Imitation of Paul's Leadership, Part 1

Introduction

“[Paul] was born to a destiny. Later in life, he understood this and commented that God had set him apart even from the time of his conception. He would find that the Lord had been preparing him all his life for his calling, and for the journeys that were planned for him…. (Ephesians 2:6– 10).”[1] It was God’s plan for Paul to be an apostle of Jesus and to do all that was recorded about him and more. This is the same apostle that has contributed almost half of all the New Testament books, who traveled extensively and established many fellowships, and also exhibits and sets forth a worthy example for modern Christians to emulate. Examining the person of Paul, his leadership characteristics, his leadership in salient pericopes from the New Testament, analyzing his criteria for Christian leaders, and discussing how to emulate his leadership will aid modern Christian leaders in conducting the New Testament church in a manner that is more pleasing to the Lord. Because “[T]oday's Christian leaders have much to learn from Paul. As a matter of fact, Paul himself invites others to take the lead from him. In his first letter to Corinthians, Paul boldly exhorts them: ‘Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ’ (I Cor. 11:1).”[2]

Paul’s Leadership

To understand the leadership of Paul it helps to first understand more about the person of Paul as it directly influences how he leads. This is true with anybody. One can only lead out of who they are. After briefly covering Paul’s personality the characteristics of his leadership will be examined.

The Person of Paul

Lea and Black state that “Paul’s personality was as varied and sparkling as a multifaceted diamond. In matters of doctrinal importance, he could be as unbending as hardened steel. In debatable issues, he was as pliable as rubber. His relationship with his churches alternated between supportive love and strong but compassionate rebuke.”[3] Moreover, they say that Paul was unyielding under pressure, had unusual physical stamina, and had unusual emotional stamina.[4] In an article on the apostle Paul, America The Jesuit Review says that Paul was a genius.[5]

This is a common and ancient assessment of Paul from specialists of every (or no) persuasion who have extensively studied his writings. His writings were so profound that they were used by defenders of the faith who were themselves recognized as brilliant thinkers. And as with most geniuses, Paul often expressed himself in leaps we do not follow easily. This type of realization has left us the understatement in 2 Pt 3:16 that in Paul’s letters ‘there are some things hard to understand.’[6]

They also assert that he was educated beyond the normal, even far beyond the normal.[7] To substantiate their claim, they say that Paul studied under Gamaliel, the greatest Jewish teacher of the first century and that he grew up in a type of university town, Tarsus.[8] This means that with Gamaliel, he would have “learned the most abstruse meanings of Jewish tradition and the varied and complicated methods of Jewish interpretation of their Scriptures. He would have become very adept at arguing over the significance of scriptural texts.”[9] And in Tarsus while growing up, he would have had “access to some of the profound philosophies of his time, attendant with methods and argumentation practiced in the philosophical schools and circles.”[10] And with all Jewish people, which would include Paul, as the article says, they are very emotional and are not afraid of showing their emotions in public whether they are pleasing or not.[11]

In a survey of a final author on the matter of the person of Paul, W.S. Reilly, in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, states that the Apostle Paul was sensible, emotional, had a passionate temperament, strong-willed, enthusiastic, persevering, love for Christ, gratitude toward our Lord, confidence, humility, fraternal charity, and intelligence (genius and the church’s first theologian).[12] All commentators agree that Paul had a very well-rounded and mature personality attached with a high mental aptitude and considerable education.

Now with a better understanding of the person of Paul, which will aid in illuminating Paul’s leadership, the characteristics of his leadership will be discussed.

The next post in the series will cover the characteristics of Paul's leadership.

Footnotes [1]Neil Cole, Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2011), 5. [2]Jae Kee Lee, “Leadership Characteristics of the Apostle Paul That Can Provide a Model to Today’s BBFK Pastors” (Doctoral thesis, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003), 2. [3]Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament: Its Background and Message (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2003), 345. [4]Ibid. [5]America The Jesuit Review, “A Complicated Apostle: Who was St. Paul?,” accessed June 22, 2020, https://www.americamagazine.org/issue/675/article/complicated-apostle. [6]Ibid. [7]Ibid. [8]Ibid. [9]Ibid. [10]Ibid. [11]Ibid. [12]W.S. Reilly, "CHARACTERISTICS OF ST. PAUL," The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 3, no. 3 (1941): 214-19, accessed June 22, 2020, www.jstor.org/stable/43719604.