I used to think of apostles as somewhere quite high up in the hierarchy of leadership, but now I see it differently. Here’s the Greek for the noun and the verb:

• apóstolos (from 649 /apostéllō, “to commission, send forth”) – properly, someone sent (commissioned), focusing back on the authority (commissioning) of the sender.
• apostéllō (from 575 /apó, “away from” and 4724 /stéllō, “send”) – properly, send away, i.e. commission; (passive) “sent on a defined mission by a superior.”

Apostles are sent by God to do things for him with his authority, like this story in Matthew 21:1-3.

• As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

So are apostles leaders? Or just servants?

Here are all the introductions to New Testament letters that identify roles. They call themselves apostles 8 times, servants 4 times, elders twice and a “prisoner of Christ Jesus” once.

• Romans: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God
• 1 Corinthians: Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
• 2 Corinthians: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
• Galatians: Paul, an apostle —sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father
• Ephesians: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
• Philippians: Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus
• Colossians: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
• 1 Timothy: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope
• 2 Timothy: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God
• Titus: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ
• Philemon: Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus
• James: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ
• 1 Peter: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ
• 2 Peter: Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ
• Jude: Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ

What is a leader? Here are some definitions:

• Peter Drucker: “The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers.” – but people should follow Jesus:
  • For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. – 1 Co 3:4-7
• Warren Bennis: “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – but our power comes from God:
  • we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. – 2 Co 4:7
• Bill Gates: “As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others.” – but the Holy Spirit empowers us:
  • I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being – Eph 3:16
• John Maxwell: “Leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.” (influence: the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself) – but only God changes us:
  • God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?” But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? – Romans 9:18-21

Leaders get their authority from their capacity, experience, position, authority, power, influence, popularity, vision, etc. It’s all man-made and fleeting.

Apostles get their authority from being sent by God. So they look like leaders. The world can only imitate this.

• Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:42-45

God thinks he is our only leader.

• “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. – Matthew 23:8-12

Jesus came as a servant.

• Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. – John 5:19
• Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. – John 8:28
• The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. – John 14:10

Jesus is our model.

• In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:5-8

For more on this, see https://osozero.com/2022/12/01/leadership/