Bible Students

Reflections on “Biblical Leadership” by Forrest (chapters 29-32)

Being in a position of power or leadership in the church does not make : Reflections on “Biblical Leadership” by Forrest (chapters 29-32)someone a leader. Knowledge is not the same as character. Leaders must be people of character, not people of knowledge. Knowledge is good, but it is not everything. Is the leader faithful with his family? Are they faithful in their relationships with those of the opposite sex? The leadership requirements are ad hoc, meaning they are not necessarily exclusive for every situation, but paint pictures of what a leader should look like, which is a person of character. Only men can be elders, but women deacons must also be people of character. 

The person who is a leader must be clear in mind, being above reproach. They should not be abusive or be addicted to pornography. They should not be a private drinker, though they can enjoy alcohol with other people in moderation. They must not be greedy, or a gossip. That is the person whose words can not be trusted. The elder must actively seek to be good in all things they say. 

If appointed leaders are discovered to have some secret sin in their closet, then those who have appointed them in some way are responsible for this. Every church leader must be in a leadership program. They must go through serious training and tests. There should be bylaws which determine the way elders are to be appointed, and their family and private lives should be carefully monitored before electing them.

The prophetic words of leaders must speak the words of God. Leaders must not speak on behalf of God when God has not spoken. The leader must go before those he leads. If a leader is leading their people into battle, they should be the first in the ranks to meet the enemy. 

The letters of John do not explicitly tackle the issues of leadership, but do touch on problems in the churches which may stem from faulty leadership. Leaders must reject those who reject the truth of Christ and only accept those who accept the truth of Christ. Christian leaders must study the Word of God in order to know who God is. They must seek to have proper relationship with those under their authority, showing the love of God (discovered through knowing His Word) to those who are placed by God under their leadership. 

Moses and Abraham are serious leaders of the Old Testament. Their defining traits are that they obeyed the Lord and followed Him in faith. They would rather know the Lord than know security. Leaders must give ultimate honor to the Lord, and the Lord must be their leader. Victory must be ascribed to the Lord, not to the leader themself. 

James gives instruction for those in the church who are suffering to depend on the elders of the church. The elders should be strongholds of spiritual and physical leadership and security. Teaching is a form of leadership in the church, and so not many should seek to teach, because not many should seek stricter judgment. Christian leadership should not look like the self-serving leadership of the world. Leaders of God must be humble and loving to others. 

Correcting heresy, poor action, and laziness is a good action of leaders. Elders are to shepherd the flock. Elders need to be able to teach, though deacons do not need to be able to teach. Both groups have a different emphasis, which is why the elders need to be able to teach but the deacons only need to serve. There is not many structural instructions in the New Testament. Very few people actually qualify for leadership. If anyone desires to do this, it is a noble thing to desire. 

The person who is controlled by their emotions is not one who should be a leader. The leader should be hospitable. The leader must seek to be holy, never believing they have arrived at ultimate holiness. The elder must be willing to continue to grow. They must not be a new convert, either, lest they become prideful in their quick success into leadership. 

Elders who are teaching should be supported by the congregation. The vast majority of a seminary education deals with the ability to teach. However, the practical aspects of eldership revolve around character. Business management is not the same as church management. Church management must be others-centered and relational, loving individuals. 

Both of the letters of Peter refer to churches which Peter did not found. In writing these letters, he is exercising authority over churches he has not planted, yet they are expected to obey his exhortations. By demonstrating what a false teacher looks like, those in the church can know what a good leader should look like. Jesus is the ultimate ruler of the church, so leader are only leaders by appointment of Jesus, and are ultimately slaves of Jesus. They should not be seeking to build themselves up, but to build up the body of Christ and others. 

The elder must be one who acts, who leads by example. Elders should be expected to live well and stay with their flock even through adversity. Leaders must set the example of humility and mutual submission. If elders and leaders do not model this, who will the congregation look to for guidance in this? 

The shepherds should follow the chief shepherd, not be the lord of the manner. Elders in the church must clearly and publicly submit themselves to Christ before the congregation submits to them. The elder should not expect the congregation to follow them if they are not following the Lord. However, on the other hand, the congregation should not rebel against the leaders insofar as they can follow the Lord even though the leader is not following the Lord. The ultimate leader of the church must be Jesus, and all members must submit to Him. 

Ultimately, leadership in the church should look like Jesus’ leadership. Jesus was others-centered. His entire mission was the mission to save mankind and reconcile them to God. This should be the desire of all Christian leaders, to help mankind to know Christ and to be reconciled to God through Him. Leaders must not be self-serving or desire that the congregation serve them, but ultimately must submit themselves to Christ first. When the leader does submit himself to Christ, the congregation should be ready to submit themselves to him, as far as he submits himself to Christ. When there is a conflict of desires, the church should follow the direction of Christ. However, where there is no explicit command of God, the congregation should submit to the leaders of the church as faithfully as possible as a sign of their love for the Lord.