Description
So far in our series we have been unpacking the context of Paul’s teaching on the equipping gifts of Ephesians 4: 11-12. In spite of the history of the Church, in the original language and context it seems that these gifts were intended more as functions rather than positions or offices. So if servant leadership is the model in this new community, how is authority to be exercised and what will that look like? How can we safeguard against spiritual abuse by leaders?
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Video Script
Episode 3: Servant Leadership
So far in our series we have been unpacking the context of Paul’s teaching on the equipping gifts of Ephesians 4: 11-12. In spite of the history of the Church, in the original language and context it seems that these gifts were intended more as functions rather than positions or offices. So if servant leadership is the model in this new community, how is authority to be exercised and what will that look like? How can we safeguard against spiritual abuse by leaders?
Biblical Foundation
We are now on pages 9-12 in our workbook. In order to fully appreciate the ministry of Jesus through his Body—and the difference that this kind of leadership makes in the Kingdom—I think it would be helpful to reemphasize some fundamental biblical truths related to leadership and authority in the Body of Christ. There are several passage where Jesus directly addresses the difference between leadership from a Kingdom perspective and leadership from a worldly perspective.
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive study, but if you would like to take a deeper dive into this you can check out my Mentoring Intelligence Podcast or my Mentoring thru Intentional Relationships Guides. So before we get too deep into the fivefold ministries, let’s look at Jesus’ foundational teaching on leadership to make sure we are on the same page. This is important, for Paul in Ephesians 4 could not have meant something that contradicts Jesus’ teaching. In this episode I will focus on the passages in Matthew, but you can also look up the parallel passages in Mark and Luke.
Matt. 18:1-5
In Matthew 18:1-5 we find the disciples questioning each other as to who was really the chief disciple. I can just hear them say, “Like, Jesus, which of us is really Numero Uno, who is Number 1?” Coming from their political and religious context, which was very structured system, it is understandable that they were thinking that relationships in this new Kingdom would be roughly the same. However, Jesus’ response did not provide any chain of command in this new Kingdom. Not only was this shocking, but it took them some years to really get it. That is how it is with values and worldviews, they are hard to change. But after all, Doesn’t someone have to be in charge around here?
Instead, Jesus tells his disciples that unless they give up their vain ambitions and become as meek as a child they will never enter the Kingdom. According to Jesus, true greatest in the Kingdom was not to be achieved through rank and position, but by having an attitude of humility and dependence. Those aspiring to leadership should actually act as the servants to all others. Mark also records this in Mark 9:35. This turns the worldly view of a pyramid structure of power and position, upside down. By the way, that’s a great name for a book, but you are too late, Rinehart has already used it! The book is Upside Down Leadership. The point is that greatness in the kingdom looks a lot more like a child than a robed cleric or theologian.
Matt. 20:20-28
It seems that this was a pretty hard concept for the disciples to wrap their head around. Which is not that big of a surprise as the Church has struggled with this for the last 2000 years. In Matthew 20:20-28 Jesus responds to the disciples as he again tries to get them to understand that a hierarchical authority structure may be common in the culture around them, but his Kingdom and new Christian community was to have very different values.
In this particular passage, Jesus is responding to the mother of two disciples who aspired to sit next to Jesus in his new Kingdom. Again Jesus points out that greatest in his Kingdom is the way of suffering and self-sacrifice, not position, prestige or power. It would seem that the anger of the other disciples at this request indicates that they actually believed this was a reasonable request, just not from these two guys! Their misunderstanding was based on the fact that they thought the authority structure in the community of believers was going to be similar to what they knew of their own religious context. But exercising authority and “lording it over” others was evidence of a top down model of leadership, not Jesus’ model.
Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matt. 20:25-28
We see that Jesus is pretty explicit that “One man rule” was forbidden among Christians. Quite a contrast to the Gentile world dominated by Caesar or the Jewish world dominated by the religious elite. Of course, Jesus is not advocating anarchy or rising up against “the Man.” He is trying to show how transformed values in this new Kingdom will affect how we see ourselves and treat others. In this new “priesthood of all believers,” there is not a two-tier system in the Body of Christ. You know, the talented elites and then the rest of us, who just get to listen to the morsels of truth which they dispense at their discretion.
As we use our gifts, it is only natural that we will have greater influence – often our gifts will give us a platform. But how are we to use that authority? Do we use it for ourselves, to build our ego, or for others, to serve others in the Body? This is why Jesus’ teaching is so important. Having the attitude of a servant, guards against becoming dominant, controlling, or authoritarian. As you can see from the diagram, the only way to not become authoritarian in our leadership is to have an attitude of humility and vulnerability. We see in verse twenty-eight that even Jesus, did not come to be served but to serve – and he was the God-man. In Phil. 2 we see that Jesus’ attitude was to take on the form of a servant, even though he was God. Jesus provides us with a living illustration as to how leadership in this new Kingdom, this new Body of his, was to function. It was to be a unique community where there is no competition and leaders aspire to serve others sacrificially. Meeting the needs of others, rather than emphasizing power, position, and titles. Just in case you were wondering, this is virtually impossible without Christ’s Spirit living within us, giving us the power to do this.
How do you think Jesus’ attitude towards authority should affect our own ministry and how we use our gifts?
Biblical Foundations Continued
Matt. 23:1-12
Okay, we have been looking at some passage in the Gospels that record Jesus’ teaching on leadership and relationships in this new Kingdom of His. In Matt. 23:1-12 he now directly addresses the difference between what he is talking about and the attitude of the religious leaders of his day. Maybe some of the disciples were aspiring to the model of religious leadership that they saw all around them as they were growing up. But Jesus draws a sharp contrast, teaching that the established patterns of the religious structures of their day were not in line with his Kingdom values.
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. (Matt. 23:1-4)
The religious structures of the day had actually taken on the secular society values and models. Hmm, does that sound familiar? The fact is that it is even more dangerous for a religious teacher to take on authority for themselves, for they can use the authority of God’s Word to bludgeon others or at least use it for their own benefit. “Speaking for God” is pretty heady stuff. Without the attitudinal adjustment that Jesus is talking about, it is easy to make leadership just another form of idolatry. Taking a bit – just a bit — of glory and worship that only God is to have. This usually begins small and subtle, like King Saul of old, but ends up in a pretty dark place.
“Laying burdens on others which they will not lift,” means that without a servant heart we can be telling others the way to live and not do it ourselves. I think this is why we are so offended when we discover yet another “man of God” who has been secretly living in sin for years. He may have talked a good game, but it was words for others only. To guard against this in the Christian community, Jesus states that only He is the one true teacher with authority and everyone else are equal brethren (meaning sisters also). We are to be open and authentic with each other. This has a way of keeping us tethered to reality. No one person in this new Kingdom is to become that one authoritative person that dispenses truth to others. After all, this is a new kingdom of priests. We are all messengers of Jesus’ message. There is only one Holy Spirit and we are not him.
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matt. 23:8-12
How this applies to the equipping gifts of Ephesians 4 is rather obvious, isn’t it? If the fivefold equipping functions become nothing more than “offices and positions,” providing an opportunity for leaders to exercise power over others, we are no better than those early disciples. In the Christian community no person can claim authority over others, as does God our Father (vs. 9). Mature Christians are not to be treated like children by self-appointed father figures. Only God can be the legitimate ruler over his children. I deal more with this concept of “spiritual fathering” in my Mentoring Intelligence podcast if you are interested to check that out.
It is interesting that Matthew 23:10 is the only place that this Greek word for leader is used in the New Testament. It is translated “instructor” in the NIV. It has the meaning of a guide or tutor/teacher. In Matt. 24:4-5 Jesus predicted men would rise up to lead others astray and that this would occur as authority was given to human leaders. In the first chapter of 1 Cor. Paul addresses this. Already in the first few decades of the early Church Paul had to deal with this. Writing to the Corinthian Church, we see that there was already those who thought they were the super-apostles. Paul affirms Jesus’ teaching that true authority in the Body was to be used to serve others, not have ever increasing titles and positions that stroke our own ego.
Jesus solution is to reject leaders who attempt to gain a following and control people around them. Christians should only follow Christ; only he is our Lord and we his people. This is exactly why the New Testament insists on team leadership. I will cover this later in more detail, but I believe that is why in the early church we never see one pastor leading a church, but it is always a plurality of leaders. The word used in our English bibles is “elders,” which is the equivalent of shepherd or pastor and is always in the plural form in Greek. A team approach provides safety for the Body so that leaders are less likely to abuse other believers. This plurality is shown by Jesus as he sends them two by two, as well as the later apostles never going out on missionary endeavors alone. New leadership in the churches was always entrusted to groups of pastors/elders, not individuals. You can read this on your own in Acts 11:25-26, 13:1, 14:23, as well as other passages.
In verses 11 and 12 of Matt. 23 Jesus explains how Christian leaders should act. While some leaders are strong leaders by our standards — you know those with great personalities, lots of gifts and skills — it is exactly these types of leaders who need protection from becoming authoritarian. Instead of serving themselves, they are to serve others with their gifts, equipping and releasing them to minister, rather than wielding power over them. I would suggest that this is also how the equipping gifts are to be used in the Body. This new community of believers is not a place for self-promotion where talented, ambitious leaders move up the positional ladder.
Matt. 28:16-20
Okay let’s look at one final scripture. Matthew 28:16-20 address the source of authority in this new community.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. Matt. 18-20a
As a result of his death and resurrection Jesus has now assumed supreme rulership; he alone is Lord. He commissioned the disciples, but retains “all authority.” They were to baptize new believers and then teach them, but not their own teaching, their authority was to come from the teachings of Christ. The authority resided in the message, not the messengers. In this last parting message from Jesus, what is absent is any authority structure passed down to the disciples. If it was his intention, this would have been the perfect opportunity to teach and proclaim the order of succession he was now imposing for this new movement. You could have even named names. But it never happened like that. He was teaching them the nature of these new Kingdom values.
Of course this does not mean that the early church did not need to create some sort of structure or wineskins as it developed, but it was important that any ministry structure did not inhibit kingdom values. This is why we have to be careful to not read Paul’s writings with glasses tainted by errors of structure that developed later in the Church. Instead we are to follow the new leadership principles established by the Church’s supreme authority, Jesus. Servanthood and mutual submission, were to be foundational, as Paul would later teach.
From these four passages of Scripture what do we learn about Jesus’ model of leadership and ministry?
In what ways will our leadership have to change in order to become more like Jesus?
In the early Christian community, organizational structures did develop, but they were based upon gifts and functions—an expression of the indwelling Spirit of Christ in every believer. Any delegated authority was not to function as it did “with the Gentiles,” or even as with the Jewish religious leaders of the day. Next time I am going revisit the introductory comments I made regarding the meaning of headship. This is important so that we gain a clearer understanding of how the relationships within the Body of Christ are to function. I am looking forward to sharing that with you next time.