Imitation of Paul's Leadership, Part 2

Characteristics of Paul’s Leadership

There are various pericopes in the New Testament that illustrate Paul’s leadership and shed light on the characteristics of it. Paul’s leadership is displayed in microcosm in Acts 27 during the telling of his journey from Caesarea to Rome. Regarding the events of Acts 27, “Paul’s leadership was manifest in the most unlikely of situations—in a shipwreck, where he was the lowest-ranking person onboard a ship sailing to Italy. Paul was a prisoner, and prisoners have no authority. That was Paul’s situation in Acts 27 when Paul was on a ship sailing to Rome. Yet, those on the ship listened to him. He had influence.”[1] Bock concurs when he cites Paul’s personality and says that “Paul was not a normal prisoner, as he seemed to have unusual freedom, with his Roman citizenship being an element in the equation …, not to mention the peaceful nature of his long incarceration up to this point.”[2] Despite the dire circumstances, Paul kept his shipmates’ courage up and made known his faith in God.[3]

Another significant pericope in the New Testament that provides insight into Paul’s leadership is 2 Corinthians. As the book was written by Paul to “defend his apostleship and to answer some major threats to his leadership in the church at Corinth.”[4] Furthermore, McArthur says, “[Corinthians] is the most personal, biographical, and passionate of all Paul’s canonical letters – and the richest insight into the quality of his leadership.”[5]

In 2 Corinthians 2, concerning the letter that Paul wrote the church to address the situation of an individual that had spoken out against him, F.F. Bruce says, “Its severe tone might produce the desired effect, but it might, on the other hand, exacerbate the situation. In it, he assured the Corinthians of his love for them, but demanded that they give evidence of the love which they professed for him by acknowledging his apostolic authority and taking disciplinary measures against the man who defied him.”[6] Paul is expressing his love though also expecting reciprocation through an evidential act, specifically by disciplining the defying individual. Later in the book, in 2 Corinthians 10, concerning the Judiazers that were spreading their false teachings in the Corinth church and challenging Paul’s apostolic authority, Bruce states, “If they assert their authority among the Corinthian Christians by lording it over them and living at their expense, Paul will exercise his apostolic freedom by tending his converts with paternal care and spending and being spent for them.”[7] Here Paul is demonstrating fatherly love toward his converts in Corinth.

Malphurs comments that “Paul sensed that he had lost the trust of the Corinthians due to the accusations of certain false apostles (probably legalists) who had challenged his integrity. Consequently, in 2 Corinthians 12:11-19, he appeals to them by reminding them of his apostolic ministry among them along with his love for them. He knew that if they didn’t trust him, they wouldn’t listen to his teaching.”[8] The logical inference here is that Paul’s concern about the Corinthians potentially being unwilling to listen to his teaching is that they would stray from the truth. Thus, his defense of his apostolic ministry was with the intent to ensure that the Corinthians would stay doctrinally orthodox. This coalesces with Horner’s assessment. “Paul demonstrates his leadership through his robust defense of his authority. Had he failed to defend his apostolic authority, the gospel entrusted to him by Christ would have been eviscerated in Corinth. The Corinthians would have been led astray by the pseudo-apostles into following strong, beautiful people who were not dependent on Christ for either their strength or authority.”[9]

Continuing from the previous scenario, Paul in the midst of defending his apostolic authority “infused his rhetoric with a concept foreign to his classical audience: exalting weakness.”[10] Kruse provides an excellent assessment of Paul adeptly shifting the boasting match into an opportunity to boast about weakness when he says, though Paul knows that boasting is foolish, under the circumstances of his converts being infatuated and swayed by the boasting of others, he is compelled to boast, however, he does not boast of his strengths, but of his weaknesses, because God’s power is more evident through human weakness.[11]

Another characteristic of Paul’s leadership was that he demonstrated an interest in strategy and organization. In 2 Corinthians 10:14-16, Paul demonstrates strategy, particularly in v. 15, the passage says “14 We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15 Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16 so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory.” Lea and Black say that Paul was always interested in the organization of the church as evidenced by him and Barnabas appointing elders and him recognizing overseers and deacons and those “who are over you in the Lord (Acts 14:23; Phil 1:1; 1 Thess. 5:12). [12]

Within Paul’s leadership also was the characteristic that he did not do the work of the ministry alone. Forrest and Roden state, “Team ministry characterized Luke’s portrayal of Paul’s journeys throughout the book of Acts. Even before his first journey, Paul was fulfilling his apostolic calling by serving in community with others.”[13] Throughout his journeys, he was always operating within a team ministry context. And Paul who may be considered the greatest church leader in history, he “consistently traveled and shared the ministry with his brothers and sisters. The evidence that Paul exercised leadership in community with others is unequivocal.”[14] And during all of his time with his companions, he developed deep and meaningful relationships with them, which evidences that it was not only team ministry, but also relational team ministry.[15]

Providing a thorough overview of the characteristics of Paul’s leadership, Howell states they are authoritative, exhortational, accountable, affirmatory, sacrificial, and missional.[16] Within each of those Howell further explores various components of each characteristic. Concerning the authoritative characteristic, compliance, confrontation, and warning and rebuke are discussed.[17] Exhortational has the components of encouragement, the exercise of spiritual gifts, voluntary offering, and liberty in nonessentials.[18] A clear conscience, pattern to imitate, defense of integrity, stewardship, judgment seat of Christ, are listed under the characteristic of accountability.[19] Associated with the affirmatory characteristic are family of God, personal greetings, thanksgiving, transparency, and commendation of fellow workers.[20] Humble assessment, vulnerability, strength in weakness, boasting, magnanimity, and suffering servant.[21] The final characteristic, missional, has the components of Gentile evangelism and the pastoral care of the Gentile churches.[22]

It is evident that the person of Paul informed his leadership. He led out of who he was. And that would have informed his church leadership criteria, as he would not have formulated a list of qualifications that he did not embody or that were contradictory to what Christ wants his leaders to be.

The next post in the series on the imitation of Paul's Leadership will discuss Paul's criteria for leadership.

Footnotes [1]Center for Faith and Work, “Leadership Lessons from the Apostle Paul,” accessed June 4, 2020, https://centerforfaithandwork.com/article/leadership-lessons-apostle-paul. [2]Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 728. [3]Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1983), 428. [4]John MacArthur, The Book on Leadership (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2006), 61. [5]Ibid. [6]F.F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1977), 274. [7]Ibid., 278. [8]Aubrey Malphurs, Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003), 51. [9]Jeffery M. Horner, “Leading Like a Fool: An Evaluation of Paul’s Foolishness in 2 Corinthians 11:16-12:13,” Perichoresis 16, 3: 41-42. [10]Ibid. [11]Colin Kruse, 2 Corinthians, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015), 250. [12]Lea and Black, 468. [13]Joseph H. Hellerman, “Community and Relationships: Leadership in Pauline Theology,” in Biblical Leadership: Theology for the Everyday Leader, eds. Benjamin K. Forrest and Chet Roden (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2017), 424. [14]Forrest and Roden, 426. [15]Ibid. [16]Don N. Howell Jr, Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2003), 256-285. [17]Ibid., 257-260. [18]Ibid., 260-264. [19]Ibid., 265-270. [20]Ibid., 271-276. [21]Ibid., 277-282. [22]Ibid., 282-284.