Biblical Leadership

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

(Matthew 20:25-28 ESV)

One of the things we see as we look at society, as well as at the church, is a misunderstanding of what leadership is to look like. We share this misunderstanding regardless of whether we see authority in a positive or a negative light. And we tend to understand leadership, we tend to understand authority, as a matter of control. We tend to understand it as a matter of domination.



The one who is in charge, we believe, is the one who yells the loudest. The one who is in charge, we believe, is the one before whom everyone cringes. The one who is in charge, we believe, is the one who uses his strength to force submission upon everyone else.



This is why we often bristle when we hear the Bible’s instructions for the order of the household. This is why we bristle when we read that women aren’t to teach or to have authority over the men of the church. If men are truly the head, we take this to mean that they’re to dominate women. If men are truly the head, we take this to mean that they’re to dominate their spouse and children. If men are the head, we take this to mean that they’re to control everything that goes on. And this, we believe, is demeaning to women. This, we believe, is abusive of children.



This is also why we have a natural tendency to resist those in authority over us. We don’t want to be controlled by anyone. And we won’t allow anyone to rule over us.



Yet, at the same time, we naturally desire to be that person in authority. We want to be the one in control. We want to be the one to whom everyone submits.



However, when we look at Jesus’ definition of leadership, it’s very different. Jesus tells us that, whoever would be great among us, must be our servant. He tells us that, whoever would be first among us, must be our slave.



In fact, he uses himself as the ultimate example of this truth. Even he, Jesus says, came not to be served. Even though he is God in the flesh, and even though he rightfully deserves to be served, that was not his purpose in coming among us. He came that he might serve. He came that he might give his life as a ransom for many.



In other words, to be a leader means to be a servant. To be a leader means to be a slave of all. To be a leader means that we willingly sacrifice ourselves for the benefit of others.



Even if we do have a measure of authority that’s been entrusted to us, we don’t use that authority for our own benefit. We use it for the benefit of those in our charge. We use it to serve.



We find the same thing in Ephesians 5, where Paul lays out the order of the household. The husband, he says, is the head. This, however, does not mean that he rules his household with an iron fist. He is called to lay his life down for the sake of his spouse. He is to use his authority for her blessing.



The wife, in turn, doesn’t submit simply because her husband demands it. She doesn’t submit because she’s forced to do so. She does it willingly. She does it voluntarily. She does so that, in this way, she might honor God and bless her husband.



We see this also, as Paul instructs children and fathers in Colossians 3. He tells children to obey their parents in everything. In this, we see the authority structure of this relationship. Yet, at the same time, he tells fathers that they’re not to provoke their children, lest they become discouraged. They aren’t to be harsh, they aren’t to treat their children unjustly, as they carry out their responsibility among them.



This is what it means to exercise authority at all levels. This is what it means to exercise authority as a husband, as a parent, as a church leader, or as a government official. This is what it means to exercise authority as a business owner or a manager. As Jesus used his authority to serve us, we’re to use our authority, whatever it may be, to serve those in our care.

The Right Hand of Fellowship

“On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”

(Galatians 2:7-10 ESV)

As we look around at the Church, we see that ministry is carried out in various ways. There are wonderful preaching and teaching ministries. There are beautiful music ministries. There are exciting humanitarian ministries. There are engaging apologetic ministries.  There are ministries to specific people groups.  There are ministries targeting specific language groups.  There are ministries targeting specific age groups. There are ministries of translating Scripture, establishing congregations, and of evangelistic outreaches. And the list could go on for some time.



However, that being said, we have a tendency to believe that there is only one way to do ministry rightly. We have a tendency to believe that the best way to do ministry is the way that we do it. And only if others would get on board, if only they would do things our way, we think that the ministry of the Church as a whole would be so much better, and so much more effective.



As we look at the above passage, Paul was in the midst of a controversy. As he was reaching out to the Gentiles, some of the Jewish believers were insisting that they must be circumcised and follow all of the Jewish Law. Paul then went to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem to ensure that his ministry was not a waste of time. And he went to them to have his message validated.



As he did so, they added nothing to him. They added nothing to his message. And they recognized the specific nature of his ministry.



They acknowledged the fact that Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised. They acknowledged that they should go to the circumcised. And they acknowledged that Paul had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised. They acknowledged that he and Barnabas should go to the uncircumcised. And they gave to Paul the right hand of fellowship.



In other words, they acknowledged Paul as a brother in the Lord. They acknowledged him as a partner in ministry. They recognized his ministry, they validated it, and encouraged him to continue in it.



As we encounter our fellow believers who have a specific gifting, or a specific calling, we should do the same. Instead of arguing which form of ministry is more important, instead of bickering about which form of ministry is more effective, we should do the same. As long as their ministry is consistent with the gospel, we should give to them the right hand of fellowship and commend them to their ministry.

Realistic Expectations

The Church, here in America, has had it very easy. We have enjoyed the freedom of religion from our nation’s inception. We’ve been able to worship the Lord, practice our faith, and share our faith with great liberty.



I, personally, am grateful to God for this freedom. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to share the gospel not only among our fellow believers, but also among those who don’t know him. I’m grateful that we are able to share Jesus with our community, our nation, and the world with impunity.



This freedom, however, has caused us to feel shocked as we witness the suffering of believers in other parts of the world. We feel that they should possess the same freedom of religion that we enjoy. We feel that, like us, they should be able to worship freely, proclaim the gospel freely, and live out their faith freely.



We also experience the same sense of bewilderment as our freedoms are challenged here in our nation. We are shaken when others challenge our rights. We are shaken when our freedoms are contested.



