Christ as the True Shepherd
Christianity has historically been a source of significant debate. However, Jesus remains as present today as He was in the beginning. Those who embrace Christianity willingly renounce worldly traditions. Christianity requires a profound transformation, which Paul likens to death (Romans 8:8-10). Following Christ necessitates surrendering one’s life and is marked by submission to His authority. Doctrinal disputes within Christianity are largely unwarranted.
Jesus unequivocally declared Himself the one true Good Shepherd (John 10:11-16), laying down His life for His sheep. This divine pastoral role was never delegated to a single individual but is fulfilled collectively by His body—the Church. As Paul explains, “You are the body of Christ and individual members of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV). Those who reject Christ’s shepherding authority place themselves outside His flock.
The Church as Christ’s Body in Action
Each believer is endowed with spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), not for personal glorification but for the edification of the Church. Christ, as the Head of the body, assigns these gifts individually (Ephesians 4:11-12). Scripture does not indicate that He delegated His unique pastoral authority to a human office. Instead, the early church operated as a collective priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), with leadership arising organically under the Spirit’s direction.
A crucial element of adhering to Paul’s teachings in Romans 12 is that individuals spiritually compelled to fulfil God’s work do so independently. Performing tasks as a divine vocation fundamentally differs from carrying them out to earn approval from a pastor or another person. In Christianity, no accomplishment can be attributed to individual personalities, as all actions are ultimately executed by Christ through those engaged in His mission. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20). How Did Pastoral Authority Become Centralised?
The shift from communal discernment to hierarchical leadership began early. Paul’s epistles reveal tensions in Gentile churches where cultural influences, like reverence for Jewish rabbinic structures or Greco-Roman patronage systems, crept in. Some began exalting leaders (1 Corinthians 3:3-11), distorting the New Covenant’s radical equality in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
Key moments in Acts further illustrate this tension:
Acts 6: The Selection of Deacons
When disputes arose, the apostles instructed the congregation, not a clerical elite, to choose Spirit-filled servants. Ordination (laying on of hands) merely recognised the Spirit’s prior work, much like a wedding formalises an existing covenant. The disciples, also being still inexperienced in ministering to God’s people, found the practical application of Jesus’ teachings ill-suited at that time for a public not yet acquainted with the principles of Christianity.
Acts 13: The Spirit’s Direct Commissioning
The Spirit called Barnabas and Paul while the church worshipped (Acts 13:2), underscoring that ministry flows from divine initiative, not human ceremonies. A newcomer to the faith, still undergoing spiritual guidance, should not be viewed as inferior. It is essential to acknowledge that congregants, led by the Spirit, ought not to be regarded or treated as subordinates in secular contexts. They are either God’s children or yet to be inducted into Christianity (still in need of milk, 1 Cor 3:1-4).
Cultural Baggage vs. Christ’s Commands
Paul’s instructions often addressed specific cultural contexts (e.g., 1 Corinthians 14:34-35) on women’s silence. Yet he distinguished his personal counsel from the Lord’s commands (1 Corinthians 7:10, 12). Tragically, later institutionalisation blurred this line, importing Old Covenant rituals (e.g., ordination) into the Spirit-led New Covenant community.
Reclaiming the Biblical Model
- One Flock, One Shepherd (John 10:16)
Christ’s vision excludes hierarchical dominance (Matthew 23:6-12). Leaders who demand unquestioned authority or financial privilege (e.g., coercive tithing) betray His servant model (Matthew 20:25-28). The question of how God’s work should be financed is addressed in both Matthew 10 and Luke 10, where He sent the disciples on a mission as part of their training. However, Spiritual matters cannot be governed by formulas or confined to secular frameworks.
2. Mutual Suffering and Joy (1 Corinthians 12:26)
Pastoral care is every believer’s duty—comforting, correcting, and carrying one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:12). In systems where hierarchical structures are established, it becomes exceedingly difficult for individuals regarded as juniors to challenge or correct those deemed seniors. This phenomenon is evident in Zimbabwean structural leadership, where the nation struggles to hold a rogue president accountable, even in the presence of clear evidence of misgovernance. Such challenges arise from hierarchical dominance, a concept invalidated by Christ (Matthew 20:25-28).
3. Testing Traditions by Christ’s Standard
Practices such as ordination may be acceptable if not rigidly dogmatized. However, the essence of the New Covenant lies in Spirit-led obedience (Jeremiah 31:33-34), rather than ceremonialism. An individual baptised in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ceases to belong to this world, though they remain within it. Fundamentally, such a person cannot be governed by physical beings, as they are under spiritual guidance.
A Call to Radical Discipleship
Modern Christianity often reduces faith to attendance and tithes, but true conversion means dying to self (Luke 9:23). In contexts like Zimbabwe, where poverty limits tithing, pastors must rediscover Christ’s example: sacrificial service over entitlement (Philippians 2:5-7).
While leadership without hierarchical structures may face significant resistance to challenging established norms within contemporary Christianity, it cannot be dismissed from a Scriptural standpoint. This is particularly relevant when it aligns with the teachings of Christ. Such practices can only be embraced and effectively implemented by those dedicated to being guided by Christ within their congregations.
Conclusion: The Church thrives when all members embrace their pastoral role—shepherding one another under Christ’s authority. The invitation is for Christians to return to His blueprint: a kingdom where “the last will be first, and the first last” (Matthew 20:16). Christians are called to surrender everything to follow Christ, rather than insist on maintaining human traditions, even where Christ has shown the way (Luke 14:25-35).
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilisation, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing relief to those who have witnessed the strings of unworkable solutions, leading to the current economic and social decay. Most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long-awaited providential oasis of hope, in a simple conversational tone.
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