This is an assignment I submitted for a leadership class I just finished. Thought I would share.
Pauline Leadership
Introduction
Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). He wrote twenty-three percent of the New Testament—excluding the disputed book of Hebrews (“Who Wrote Most?,” 2014). His thirteen books are the most of any author. However, Luke wrote twenty-seven percent of the New Testament when you count the number of words written (“Who Wrote Most?,” 2014). By any definition, Paul wrote a substantial portion of the New Testament.
The information stated above is the Paul on which we usually focus. However, there was also the pre-Christian Paul. We are introduced to him for the first time in Acts 7:58 under his Jewish name, Saul. He was holding the coats of them that stoned Stephen (Acts 7:58). Luke said that Saul, “made havock of the church” (Acts 8:3). However, by the grace of God, Paul went from the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) to an apostle. It is suggested that Paul personally started over twenty churches (Cole, 2011). Paul’s leadership was world-changing. His work and writings have shaped how we see Christianity.
Paul’s Strengths and Weakness
Paul Strengths
A prolific apologist. That Paul is the premier apologist of Christianity is barely contested. The term apologetics comes from the Greek word, apologia. It seems like we draw apologia from I Peter 3:15 most frequently. But there is a great Pauline passage where apologia appears. Paul stated that he was “set for the defense of the gospel” (Philippians 1:17, King James Version). The word for defense is apologia. Paul was an apologist. Being an apologist is important to leadership in that if one is going to be a great leader, then they must be able to communicate the core beliefs of the community.
The Mars Hill message.One of the most popular Pauline apologies was on Mars Hill (Acts 17:16-32). Paul argued the resurrection before the Athenian supreme court at Areopagus. He argued so effectively that he even converted Dionysius, one of the judges of the court. Paul understood that persuasion was the goal of preaching (2 Corinthians 5:11). And he was great at it.
The Agrippa Apology. Paul represented himself before King Agrippa (Acts 26). He provided an apology of his theology of the resurrection. The events here fulfilled the prophecy from his conversion that he would preach before kings (Acts 9:15). While he was unsuccessful at converting the king, few preachers are so effective at preaching the gospel that they appear before such men. And he was so good at providing defenses, that he would have exonerated himself had he not appealed to Caesar (Acts 26:32).
A fearless fighter. Paul was a fighter (II Timothy 4:7). I will discuss the other side of this Pauline quality in the section about his weakness. The bad side of being a fighter is that one can sometimes turn it against the wrong people. And Paul sometimes did. However, leaders need to be fighters—and Paul was. Galatians was Paul fighting at his best. He was fighting against the Judaizers and for the Gentile Christians. Every congregation needs to know that their under-shepherd will fight for them like David defending his flock against bears, lions, and giants (I Samuel 17:34-36).
A Loving Pastor. Paul loved deeply the people he oversaw. Paul compared himself to a mother on a couple of occasions to demonstrate how he cared for the churches. He said that he was as gentle as a nursing mother (I Thessalonians 2:7). And Paul compared his love to that of a mother travailing in birth (Galatians 4:19). Every leader must be loving.
Paul’s Weaknesses
Admittedly, finding weaknesses in Paul’s leadership is more difficult than it would have been for David’s leadership. Therefore, I chose Paul. As Apostolics, we glorify the Apostles to the point that it feels blasphemous to suggest that they were anything less than perfect down to every emotion they had. However, maintaining that sort of romanticized memory of them is both inaccurate and unhealthy. It is inaccurate because it is not how Scripture portrays them. And it is unhealthy because it sets the leadership standard at an unattainable level. Therefore, the following three areas are places where Paul had propensities that could be a liability—especially if left unchecked.
The temper from Tarsus. Throughout Paul’s writings,one can see flashes of anger. Paul said some harsh things in his letters. Sometimes his temper manifests as being argumentative, and other times as being sarcastic. I identify with Paul because I too am sarcastic and argumentative.
The arguing apostle. The New Testament painted Paul as argumentative. The contention here is that there were times when Paul was right to argue, but there were times when he might have been better served not to argue. In an earlier section, we discussed Pauline apologetics. Apologetics is a proper place to argue with “meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Paul frequently argued with the Jews in their synagogues (Acts 17:1-2). Paul argued with superstitious pagans on Mars Hill (Act 17:16-34). However, that is not where his argumentation ended.
Paul also argued with other preachers. There was the fellowship-ending fight between him and Barnabas about Mark (Acts 15:36-41). The argument was because Paul refused to give John Mark a second chance at the ministry. Later Paul admitted to being wrong about Mark (II Timothy 4:11). Then there was another argument in Antioch involving Paul and Barnabas (Galatians 2:11-14). This time it was over Peter and other Jewish brethren’s treatment of Gentile Christians concerning dietary laws. Paul had an open argument with Peter in front of everyone. Paul told how Peter had been eating like a Gentile until certain of James’ delegates came around (Galatians 2:11-4). The point here is that Paul seemed to argue a lot. The lesson that we should learn from this is that it is easy to turn an apologetic against falsehood into an attack against my fellowship.
