Several points arise in relation to these words.
First, God’s gifts are varied,
which means there is a wide variety of gifts God entrusts to his people (see 1 Corinthians 12:1–31).
Second, the word grace
functions as a synonym to the word gift
at the beginning of this verse. That is striking because Peter has used the word grace
several times already in this letter to describe the gospel of redemption in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:10, 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 3:7). His use of the word grace
in the present context implies that the gifts
any Christian has received are part and parcel of the redemption that has come through Jesus Christ. Nothing stands by itself; all things (including gifts) belong together in the one big redemptive work of God in Christ Jesus.
The term good stewards
indicates that the person who has received a gift is not the absolute owner of that gift but is instead its trustee. The recipient is meant to use it for the benefit of the Giver and not for himself (Luke 16:1–13; Matthew 25:14–30).
10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: