Leadership in Corinthians

A look at Paul’s leadership in Corinthians reveals a model rooted in humility, love, and Christlike character for everyday life and community.

By Cathy Badger

Read Time: 10 minutes

First and Second Corinthians have so many practical lessons for ecclesial life. Several years back, while on a long plane trip, I opened my Bible and started reading them. The simple messages that these letters hold became riveting. A more modern version helped these items stand out to me, and I began to see the critical lessons in Paul’s leadership style. His leadership follows the Lord’s example! Practical, insightful, motivated by the love of his brothers and sisters, humble, sacrificial, and wholly given to the work of encouraging the believers everywhere the gospel had been preached. Even to the point of death.

In his introduction to the ecclesia at Corinth, Paul understands that Christians live in many places and circumstances, but that the same Jesus is Paul’s master and “their’s.” (1 Corinthians 1:2). And whatever ecclesia they are in, it was “God’s ecclesia.” It does not belong to them. Paul’s leadership is rooted in these key principles—he is reflecting the character of Jesus and God, and his behavior is subject to them both.

Paul is writing to the Corinthians from Ephesus, where other “saints” live, and have the same master, Jesus Christ. The Greek word for “saints” here is hagios. I love Barclay’s statement:

When Paul calls the Christians “hagios” he means that the Christian is a man who is different from other men because he specially belongs to God and to the service of God. And that difference is not to be marked by the withdrawal from ordinary life and activity, but by showing in ordinary life a difference of quality and character which will mark him out as a man of God.¹

Or, we could say, a saint is distinctly marked or separated out by being a follower of the Lord Jesus.

Surely Paul is “marked out” by his character during his life of service and leadership. His treatment of the Corinthians, even in his letters, is of a quality and character that the world does not know or understand. The authority of the world is based on its love of power, prestige, wealth, and honor before men. This is not the master’s method of leadership, nor is it the way of the Father. Jesus underscores this when he says to the weapon-carrying multitude, “If my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight.” (John 18:36). Paul and Jesus’s form of leadership are foreign to this world but should be “marked” by ourselves and form the nucleus of our own character when we serve and lead.

I found the journey through 1st and 2nd Corinthians exciting and eye-opening. They reveal to the Corinthians and us the character and qualities that Paul saw in his master. Paul wants us and the Corinthians to emulate these. It is helpful to highlight a few and ask ourselves, “Are we practicing these?”

1 Corinthians

In the introduction to 1 Corinthians, Paul seeks to address difficulties in the ecclesia and among the brethren in light of the Cross and the love of Christ—Jesus’s words and example are the solution to these problems. He writes with urgent love and thankfulness to his brothers in “the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1:9). He refocuses them on basic conduct—unity, agreement, and the meaning of the gospel in their lives. Also, they have a faulty understanding: thinking they belong to “leaders” such as Apollos (1:12). But Paul sets them straight and shows that they belonged to Christ. There is only one head of the ecclesia, the master himself!

Paul also reminds them of the basics: “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (2:2). The work of Christ is to work in their hearts and minds to bring a right response of belief that is life-changing. Paul’s emphasis is that he is a servant of God and is not trying to bring in words of man’s wisdom (e.g. 2:4). Salvation is all God’s idea. Paul may be ill-treated for bringing this message, but he would be like a father to them (4:9-13). He is mature enough in Christ to endure being despised, to labor to feed himself, to be persecuted, and to warn them as a father would (4:14-15). What a beautiful confession he made in 4:15, “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers.” But Paul treats them as though he has physically begotten them, beseeching them and even promising that Timothy would help them remember his example (4:17).

He also observes there is competition in Corinth and exhorts them to a better way. They are to love, have faith and hope (13:13). Paul speaks plainly in this epistle with confidence, guiding them to become a united body of believers as Christ’s body, with Christ as the head and giving direction to the body (12:27). Love is a key ingredient to this harmony.

