Essentials Of The Faith / Adult Sunday School Class / Christian Leadership

New Testament Textual Support

II. N.T. Textual Support for Church Leadership

 A. Overview:
        Christian Leadership is addressed in the NT in a number of places. Churches are told     how to relate to their leaders and leaders are told how to relate both to their role as     leader as well as to those they lead.

ACTION:  Read 1 Cor. 16:15-18

        Paul urged the church to recognize the household of Stephanas and to 'be in subjection to such men'.

QUESTION:
       1. What is Paul saying to the Corinthian Believers about these men?
       2. Why should these men be honored in this way?
       3. How was the church to relate to these men?
       4. What is the basis for their leadership?
       5. What do you think about this passage? How do you feel about what it is saying?

ACTION:  Read 1 Tim. 5:17

QUESTION:
       1. What attitude should be shown to those who rule well?
       2. What does the word 'rule' mean to you?
       3. How does the word 'rule' make you feel?
       4. What subgroup is mentioned here?
       5. What does Paul say about this group?
       6. What does this mean to you?
       7. How are we to relate this to 1 Cor. 16:15-18?

       Paul basically says, good leaders deserve good followers. Paul exhorts both leader and led to cloth themselves with humility. The church is to willingly place themselves und erthe the authority of those who have been given leadership responsibilities.

ACTION:  Read 1 Thess. 5:12-13

       The first reference to the object addressed in this verse is 'those who.........among you'

QUESTION:
       1. Do you think this refers to an office in the church?
       2. Why? or Why not?
       3. What qualifies one to be appreciated?
       4. What do you think Paul had in mind when he told Believers to appreciate these people?

       The second reference to the object addressed in this text is 'and .............you in the Lord'

QUESTION:
       1. What does this description suggest?
       2. What do you think those so designated actually do?

       A third reference to the object address in this verse is 'and give you ..............'

QUESTION:
       1. How would a group or individual do that in a church?
       2. What reason did Paul give for such a response?

ACTION:  Read  Hebrews 13: 7, 17, 24

       These verses suggests the presence of people who were responsible to ...........the church.

QUESTION:
        1. What do these statements suggest to you about a church?

            -Vs 24 while suggesting little else about the subject, does recognize the presence of two groups  in the church: leaders
             and saints.

            -Vs. 17 suggested a way the church could relate to it's leaders that is profitable to the church.
                    -'let them do this with  joy and negatively 'and not with grief'

QUESTION:
        1. What do you think the HS is urging the reader to do?
        2. What are some specific ways a church could ' let them do this with joy'?
        3. What are some ways churches 'let them do this with grief'?
        4. What usually happens when you disagree with one or all of the church leaders?
        5. How should one disagree with a leader in the church?

       Every member in the flock must grant to the leadership all proper deference and great respect.
          (Heb. 13:7,17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13)

       If someone in the flock disagrees in his heart with a leader, he must approach that leader in all humility and submission that acknowledges the leader, his position and authority that God has granted to him. But he must always remember that the authority to which he submits is not theirs but is the authority of Christ. When a member finds himself at odds, Biblically, with a leader, he must be careful about  the manner in which he differs. He may not do so in  a rebellious or independent spirit.
(We are to labor to be of one mind Phil. 4:2)

QUESTION:
        1. Why doesn't this always happen?
        2. What happens if you can't come to an agreement with a leader or leadership in the church and you have done all the
            'right' things?  Such as: gone to them, openly and  honestly discussed you issue, searched the Word of God together,
            prayed about it together and apart.

              -You have two and only two options:
                  1. You agree to disagree and keep your dissent to yourself.
                  2. You agree to disagree but leave the church.

ACTION:  Read Matt. 20:25-28

       -Vs. 25  Jesus gave His disciples and example of leadership.
            -'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles ________ it ______ them and their great men exercise ___________ over
              them'

       -Vs. 26 What should be true about Christian leaders?  It is not found among them

QUESTION:
       1. Explain the reason given for this teaching given in vs. 20-24.
       2. What were the paths to greatness and firstness for Christian leaders?  servant / slave
       3. How many can be great?   How many can be first?
       4. Who is lower on the social scale, a servant or a slave? slave
       5. What is Jesus' point about Christian leadership?

ACTION:  Read Acts 20:17,28

QUESTION:
       1. Who did the Elders have responsibility for? themselves       (the flock)
       2. Who had placed them in their position?  (HS)
       3. What did Paul call their position?  (Elder    Overseer)
       4. What specifically were they to do with the church? (shepherd it)
       5. What did Paul emphasize in the way he described the church?

ACTION:  Read  1 Peter 5:1-6

QUESTION:
       1. Who is Peter exhorting? (Elders)
       2. In what role did Peter address the Elders?   (fellow elder)
       3. What did Peter command the Elders to do?
       4. What does that suggest to you?
       5. How did Peter tell the Elders to shepherd the flock?
       6. What should motivate an Elder to serve faithfully?
       7. What is to be the characteristic of both the Elder and the flock? (humility)