I started doing some study this week on leadership in the Bible.  I thought it would be good to state what this is, what it is not, and what I hope to accomplish.

- What this study is -

I want this study to be a biblical analysis of a subject that has functioned largely outside of the Bible, or in a way that more closely reflects the Old Testament bureaucracy and not the New Testament idea of the priesthood of all believers.

I firmly believe that a fatal flaw in all of humanity is our desire to pass the buck and to shirk our responsibilities.  We see this with Adam in Genesis 3, and subsequently he blames Eve for his inability to take responsibility.  I believe we, as Israel and others before us, have abdicated our God-given responsibility to be priests to our God and fulfill our roles “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood” (Eph.4:13a).

We have elevated some and begged them (like the Hebrews at Mt.Sinai) to speak to God for us.  In the mean time, we have separated our religion from our daily practice.  Leaders often wonder why they can’t get discipleship across, and it is because of the very traditions and practices that are nurtured.  The whole system is flawed.  Something must be done to regain what was intended for each and every believer.

- What this is not -

First off, this is not a rant from a dissatisfied believer.  Yes, I do think there can be more.  I do think each believer is to play an integral role, and that a mentality like that must be recaptured.  But it must be done biblically, not just argumentatively.  I have felt these ways for some time, and I hope that some feel the same way.  God has no doubt used our old ways, but what we see today differs significantly from what we see in Acts.  If we can believe for one second that the same Spirit at work there is the same Spirit at work today, then it must be our practice that has allowed the radical difference in expression of ecclesia (gathering).

- What I hope to accomplish -

I really want to provoke thought.  I want people to analyze why they have done what they have, and if our traditions are biblical.  I want to analyze what Christ-like leadership is, and start a dialogue of learning.  I am weary of church leadership looking more like Rockefeller’s horizontal leadership than the leadership analyzed in Acts, Titus, and Timothy.   I don’t know if anyone will even read this, but I know that I will benefit significantly from the study.

If you’ve read this, thanks.  If you have any comments feel free to leave them.  Until next time…

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