Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
The early church did not have a set of norms or standards or policies or procedures already in place when it was birthed. Unlike our churches today, the first churches had to not just build the Body of believers, find a place to worship, avoid persecution, develop doctrine and find qualified leaders. They also had to set up what is commonly called church polity (governance). We read about some of that in Acts 6 and a small portion in Acts 15 (although that passage was more about doctrine). In the above verses we read about the roles and responsibilities of the church and their church leadership, toward each other. Leaders had a responsibility of oversight and watchfulness and the members had a responsibility of submission and being accountable. Imagine how that all unfolded then, especially when you compare to today’s church. Today’s church is not always that willing to submit in obedience to the leadership of a church. And, today’s church leaders are not always worthy have said submission. Not what one commentary stated about this passage:
(NIV Application Commentary Hebrews) By guiding the church in doctrinal integrity the leaders “watch over” (agrypneo) the lives of those committed to their charge. This word, when used metaphorically, means to be spiritually alert or wide awake (see Mark 13:33; Luke 21:36; Eph. 6:18). The responsibility associated with such leadership is weighty, since the leaders must “give an account” of their instructional oversight (James 3:1).
Since the leaders must “give an account” for their leadership it follows that, at some point, also, the members will also held accountable. This leader-follower dynamic is unusual. The market-place does not have this aspect in a spiritual sense. In the market place today followers would not be told to “submit” to their leaders. They certainly are asked to be in compliance, but the world “submission” would be taboo. That same thought has found its way into our church polity. It is doubtful many church leaders use the word. We certainly hold leaders in the market place accountable, but it is not in the sense that they are watching over the “souls” of their direct reports. Rather they are watching over the performance and outcomes each day. The church polity dynamic is so out of the realm of today’s marketplace. Yet, today’s marketplace leadership principles seem to be taught and demanded on the church. It might be wise for us within the Body of Christ to practice what is giving to us in Scripture vs what is called upon by Society.
No comments:
Post a Comment