Christian Leadership (preaching resource for October 25, 2026)
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| "Saint Paul" by Rembrandt (public domain via Wikimedia Commons) |
Introduction
Apparently some of the new Christians in Thessalonica were believing these accusations and Paul must have found this extremely painful. Paul defends his leadership: *You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure* (2:1). Paul's point was that there was ample evidence of his genuineness as a Christian leader (an Apostle in Paul's case). He then offers that evidence with respect to his motives and methods. In these we find a beautiful model for Christian leadership in general.
Leaders must be willing to suffer
Before reaching Thessalonica Paul had suffered both injury and insult in Philippi (2:2a). He and Silas had been stripped, beaten, thrown into prison, and their feet fastened in the stocks. It had not only been an extremely painful experience, but humiliating as well, since they were flogged naked in public, without trial, and in spite of their Roman citizenship. In Thessalonica too Paul had met *strong opposition* (2:2c). Yet these afflictions did not deter him. On the contrary, God gave him courage to go on preaching the gospel, whatever the consequences might be.
Leaders must be bold
*With the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel* (2:2b) The verb translated 'dared' is from a Greek word which means to speak boldly--openly and with courage. Paul's ministry in Thessalonica had been exercised in the open before God and human beings, for he had nothing to hide and thus he could be open and bold in living and sharing the gospel.
Leaders must be accountable
Paul makes this point beginning with the negative, noting that his ministry *does not spring from error* (2:3a), since his message - the gospel - was true. Nor was it due to *impure motives* (2:3b) such as ambition, pride, greed or popularity. Thirdly, his appeal was not 'made with guile' (RSV): *nor are we trying to trick you* (2:3c). That is, there was nothing devious about Paul's methods. He and his ministry team made no attempt to induce conversions, either by concealing the cost of discipleship or by offering fraudulent blessings. In these three areas his conscience was entirely clear. In what he said, and in why and how he said it, he was free from anything underhanded.
Then Paul moves to the positive, exclaiming that as a leader he was:
- Tested and approved by God. God had *approved* him (2:4a)--the word means to be examined and found genuine--fit for this ministry.
- Trusted by God. God had *entrusted* him *with the gospel* (2:4b), thus making him a steward of it.
- Seeking to please God. God was the one he was *trying to please* (2:4c), not men (cf. Gal.1:10).
And so Paul's ministry was a stewardship of the gospel--entrusted to him by God. In that stewardship, his primary motive was to please and serve God. This God-centeredness in leadership is on the one hand a bit disconcerting, because God scrutinizes our hearts and his standards are very high. But on the other hand, it is marvelously liberating, since God is a more knowledgeable, impartial and merciful judge than any human being. To be accountable to God is to be delivered from the tyranny of human criticism and thus frees us to be properly accountable to both God and men.
Leaders must be caring
Before declaring what his approach to leadership is, Paul declares what it is not: he does not lead through flattery (2:5), nor pretense (putting on a *mask*), nor does he seek the *praise from men* (2:6). These tactics and motives have no place in Christian leadership and turn a leader from being a servant into being *a burden* to those being led. Paul carefully avoided these traps in his ministry to the Thessalonians, refusing to take advantage of his authority as an apostle to be authoritarian or to enrich himself by insisting on being paid (cf. 2:9 and 2 Thess.3:8).
Instead of approaching leadership in these ways, Paul says, *we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children* (2:7). Here is a powerful contrast between a self-serving leader and a mother's selfless tenderness. Paul adds that he was not only as gentle as a mother with them, but as affectionate and sacrificial too: *We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us* (2:8). Far from using them to minister to himself, Paul gave himself to minister to them. How powerful and meaningful that a man as tough and masculine as Paul uses this feminine metaphor. Unfortunately, some Christian leaders are both self-centered and autocratic. The more their authority is challenged, the more they assert it. As leaders, we all need to cultivate more the gentleness, love and self-sacrifice of a mother.
Leaders must be directive
Paul also related to the believers in Thessalonica like a father. He did this by both his example and the approach to and content of his teaching. As for his example, they and God were together *witnesses ...how holy, righteous and blameless* he had been among them (2:10). Paul evidently saw his example as part of his paternal duty, so that he continued: *For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children (2:11), encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory* (2:12).
Paul seems to be thinking specially of the educational role of fathers, who, in addition to setting their children a consistent example (2:10), should also encourage, comfort and exhort them. In the apostle's case, he found himself urging the Thessalonians to live worthily of God and his kingdom, and even 'insisting' on it. Since it was part of his teaching that the kingdom of God has both a present manifestation (e.g. Col.1:13) and a future glory (e.g. 2 Thess 1:5; 1 Cor. 6:9), we may assume that he appealed to the Thessalonians to live a life worthy both of their position in Christ now and of the full glory they would have in Christ at the end.
Leaders must proclaim the gospel
In the New Testament, the most common word for preaching means to act like a herald who makes a public proclamation. The verb carrying this meaning occurs in 2:9, *we preached [heralded] the gospel of God to you*, and the concept lies behind 2:13: *And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe*. There is a deliberate interplay here between 'God', 'us' and 'you'. What you heard *from us* (the apostle), you accepted as the word *of God*, which is effectively at work *in you*. The message came from God through the apostle to the Thessalonians and was changing them.
For Christians, Jesus is the Living Word of God, and it is the message about Jesus that is the Word of God (the gospel) that Christian leaders are to proclaim from Scripture. The Apostles (like Paul) used the Hebrew scriptures to make this testimony about Jesus. We use the Old Testament and the writings of the Apostles (the New Testament) for the same purpose. To proclaim this Word (the gospel), showing its relevance and applicability to our lives, is the high calling and commanded duty of all Christian leaders.
Conclusion
Paul is a marvelous example of a Christ-like leader. We are not called to Paul's exact ministry, but all who are called to Christian leadership should emulate his example and seek to embrace the principles of leadership that are so evident here in his letter to the church in Thessalonica.