The sarcastic apostle. Paul not only liked to argue, but he also had a sharp tongue. He employed various literary devices as word weapons again his opponents. I am using the term sarcasm as a synecdoche for all caustic forms of speech. Galatians contains one of Paul more cutting comments (pun intended). Paul said about the Judaizers: “I would they were even cut off which trouble you” (Galatians 5:12). Another translation puts it better: “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” (Galatians 5:12, English Standard Version). Paul responded to the Judaizer’s insistence that Gentiles be circumcised by saying that he wished they would cut off not only their foreskin, but their entire member. If you are so into cutting stuff, then you should go all the way.
There are numerous examples of Paul’s sharp tongue in 1 Corinthians. There are several texts where Paul used the term “what” where he was seething (1 Corinthians 6:16, 19; 11:22; 14:36). Paul called people fools (1 Corinthians 15:36). One could provide many other examples of Paul’s tongue lashings. The point here is not to say that Paul’s combined used of sarcasm, temper, and wit was wrong. But likely it would be a hindrance to a contemporary leader if he were to try artificially to emulate Paul’s use of language.
Personal Insecurity. Paul also struggled with insecurity. Or so it seems by modern standards. Paul frequently and obsessively defended himself and his ministerial resume. Paul went so far as to say that he had more reason to boast in his flesh than any other man (Philippians 3:4). He praised himself as being the ultimate Hebrew (Philippians 3:5), and as having performed perfectly the righteousness of the law (Philippians 3:6). In the context, Paul was saying I am not going to brag, but if I did here is what I would say. He was comparing himself to his detractors whom he called “dogs” and “evil workers” (Philippians 3:2, King James Version). For the man who commanded the Corinthians not to compare themselves among themselves because it was unwise (2 Corinthians 10:12), he often compared himself to others. The text here in Philippians 3 is not an isolated example. He defended himself and called his detractors names often. Perhaps Paul needed to do what he did for that circumstance and time. However, it is not a leadership style that we need to imitate.
Blind Loyalty to Mission. Every leader appreciates and expects loyalty. We love people who are sold out to the mission of a church or corporation. But Paul had the propensity to go after his mission at all cost. Even if pursuing the mission meant doing and justifying immoral behavior. The following two sections will show that Paul’s modus operandi was a blind pursuit of the mission to a fault.
The Pre-conversion Paul.While still a Pharisee, Paul was zealous for Jewish traditions, and not just the Law of Moses (Galatians 1:14). He was so determined to defend Judaism that he imprisoned and executed Christians (Acts 9:1-2; 26:10-11). Paul’s passion propelled him beyond what the Law demanded of him. His goal was to exterminate the name of Christ and all his Christians by any means necessary.
The Post-conversion Paul.While Paul did not murder people who did not accept Christianity, he was still the same mission-driven personality. He had the same passion for propagating the gospel as he did Judaism (Acts 9:15-25). The Holy Spirit warned Paul repeatedly not to got to Jerusalem, yet he was determined to go (Acts 21:4, 11). He was imprisoned in Jerusalem and transported from there to Rome where he was martyred. For Paul, it was all or nothing.
Paul’s Priorities
Instrumental Values
Paul was logical. Paul was logical. Therefore, he was the consummate defender of the gospel (Philippians 1:17). The word for defense comes from the Greek, apologia. Apologists give reasons for their positions (1 Peter 3:5). An apology necessarily requires logic. So Paul reasoned habitually with non-Christians (Acts 17:2).
Paul was loving. Paul was a loving pastor as stated in a previous section. He told the Corinthians: “Our mouth is opened unto you, our heart is enlarged” (II Corinthians 6:11). Paul suffered from a love condition called an enlarged heart. Unlike the medical condition of the same name, it is a good thing to have.
Paul was intellectual.Paul’s intellect was unparalleled in the New Testament. He was educated in the school of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He said that he was “thoroughly trained in the law” (Acts 22:3, New International Version). His intellect was second to no one.
Terminal Values
The following are the terminal values that most stood out to me.
An exciting life. Without a doubt, Paul lived one of the most exciting lives in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 gives a list of some of the major activities of Paul’s life. Nothing about his life was boring or mundane. Paul’s ministry began in epic fashion (Acts 9). If tradition is true, then his ministry ended just as epically. He was beheaded (Sanders, 2019). The Pauline plot is the thing of which award-winning dramatic movies are made.
