The Lord of the Bible?

[Aiwendil]

Bethberry wrote:

I offer this as one example of a passage in LotR which can legitimately sustain two interpretations. Is this a passage which Tolkien niggled at?

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.