Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
Leadership is a subject that has gained impressive visibility in the past two decades. The number of books, monographs and articles, as well as seminars, devoted to the development of one’s leadership skills has been almost exponential growth. This study is an attempt to forge a full-orbed theology of Christian leadership grounded in the teaching of Scripture. What emerges from tracing the theme of leadership through the biblical record is a servanthood pattern, one that is wholly distinct from prevailing secular models. Our exposition begins with the biblical language of the servant, the term of choice for those great leaders used of God to further his saving purposes in the world. Eleven Old Testament and five New Testament leaders are profiled. The portrait of Jesus Christ focuses on three motifs that governed his training of the twelve for kingdom ministry. The Pauline letters are mined for those convictions that governed Paul’s practice of leadership, both of his mission team and of the faith communities that emerged from that mission. The treatment of each leader, from Joseph to Paul, begins with a series of preliminary questions and concludes with a mini-profile that correlates the biblical data with these questions. The final chapter offers a summary profile of the servant leader, one whose character, motives and agenda align with the divine purposes. Though designed as a textbook for upper level college and seminary courses on leadership, the book’s readable format is ideal for churches and parachurch organizations in their leadership training programs. The author’s prayer is that this work will serve as a catalyst to call God’s people back to Scripture and thereby raise up a whole new generation of authentic servant-leaders.
This is a Logos Reader Edition. Learn more.
Top Highlights
“One who is called and gifted to lead must first be tested and validated.” (Page 27)
“Leadership in the kingdom of God, however, was unlike other models of leadership they had encountered. Here was a kingdom where hearts governed by a childlike dependence would rule, and where the ladder of success was achieved not by ascending but by descending its rungs. This is the third essential principle Jesus imparted to the disciples as leaders-in-training: greatness in God’s kingdom consists in imitating the Son of man who came not to be served, but to serve.” (Page 189)
“A child, however, has not yet mastered the adult arts of manipulation, self-aggrandizement, and political maneuvering. There is a trust, a simplicity of motive free from concern for social status, in a child that the disciples must study and imitate. To those with childlike hearts God reveals his hidden treasures of wisdom (Mt 11:25) and promotes to places of unexpected prominence (18:4).” (Page 190)
“Jesus set forth those attitudinal qualities that must govern the disciples’ relationships with one another and with outsiders: humility, generosity, seriousness, purity, compassion, prayerful agreement, reconciliation and forgiveness. Jesus invited them as aspiring leaders to embrace servanthood not lordship. For these ambitious people who imagined themselves the vice regents of an advancing kingdom, this lesson was the most difficult test of all.” (Page 190)
“Third, the spirit of forgiveness (17:3–4) and trust (17:5–6) must be accompanied by the attitude of a servant bound by a resolve to obey and overwhelmed with gratitude at the privilege of serving.” (Page 194)