APOSTLE PAUL ON LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

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LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY IN THE CHURCH

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Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this Pastoral epistle to Titus as a guide to effective Christian leadership. The epistle gives insight into the problems that confronted the fledgling Cretian church and the Apostle’s recommended leadership response and attitude to them. The need to maintain centrality of God’s word in doctrine and Christian conduct, the attributes and qualifications for leadership in the church and the danger posed by false teachers and false doctrines are highlighted by the Apostle in this epistle. He affirmed that ”in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee” (1 Timothy 4:16). Thus, leadership responsibility in today’s church consists in teaching and preserving sound doctrines of Christ once delivered to the saint.

Paul’s salutation and introduction
In the introductory part of his epistle to Titus, Apostle Paul betrayed some of his personal attributes worthy of emulation. He expressed important foundational truths which every Christian leader must appreciate.

”Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness” –Titus 1:1.

By describing himself as a servant of God the apostle implied, first, that the highest officer in the church is but a servant of God and of His church. Therefore, in conduct and character, leaders in the church must act only as it is consistent with the demands and interests of God’s kingdom and will. They must serve

“Not with eye service, as men pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of god from the heart.” – Ephesians 6:6.

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Leadership in the church is appointed by God just as Paul was called on his way to Damascus ”according to the commandment of God our savior.” When he encountered Christ on his way to Damascus (Acts 9:15,17). |A true call to ministry ad leadership ought to come from the spirit of God and Spirit-led leadership in the church. All who would be called to leadership must have first encountered Christ personally and had a genuine experience of salvation. Without the approval of God who inclines the heart, authorizes and gives support to church leadership, taking the honor of spiritual leadership leads to frustration and failure. It behooves the appointing minister also to prayerfully secure the Spirit’s approval before making appointments in the church.
The purpose and objective of leadership in the church should be clearly defined in the leader’s mind and made always the focus of his prayer.

”For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee” – Titus 1:5
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The Urgent nature and expansiveness of the work of the gospel often demands that a leader may have to consolidate or build upon what has been started by another. Paul the apostle said ”I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” — 1 Corinthians 3:6. Thus, Titus was commissioned to attend to those issues in the Cretian church which the Apostle could not have time to deal with.

A good leader should not only be willing to engage other hands in what God had used him to start, he must ensure that such delegation is committed to faithful and capable hands to carry on. In the case of new converts, those to be entrusted with the precious souls must have the heart of a true leader and are as dedicated as ”…a nurse cherisheth her children.” — 1 Thessalonians 2:7.

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Apostle Paul’s humility as a leader instructive. He never scorned the contribution of others who were of lower spiritual rank to the work of the ministry. Again, although Titus was below the Apostle spiritually, he undoubtedly had grown and risen above those elders he was to appoint. The Scripture enjoins all believers and particularly church leaders to ”study to show thyself approved unto god, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” — 2 Timothy 2:15.

Knowledge comes with study and spiritual growth with obedience to god’s words and prayers of consecration. These will place leaders ahead and make them capable of helping the congregation, repairing what is amiss and supplying what is lacking.

In his valedictory exhortation to the church leaders at Troas, the Apostle summarized the basic responsibilities of church leadership thus:

”Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood”. — Acts 20:28. Bible verse

Apostle Paul did not only point out responsibilities, he also outlined clearly the qualifications and manners of life of those to be appointed as ministers, elders and leaders.

”If any be blameless….” — Titus 1:6. A leader must have a good reputation both within and without the church so that he will not bring reproach to the high and holy office of church leadership.

”The husband of one wife” — Titus 1:6. This implies that he must not have divorced his wife and remarried. Also, the minister must eschew polygamy and be married to only one wife at a time.

”Having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly” — Titus 1:6. The minister’s children must be properly brought up according to the standard of the gospel.

”..not self willed, not soon angry, not given to wine..” — Titus 1:7. A leader must not always insist on his own opinion or be given to temper. The sin of drunkenness is a reproach to the exalted office of church leadership. The exhortation to all believers is, ”Be not drunk with wine…. But be filled with the Spirit” – Ephesians 5:18.

”…no striker” — 1 Timothy 3:3. A person with quarrelsome or vengeful spirit cannot effectively lead the flock of Christ.

”…not given to filthy lucre” — Titus 1:7. Church leaders must never make monetary gains or material comfort there driving interest.

”a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate” — Titus 1:8. The minister must be of such temperament in order to cheerfully receive visitors and support those in need or distress. He should be inclined to identify with good men even if they are poor. He should be able to control and govern his appetites and passion. Besides, he must hold ”..fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” — Titus 1:9. He must be firm in his be life of the Christian faith and be faithful to the gospel which he preaches.

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Apostle Paul was definite on the need for church leadership to be on guard in order to keep away false teachers and doctrines from the sacred portals of church leadership. He warned that the mouths of false teachers must be stopped, not by the use of physical force but by the force of scriptural truth. Where the peddlers of false doctrines are obstinate and pose a danger of infecting the church by spreading their pernicious influences, then necessary and adequate censures must be applied to preserve the purity of gospel truth in the church. This, according the Scripture, is an important responsibility of church leadership.

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