Leadership, Part 6

Ephesus was apparently filled with wanna-be leaders. But many of them wanted to use their authority to bully others. Committed to “myths”, they had departed from the “sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ,” and become “conceited.” In spite of their inflated view of themselves, Paul’s measure of them was that “they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”

These counterfeit leaders were a serious threat to the health of the church. Because of “an unhealthy interest in controversies and arguments,” they left a messy trail of “envy, quarreling, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction”. Paul summed up their influence: “they promote controversies rather than God’s work.” It was such men that caused Paul to state that a leader must not be “quarrelsome.” Unfortunately, these troublemakers are found in most churches. They care more about promoting their own will rather than God’s will. It doesn’t occur to them that God could speak through anyone else. If you work on a ministry team with them, they will relentlessly argue for their position, even secretly lobbying others outside of the meetings. They believe they are in combat with others -- and they aim not to lose! If they don’t get their way, they criticize, whine, and complain about what is happening -- or what is not happening.

The temptation for a godly leader is to battle these phonies with the same weapons they use. But Paul warned: "Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to all, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth." The godly doesn't get dragged into these senseless and harmful arguments but continues to "gently instruct" others in the truth. He knows that God is the only one who can bring these troublemakers to repentance.