A little more on Ephesians 4 leadership – What Paul is proposing in Ephesians 4 is not an organisational model where there are structures, centralised power, oversight and leadership in hierarchies and so on. We have to be clear on this point. My reflection from the experience of leading and being led is that we have erred towards seeing leadership in the Body of Christ through what might be called a human and functional lens and have missed the paradigm being promoted in this passage. But I have always read this without resolving its meaning but abounding with questions. In the process of being ordained twice in my life I don’t recall this ever really coming up and yet my journey now leaves me at the place where I think that without this leadership paradigm, we don’t build a priesthood of all believers.
In my experience, especially among evangelicals, with whom I have served all my life, I think we have found, that if we are pressed to look at passages like Ephesians 4, then the organisational lens outcome is the easiest to understand, plan and maintain. All current organised forms of the Church are built, I believe, on those derived primarily from a human and functional lens interpretation of biblical leadership. The practical outcome of this organisational model is a leadership construct of a priestly caste who are responsible for the ministry. And this has, I believe, had the unintentional effect of making it almost impossible for there to be a functioning priesthood of all believers.
My book, “The Genius in the Kingdom: How Discipleship Impacts Church Planting” is available on paperback and Kindle from Amazon.
Peace
Colin
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