The Role of Church Leaders According to St. Paul the Apostle
For Christians, Apostle Paul is probably the greatest church builder of all time. He was very concerned that the churches he had founded had good leadership. Quoting his first missionary journey, “Paul and Barabbas chose some of those who had faith in the Lord to be leaders for each church.” (Acts: 14:23). Apostle Paul’s instructions to the church leaders at Ephesus during his last visit with them are stated in the Acts 20:17-35. He also emphasized on the characters required of leaders stated in his letters to Timothy and Titus. However, for the church to be a true community, modeling the kind community that exists between members of the Trinity, it is crucial to remember both the requirements and limitations of leadership.
It instructive to see how little the letters of the New Testament have to mention about leaders. They are only addressed to all the Christians in a given place. As for St. Paul, he does incorporate the “bishops and deacons” together with the rest of the believers stated in his opening address to the Christians at Philippi. And if ever the church needed a strong leadership, it was the church at Corinth which was beset by division and different kinds of problems. However, in the first letter of Paul to them, he did not primarily discuss about the leaders, but the whole community. He addressed the leadership qualities in chapters 3 and 4 and stresses their servant nature, saying that it is God’s field that they are working in. Those leaders will be tested at the judgment based on how well they have built on the only legitimate foundation, who is Jesus Christ. He made mention of the stewardship, nature of leadership, and the dangers of putting these leaders on the pedestal. He reminded them that it is not their eloquence, but the evidence of God’s power at work through their ministry that counts.
The Apostle St. Paul expects the ordinary church members to be more mature enough to figure out their own problems. So, he also had given them plenty of guidelines for doing so. His primary goal for a community is to fully function as a member of the church. He made emphasis on the common responsibility shared by Christians for the life of the church, not with the responsibility of the leadership. He included prophets, teachers, apostles, and administrators enable the church to function as a true community of God. Those who appear to be weaker are indispensable, the significant are to be given with great honor, and they are encouraged to achieve the most useful gifts. Every person is to serve with his or her spiritual gifts and is to be served in his or her certain need.
Many churches Perth are dedicated to live the life that Jesus Christ wants to them to become like doing charity works for the needy and help them strengthen their spiritual health.
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