Let’s Talk about Leadership

 

On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Russia has a population of 146 million people[i] while Ukraine, before the invasion, had a population of forty-three million people.[ii] Putin, a former KGB foreign intelligence officer, has demonstrated a form of leadership that has existed since before and after the flood recorded in the book of Genesis. Ukraine, on the other hand, is led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a forty-four-year-old former actor, comedian, and now President of Ukraine. He, along with the people of Ukraine, have successfully fought back in the face of overwhelming force. This is the best example of the current meaning of hegemony since Hitler attacked his weaker neighbors in World War II.

There is much that has and is being written regarding hegemony on the Internet. I encourage you to do a quick search of hegemony. There is not enough space in this article to fully explain all of its ramifications from the world’s perspective. However, with the rise of authoritarian leadership around the world, this subject is going to become increasingly important.

Hegemonic Theory is now being applied to Christianity in a negative way. In your overview of internet articles, note Christian Hegemony. This is the charge that Christianity seeks to impose its values on the world. This is a dangerous charge. One that must be taken seriously.

Before going any further, let’s posit a basic definition of hegemony as the world see it. Dictionary.com gives three definitions:

  1. leadership or predominant influence exercised by one nation over others, as in a confederation.
  2. leadership; predominance.
  3. (especially among smaller nations) aggression or expansionism by large nations in an effort to achieve world domination.[iii]

I leave it to you, the reader, to explore the significance of these definitions as they relate to all of human history since the fall and especially in our chaotic world today. Simply state, the world since the fall of Adam and Eve, has been repeatedly rocked by tyrants who seek to dominate. God’s condemnation of this was the ultimate cause of the flood. But even the flood did not stop this kind of hegemony. In Genesis 10 we read, “Now these are the records of the generations of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah; and sons were born to them after the flood.”[iv] Following this genealogy in the Old Testament,[v] we find that leaders resorted to this form of hegemony time after time. The leadership of fallen man is characterized by this hegemony. There may have been times when men experienced freedom from tyranny, but history records that eventually, as with Jesus’ disciples in the upper room, the question, who is the greatest? is raised.

Current events demonstrate that those of us who believe that the Bible is God’s voice speaking to us today need to understand what was taking place at the time of the writing of the New Testament and compare it to today in order to understand the importance and use of this term in the New Testament.

Hegemony is a transliteration of the Greek term hegeomai used to describe leadership. Luke, a Gentile, writing to Theophilus, a Gentile government official, quotes Jesus speaking to His disciples in the upper room. He told them that one of them would betray Him. This led to Jesus’ teaching regarding leadership among them.

As the Holy Spirit guided Luke, we find two surprising responses to the disclosure of His impending death by Jesus. First, they discussed which of them was the betrayer.[vi] Then they began to argue over who was regarded to be greatest.[vii] This juxtaposition of their responses and what Jesus said next is the heart and soul of the gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Verses 25, 26, and 27 provide us with the What, the Who, the Why, and the How of the gospel.

Notice Jesus’ response to the disciples’ quarrel.

And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' "But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader (hegoumenos) as the servant. "For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table, or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.[viii]

Jesus described Gentile leaders as kings who lord it over their subjects. Those in authority are called benefactors. The term for benefactors is euergetai. This is the only occurrence of this term in the New Testament so we must rely on how the term was used in Luke’s day for its definition. There are a few occurrences of its cognates. These are uniformly translated good works. Therefore, the basic meaning of euergetai is good worker. Would Luke or Paul view Nero as a benefactor? Was he recognized as doing good? That depends on one’s presuppositions.

Jesus continues on to say, “But not so with you, but let him who is the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant.”[ix] The term translated as leader is hegemony. The leader is to serve. Clearly, this is the opposite of how the term is interpreted today.

Hegemony occurs twenty-eight times in the New Testament.[x] An overview of every occurrence shows it is always used positively. Matthew records that the chief priests and scribes told the magi that the Christ who was to be born would be a Ruler (hegeomai):

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, 'And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders (hegeomai) of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler (hegeomai), Who will shepherd My people Israel.'"[xi]

This Ruler would be One who serves. He would not be like the kings and rulers of the world who gain notoriety and power by force but would serve His subjects.

This meaning of New Testament hegemony is seen clearly in Paul’s admonition:

If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard (hegeomai) one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard (hegeomai) equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.[xii]

First and foremost, godly leadership is servant leadership. It is demonstrated by both attitude and action. Earlier I said that hegeomai is the heart and soul of the gospel of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. It is the opposite of tyrannical destruction and death by worldly leadership. Can it be accomplished without the fulfillment of the gospel? In isolated circumstances, possibly. The world praises human efforts in times of crises like an earthquake or floods or geopolitical turmoil. But over time, these efforts subside and the world goes back to the push and shove of the powerful dominating the weak.

In order for a leader to lead with genuine hegeomai, God’s Word reveals that certain characteristics must be present. Here are a few:

  1. The leader must be humble.
  2. The leader must be able to see things from God’s perspective.
  3. The leader must have the mind of Christ.
  4. The leader must be transformed by the renewing of his mind.
  5. The leader must esteem others more highly than himself.
  6. The leader must be willing to serve rather than be served.

This type of leadership also requires the right attitude on the part of those who are led.

  1. Those who are led must recognize that, ultimately, all leadership points to God, our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus our Lord and Savior.
  2. Those who are led must be humble under the mighty hand of God and put their trust in Him.
  3. Those who are led must be willing to submit to their leaders and to one another.
  4. Those who are led must esteem one another and their leaders.

The leadership that Christ intends for His church is the opposite of the definition of hegemony, today. The world is calling Putin an evil tyrant. He is slaughtering innocent people for no good reason. How can such a leader be called good?

Our study of the term, hegemony, must not end here. Jesus is not expressing a paradox. Comparing all the occurrences of the term and its cognates in the New Testament, we find the biblical concept of leadership is exemplified by our Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins so that we will not have to pay the penalty of eternal separation for God for our sins.

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[i] Russia Population (2022) - Worldometer (worldometers.info)

[ii] population of ukraine 2022 - Search (bing.com)

[iii] Hegemony Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

[iv] Gen 10:1.

[v] 1 Chron 1:1ff.

[vi] Lk 22:23.

[vii] Lk 22:24.

[viii] Lk 22:25-27.

[ix] Luke 22:26.

[x] See my complete word study of hegeomai.  

[xi] Matt 2:1-6.

[xii] Phil 2:1-11.