How Apostolic leadership functions

Jethro versus 5 fold

The pyramid structure is built around the ‘Jethro’ model of organization first introduced in Exodus 18. In today’s language, Moses was micromanaging the nation, hearing every dispute and settling every argument brought before him. His father in law, Jethro, told him to organize ‘rulers of thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." (18:21)

This pattern is seen today in the pyramid model throughout traditional churches, from the pastor and his assistant down to the small groups who have a leader and assistant, who, with enough time and faithfulness, may be able to work up to become a leader. Such is the nature of the pyramid and Jethro system.

Jesus however presented a different system, the apostolic or 5 fold model. This model is built on interpersonal relationships, recognizing the call and gift on a person’s life, and through close relationship, imparting life experience and wisdom into these people. Jesus presented a nearly horizontal, or flat V, while Jethro was a pyramid.

Jesus’ example of teaching, preaching, and healing while living with his disciples is the pattern for today. The Jethro method is relationships built around work, Jesus‘ example is relationships through life. The Jews use the Hebrew word "lamad" to describe their philosophy of learning. It means ‘to teach’ and ‘to learn’. They don’t separate the teaching from the learning (doing). Both the mind and the action must be involved.

The Greek method is ‘wisdom’, or ideas only. Like Paul’s experience on Mars Hill, they only want to hear the latest revelation or good speaker, but have no intention of actually applying what they’ve learned. Such is much of the church today, hopping from speaker to speaker, convention to convention, hearing wonderful teaching, but coming away unchanged.

Jesus was not and is not Greek. He’s Jewish and the whole Bible is written from the ‘lamad’ perspective. This is why Elisha referred to Elijah as ‘my father, my father’ and why Deborah was ‘a mother in Israel’. You hear it, you do it, and you do it by being in close relationship with someone who is living it.

Relationships that are based solely on work are just the ramifications of a pyramid structure, even if that work is as part of being on staff at a church. Again, by it’s nature a pyramid cannot nurture close relationships. Church staff comes to work, does their job, and goes home, being surrounded by church ‘family’, yet alone, islands to themselves. Like the judges appointed in Israel, they left their families, went to work to judge the people, then came home. Their relationships at work were separate from their families’ relationships. So it is in many churches and ministries today. This is the ‘professional’ Christianity, patterned after the secular business model, and no where near what Jesus and the Bible teach.

Because the Jethro model sets forth clearly defined roles, adjusting to Jesus’ 5 fold model can be difficult for some. This is because it requires a person to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, as Paul said in II Cor 5:16, "I know no man according to the flesh (but ‘by the Spirit’ is implied)" The structure is spiritual. It’s a matter of discerning and perceiving the things of the Spirit, the call on a person’s life, and the grace given to them. It requires the wisdom to understand how each of these gifts fits into God’s plan for the local fellowship.

Part of this comes from knowing a person in all parts of life: Work, play, worship, family, socially. This is a family structure. The 5 fold must be understood within the larger ‘family of God’ context or it doesn’t work.

I have known of some ‘apostles’ (I use that word loosely) who have ministered in a church, then demanded tithes of that church seeing that they were now the ‘apostles’ over that church. Hogwash!

The 5 fold is a family of equally gifted and called individuals who have the maturity to appreciate each other’s gifts and allows them to flow.

The True Meaning of Fellowship

The word for fellowship in the Greek is ‘koinonia’. It means ‘common’ or ‘having in common’. It describes a 2 way relationship in which each person participates. It is also translated ’communion’ and in a variation, ’partaker’. To have true koinonia is to enter into a 2 way relationship with others in which each person participates according to the gifts that make them who they are.

In Galatians 1:9 Paul said that Peter, James, and John...

"...perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave to me and Barnabus the right hands of fellowship; that we should go to the heathen, and they to the circumcision (Jews)."

The word fellowship is the word koinonia. Peter, James and John perceived the grace given to Paul. That’s where the spiritual discernment comes in. The word ‘perceive’ is a spiritual term used to describe something noticed in the spirit of man. They perceived the grace to the heathen that Paul had.

They accepted Paul’s call, recognizing the grace given to him. It is interesting that Peter later wrote in II Pet 3:16 that some of Paul’s revelations were hard to understand. He may not have understood Paul, but he accepted him, recognizing God at work.

They did not accept Paul based on the Jethro principle of how long he’d been at it, they accepted him based on the grace they perceived in him. They were family and co-workers, therefore they had fellowship, a 2 way relationship.

Koinonia in action

When Paul tells his testimony to Agrippa in Acts 26: 12-18, he says that Jesus appeared to him (about 35AD) and called him ‘to the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee."

You may recall the story. The much feared Saul of Tarsus had become Paul, called of God. No one believed him, thinking it was a trap, but Barnabus took him directly to the apostles and introduced him to them. (Acts 9:27).

