Now I urge you, brothers — you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints —
Paul ends a letter full of correction by pointing the Corinthians at one family. That church was full of disorder. Yet one household there — the first converts in the region — had given itself to serving God's people, and Paul asks the rest to honour them for it.
What "devoted themselves" means
The verb Paul uses here comes from army life. One writer explains what it pictures:
J. N. DarbyThe word etaxan, which we have rendered "have devoted," means to appoint an officer to a regiment, or, in general, a man to any post. But here it concerns a service of love. The family of Stephanas — the first converts in Achaia — were moved by their desire to serve the Lord and by their love for the saints. In what related to service, they had placed themselves at the head of the saints. They took this place towards the saints so as to serve them with all their heart. So they were set over the saints to serve them, but they had appointed themselves to it. And Paul begs the saints to obey them.
Self-appointed, and commended
They posted themselves. Some have found that troubling, but Paul does not:
William KellyThe house of Stephanas had no such prominent, wide, or energetic sphere; but they devoted themselves in an orderly way to the saints for service. It was their regular work, not a thing taken up carelessly now and then. Some dare to mock this as self-appointment. Yet the apostle upholds and commends it in the name of the Lord. He is just as clear that it is unscriptural for a patron or a congregation to call a man to the ministry of the word... They were not elders. Even so, the apostle calls on the saints to put themselves under such people, and under everyone who shares the work and toils.
Volunteers, not officials
We know very little about this family. One writer says the little we know is enough:
A. PridhamOf the family so honourably mentioned, we know only this: they devoted themselves in this way, and received an early foretaste of their Lord's applause. But the Spirit records them as models to encourage those whose hearts may prompt them to do the same... The point to notice is this. They had no special call, and, as far as appears, no marked, distinctive gift. The love of Christ alone moved them, and they boldly took the path to which that love invited them... The Lord has volunteers as well as slaves.
Ordinary work, given to Christ
Who was such service really for? One writer answers, and links it to a gift named earlier in the letter:
F. B. HoleThey laid themselves out to serve the saints. They knew that in this way they would be serving Christ in His members on earth. Much in such work might be commonplace and humdrum, but they rendered it to Christ. Such service is not very common, we fear. It receives mention and commendation in verse 16. It illustrates, we judge, what is meant by "helps," mentioned among the gifts in 1 Cor. 12:28.
A whole household
This house appears twice in the letter, and the two mentions do not use the same Greek word:
George C. WillisThis later Scripture might seem to show that those in the household of Stephanas were old enough to serve the saints. In that case they had passed the age of infants or children. But the Greek word used for the household of Stephanas in the first chapter is wider than the word used of it in the sixteenth. This would suggest that all the house of Stephanas was baptised, but that only part of it — a narrower circle, perhaps not including little children — devoted themselves to the service of the saints.
Moral weight, not official rank
Where no one holds office, what gives such service any claim on the rest? One writer answers:
J. N. DarbyThere is a moral action on the souls of those making up the assembly, and it is available when official rule does not exist. It is remarkable that 1 Corinthians mentions no elders, though there was such disorder there, and gives no directions to appoint any. The word of God meets the evil... All this can be practised when there is no official appointment.
Summary
- Devoted — the word. Etaxan is a military word. It means posting a man to his station. Stephanas' house posted itself, and the station it chose was serving God's people.
- Devoted by love. No special call, no marked gift — only the love of Christ. They were volunteers, and the Spirit keeps them as models for anyone whose heart prompts the same.
- Devoted in the ordinary. Much of it was humdrum work, but they did it for Christ in His members. One writer links it with the gift of "helps."
- Devoted as a family. Chapter 1 speaks of the wider house, baptised. Chapter 16 names a narrower circle inside it who gave themselves to the service.
- Devoted, therefore honoured. Paul asks the church to submit to such people. Where no one holds office, faithful service still has a real claim on the conscience.