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Originally Posted by Aiwendil
Indeed it is. In the first draft, the conversation with Denethor ended just before the passages you quoted.
As a matter of fact, I would say that this constitutes one of the few actual pieces of evidence in support of Tolkien's assertion that LotR was "consciously so [Christian] in the revision". The words may puzzle the reader who does not know Gandalf's true nature; in light of the further information found in the appendices and in UT, it seems clear that Gandalf is referring to a kind of stewardship over Middle-earth, in service of Manwe (the King of Arda) or perhaps even Iluvatar.
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Interesting. I wonder, then, if Pippin's thoughts about Gandalf on the facing page (in my trusty HarperCollins paperback) were also a later addition?
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Originally Posted by chapter Minas Tirith, RotK
. . . He (Denethor) turned his dark eyes on Gandalf, and now Pippin saw a likeness between the two, and he felt the strain between them, almost as if he saw a line of smouldering fire, drawn from eye to eye, that might suddenly burst into flame.
Denethor looked indeed much more like a great wizard than Gandalf did, more kingly, beautiful, and powerful; and older. Yet by a sense other than sight Pippin perceived that Gandalf had the greater power and the deeper wisdom, and a majesty that was veiled. And he was older, far older. 'How much older?' he wondered, and then he thought how odd it was that he had never thought about it before. Treebeard had said something about wizards, but even then he had not thought of Gandalf as one of them. What was Gandalf? In what far time and place did he come into the world, and when would he leave? And then his musings broke off . . .
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The title "Steward" is an interesting one. It has the general meaning of a manager, one who watches over things for an owner, but the word's full panoply of meaning is more replete than that. It is an example of a word with a specifically UK historical sense: not simply an officer of a royal household, but also a title of state. For instance, The Lord High Steward of Scotland was, according to the OED, "The first officer of the Scottish King in early times; he had control of the royal household, great administrative power, and the priviledge of leading the army into battle."
Whether Saruman fits the kingly role here is debatable and so the interpretation that Gandalf is steward for Saruman would be one of the less likely or probable ones. But as Pippin's musings suggest, readers are being prepared to see Gandalf in a different light.
Words travel in groups and the company they keep often is part of the resonance, ambiguity and reflected meaning they shine. Such reflection is the way literary text enrich language. (Also the way comedy routines work, exploiting ambiguity.) There is the immediate context and then the reflected area. There are many reflections which are collocated here. One need not necessarily see them, of course, as with any interpretation.
Certainly
Aiwendil is correct in pointing us to the Appendices, where Appendix A summarises parts of The Silm and tells readers that there are "Guardians of the World." In fact, readers are told:
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Originally Posted by Appendix A
. . . and when all was ready he (Ar-Pharazôn) sounded his trumpets and set sail; and he broke the Ban of the Valar, going up with war to wrest everlasting life from the Lords of the West. But when Ar-Pharazôn set foot upon the shores of Aman the Blessed, the Valar laid down their Guardianship and called upon the One, and the world was changed. Númenor was thrown down and swallowed in the Sea, and the Undying Lands were removed for ever from the circles of the world.
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My bolding.