Philipp HeinrichPaulus als Teamleiter – Paulinische Mitarbeiterführung im Corpus Paulinum und in der Apostelgeschichte

About this book deutschenglish

Team leadership is a highly relevant topic. Effective team leadership can lead, among other things, to the exponential growth of an organization.

It should not surprise us that the Apostle Paul, for instance, was not a spiritual “lone fighter”. The New Testament names several people who joined him in the propagation of the Gospel. But how did Paul lead his team? What did his relationship to them look like? How did they pursue certain goals together?

To answer these questions, the Biblical sources, the Pauline corpus, and the Acts of the Apostles have to be examined in detail. This investigation reveals that Paul was the central authority among his co-workers. However, there are, at the same time, several indications of egalitarian co-operation, which contrast the usual leadership practices at that time. Furthermore, on the one hand, Paul promoted the development of individual co-workers. On the other hand, he aimed at equipping co-workers to lead people to Christ, plant churches and strengthen and develop the faith of individuals and churches together with him. Paul instructed his co-workers, asked them to perform certain tasks independently, commended them and expressed his heartfelt affection towards them. Nonetheless, he also gave instructions, which resemble commands, and openly raised critical issues. In addition, Paul supported his co-workers practically and defended them against internal church hostilities and external dangers. In all of this, he led by example.

What can we learn from Paul? He emphasizes time and again that he is not the boss of his co-workers. His co-workers were not called and appointed by him but by God. This makes clear to his co-workers that they are ultimately responsible only to God. Such fear of God frees from fear of people. It is also interesting how much freedom of decision Paul grants his co-workers. On the one hand, he committed them to the message of the crucified Christ. On the other hand, he allowed them to make independent decisions in light of their responsibility before God—all the while encouraging their individual gifts and working methods.