Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:8-12 have been conveniently lost in church history, much to our detriment. They would provide an excellent adjustment to two of our big issues: abuse of authority and lack of empowerment. Check it out:
But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Authority:
Clearly, no disciple of Jesus is to be set aside as deserving veneration or to demand recognition for bearing an institutional title. While Jesus does make the Twelve leaders of His movement, their authority is primarily a moral authority. They are not to receive special acclamation by other disciples. Rather, the disciples are now brothers and sisters who strive to serve each other and do not seek power over each other. While functional hierarchies must exist in all organized communities, including the church, the problem is often that those with the titles are viewed (and view themselves) as more valuable (and thus deserving of service) than the others and are often viewed as the centerpieces of the community instead of God.
Empowerment:
The flip side of this same principle is that all disciples of Christ share a common standing in the Kingdom. We are ALL therefore capable of serving Christ in a way that is fruitful and meaningful, including: sharing the gospel, making disciples, serving those in need, etc. Jesus intended for all of His disciples to be empowered for service and not to simply look to special “Teachers” to do the work of the Kingdom.
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