“Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time? Happy is that slave, if his master on arriving finds him doing so! I tell you truthfully, He will appoint him over all his belongings.”​—Luke 12:42-44.

7. How did Jesus refer to this same class in his prophecy on the conclusion of the system of things?

⁷ Notice that Jesus calls this “steward” also a “slave” to his master. In the prophecy on the conclusion of the system of things Jesus speaks of this same “slave” class, saying: “Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so.

8. When and how did Jesus appoint this “steward” or “slave” class, and what did it proceed to do?

⁸ Before Jesus Christ the Lord left by ascending to heaven, he gathered together his faithful disciples, including his loyal apostles. On the day of Pentecost following his ascension back to his heavenly Father, Jesus received and poured out the holy spirit on his disciples gathered together at Jerusalem, and thereby he appointed this “slave” class, this “steward” class, to give to his “domestics,” his “body of attendants,” spiritual food, “their measure of food supplies at the proper time.” The slave class proceeded to do so.

INSPECTION, APPOINTMENT, “GIFTS IN MEN”

9. When did the Lord Jesus Christ undertake an inspection of the “slave” class, and what did he find about it?

⁹ In the year 1914 C.E., at the close of the “appointed times of the nations,” the Lord Jesus Christ was installed in the heavenly Messianic kingdom. Thereafter he undertook an inspection of the “slave” or “steward” class on earth. (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27) He did find dedicated, baptized, anointed disciples on earth who, in spite of World War I and persecutions and other difficulties, were striving to serve the interests of Jehovah’s Messianic kingdom. They were endeavoring to feed in a spiritual way the faithful “domestics” or “body of attendants” of the now reigning Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.