The Greek text begins with a word which means “thus,” and this word is followed later in the sentence by a word meaning as. Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible translate only this second word; similarly New Revised Standard Version “Think of us in this way, as servants of Christ….” In some contexts these two words are often used in comparisons (see 3.15 and 9.26 [twice]), so that “thus” would refer only to the words that follow (so Fee). Some commentators, followed by New International Version, take “thus” to refer instead (or also) to the preceding text and translate “So then”; however, this is less likely a correct interpretation.

The Greek word for regard (Good News Bible‘s “think”) suggests reasoning or argument and is related to “thoughts” in 3.20 (see comments). It is used very frequently by Paul in 2 Corinthians and Romans, so it was not just a slogan of Paul’s opponents in Corinth.

In this context, as in 4.6, the pronoun us is exclusive and must mean Paul and his fellow evangelists; Paul’s readers are not included.

The word for servants is similar in meaning to that used in 3.5, but it also includes the idea of an assistant to someone in an official position. The phrase servants of Christ may also be rendered as “people who serve Christ.” The word steward suggests this same official status. In biblical times the steward was often an estate manager who organized the work of other people. Sometimes he was a city official responsible, among other things, for conducting public worship. The Greek word for steward (oikonomos) is derived from oikos, the word for house or household, and nomos, law, hence “ruler of a household,” “administrator” (see 1 Tim 3.15). Good News Bible translates this word as “put in charge,” because the word steward has too specific a range of meaning in modern English.

The mysteries of God see the comments on 2.1, 7. The wider context suggests that the mysteries was equivalent to the Christian message, especially its deeper implications which are understood only by the spiritually mature (see 2.6). Paul usually, though not in this section, speaks of the Christian mystery or mysteries as having been already revealed through Christ. Translators should therefore not take servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries to mean that the apostles are responsible for keeping God’s truths secret. On the contrary, they were to proclaim these secret truths.

In languages which do not naturally use the passive, this final clause may be rendered as “whom God has put in charge of his secret truths” or “whom God has given the responsibility of proclaiming his secret truths.”

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .