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Episode Six
Biblical Leadership
In Episode Five of this series on leadership entitled LEAD the WAY, I talked about the dynamic nature of Leadership Styles, and list out twelve leadership trajectories which shows how the passage of time had contributed to a greater clarity of leadership. In this Episode Six, I will talk about the biblical survey of Leadership, and the three roles and tasks of leadership. Let us begin.
Biblical Survey of Leadership
Leadership matters in the Bible. Leadership in the church weighed heavily on Paul’s heart as he exhorted Timothy that “whoever aspires to be an overseer, desires a noble task” (1 Tim. 3:1), and enumerated a list of qualifications for leaders (1 Tim. 3:2–12). Throughout Scripture, when God acted, he acted through his chosen people, calling and preparing people for divine task. Ed Stetzer in Why Leadership Matters wrote that leadership is both a biblical concept and a godly practice:
We know the names of great leaders of God’s people, and we know why they matter. We know what they did. . . . Leadership is not just a biblical concept in the church, but a godly practice. It is both prescribed (it’s a noble task, it needs to be done, the call to raise up leaders), and described (stories of how leaders have functioned well and poorly).
Is Christian leadership the same thing as secular leadership? Why is there an indiscriminate and uncritical acceptance among Christian leaders for secular leadership theory without measuring it against the timeless precepts of Scripture?
These questions set the stage for this chapter on the basis for biblical leadership. Many would agree that although much of secular leadership theory has sound presuppositions, they promote ideas that are contrary to the Bible. This is because the key difference between secular and spiritual leadership is that the former leaves God out. A survey of the biblical underpinning for Christian leadership unlocks the tenets of leadership and is crucial in exploring the contribution of leadership on the growth of the church. This chapter sought to examine the leadership task of a biblical leader in three facets: as a servant, a shepherd, and a steward.
The Three Roles and Tasks of Biblical Leadership
One characteristic common to all leaders is the ability to make things happen—that is, to help people work in an environment where each individual finds himself encouraged, stimulated, and helped to realize his fullest potential to contribute meaningfully. Richard Wolfe in Man at the Top pointed out that when God creates a leader, he is given volition for action. It is in this way that God works in people: “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).
The standard for perfect leadership is found in Jesus Christ alone. Additionally, leadership fundamentals are gleaned in the biblical examples of family leaders, national leaders, military leaders, priests, prophets, apostles, elders, and missionaries.
Scripture provides several metaphors for leaders and I am drawn to three that are foundational, namely, as a servant of God, a shepherd of God’s flock, and a steward of God’s resources. Christian leadership focuses on God, his people, and his tasks. These three leadership roles of servant, shepherd, and steward find their master in God alone.
The Leader is a Servant of God
Jesus is the epitome of a servant of God (John 4:34; 8:29). Thus, the foundation of Christian leadership is servant-leadership unto God. All of God’s chosen leaders in the Scriptures served God as they were molded for his plans and purposes. Above all else, a servant-leader loves God and seeks to please him (John 8:39). The most common biblical metaphor for spiritual leaders is “slave” or “servant,” which translates into three Greek words: doulos, huperetes, and diakonos.
Word Study for “Servant”
Doulos is commonly translated as “bond-servant,” referring to one bound to another. Kenneth Wuest commented:
Paul calls Timothy and himself servants of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:1). There is no definite article in the Greek. They were servants by nature. The word is doulos, and refers to one bound to another. Paul was bound to Jesus Christ by the bands of a constraining love.
The Greek word huperetes is variously translated “servant,” “minister,” “attendant,” and “helper.” In Acts 13:5, huperetes refers to John Mark’s help in the ministry of Paul and Barnabas: When [Paul and Barnabas] reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper. Huperetes is also used to refer to Jesus’ calling for Apostle Paul: “Arise, and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister (huperetes) and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you” (Acts 26:16).
Paul exhorted the believers in Corinth, “Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants (huperetes) of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1). William Vine defined huperetes as an under rower (hupo, under; eretes, a rower), as distinguished from nautes, “a seaman . . . hence [the word] came to denote any subordinate acting under another’s direction.” Karl Rengstorf added that a huperetes willingly learns his task and goal from another who is over him. It is not rowing as such which makes him a huperetes, but rowing according to the directions given to him. He does not dictate his own course of action but yields to another’s authority for the sake of accomplishing a specific task, as under rowers working together at the command of a supervisor to move a mighty ship through the water.
The third Greek word for slave is diakonos from which the English word “deacon” is derived. Its root is diako which means “to hasten after or pursue.” It is used in the New Testament for the following:
Jesus taught the disciples: “If anyone serves (diakonos) me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant (diakonos) also be; if anyone serves (diakonos) me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26). All Christians serve Christ, but diakonos as applied to spiritual leaders emphasizes their service to others. Paul, Apollos, Epaphras, and Tychicus are examples: “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants (diakonos) through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one” (1 Cor. 3:5); “Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant (doulos), who is a faithful servant (diakonos) of Christ on our behalf” (Col. 1:7).
A composite picture emerges from doulos, huperetes, and diakonos of the spiritual leader as a bond-servant whose highest goal is to fulfill the Missio Dei, living out God’s will for his life. W. E. Vine posited that doulos views a servant in relation to his master, huperetes in relation to his superior, and diakonos in relation to his work.
In this Episode Six, I talked about the biblical survey of Leadership, and the three roles and tasks of a servant leader. To help us review what we have heard from this podcast, I invite you to reflect on the following questions. Please join me for Episode Seven, which I will talk about the Essential Qualities for a Servant-Leader, his tasks, and some examples of servant-leadership. Good-bye, and have a great day!
Discussion Questions
1. What comes to your mind when you hear the word servant?
2. What are some of the differences/similarities between biblical leadership and
secular leadership?
3. Why is servant-leadership an important concept when we talk about leadership?