A sense of accomplishment. If the ultimate sense of accomplishment is the peace one has in passing, then Paul had the ultimate fulfillment. In the end, Paul said, “I am now ready to be offered” (II Timothy 4:6, King James Version). My father preached a message from this text that he called, “Looking Back With No Regrets.” What a perfect summation of Paul’s life.
Equality. Paul believed in the equality of believers. He argued that all Christians are under the one Lord (Romans 10:12). He applied Christian equality to economics, ethnicity, and gender (Galatians 3:28). Paul preached the only true equality—equality in Christ.
Paul’s Primary Leadership Style
Hybels (1998) said about visionaries and their vision: “They talk about it, write about it.” If this is true, then Paul’s primary leadership style was visionary. One could make an argument that Paul exhibited all of the leadership styles discussed in this class. However, the way that I conceptualize Paul is he was first a visionary. Discussing Paul’s visionary leadership is a broad topic. So I will be isolating my comments to some statements from Ephesians. Paul wanted the Ephesians to have their eyes of understanding opened so that they would know the hope of their calling (Ephesians 1:18). Their hope went beyond this world to the world to come (Ephesians 1:21). Paul pushed for saints to see the ultimate purpose of their Christianity.
By definition, Paul’s resurrection apologetic was future focused. Paul fought for the future. He fought for a righteous crown which he, and all Christians, will receive at Christ’s coming (II Timothy 4:8). Everything about Paul’s life was visionary.
Paul’s Spiritual Disciplines
Paul exhibited great spiritual disciplines. Firstly, he read the scriptures. He exhorted Timothy to study so that he could rightly divide the word (II Timothy 2:15). But not only did he tell others to study and read scripture, but he also did it himself. When requesting what he wanted Timothy to bring to him in prison, Paul asked for a cloak, books, but especially the parchments (II Timothy 4:13). The Scriptures were as important to Paul as the clothes on his back.
Not only did Paul love the Scriptures, but Paul was also powerful in prayer. Paul spoke about “groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). He said that he would not only pray with understanding, but that he would also pray with the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:15). Furthermore, much of Paul’s writings were prayers. Ephesians 1:16 introduces one of his most prolific prayers.
While Paul did exercise all the spiritual disciplines, the ones that are the most prominent to me are his dedication to the Scriptures and prayer. Without a doubt these two spiritual disciplines are essential to every church leader.
Paul’s Interaction with Spiritual Authorities
No place better describes Paul interaction with spiritual authority than the following text: “And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me” (Galatians 2:6, English Standard Version). Paul was unimpressed with influential people. What they were made no difference to him. He, like God, showed no partiality.
No matter what certain influential people thought, Paul did what he knew he was called to do. He heard the voice of God on the Damascus road, and that was all he needed. He appreciated the fact that James, Cephas (Peter), and John validated his ministry (Galatians 2:9). Even then, he opposed Cephas in front of everyone on the issue of eating with Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-14). Moreover, Peter’s resume was much older than Paul’s. As we would say, “Paul rebuked one of his elders.” The way Paul interacted with spiritual authority was that he respected them insomuch as they walked “in step” with his calling and revelation of the gospel (Galatians 2:14).
Two Leadership and Followership Traits
Leadership Traits
The following leadership traits come from “Contrasting Managing and Leading” (Bliss & Associates, n.d.). As you will see, Paul certainly exhibited key leadership traits.
Empowering. Paul was an empowering leader. Perhaps Timothy was the most popular person that Paul empowered for ministry. But there were others who were nameless, including women (Philippians 4:3). Paul named Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Lucas as fellow-laborers (Philippians 1:24).
Communication. I do not know what greater proof one could offer for Paul’s communication prowess than the thirteen New Testament letters he wrote. Or fourteen, if one includes Hebrews. Paul’s penmanship, polemics, preaching speak for itself.
Followership Traits
McCallum (2013) said, “The flip side of leadership is followership. It stands to reason that if leadership is important to performance, followership must have something to do with it too.” The following sections will argue that not only was Paul a great leader, but he was also a great follower.
Paul’s work ethic. McCallum (2013) listed work ethic as a followership trait. Paul had a tremendous theology of work. He connected the right to eat to whether or not one works (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The relationship between working and eating goes all the way back to the beginning (Genesis 3:19). Paul lived out that work ethic as he viewed preaching as labor (Philippians 4:3; I Timothy 5:17). He had a low tolerance for people who did not have the same work ethic as he did. On this basis, Paul had a falling out with Barnabas because of Mark’s lack of commitment to work (Acts 15:38).
Paul’s competence. McCallum (2013) also listed competence as a necessary followership trait. Paul’s competence was unmatched in the New Testament. Paul was educated in the school of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was climbing the religious ladder rapidly and was advancing past many of his peers (Galatians 1:14). Paul had a long record of competence in Judaism that continued his whole Christian life.
