Last week we looked at various styles of leadership clearly demonstrated in the Old Testament and asked questions about their relevance today, including in the Church. This week we will look at Jesus’ leadership style and how this impacted the New Testament ekklesia.

Jesus’ Teaching and Methods

Jesus gave no specific teaching on leadership apart from telling the disciples that they were not to behave like the Gentile rulers who lorded it over the people (Mark 10:42). However, there are many indications of the type of leadership he expected among his followers, because he led by example.

Jesus always saw the potential in each individual rather than their present achievement. He saw Peter the leader of the Jerusalem church in Simon the fisherman. He saw Matthew the Gospel writer in Levi the tax collector. He saw Mary the faithful disciple in the woman taken in adultery. He saw John the beloved disciple who, at the crucifixion, surrounded Jesus’ mother with love and gentleness, in one of the brothers who were known as ‘the sons of thunder’.

Jesus also knew how to bring people’s potential to fulfilment. He always started where people were. People mattered to Jesus. He cared for each individual, even the social outcasts like prostitutes and tax collectors. He didn’t wait until their lives had been transformed and they had reached a certain standard of righteousness before he took notice of them. He cared for them just as they were.

This was what impressed Zaccheus. Jesus was even prepared to honour him by visiting his home (Luke 19:2). For Zaccheus this was the beginning of his changed life. Jesus had accepted him as he was. Now he longed to live a life worthy of such a friend. There can be no doubt that Jesus earned his reputation as the friend of sinners.

‘Beginning where people were’ meant accepting imperfection as the starting point of a new relationship. This is particularly noticeable in Jesus’ dealings with Peter, who both rose to the heights of faith and sank to the depths of denial.

Jesus always saw the potential in each individual rather than their present achievement.

Peter was the first to declare that Jesus was the Messiah, yet he followed this with a very worldly exhortation to Jesus not to speak about his death, which brought a stinging rebuke from Jesus. Peter alone followed Jesus to the courtyard of Caiaphas, where he also denied him. Jesus never ceased to love Peter despite his imperfections. It was to Peter that he sent the first message of his resurrection via the women and when he met the disciples on the seashore, in one of the resurrection appearances, he gave Peter the opportunity to reaffirm his discipleship.

Jesus showed persistent care in his dealings with his own disciples and with all those who were open to his ministry. He gave great love and gentleness to those in need, caring particularly for the humble poor, like blind Bartimaeus who called out to him as he was leaving Jericho and stumbling towards him begged for his sight to be restored.

Jesus had such compassion on the lepers that he touched them - men who were banned from the community as unclean. He had such compassion on the crippled woman who was bent double that he risked the wrath of the Pharisees and healed her on the Sabbath. His persistent care for all his disciples was shown beautifully in his treatment of Mary and Martha following the death of their brother Lazarus. Jesus’ leadership drew intense devotion from all those who accepted him and put their faith in him.

Jesus trained his disciples for leadership. He spent many hours talking with the Twelve as they walked from village to village and town to town, preaching the gospel throughout Galilee and Judea. He talked to them plainly - not in parables as he did to the crowds - and privately he interpreted parables so that they could clearly understand his teaching. Many of his parables were about the Kingdom and this must have featured strongly in his teaching to the Twelve. Jesus also gave his disciples practical training by sending them out on missions and then discussing their experiences with them.

New Testament Church Methods

The kind of leadership exercised by the disciples in the New Testament Church was very different from that of the Old Testament leaders. The Apostles moved among the people and were part of the community of believers. They encouraged everyone to share in the task of witnessing to the resurrection of Jesus and declaring his Messiahship.

They encouraged shared leadership as, for example, when they told the Hellenists to choose seven of their number who were “known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). The Apostles prayed with these men and laid their hands on them, setting them aside for leadership roles within the community — particularly the Hellenist community.

Luke’s account of the Council at Jerusalem in Acts 15 shows the way leadership operated in the New Testament Church. There were leaders present from many different congregations when Paul and Barnabas reported on what God had done among the Gentiles through them. Peter and a number of others spoke and James acted as chairman, but the whole assembly was conscious of being under the direction of the Holy Spirit. James summed up their conclusions fittingly in the words, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28).

The kind of leadership exercised by the disciples in the New Testament Church was very different from that of the Old Testament leaders.

Plurality of Leadership

The New Testament shows no outstanding single leaders exercising independent ministries. Even men of the strength of Paul accepted the principle of the plurality of leadership and travelled with a close companion, such as Barnabas or Silas, and sometimes with a party which included Timothy and Luke the physician-historian.

Settled Leadership

Gradually the itinerant leadership of Apostles such as Peter, Paul and Barnabas, prophets such as Agabus, Judas and Silas and evangelists such as Philip gave way to the settled leadership of locally-based elders, pastors and teachers. Over the years, worldly values have crept in so that today’s leaders are often tempted to revert to Old Testament styles of leadership.

But in the early New Covenant community, the task of leaders was made easy by the total mobilisation of believers and the corporate sharing in the mission of Christ of each one according to his or her spiritual gifting. The leaders were held in high honour but were regarded as of equal status in the community of believers, where Christ was the Head and all the glory was given to him.

Questions for discussion and study:

1. Discuss the statement: Jesus is the greatest example of enabling leadership.

2. The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) shows the New Testament Church practising a plurality of leadership. How may this be practised in the Church today?

3. The ministry gifts in Ephesians 4:11 are often seen as the leadership roles for the Church. How were they used to enable the Body to be built up and active in the New Testament ekklesia and are they still relevant for the Church today?

This article is part of a series drawing lessons from the early Church for today. Click here to read previous instalments.