Leadership of church

Jesus Christ alone is head of the church

Colossians 1:18 ESV

And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

See also Mt 23:8–10; Eph 1:22; Eph 4:15; Eph 5:23; Col 2:19; Heb 3:3

The Holy Spirit directs the church

Acts 13:2 ESV

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

See also Ac 15:28; Ac 16:6–7; Ac 20:28; Ro 8:14; 1 Co 12:11; Re 2:7; Re 2:11

The appointment of leaders in the church

God calls and equips leaders

Ephesians 4:11 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

See also Mt 16:18; Ac 1:24–26; Ac 9:15–16; Ac 20:28; Ac 26:16–18; 1 Co 12:28; Ga 1:15–17

Delegated leadership

Ac 6:3–6; Ac 14:23; Tt 1:5

The appointment of apostles

Mark 3:13–19 ESV

And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

As founders of the church:

1 Co 9:1–2; 2 Co 3:3; Eph 2:20; Re 21:14

As leaders of the church:

Ac 2:42; Ac 15:6; Ac 15:22–23; 1 Th 2:6; 2 Pe 3:2; Jud 17

Prophets as leaders

Ac 15:32 Judas and Silas were leaders in the Jerusalem church (Ac 15:22).

See also Ac 11:27–30; Ac 13:1–2; Ro 12:6 The role of prophets as leaders is distinct from the gift of prophecy, which was in principle available to all; 1 Co 12:28; 1 Co 14:29–30; Eph 3:5

Evangelists as leaders

Acts 21:8 ESV

On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

See also Eph 4:11; 2 Ti 4:5

Pastors and teachers as leaders

Acts 20:28 ESV

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

See also Jn 21:15–17; Ac 13:1; Ro 12:7; 1 Co 12:28; 1 Ti 3:2; Tt 1:9; Jas 3:1; 1 Pe 5:2 Pastors are also called “shepherds”.

Elders as leaders

1 Ti 3:1 “Elder” and “overseer” or “bishop” are more or less interchangeable.

See also Ac 11:30; Ac 14:23; Ac 15:2; Ac 15:22; Ac 20:17; 1 Ti 5:17; Tt 1:5; Jas 5:14; 2 Jn 1

Deacons as leaders

Php 1:1 “Deacon” means “one who serves”.

See also Ac 6:5–6; 1 Ti 3:8

Qualifications for church leadership

The first apostles were witnesses of Jesus Christ’s life and resurrection:

Ac 1:21–22; Ac 10:41; 1 Co 9:1–2; 1 Co 15:7–8; 2 Pe 1:16

Qualifications for elders and deacons:

Ac 6:3; 1 Ti 3:1–12; 1 Ti 5:17; Tt 1:6–9; 1 Pe 5:1–4

Responsibilities of church leaders

To preach the gospel

Ro 1:15; 1 Co 1:17; Ga 2:8; Eph 3:8; 1 Ti 2:7

To teach sound doctrine

1 Ti 4:6; 1 Ti 4:13; 1 Ti 5:17; Heb 13:7

To give direction in church life

Ac 15:2; Ac 15:6; Ac 15:22–23; Ac 16:4; Ac 20:28–31; 1 Ti 5:17; 1 Pe 5:2

To be an example in loving service

Mt 20:26–28; Mk 9:35; Jn 13:13–15; Heb 13:7; 1 Pe 5:3

To train and appoint other leaders

Ac 14:23; 1 Ti 4:14; 2 Ti 2:2; Tt 1:5

To pray for the sick

James 5:14 ESV

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

To exercise discipline in the church

2 Co 13:10; 1 Th 5:12; 1 Ti 1:20; 1 Ti 5:20; Tt 3:10; 3 Jn 10

The church’s responsibilities to its leaders

To respect and submit to its leaders

Ac 16:4; 1 Th 5:12–13; 1 Ti 5:19; Heb 13:17

To pray for its leaders

Eph 6:19; 1 Th 5:25

To support its leaders financially

1 Co 9:7–14; Php 4:15–19; 1 Ti 5:17–18

The corporate government of the church

In choosing leaders

Acts 6:3–6 ESV

Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

In implementing decisions

Acts 15:22–29 ESV

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

In building up the church

Ro 12:4–8; 1 Co 12:4–12; 1 Co 12:27; Eph 4:3; Eph 4:7–16; 1 Pe 4:10–11

In discerning true and false teachings

1 Jn 4:1–3; 2 Jn 10; Re 2:2

In exercising discipline

Mt 18:15–20; 1 Co 5:4–5; 2 Co 2:6–8; 2 Th 3:14–15

The structure of the church

The pattern of church life

Acts 2:42 ESV

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

See also Ac 2:46; Ac 5:42

The house church

Ac 1:13–14; Ac 12:12; Ac 16:40; Ro 16:5; 1 Co 16:19; Col 4:15; Phm 2

The local church

Ac 13:1; Ro 16:1; 1 Co 1:2 It is unknown whether there were subdivisions of the church in towns such as Corinth; 1 Th 1:1

Churches in a region

Ac 9:31; Ac 15:41; 1 Co 16:1; 2 Co 8:1; Ga 1:2; Ga 1:22; Re 1:4 Normally the NT speaks of “churches” in an area rather than of a unified regional structure.

The universal church

Matthew 16:18 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Referring to the local as well as the universal church:

1 Co 12:28; Eph 1:22; Eph 3:10; Eph 5:25