be like men waiting for their master when he comes home from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks, they at once may open the door for him. Happy are those slaves whom the master, when he comes, will find on the watch for him. I solemnly say to you, he will tighten his belt and have them sit at table, and he will go around and wait on them. read more.
Whether he comes before or after midnight, if he finds them so, happy are they.
Whether he comes before or after midnight, if he finds them so, happy are they.
And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful, thoughtful manager whom his master will put in charge of his household, to give out the supplies at the proper time?
Verse Concepts
Steward » Figurative » See the parable » Of the pounds
So He said: "Once upon a time a man of noble birth went off to a distant country to get for himself a kingdom and then return. He called in ten of his slaves and gave them twenty dollars apiece and told them to do business with his money while he was gone. But his citizens continued to hate him, and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want this man to become king over us.' read more.
Then after he had gotten the appointment as king, he returned and ordered those slaves to whom he had given his money to be called in, that he might find out what business they had done. Now the first one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made two hundred more.' So he said to him, 'Well done, my good slave! Because you have proven dependable in a very small business, be governor of ten cities!' The second one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made a hundred!' So he said to him too, 'Be governor of five cities? But another one came in and said, 'Here is your twenty dollars, sir, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief. For I lived in constant dread of you, because you are a stern man, you pick up what you did not put down, you reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'On the ground of what you say I will sentence you, you wicked slave! You knew that I was a stern man, that I picked up what I did not put down, and reaped what I did not sow. So why did you not put my money into the bank? In that case, when I came back I could have gotten interest on my principal.' So he said to the bystanders, 'Take the twenty dollars away from him and give it to the man who has the two hundred.' And they said, 'Sir, he has two hundred already.' 'I tell you, the man who gets will have more given to him, but the man who does not get will have even what he has taken away from him! But bring those enemies of mine here who did not want me to become king over them and slay them in my presence!'"
Then after he had gotten the appointment as king, he returned and ordered those slaves to whom he had given his money to be called in, that he might find out what business they had done. Now the first one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made two hundred more.' So he said to him, 'Well done, my good slave! Because you have proven dependable in a very small business, be governor of ten cities!' The second one came in and said, 'Your twenty dollars, sir, has made a hundred!' So he said to him too, 'Be governor of five cities? But another one came in and said, 'Here is your twenty dollars, sir, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief. For I lived in constant dread of you, because you are a stern man, you pick up what you did not put down, you reap what you did not sow.' He said to him, 'On the ground of what you say I will sentence you, you wicked slave! You knew that I was a stern man, that I picked up what I did not put down, and reaped what I did not sow. So why did you not put my money into the bank? In that case, when I came back I could have gotten interest on my principal.' So he said to the bystanders, 'Take the twenty dollars away from him and give it to the man who has the two hundred.' And they said, 'Sir, he has two hundred already.' 'I tell you, the man who gets will have more given to him, but the man who does not get will have even what he has taken away from him! But bring those enemies of mine here who did not want me to become king over them and slay them in my presence!'"
Steward » Figurative » See the parable » Of the talents
"For it is just like a man who was going on a long journey from his homeland, who called to him his slaves and turned his property over to them. He gave one five thousand dollars, another two thousand, another one thousand, to each in accordance with his ability. Then he started on his long journey. The man who had received the five thousand dollars at once went out and invested it, and made five thousand more. read more.
In the same way the man who had received the two thousand made two thousand more. But the man who had received the one thousand went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came back and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five thousand dollars came up and brought him five thousand more, saying, 'You turned over to me five thousand dollars; here are five thousand more I made.' His master said to him 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!' Then the man who had received the two thousand came up and said, 'Master, you turned over to me two thousand dollars; here are two thousand more I made.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!' Then the man who had received the one thousand came up and said, 'Master, I knew you were a hard man, who reaped where you had not sown, who gathered where you had not threshed. So I was afraid, and went off and buried your thousand dollars in the ground. Here is your money.' His master answered him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reaped where I had not sown and gathered where I had not threshed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, so that when I came back I could have collected my principal with interest. So take the thousand dollars away from him and give it to him who has ten thousand. For the man who has will have more given to him, even till it overflows, but from the man who has nothing even what he has will be taken away. And throw the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness on the outside, where he will weep and grind his teeth.'
In the same way the man who had received the two thousand made two thousand more. But the man who had received the one thousand went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. After a long time the master of those slaves came back and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five thousand dollars came up and brought him five thousand more, saying, 'You turned over to me five thousand dollars; here are five thousand more I made.' His master said to him 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!' Then the man who had received the two thousand came up and said, 'Master, you turned over to me two thousand dollars; here are two thousand more I made.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful slave, you have been faithful in the use of a small amount; I will put you in charge of a larger one. Come, share your master's joy!' Then the man who had received the one thousand came up and said, 'Master, I knew you were a hard man, who reaped where you had not sown, who gathered where you had not threshed. So I was afraid, and went off and buried your thousand dollars in the ground. Here is your money.' His master answered him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reaped where I had not sown and gathered where I had not threshed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, so that when I came back I could have collected my principal with interest. So take the thousand dollars away from him and give it to him who has ten thousand. For the man who has will have more given to him, even till it overflows, but from the man who has nothing even what he has will be taken away. And throw the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness on the outside, where he will weep and grind his teeth.'
Steward » Figurative » The unfaithful, described
Now He was saying to the disciples: "Once there was a rich man who had a household manager, and he was accused to his master of squandering the latter's property. So he called the manager to him and said, 'What is this that I am hearing about you? Balance your accounts and show how you are conducting my affairs, for you cannot be manager any longer.' Then the manager said to himself, What shall I do, because my master is going to take my position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. read more.
I know what I will do -- I will ask them to take me into their homes when I am removed from my position. So he called in each of his master's debtors, and asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?' He answered, 'Nine hundred gallons of oil.' Then he said to him, 'Take your bill and sit right down and write four hundred and fifty.' Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He answered, 'Twelve hundred bushels of wheat:' He said to him, 'Take your bill and write nine hundred and sixty.' And his master praised the dishonest manager, because he acted with shrewd business sense, for the men of the world act with more business sense toward their fellows than the men who enjoy spiritual light.
I know what I will do -- I will ask them to take me into their homes when I am removed from my position. So he called in each of his master's debtors, and asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?' He answered, 'Nine hundred gallons of oil.' Then he said to him, 'Take your bill and sit right down and write four hundred and fifty.' Then he asked another, 'And how much do you owe?' He answered, 'Twelve hundred bushels of wheat:' He said to him, 'Take your bill and write nine hundred and sixty.' And his master praised the dishonest manager, because he acted with shrewd business sense, for the men of the world act with more business sense toward their fellows than the men who enjoy spiritual light.