We are surprised, we experience a sense of panic, even though this is to be expected. It should be expected because of what Jesus experienced. And it should be expected because of the warning he’s given us.



In John 15:18-19, Jesus says: "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

We shouldn’t be surprised by what’s being experienced by our fellow believers around the world, nor should we be surprised when others attempt to curtail our freedoms, because the world hated Jesus. When Jesus came into the world, he was despised and rejected. When he came into the world he was not received.

The world continues to have the same response to Jesus even today. The world continues to despise him and reject him. The world will not receive him any more now than it did then.

It’s to be expected, then, that we will also be hated. Because of it’s hatred of Jesus, the world will naturally hate us. Our association with Christ will automatically bring this response.

Realizing this, we should make use of our freedoms while we have them. We must not neglect this freedom. We must proclaim Jesus with all fervency, realizing that we may not possess these freedoms forever.

Yet, we must also be realistic when it comes to the world’s response to us. Although we don’t generally welcome suffering, we shouldn’t consider it an anomaly. We must understand that this is to be expected. And, like our brothers in faith around the world, we must continue to faithfully proclaim Christ, even in the face of hatred and persecution.

The Pursuit of Greatness

There are many great people in the world. There are many who fill positions of power and authority. Due to their office, they have influence over peoples and nations. They are able to turn the tide of world events by the power afforded them.



We know of these people. It’s impossible for them to escape our notice. Their decisions, actions, and statements constantly come before us. They are seen on TV. They are heard on the radio. We receive notifications of their activities on our phones. Yet, as powerful and influential as they may be, I do not consider them among those who have most impacted my life.



As I consider those who have most influenced me, I think of people like my parents. I think of the pastor under whom I grew up. I think of Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, and others who have discipled me, or mentored me in the faith.  I think of teachers at school and others who have taught to me useful life skills or given to me godly advice.



In short, those who have most influenced my life are those who’ve served me in some way. They have ministered to me in some capacity. Even though they may not be great in the eyes of the world, they are great in mine.



This fits the definition of greatness given by Jesus in Mark 10. As two of his disciples requested the positions of greatest honor in his kingdom, Jesus told his disciples what it means to be truly great. And we find that greatness in the eyes of God is a stark contrast to that of the world.



Even though the rulers of the Gentiles lord their position over their subjects and exercise authority over them, this isn’t how it’s to be among the people of God.  Jesus says that anyone who wants to be great among us must be our servant, and whoever would be great among us must be the slave of all.



He then points to himself as the ultimate example of this truth. In verse 45, he says: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came into this world not to be served by his people, but to serve them. And he came to serve them by giving his life on their behalf.



If anyone deserves to be served, it’s Jesus. He is, after all, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He’s the eternal, almighty, and omniscient God. He’s the creator and sustainer of all that exists. He’s the giver of life, both in this world and in eternity.



However, even though this is true of him, he didn’t use his position to demand service. He, instead, used his position to serve. He went to the extent of giving his life upon the cross to accomplish our redemption.



Even knowing this, we continue to seek greatness in the worldly sense. We continue to seek power and influence. We continue to seek fame and fortune.



We do so without realizing that the greatest influence is attained when we emulate Jesus. The greatest influence is attained when we serve those that God has placed around us and under our care. We attain the greatest influence as we love and care for our children. We attain it as we teach Sunday School or work with the youth. We attain it as we use the gifts God has given us to serve him and the body of Christ.

Enamored by Influence

“And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.”

Galatians 2:6 ESV

We get caught up with influence. We seek for it. And we fawn over those who seem to have it.

This is true not only in society. It’s true not only when it comes to celebrity culture or the political realm. It’s true also in the church.

We look to the saints of old, counting them as better than ourselves. We look to those higher in the pecking order of the church hierarchy, believing them to be more holy. We look to pastors, missionaries, bishops, and popes, believing them to be worthy of adoration.

This is true even in the Protestant Church, where the priesthood of all believers is the rule of our practice. We laud celebrity pastors, buying their books, and placing them on a pedestal. We separate, anew, clergy from the laity. We re-create a class system where one believer is more significant than another.

Scripture is clear that we’re to respect those in authority. It’s clear that we’re to respect our spiritual leaders. And although some err by failing to give these people the respect they’re due, others err by regarding them too highly.

As we look at the second chapter of Galatians, Paul had gone to the leaders of the church in Jerusalem as conflict raged. As he preached the true gospel, others came in who added to the gospel of Christ. And he went to those who seemed influential to check himself, to check his message. He went to them  to ensure that he wasn’t running his race in vain.

However, notice his words: he went to those who seemed influential. He then adds that what they were made no difference to him. And he goes on to say that God shows no partiality.

In the eyes of God, there is no distinction. In the eyes of God, there is no totem pole. Although there is a difference in terms of the roles we’re called to play, there is none when it comes to our status in Christ. 

As Paul went to the church in Jerusalem, it wasn’t the validation of greater men that he sought. It wasn’t the validation of a greater apostle. It was a validation of the gospel by the church that he desired.

And this validation is exactly what Paul got. They added nothing to him, Paul says. In other words, they neither challenged nor sought to change anything of the message that he proclaimed.

In the same way, although we should respect those called by God to lead us, and although we should honor those sent by God to proclaim his Word, we must not go too far. We must not make too much of them. We must realize that, like us, they are sinners saved by the grace of God. We must realize that, like us, they are men who are gifted by God to serve his church. We must realize that what is truly important is the gospel itself.