2 Corinthians

In 2 Corinthians, Paul’s character and quality of leadership come to the foreground. Although the Corinthians challenge his authority, Paul shows that the character of Christ shines through this epistle as an example for us.

Which qualities of leadership does Paul reveal through his writing? While reading his letter, I felt compelled to know what godly leadership looks like. I found some good lessons and tips for my own journey. Not that I am going to lead armies or stand on a stool and preach! Rather, Paul provides effective ways to lead my family. He offers principles of being a father or a mother, and both must show leadership to their children. I was excited to discover what I needed to improve on and how to change my attitude and character.

To this end, I made a simple list of key traits I found in 2 Corinthians and have shared it below. It is certainly not exhaustive and may also not reflect how others interpret Paul’s words. But it got me started and illuminated many wonderful ways to show leadership in a sister’s life. Of course, his wisdom applies to all believers, male and female. These are very insightful into my own character—and not someone else’s, by the way!

1. Paul keeps his word. (1:17-19). He does not make plans lightly. In reflecting God’s faithfulness, Paul’s word was faithful. As he said: “Our word to you was not Yes and No… For the Son of God, Jesus Christ… was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.” (v. 19 NKJV). He is not waffling around. He has a reason for not coming at that time.
2. Paul is a “fellow worker.” (1:24). His attitude is not one of being in charge of everything but of being a partner. He does not have dominion over them but is a helper in their joy. Imagine that! And Paul gives the Corinthians time to work out their problems. That is his reason for not coming to them right away.
3. Love is Paul’s aim. (2:3-4). Out of love, he writes this second letter and confesses he loved them “abundantly.” And they need to show this abundant love to the man who has sinned and repented (v. 5-8). Mixed with this love, they need compassion and forgiveness so this person is not overcome by sorrow.
4. He speaks the Word of God sincerely and honestly. (2:17), acting in God’s sight. He does not need any credentials from anyone (3:1). The belief and life of the Corinthians testifies to God’s message that Paul delivers faithfully.
5. Paul understands that, as a leader, he needs to live like Christ. (3:6), not according to the letter, but according to the spirit of Christ.
6. Paul encourages them. He does not give up or “lose heart.” (4:1, 16 NKJV). Instead, he encourages the Corinthians that God is working in their afflictions, “for a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” (4:17). And this is God’s work of grace.
7. Paul is not crafty (4:2), playing games and working deceitfully. All things are out in the open, so people could judge for themselves what he is saying and doing. There are no secret negotiations, no hidden agendas, no lies, and no underhanded dealings behind the scenes. Instead, he exemplifies honest, transparent, and forthright communication.
8. Paul’s message is Christ’s message—not his own (4:5). This is because he is not trying to win the Corinthians over to himself, but to Christ.
9. Paul’s speech is bold. He is compelled to speak the message because he believed it so strongly (4:13 NKJV). And he encourages us to be bold and plain or honest in our speech because we “have the same spirit of faith.”
10. Paul is compelled by Christ’s love. (5:14). He wants to be a worker together with the community, so they do not receive the grace of God in vain. He demonstrates he is there in all their needs and speaks openly to them. His love directs his actions, not power or authority.
11. Paul views each member of the ecclesia as a “new creature.” (5:16-18). He treats them as brothers and sisters in Christ, and not of the world, because they have been “reconciled to Christ.”
12. Paul speaks to them openly, as a Father, because he loves them deeply (6:11-13). And he encourages them to speak openly to each other.
13. Paul is very supportive and proud of them (7:2-9) because of their positive response to the advice he shared in his first letter. He also rejoices and has confidence in the Corinthians (7:16).
14. Paul does not always command them but encourages them in the spirit of Christ (8:8-9) and validates their abounding spirit in everything (8:7).
15. Paul highlights the beauty of equality (8:13-15) that they achieved through sharing and working together. Those with abundance should share with those who have want.
16. Paul does everything above board, so he is blameless and not discredited (8:20-21; 6:3-4). When he is involved in collecting money for others, he works discreetly, with a trusted helper.
17. Paul exhibits the meekness and gentleness of Christ. (10:1). He is committed to building people up and bringing people together using these attitudes (10:8; 13:10).
18. Paul is trustworthy. (10:10-11). He is always the same person, whether present or absent. This characteristic is true integrity. He does not masquerade; his actions match his words; his words match his actions.
19. Paul cares deeply about the Corinthians, as a husband for a wife (11:2), and as a parent for a child (12:14, 15).
20. Paul is not a burden to anyone. (11:10-12). He does not take from the Corinthian ecclesia or exploit them in any way. He is conscious of the importance of providing for his own needs.
21. Paul confronts gossip. (12:16-20). He knows how destructive gossip could be. Rumors and whisperings about his exploitation of the ecclesia need to be addressed and corrected.

