Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

Hebrews: Obey Your Leaders

Rom. 8223,26). Here the word expresses a deep sorrow and longing for better conditions. Godly leaders sigh over a brother or sister who willfully wanders after false teaching. They groan in sorrow over those who refuse to grow, learn, change, or receive correction. Moses grieved many times because of the people’s disobedience and stubbornness. At one time in his life, the people’s complaining became so intolerable that Moses called on God to take his life: “I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. So if Thou art going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Thy sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness” (Num. 1 1214,15). Paul also suffered many heartaches because of his converts’ disobedience. Rebellious behavior takes its toll on the shepherds. Sometimes good shepherds give up because of the painful kicks and deep bites of dis obedient sheep. When that occurs, everyone in the congregation suf fers. While disobedience distresses the church shepherds, it has an even more serious impact on the wayward believer. This is a final reason why the readers ought to obey and submit to their spiritual leaders. By means of an intentional understatement, “this would be unprofitable for you,” the writer to the Hebrews warns the disobedient believer against grieving their spiritual leaders. This statement is a literary de vice, called a litotes, in which a milder, negative statement is used instead of a strong, affirmative statement. It is the opposite of a hyper bole. (For example, instead of saying “really great work,” we might say, “not bad work.”) The expression causes the reader to stop, think, and fill in the fuller meaning. Stated positively, this clause would read, “that is harmful to you,” or “that is disastrous for you.” To cut oneself off from God’s watchmen or to run away from the shepherds’ care is dangerous business. God may severely chastise the disobedient believer (1 Cor. 11:29-34), the devil may delude the mind (2 Cor. 1123), or a bitter spirit may set in, halting all growth and matu rity. Certainly all the God-given blessings of the shepherding ministry are lost to those who refuse to heed the cries and pleas of the church shepherds. So the concluding clause is, as biblical commentator Will iam Lane remarks, “a sober reminder that the welfare of the commu nity is tied to the quality of their response to their current leaders.””

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