God’s Economy: recovered by Witness Lee, enjoyed by local churches

The Definition of Economy

Word Studies

New Bible Dictionary

STEWARD. In the OT a steward is a man who is ‘over a house’ (Gn. 43:19; 44:4; Is. 22:15, etc.). In the NT there are two words translated steward: epitropos (Mt. 20:8; Gal. 4:2), i.e. one to whose care or honour one has been entrusted, a curator, a guardian; and oikonomos (Lk. 16:2-3; 1 Cor. 4:1-2; Tit. 1:7; 1 Pet. 4:10), i.e. a manager, a superintendent—from oikos (‘house’) and nemo (‘to dispense’ or ‘to manage’). The word is used to describe the function of delegated responsibility, as in the parables of the labourers, and the unjust steward.

More profoundly, it is used of the Christian’s responsibility, delegated to him under ‘Christ’s kingly government of his own house’. All things are Christ’s, and Christians are his executors or stewards. Christians are admitted to the responsibilities of Christ’s overruling of his world: so that stewardship (oikonomia) can be referred to similarly as a dispensation (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25). (1133-1134)

New Bible Dictionary. 3rd ed. Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press. 1962.

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