Three Luv Characteristics
Tough Love
Blanchard and Barrett (2011) said, “I think sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to be straight with People (sic) when they are getting off course.” Paul certainly knew how to give tough love. The Galatians thought he was their enemy because he gave them tough love (Galatians 4:16). Paul said what was needed to be said even if it offended the hearers.
Servant Leadership
“Servant leadership is love in action (Blanchard & Barrett, 2011). Paul called himself a servant (Romans 1:1). He had loving jealousy to present the Corinthians to Christ as a chaste virgin (II Corinthians 11:2). Everything Paul did was because of his daily care for the churches (II Corinthians 11:28). The saints were his life.
Celebrating Successes
Blanchard and Barrett (2011) led with love by celebrating successes. Paul did the same with the Thessalonians. He praised them because their faith in God was known worldwide (1 Thessalonians 1:8). Paul really did know how to give a compliment.
Paul’s Purpose and Passion
Paul stated that he was called from his mother’s womb to preach the gospel (Galatians 1:15-16). Preaching was his purpose. Not only was preaching his purpose, but it was also his passion. He made some strong statements about preaching. He was so passionate about preaching that he was ready to preach the gospel in Rome knowing that he would die there (Romans 1:15). Paul gladly preached the gospel in the face of mockery and rejection (I Corinthians 1:23). He preached the gospel under the most severe of life situations (II Corinthians 11:23-28). Only the person who is passionate can preach through Paul’s predicaments. He viewed being a preacher as parallel to serving in the military (II Timothy 2:3). No one in history, Jesus excepted, has preached the gospel with more passion than Paul. The driving passion of Paul’s preaching was to reveal the eternal purpose of God in Christ to the church (Ephesians 3).
Personal Reflection
Assignment two was a reminder of how I had lost consistency in my daily devotions. I read something daily, but it is not always the Bible. I know that reading books about the Bible is no substitute for reading the Bible. This class has made me aware of that. Consequently, I am making the appropriate changes.
Furthermore, I am tracking my prayer time for personal accountability. I use the stopwatch function on my clock application. I only start it while I am doing focused prayer. I talk to God often throughout the day with a few sentences. I do not count those in my time. It is so easy to get caught up working for God that you do not walk with God. Prayer always makes me wonder why I do not do it more. I can feel the difference in every area of my life when I have not prayed.
This class has renewed my commitment to spiritual disciplines. Assignment two was both discouraging and motivating. The discouragement has passed, and motivation is now the primary factor. I know that I cannot lead myself, the church that I pastor, or the marriage that I am about to enter without consistent spirituality. For this reason, this class has been of immeasurable value.
Appendix A
Paul’s Leadership:
Leadership Strengths
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Leadership Weaknesses
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Instrumental Values
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End/Terminal Values
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Strength #1: Paul was an apologist.
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Weakness #1: Paul had a temper.
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Value #1: Paul was logical.
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Value #1: Paul had a sense of accomplishment.
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Scripture Reference #1: Philippians 1:17
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Scripture Reference #1: Galatians 5:12
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Scripture Reference #1: Philippians 1:17
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Scripture Reference #1: II Timothy 4:6-8.
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Strength #2: Paul was a fighter.
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Weakness #2: Paul was insecure.
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Value #2: Paul was intellectual.
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Value #2: Paul believed in equality.
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Scripture Reference #2: II Timothy 4:7
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Scripture Reference #2: II Corinthians 11. Paul was defending his apostleship constantly.
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Scripture Reference #2: Acts 22:3
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Scripture Reference #2: Romans 10:12
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Strength #3: Paul was a loving pastor.
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Weakness #3: Blind loyalty to the mission.
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Value #3: Paul was loving.
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Value #3: Paul lived and exciting life.
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Scripture Reference #3: Galatians 4:19; I Thessalonians 2:7
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Scripture Reference #3: Acts 9:1-2
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Scripture Reference #3: II Corinthians 6:11
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Scripture Reference #3: II Corinthians 11:23-28
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Appendix B
Paul’s Timeline:
Reference
Blanchard, K., & Barrett, C. (2011). Lead with luv: A different way to create real success.[Kindle version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
Bliss and Associates Inc. (n.d.). Contrasting managing and leading. Retrieved from http://jessup.mrooms.net/mod/resource/view.php?id=346742
McCallum, J. (2013, September/October). Followership: The other side of leadership. Retrieved from http://jessup.mrooms.net/mod/resource/view.php?id=346757
Sanders, E.P. (2019, April 1). St. Paul the apostle. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Paul-the-Apostle
Who Wrote Most of the New Testament? (2014, May 3). Retrieved from https://apologika.blogspot.com/2014/05/who-wrote-most-of-new-testament.html
