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Here we have —

I. A TRUE ESTIMATE.

1. They are servants of Christ. There are some who regard them as servants of their Church. The Churches guarantee their stipend, and they require that their dogmas shall be propounded and their laws obeyed. He who yields to such an expectation degrades his position. The true servant of Christ will feel and act as the moral leader and commander of the people. "Obey them that have the rule over you," &c. There is no office on this earth so dignified and royal as this.

2. As servants of Christ they are responsible. "Stewards of the mysteries of God." The gospel is a mystery not in the sense of incomprehensibility, but in the sense of progressive unfoldment. It is a mystery to the man who at first begins its study, but as he gets on it becomes more and mere clear. The true minister is to translate these mysteries into intelligible ideas, and dispense them to the people. As a steward of such things his position is one of transcendent responsibility.

3. As servants of Christ they are faithful —

(1) To their trust; not abuse it, but use it according to the directions of its Owner.

(2) To their hearers; seeking no man's applause, fearing no man's frown, "commending himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

4. As servants of Christ they are independent (ver. 3). Whilst no true minister will despise the favour or court the contempt of men, they will not be concerned about their judgment so long as they are faithful to God Paul indicates three reasons for this independency.

(1) His own consciousness of faithfulness (ver. 5). "Others may accuse me, but I am not conscious of that which should condemn me, or render me unworthy of this office."(2) His confidence in the judgment of God. "But He that judgeth me is the Lord." I am content to abide by His judgment.

(3) His belief in a full revelation of that judgment (ver. 5). Do not let us judge one another; do not let us even trust too much to our own judgment of ourselves. Let us await heaven's judgment.

(a)  There is a period appointed for that judgment.

(b)  At that period there will be a full revelation of our characters.

(c)  At that period, too, every man shall have his due.

II. A FALSE ESTIMATE (ver. 6). Paul speaks of himself and Apollos to show the impropriety of one minister being pitted against another. The Corinthians seemed to estimate ministers —

1. In proportion as they met their views and feelings. Every true preacher preaches the gospel as it has passed through his own mind, and as it passes through his own mind, it will, of course, be more interesting to the minds most in harmony with his own. Hence, in the Corinthian Church those who preferred Peter's preaching thought no one was like Peter, &c. It is so now. Thus it is that some of the most inferior preachers are over-rated, and the most devoted degraded; whereas all true ministers are "servants of Christ," the "stewards of the mysteries of God," and as such should be honoured.

2. According to the greatness of their natural endowments (ver. 7). Between the natural endowments of Paul, Apollos, and Peter there was a great difference, and, indeed, between all ministers of the gospel. But what of that? There is nothing in those for boasting, for they all came from God. No man or angel deserves credit on account of natural abilities.

(D. Thomas, D. D.)

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KJV: Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

WEB: So let a man think of us as Christ's servants, and stewards of God's mysteries.