Characteristics of Biblical Leadership

Introduction

Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines characteristic as “a special quality or trait that makes a person, thing or group different from others.”^[1] Furthermore, that a characteristic is “something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind.”^[2] Notable synonyms are “attribute, attribution, criterion, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait.”^[3] These words reveal that a person’s character is a reflection of their characteristic qualities. While certainly not exhaustive, this writer has identified 16 characteristics that define the character of Biblical leadership. One cannot say one characteristic is more important than another. Neither can it be said that any mere human has every characteristic quality to its fullest degree. The following research is a discussion on the characteristics of Biblical leadership.

Plurality

The first word, then, that would begin to define Biblical leadership is plurality. Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, is the only human qualified to be the sole Head of the church (Colossians 1:18).^[4] In His ministry before His crucifixion, Jesus presented Himself to His disciples as the prototype of a Biblical leader. In Matthew 23, Jesus exposed the bad leadership qualities of the Scribes and Pharisees and cautioned his disciples not to be like them. Brian H. Wagner says concerning Matthew 23 that “the Lord was requiring all His future disciples to test their leadership style against his past bad example of religious leadership, and that testing requirement continues for Christian leaders today.”^[5] While Peter was given a special privilege (Matthew 16:19), he did not use that privilege to promote his own agenda (Acts 1:15–26). Plurality in leadership as coequals prevents a single person from rising to the top and acting as the head of a group.

Humility

A second word that would be characteristic of Biblical leadership is humility. The Greek word translated in the NASB is ταπεινοφροσύνη, “lowliness of mind.”^[6] Paul defines true humility in Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Constable says that Jesus “was willing to undergo ‘death on a cross,’ by crucifixion, a form of execution that was without equal in its pain and humiliation.”^[7] Jesus humbly rejected the offer by Satan for Jesus to rule over the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8–10). Humility is the act of setting aside one’s own agenda and pushing forward an agenda for the good of others. The antithesis of humility is pride or high-mindedness. While the prideful leader is interested in his own plan, the character of a Biblical leader is marked by an interest only in God’s plan. A number of the 16 characteristics of Biblical leadership could fit into the envelope of humility.^[8]

Servitude

A third word for defining the characteristics of Biblical leadership is servitude, the attitude of a servant. The concept of a servant comes from two Greek words in the New Testament. Paul uses the first word of himself in Titus 1:1, calling himself the “bond-servant” of God. The bondslave willingly submits to the will of the Divine Master and seeks to glorify only Him. Kent says that “this characteristic should be true of all Christians.”^[9] The second word in the concept of a servant is διάκονος, which means in order by usage “servant, minister, deacon.” While the noun form would indicate the office of deacon, the verb form suggests the function of a servant. The Biblical role of a servant is in service to others, in particular those in the body of Christ. The servant ministers to fellow members of the body through teaching sound doctrine, exhortation, and distribution of sustenance to those in dire need.^[10]

Faithfulness

The final word in this research on the characteristics of Biblical leadership is faithfulness. Paul said in 2 Timothy 2:2 “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” The word for faithful here is the Greek word πιστός. It is a verbal adjective that ascribes the attribute of trust to a noun or pronoun. In the context of 2 Timothy 2:2, Timothy is charged with teaching men who will, in turn, be faithful in teaching those principles to other men. Guthrie says, “No doubt exists as to the precise nature of the tradition and doctrine to be transmitted, for Timothy had heard them from Paul’s own lips.”^[11] They must be faithful in presenting an unperverted gospel, living a godly life, and refuting those who teach otherwise. Of the 16 mentioned words that characterize Biblical leadership, testing fits very well here. Biblical leadership will undoubtedly come with testing, which requires faithfulness if one is living by everything Paul entrusted to Timothy.

Conclusion

It is clear from this research that the modern church has mostly abandoned the characteristics of Biblical leadership. The Roman Catholic Church has adopted a hierarchy of bishops over the churches with the bishop of Rome alone at the head. Most protestant churches have a similar form of leadership, with the executive pastor as the head of the local body. Insolent pride exists in the top levels of the mega-church movement. Leaders no longer serve to bring God glory but to satisfy selfish pleasure-seeking glory for themselves. There is no faithfulness to the pure gospel nor to godly living, the sound doctrine that Paul entrusted to Timothy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Constable, Thomas. Thomas Constable’s Notes on the Bible. Vol. 10. 12 vols. Tyndale Seminary Press, 2017.

Guthrie, Donald. The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament commentaries v. 14. Nottingham, England : Downers Grove, Ill: Inter-Varsity Press ; Intervarsity Press, 2009.

Kent, Homer Austin. The Pastoral Epistles: Studies in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Winona Lake: BMH Books, 2001.

Vine, W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers, 2003.

Wagner, Brian H. “The Priority Of The New Testament In Developing A Christian Philosophy Of Leadership.” Journal of Dispensational Theology 16, no. 49 (2012).

“Definition of CHARACTERISTIC.” Accessed November 9, 2021. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characteristic.

“Thesaurus Results for CHARACTERISTIC.” Accessed November 9, 2021. https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristic.

1. “Definition of CHARACTERISTIC,” accessed November 9, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characteristic. ↑
2. “Thesaurus Results for CHARACTERISTIC,” accessed November 9, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristic. ↑
3. Ibid ↑
4. Scripture quotations are from the NASB. ↑
5. Brian H. Wagner, “The Priority Of The New Testament In Developing A Christian Philosophy Of Leadership,” Journal of Dispensational Theology 16, no. 49 (2012). Page 46 ↑
6. W. E Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words (Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers, 2003). page 569 ↑
7. Thomas Constable, Thomas Constable’s Notes on the Bible, vol. 10, 12 vols. (Tyndale Seminary Press, 2017). Page 36 ↑
8. Selflessness, desire (2 Timothy 3:1), reputation, a godly life, maturity, dignity, pure speech, being an example to others (Acts 20:17–35), exhortation. ↑
9. Homer Austin Kent, The Pastoral Epistles: Studies in 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus (Winona Lake: BMH Books, 2001). Page 209-210 ↑
10. Of the 16 characteristics mentioned in the introduction, servant would also encompass good management skills and stewardship. ↑
11. Donald Guthrie, The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament commentaries v. 14 (Nottingham, England : Downers Grove, Ill: Inter-Varsity Press ; Intervarsity Press, 2009). Page 111 ↑