This is 5 fold leadership in action. This is koinonia. The living of koinonia is what sets the 5 fold apart from the Jethro model. Barnabus perceived the grace given to Paul and was bold enough to enter into relationship with him, knowing him by the Spirit.

Paul spent the next several years being taught by the Lord and not active in ministry. It isn’t until Barnabus visits the church at Antioch, which was a Gentile church, in about 41AD, and immediately goes to Tarsus to get Paul, because he knows his call. (Acts 11:25-26) Again, we see apostolic leadership in action.

Apostolic leadership is marked by the ability to perceive the grace of God in a person’s life and help them move into the place of functioning in that grace.

In Acts 13:1-3 we see ‘certain prophets and teachers’ at the church in Antioch, including Barnabus and Saul/Paul. This is where the HOLY SPIRIT calls Barnabus and Paul to become apostles.

There is promotion in the 5 fold. It does come through being faithful, but the faithfulness is in doing the grace given to you, then promoted by the Lord, not through connections or jumping through man made hoops and church politics.

This can also be seen in the life of Philip who was chosen out from the congregation by the congregation to become a deacon (Acts 6:5). He was in food service for some time evidently, but the next time we see him he is ‘Philip the evangelist’ leading a revival in Samaria (Acts 8).

It might be well to remember at this point that ‘promotion’ in the 5 fold is promotion downward, not upward. Let’s renew the mind here. Remember that Jesus said in Mark 10 that he who wants to be the greatest must become the servant of all, submitting to those he serves. Paul said in I Cor 4:9 that apostles were last (lowest rank), so we must remove our old way of thinking and realize that promotion in the 5 fold is downward promotion, while promotion in the Jethro model is upward. Promotion in the NT only means you’ve been found worthy to lay down a little more of your life for your brethren and the Lord.

In Acts 13 Paul is one of the prophets and teachers, who now gets promoted downward to that of apostle. He and Barnabus go on their first missionary trip and take Barnabus’ nephew, John Mark (Col 4:10). John Mark leaves them about 1/4 of the way through their journey, and Paul allows that. (Acts 12:25, 13:13)

Again, like the grace that Paul would later be shown by Peter, James and John, he lets John Mark go back to Jerusalem.

Later in their trip to Antioch Acts 15: 32-34 records that Silas, a prophet, decided to stay there, and Paul allowed him. Paul recognized the grace in Silas and though not understanding fully I’m sure, allowed the grace to do what was needed.

In Acts 15: 36-41 we have a good look at conflict within an apostolic team. Paul wanted to make another trip like their first, and like the first time, Barnabus wants to take his nephew John Mark. This time Paul says no. The reason? He had left them mid-trip the last time. Barnabus, ever the one to seek peace and reconciliation, decided to take John Mark and go back home to Cyprus, where they were from. (Acts 4:36)

Again, though there was a heated exchange, Paul allowed the grace in Barnabus for encouragement and reconciliation to flow. It’s a good thing he did. After a time in Cyprus, John Mark went back to Jerusalem to his mom’s house (Acts 12:12) and became the disciple to accompany Peter. It is from Peter’s narration of the life of Jesus to Mark that we have the Gospel of Mark today. Late in life Paul asks that John Mark comes to him, ‘for he is profitable for the ministry’ (II Tim 4:11)

In Acts 16:1-3 Paul picks up a young man named Timothy as his assistant and co-worker. Again, Paul recognizes the grace in this young man. In Acts 17:14-15 Paul allows Silas and Timothy to stay at Berea for a while, and later asks them to come join him.

My point in this detailed text is to show that apostolic leadership recognizes the grace of God and whether they understand it or not, trusts God in that person and allows them to flow in their gift.

The Contrast

In our comparison of the pyramid versus the flat structure, we can see the lack of control in the apostolic, 5 fold model presented by Jesus. Jesus expects each person to learn to hear the voice of the Spirit, live responsibly, be accountable to one another in mutual submission, and flow together. "By your love they will know you."

The pyramid requires control and not giving a person authority. The apostolic requires the recognition of the grace in a person and giving them the freedom to move in it. The pyramid defeats relationships, the apostolic can only flow within relationships. The pyramid controls through fear, the apostolic controls through relationships, honesty and integrity.

For this lesson, I will end here. The biggest element of apostolic leadership is the recognition of the grace of God in other’s lives. It is this recognition that allows the flat structure to remain. It is this recognition that keeps leadership humble. We are in a very real sense, horizontal in our relationships with others, not vertical like the Jethro model. Within the family of God we mutually recognize the grace given to others. From that recognition comes the acknowledgment of the call, yet the humility remains, we are all just brothers and sisters, saved by the blood.