More on Humble Authority (Titus 2:15)
As stated before, this is a great verse for truly godly leaders. If they are humble the way you would want them to be, they need to be reminded to step up and assert themselves at times. The church needs vision and it needs to stay on mission.
However, the truth is that churches these days probably face a different sort of challenge in leadership. Most western leaders see this verse and use it to support a false position.
What we see more often today is leadership from a position of authority. Leaders assume that they have authority simply based on the fact that they are in a role. We don’t have a humility surplus problem.
Somehow church leadership is willing to accept the “priesthood of the believer” just far enough for a godly decision to be made through a vote, but from that point on they are the only ones who know what God’s will is. That may even be the case at times, but the point is positional authority is weak leadership.
When Paul says that Titus needs to teach good doctrine and not let anyone ignore him, I imagine that Paul had skill and finesse in mind, not brute force or political skill. I want church leaders who will listen as well as teach and who can influence hearts not enforce their opinions. Godly humility and genuine love are far better approaches to leading than “might makes right.”
However, the truth is that churches these days probably face a different sort of challenge in leadership. Most western leaders see this verse and use it to support a false position.
What we see more often today is leadership from a position of authority. Leaders assume that they have authority simply based on the fact that they are in a role. We don’t have a humility surplus problem.
Somehow church leadership is willing to accept the “priesthood of the believer” just far enough for a godly decision to be made through a vote, but from that point on they are the only ones who know what God’s will is. That may even be the case at times, but the point is positional authority is weak leadership.
When Paul says that Titus needs to teach good doctrine and not let anyone ignore him, I imagine that Paul had skill and finesse in mind, not brute force or political skill. I want church leaders who will listen as well as teach and who can influence hearts not enforce their opinions. Godly humility and genuine love are far better approaches to leading than “might makes right.”
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