Who Died and Made You the Boss?
One of the great things about Christianity is that the Supreme Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, is eternal and therefore, His leadership role has no end[1]. But what of those that carry out the places of secondary leadership, or leadership on the earth, while we wait for the consummation of His Kingdom? Christ appointed the original twelve apostles, and another born out of “due time”, namely, the apostle Paul. Unfortunately, these men all died. So, who is supposed to lead following their death? Who becomes the “new boss”, so-to-speak?
As with most things, the beginning of the early church had a somewhat fluid structure and was highly flexible. When we search the Scriptures, we see passages like Acts 13:1-3. “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers … While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.” In this narrative, we find both prophets and teachers mentioned. Therefore, when we are told that the Holy Spirit says, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” We are led to assume a charismatic leadership and that the Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets and teachers that were present.
This is further emphasized in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he writes that, “… Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” At least four pertinent things may be observed from this text. First, Paul tethers the leadership of the church to the gifting of Christ Jesus. Second, the leadership offices or giftings are present to accomplish a specific purpose – the edification, unity, and increase of the church. Third, it appears that there is an implication of a team approach to the leadership of the church. Finally, it appears that Paul lists out five leadership giftings. However, on further examination, the structure of the Greek may incline us to interpret the last two giftings as a single gift, namely, a teacher that shepherds. Could this be the gifting of an elder or overseer?[2][3][4]”
This passage from Ephesians, gives us critical insight into the leadership structure of the early church. Several of the leadership giftings, we might categorize as the Charismatic Leaders. This would include the Apostle, Prophet, and perhaps the Evangelist. Even though these early church leaders were not appointed by man but directly by God, they were still involved in the mix of the leadership structure of the churches. We must remember that this isn’t necessarily a “one-size-fits-all” conversation. The leadership in the early church was fluid and team oriented.
The remaining leadership gifting in the passage from Ephesians, Teachers that Shepherd, represents the Appointed Leaders. This group is mainly comprised of Elders and Overseers/Bishops, which are both appointed and/or recognized roles within the church. If we look at the etymology of these words, prior to their use in Scripture, we may discern something of their meaning. We find that the term elder has both a secular and religious connotation. Essentially, it comes to mean someone that is older, mature with wisdom and/or social standing, or a leader in the synagogue. The idea of an overseer may be primarily derived from its secular use in relation to trade guilds. The word episkopos (overseer) carries the connotation of a supervisor or manager. It is interesting that we see it used in the opening of Paul’s epistle to the Philippians, especially considering that Lydia, in whose house the first church met, may have been an overseer in a secular sense and in relation to the church.
Furthermore, while it is not listed in the four anointings that were identified as leadership giftings, we cannot forget those that represent Servant Leaders. They are reflected in the verse immediately following, where the apostle writes, “… to equip his people for works of service…[5]”. This group would most immediately be recognized as the deacons/deaconesses of the church. Originally called out in Acts 6, these individuals help by serving in various ways. A closer look at, what we would today recognize as, the office of deacon will provide some insight into the formation of early church leadership structure. Deacons were appointed to fulfill a certain function (Acts 6). As the church, and the need for servant leaders continued to grow, individuals were given the title of deacon/deaconess to accommodate the rising demand (Romans 16). Until finally, around 117CE, Ignatius developed the three-fold office for church leadership, naming them Bishop, Presbyter, and Deacon.
When I read of the mutual effort, participation, and community that took place in the leadership of the early church, I am tempted to become a little disappointed in the structures of our own day. Have we become so rigid that we have suffocated the life out of our congregations? Have we become so focused on offices and positions that we have neglected the charismatic nature of leadership? If so, how can we correct this egregious error?
[1] Hebrews 7:23-25
[2] 1st Timothy 3:1-15 references the necessity of an overseer being able or apt to teach.
[3] While not necessarily synonymous, there is obviously some overlap because the Ephesian elders are charged with the shepherding of the flock and given the title as overseers (Acts 20:28).
[4] Other possible confirmations are found in 1st Peter 5:1-6 and Titus 1:5-9. Both appear to use Elder and Overseer/Bishop interchangeably. Likewise, Clement uses Presbyters (Elders) and Bishops/Overseers interchangeably in 1 Clement 42-45.
[5] Ephesians 4:12