A Good Leader Is Hard to Find

James Rochford
1 Timothy 3:1-2

Requirements for leadership in the Christian church are not dependent upon charismatic personality, brilliant thinking, or phenomenal gifting. Fortunately, it is based on things under everyone's control; their character. The essentials of leadership are having good character, being a hard worker, and being trustworthy. People like to follow people with these qualities. All of these things can be learned!

Should Women Lead and Teach in Christian Community?

Conrad Hilario
1 Timothy 2:1-15

The traditional interpretation of this difficult passage has some major hermeneutical obstacles that require one take a fresh look at the true meaning of this passage. The presence of early Gnostic heresy that taught Eve came before Adam and gave him life was evident in Ephesus at this time. Paul was countering this heresy by forbidding women from teaching this particular false doctrine. He was not forbidding women to lead or teach men because clearly the Bible has many examples of women leaders and teachers.

Leadership in the Church Part 1

Chris Hearty
1 Timothy 3:1-2

Paul makes it clear that it is worthy aspiration if someone desires to be a leader in the church. It is the Holy Spirit who selects leaders to watch over the church and help it grow. God also desires leaders to have good character, not to be sinless, but to be growing in grace and maturity. The good character of a good leader is built little by little over time. The church needs people of good character to step up to leadership.

Leadership in the Organic Model

Dennis McCallum
1 Timothy 3:1-2

In the traditional paradigm of church leadership there is linear; there is God, then the clergy and finally the laity or church members. The biblical paradigm is strikingly different. It is decentralized where Jesus is the head and the overseers/elders and servants/deacons are interconnected by various degrees of relationship. The overseers are actively serving alongside the deacons in what is called distributed ministry. A diagram of the organic model resembles a biological cell which can regularly divide just as a living cell can.

Can Women Be Leaders and Teachers?

James Rochford
1 Timothy 2:1-15

The traditional interpretation of this passage that says women cannot teach or lead in the church has major hermeneutical, empirical and historical problems. In Ephesus there is evidence proto-gnostic heresy was taking hold especially in the women. Women were spreading the myth that Eve actually came first and brought forth Adam. The Greek word for "exercise authority" also can mean "be the originator of" depending upon the context. The context was the creation order! Adam came before Eve. Paul was not forbidding women to teach or lead but he was forbidding them to teach that woman came before man.

A Key Passage for Women

Dennis McCallum
1 Timothy 2:1-15

Dennis McCallum explains a problem passage that has historically been poorly interpreted by the church. Paul is not forbidding women to teach or lead but he is forbidding them to spread false doctrine and myths that Eve was created first and gave life to Adam. This is the only passage in the whole Bible that appears to forbid women from teaching and leading but when one does an in depth study of the Greek, one discovers things are not as they first seem. The traditional view of this passage violates multiple hermeneutical rules.

Can Women Lead or Teach?

Chris Hearty
1 Timothy 2:1-15

Paul addresses some controversy in the church at Ephesus by instructing Timothy to rein in the heresies some women were spreading. The very early seeds of Gnosticism were beginning to take root. Paul was not forbidding women to lead or teach but for the women at that time to stop spreading myths and pagan mystery religions.

Lessons in Christian Leadership

James Rochford
1 Peter 5:1-7

Peter calls the leaders to shepherd the flock of God under them with an attitude of privilege rather than obligation. Leadership is a gift from God to be exercised according to the will of God, not for sordid gain but with eagerness. Leadership is also a mercy in that God uses broken people to lead His flock. God uses ordinary, fallen people to accomplish a great mission. In the process of impacting others for eternity, the leader is grown and stretched by God to do the impossible.

Good Shepherds

Chris Hearty
1 Peter 5:1-4

Peter uses the imagery of the shepherd who lovingly tends his flock to describe the attitude Christian leaders should have as they oversee the flock God has entrusted to them. Godly leaders are self-sacrificial, know how to feed and lead the flock, seek and give God's direction. Spiritual leaders are humble and understand they are accountable to God. They are not in it for temporary or shameful profit. Spiritual leaders will be rewarded for their sacrifices by Jesus.