Love is Paul’s Aim

This is a simple and inspiring list of Paul’s leadership qualities. It reminds me of Peter’s beautiful appeal for Jesus’s disciples to “Love the brotherhood.” (1 Peter 2:17). By following these tips and tools for leadership, Paul demonstrates and inspires great love for the brotherhood. and within it. How are we doing at practicing these same skills?

I also discovered that the word “brotherhood” occurs in the King James Version in one other curious place: Zechariah 11:14. This verse is about God wanting to “break the brotherhood” between Israel and Judah. This breaking is the exact opposite of what Paul or Peter had in mind for the brotherhood of Christ. What does God mean by this?

When I further examined the context of Zechariah, I was amazed to find an interesting contrast with the leadership Paul shows in his letter to the Corinthians. Here, God sends foolish shepherds to break the brotherhood of Israel and Judah, and they use the opposite tools than those encouraged by Paul. Zechariah describes their equipment as “the implements of a foolish shepherd” (Zechariah 11:15 NKJV), which represent the gear of a negligent or false leader that harms and divides rather than protecting and unifying. Instead of a good shepherd’s comforting staff and rod (Psalm 23:4), they remind us of the swords and clubs the false shepherds brought out against Jesus and his brotherhood (Mark 14:48).

Furthermore, the shepherds do not care for those who were “cut off.” They do not seek the young, they do not heal what was broken, and they are described as “worthless,” and even “leave the flock”! (Zechariah 11:14-17 NKJV). The implication is that they are greedy and selfish like Eli’s two sons (1 Samuel 2:12-17). The behavior of these false shepherds which appear in Israel and Judah, is exactly the opposite of the example of a true shepherd presented by Paul in Corinthians.

God also condemns the shepherds of Ezekiel 34 for feeding themselves, not the flock (v. 2). The diseased, the sick, the injured and the lost they have not sought out, and they rule “with force and with cruelty.” (v. 4). This is not Paul’s way of working with the Corinthians. He is so radically different. Paul takes his example from Christ and God and mirrors the good shepherds in Ezekiel 34. He seeks out his flock and feeds them with the good news of the gospel (v. 11-31). He even binds up the broken. What an example to all of us. Paul is like Elisha feeding the Syrian army, like Christ with his face set like a flint to go to Jerusalem, and like the good Samaritan who stops to help the man robbed and beaten on the road.

Finally, I was also intrigued by several comments about another religious group, about which I was doing some reading. The material contained a statement about their “philosophy of brotherhood.” That certainly strikes a chord. But in reading more, the interesting part was that this group kept themselves together by curbing interactions with others and insulating themselves. Also mentioned was the discouragement of personal Bible study and devotions because individual interpretations may challenge traditional doctrines. To me, that challenged the very example of Paul and Jesus, not to mention the way that Christadelphian beliefs and the gospel were originally “discovered.” Hopefully, we do not practice this form of brotherhood, shepherding, or leadership.

To close, I will reference Paul’s final words of leadership to the Corinthians:

Cathy Badger,
Cambridge Ecclesia, ON