Av 14
Leadership
“Trustworthy is the word: If a man
longs for the position of an overseer, he desires a good work.” (1Tim 3:1 ISR)
The
‘catch phrase’ in our modern religious circles seems to be ‘the Holy Spirit is
my teacher; I do not need any other’.
Interesting to note is that even in the time of the Apostle Paul,
overseers and elders where a vital and critical part of any given assembly or
congregation, and that to aspire to such a position was a good thing. Depending on the
translation you are reading, the word that is used in our opening verse can be
bishop, overseer, elder, shepherd, superintendent, or congregational leader;
all of these titles imply a role of leadership over a group of other people.
This
concept is nothing new; Jethro, the father-in-law to Moses, recommended to
Moses that he appoint just such leaders: rulers over thousands, over hundreds,
over fifties, and over tens (see Ex 18:21-22).
Many of the qualifications needed in Ex 18:20 are also found in 1Tim 3,
which is most likely the foundation Paul used as he was writing these
instructions to Timothy. Good leadership
is critical; however, it seems as if there is a dearth (scarcity, lack of) of
qualified, anointed and appointed leadership available today.
Just
because someone can speak, read and write Hebrew does not automatically make
them leadership material. Just because
someone’s father was a Rabbi does not mean the son should be the same. Just because someone excels at public
speaking, and can successfully motivate a crowd, does not mean they are then
qualified to stand behind a podium. An
individual with all of these qualifications I have mentioned might be someone
to consider in a leadership position;
however, there are still further attributes needed before an appointment can be
made.
Stay
tuned for further installments!
©2018
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