Defining Leadership Biblically

What is leadership?

In the biblical tradition, leadership is fundamentally rooted in selfless service rather than dominance.

Jesus explicitly redefines leadership in Matthew 20:26-28, stating, 'Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' This paradigm shifts leadership from positional authority to sacrificial care for others.

Leadership in Matthew 20:26-28

Jesus explicitly redefines leadership in Matthew 20:26-28, challenging worldly hierarchies with a radical model of service.

In this passage, Jesus declares, 'Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' Here, leadership is inversely proportional to self-interest, prioritizing the needs of others over personal ambition. This contrasts sharply with secular power structures, which often equate authority with dominance and control.

By framing leadership as sacrificial service, Jesus dismantles cultural assumptions about power and positions humility as its foundation. This paradigm reshapes how followers of Christ approach communal responsibility, emphasizing care over conquest.

Leadership as Service in the Old Testament

Old Testament leaders like Moses and David foreshadowed Jesus' teaching on servant leadership while embodying both its ideals and tensions.

Moses exemplified servanthood by interceding for Israel’s sins (Exodus 32:9-14) and humbly following God’s guidance, yet his moment of anger at Meribah (Numbers 20:12) reveals human leadership’s fragility. David, though flawed, prioritized communal well-being - his lament for Saul and Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:17-27) and repentance for his sins (Psalm 51) model accountability and humility.

These leaders operated within God’s covenantal framework, balancing authority with dependence on divine wisdom. Their successes and failures underscore that true leadership requires aligning human initiative with God’s will, a principle Jesus later crystallized in Matthew 20:26-28: 'Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant... just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.' This continuity between Old Testament patterns and Jesus’ teaching highlights service as the enduring heart of biblical leadership, even as Christ perfects it through self-sacrifice.

Leadership and Authority in the New Testament

The New Testament expands on Jesus’ servant leadership model by illustrating how early Christian leaders navigated the tension between authoritative guidance and humble service.

In Philippians 2:3-7, Paul urges believers to adopt the mindset of Christ, who ‘humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross’ (Phil. 2:8). This passage frames true leadership as self-emptying (kenosis) that prioritizes others’ spiritual growth over personal prestige. Early church leaders, like the apostles, embodied this paradox by asserting doctrinal authority while modeling radical humility in their interactions.

Acts 6:1-6 provides a practical example of balancing these principles: when a dispute over resource distribution arose, the apostles delegated responsibility to seven deacons ‘full of the Spirit and wisdom’ (Acts 6:3). By prioritizing communal harmony over personal involvement, they demonstrated that legitimate authority channels power into service. This episode underscores that biblical leadership thrives when authority is exercised in ways that amplify, rather than suppress, the collective good - a dynamic rooted in Christ’s own example of servanthood.

Why leadership matters today

Biblical leadership's emphasis on servanthood offers a transformative counterpoint to modern power imbalances and hierarchical systems.

In a world where leadership often equates to domination, Jesus' model in Matthew 20:26-28 - 'Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant... just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve' - challenges leaders to prioritize marginalized voices and dismantle exploitative structures. This framework compels contemporary leaders to confront systemic inequities by modeling humility, as seen in early Christian communities (Acts 6:1-6) who redistributed resources through servant-hearted governance.

Applying this today means redefining success in leadership through Philippians 2:3-7's 'mind of Christ,' which values others above oneself. Modern leaders are called to empty themselves of self-interest (kenosis) by amplifying collective well-being over personal gain, whether in workplaces, families, or civic roles.

Such leadership invites ongoing reflection on how Christ's sacrificial example reshapes power dynamics, preparing readers to explore practical applications in subsequent discussions.

Going Deeper

To deepen your understanding of servant leadership, explore Paul’s letters and Jesus’ parables, which expand on selfless service and humility in leadership.

Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:3-7) challenges believers to adopt Christ’s example of humility, while Jesus’ parables, such as the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), illustrate leadership through compassionate action. The early church’s selection of deacons in Acts 6:1-6 also provides a practical model of distributing responsibility for the common good.