2) Paul — An Example .
Being an apostle of Jesus brought no honor or praise.
Paul described his leadership role in these words. “Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;
“And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:
“Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.
“I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you” (I Cor 4:11-14).
The Corinthian church and their leaders had a wrong understanding of their role in this present world. They thought they were to be like gentile rulers (see 1 Corinthians 4:8). Paul used stinging words of sarcasm to correct their wrong ideas.
b. The Church Leader— A Burden- Bearer. The Scripture uses the oxen (water buffalo) as the symbol of the church leader. ” For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
“Or does he say this referring to we who are leaders in the church? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written… ” (1 Cor 9:9,10).
The oxen was chosen as the representation of the church leader because of its patient endurance in the labors of harvest. The steady, enduring strength and selflessness of the oxen has made it the most loved and revered of all animals used in agriculture.
As such, the oxen illustrates the biblical role of the church leader — a burden-bearer, one who joyfully takes the responsibility to see that others are fed and cared for.
It is obvious from Scripture that those who faithfully fulfill their leadership role bear many burdens like the oxen. Paul described his ministry in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 in these graphic words:
“…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
“Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
“In journeyings often, in perils of waters, inperils of robbers, inperils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, inperils in the city, inperils in the wilderness, inperils in the sea, inperils among false brethren;
“In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
“Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. ” None but the sincere church leaders want these kind of burdens and responsibilities. Such are God’s oxen.
Seek out these kind of men and train them for leadership. Observe these biblical principles for training leaders:
“…for then thou shall make thy way prosperous, and then thou shall have good success ” (Josh 1:8).
