Saul of tarsus definition of leadership

If the number of conferences and books addressing an issue is any indication of the level of interest or importance of a matter, then ‘leadership’ is the flavour of the moment, both in the secular world and in Christian circles. This interest is, of course, not just theoretical. Many people share a deep desire to improve, shape, strengthen, critique or replace the leadership we have—whether it be secular, sporting, political, Christian or whatever.

In this article I am going to focus in on one biblical perspective that might help us to make sense of the current ‘leadership’ fascination—and that is the leadership of the apostle Paul. And given the breadth even of that topic, I’m going to be selective. I am not going to consider what Paul says about leadership in theory, or the leadership of others. I’m going to attempt to paint a picture of Paul’s own leadership: his practice rather than his teaching. And this picture will be painted using only his own words. I’ll be leaving aside the material in Acts, not because I have any doubts about the historicity of Luke’s account, but because there is benefit to be found in observing Paul on his own terms using what his own letters say about his leadership.

It’s not in a vacuum, however—I’m also going to reflect on three current challenges to the portrayal of leadership seen in Paul’s letters: (1) the view that Paul did not believe in ‘leadership’ and that Christian communities were to be led by the Spirit as egalitarian fellowships; (2) the view that Paul’s leadership was malevolent and self-interested; and (3) the view that Christian leadership is built on the ‘best practice’ of secular (or corporate) leadership.

My hope is that this brief glimpse will stimulate thought and shed light on Christian leadership—not the hypothetical ideal of Christian leadership, but the embodiment of it, albeit through a somewhat unique example.

Was Paul into ‘leadership’?

The first step is to clarify the term ‘leadership’. What would

Paul's Servant Leadership

1. Running Head: SERVANT LEADERSHIP – A CASE STUDY OF THE APOSTLE PAUL 1 Servant Leadership – A Case Study of the Apostle Paul Carol Arnold and Joanne Weddle Friends University

2. SERVANT LEADERSHIP – A CASE STUDY OF THE APOSTLE PAUL 2 Introduction: In Servant Leadership “true leadership emerges from those whose primary motivation is a deep desire to help others. Servant leadership is a very moral position, putting the well-being of the followers before other goals.”(Greenleaf, 1977) A prime example of a Servant Leader is the Bible’s Apostle Paul, “whose leadership strength is without equal.”(Roulet, 2013) If Paul were alive today, he would be amazed that he provides “the 21st-century leaders with a virtual perfect model for modern leadership.”(Roulet, 2013) A servant leader places the needs of others above their own needs. Servant Leaders are often found working in charitable organizations or community outreach projects thou not always. Though Paul held many different traits of other leadership styles, his dominate style was predominately Servant Leadership. The Apostle Paul: Paul modeled the leadership traits and values which his followers adopted. These traits, values and beliefs were replicated throughout his worldly travels, and has also transcended time impacting modern generations. His message continues to reach modern generations and will for years to come. This can be attributed to the exponential growth of both early Christianity and Paul’s teaching leadership style. Paul’s personal experiences with many cultures, geopolitical environments, and trade routes as a business man, allowed him to adapt and respect those around him. This made him very effective in a variety of circumstances. Paul impacted people from many different socio-economical statuses, to include those in utter complete poverty, prisoners, politicians, businessmen, differing religious sects, royal courts, Greeks, Romans, and many other cultures. Paul

Timothy leadership

This morning we begin chapter three of 1 Timothy. We are about midway through our Call of Duty series – our look at Paul’s letter to Timothy to find our responsibilities as Christians. I don’t know how you feel about this sermon series so far, but for me – it has been very challenging. It has been challenging to study and try to learn just what it is that God wants us to know through this book. It’s been challenging to then accurately pass that lesson on to you – to make sure that what I’m preaching is what the Bible says – not my own ideas or the ideas of the culture around us. And then it’s been challenging to apply all this to my own life and to the life of our church. So as I said, It’s been a very challenging series for me – and I hope you’ve been challenged as well.

Now today, I think we are going to continue to be challenged. Today we are going to be looking a little more in depth at God’s design for the leadership of the church. Now of course, Christ is the head of the church. He is our ultimate authority in all things. We can read about that in Ephesians 5 or 1 Corinthians 11. But I think we all understand and accept that, so I won’t spend spend a lot of time on that point. But where I want to look this morning is at the human leadership of the church. How has God designed the church leadership to function? What are the roles that God has set out for us? And are we following God’s design in our church? And what difference does it make in your life anyway? These are the questions we want to look at this morning. So let’s being with a word of prayer.

1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.” 2 So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. 3 He must not be a heavy drinker or be vio

Lessons from apostle paul

3 Essentials in Paul’s Letters for All Leaders
Paul called early Christians “brother” even when he was admonishing them — which he often did, as he worked to explain God’s enduring love and Christ’s saving sacrifice on the cross. Consider Paul’s critical task; to grow the new Church and to spread Jesus’ message to all mankind. Paul took this task seriously, and also took seriously his leadership role.
In calling others “brother” and “sister” Paul immediately shows, with a simple affectionate salutation, that he does not feel himself above the people, but instead, with the people. Leaders today could do well to emulate Paul; a good leader encourages and supports others, but never puts himself personally above others.
Paul was also a loving leader, concerned for his team. In 2 Corinthians 2:13, Paul writes, "I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia.”
Here’s the backstory: With some anguish, Paul had written a letter to tell the Corinthians, telling them that they must correct a man among them (we don’t know what this man had done, but it was likely something against Paul or the Gospel). Paul had earlier sent Titus, himself an early missionary and church leader, ahead with this letter that grieved him to write, and he was expecting to meet Titus in the town of Troas, a Greek city located on the Aegean Sea, to learn the Corinthians' response to it.
Paul did not find Titus in Troas, however. His co-worker in ministry was missing, causing Paul to feel “restless in his spirit.” Was Paul worried that something bad had befallen Titus? Was this a concern for their ministry? Unable to concentrate on the ministry, Paul returned to Macedonia.
Paul shows concern for his brother — a man who was essentially his co-worker — in spreading the gospel. And in 1 Corinthians 4:17, he calls another brother in Christ, Timothy, his “son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord.” P