Episode 16 "1 Corinthians 4"
1 Corinthians 4.1
Under Rowers for Christ
At first glance, the first verse in Chapter 4 appears to be very benign.
“This, then, is how men ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed.” 1 Cor 4:1
The King James says we should be accounted as “ministers of Christ” and “stewards of the mysteries of God”
What's’ the big deal? The Bible calls us servants and stewards in a bunch of places. What makes this verse so special? It’s the Greek word Paul uses (that most translators convert to servant in English) that changes everything.
That Greek word is “hyporetes” made up of two words – Hypo or hupo, meaning “under”, and eretes, meaning “rower”. It is used 20 times in the New Testament – 15 times in the gospels, 4 times in the Book of Acts, and finally here.
Even though “Hyporetes” is the compound word meaning “under rowers”, it was also what Greeks called anyone who was not in charge, but living a life of strict obedience to someone else. John used this word in John 18 & 19 to describe the “officers of the chief priest”, who carried out the bidding of the high priest.
In the context of the Corinthians, they used “hyporetes” to describe one thing – the “under rowers” on the great ships that came into Corinth every day. To them “hyporetes” were the lowest people on a ship. They were subordinate rowers who lived in the bowels of the ship and rowed on command. Think “Ben Hur”. If you remember the movie, Charlton Heston played a free Palestinian Jew who became an under rower when he was forced into slavery by the Romans.
While it was true hyporetes is a word used to describe a subordinate, I don't believe it is an accident that Paul choses to use hyporetes this one (and only) time when addressing the Corinthians. The Corinthians thought they were at the top of the food chain in those days. They thought they were special! Paul wants them to know that they are not!
In Chapter 3 Paul condemns the Corinthian’s immaturity and reminds them that they are completely subordinate to Christ, the way an under rower is subordinate to everyone on a ship. He not only calls them “hyporetes”, but ‘oikonomos” (stewards) as well.
“Hyporetes” were subject to the authority of every person on the ship. Stewards, “oikonomos”, where those who managed the household of another. They were completely responsible for taking care of the belongings of their master, but they, themselves, owned nothing.
Here Paul is telling the Corinthians, let everyone regard you as subordinates of Jesus and stewards of God’s mysteries. Believers have no authority of their own and no wealth of their own. Nevertheless, they are stewards, as he points in out in the previous chapter, of the “naos” (the Holy of Holies - The place where God resides) and the mysteries of God, which refers to 1Co 2.14-16.
Remember there are no chapter breaks in the original letter. Chapter 3 ends saying, “All things belong to you; you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God.”
The word “belong” is not in the original text. The original says, “all things are ours; you are Christ's; Christ is God’s.”
As such, men regard believers as under rowers of Christ and stewards (keepers) of the “mysteries” of God. When people think of you, how do they regard you? As someone subordinate to Jesus and a keeper of His mysteries or something else?
What does it mean to be regarded as an under rower?
The boats of Paul’s day were mostly galley slave ships. They had many oars (some ships had as many as 150 on multiple levels) in larger ships. The rowers propelled the vessel. Those on the lowest level, all slaves by the way, were hyporetes.
The other word used in the New Testament for slaves was “doulos” which is used over 100 times in the New Testament. Paul did not use doulos, but hyporetes on purpose. Many doulos lived virtually as free men. Not one “under rower” was even remotely able to do anything other than row the ship on command.
The job of the under rower was not only difficult, it was permanent - Most died in the galley with chains on their feet.
John Baugh wrote about this several years ago. He said there are 5 aspects of the word hyporetes that all the Corinthians would have understood:
They rowed “to the captain’s beat”.
To keep 150 oars working together they had a “captain” of the rowers that kept them together with the beat of a drum.
This is like a coxswain who keeps the oarsmen on a racing shell in perfect timing.
They rowed “together”.
On large ships, the oars might be 10 meters in length and required up to 3 rowers per oar.
They had to work together as a team.
They had to trust the captain.
Often, they were rowing in pitch blackness. Trust was essential.
To be successful, and thus stay alive, they had to have total faith in the coxswain and the captain who commanded him.
The hyporetes were not permitted to question where the captain was going or how the coxswain kept the rhythm.
Their job was to row to the beat of the captain’s drum - nothing else.
The hyporetes were committed for life.
This was a one-way trip.
Comfort was not part of their calling.
If the ship sank, they were going down with the ship.
Finally, they received no glory or honor.
Only the Captain was known to anyone in the outer world.
The hyporetes were invisible and unrewarded by the world.
If they were visible it was because they were not doing their job.
Likewise, as hyporetes for Christ, we should be known for 5 things:
Being submissive to Christ’s beat
Working in harmony with other rowers
Trusting the Captain (God) implicitly
Being willing to give everything for Christ.
Giving all the glory to God.
There is an important difference between believers and under rowers.
The under rowers were held in shackles and chains. Believers volunteer.
The under rowers did their job out of fear and bondage. Believers do their job because they love the Captain and know He is looking out for our best interest.
Paul points out the major difference in Chapter 6:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Slaves were bought for a price, but never allowed to be part of the family of the slave owner. Believers are bought with a price as well, but we are sons and daughters of God!
Not only are we under rowers of Christ, but we are stewards of God’s mysteries. More of that, next time!
