In I Corinthians 12 it is a little surprising that the only spiritual gifts that Paul lists twice are those of administration (verse 27). In the NRSV they are translated “forms of assistance” and “forms of leadership” and are valued equally with all the others. Obviously this does not mean that administration is more important than all the other charismata, and it certainly does not imply, as some church members contend, that they are secondary because they only require technical business skills and are not spiritual. All work together to help it function effectively.
What are these gifts of administration specifically? Recently when I preached in a local church I asked if any of the members could identify which gifts of the spirit they had. After a little hesitation, one ruling elder responded that she had administration. When I asked her what she meant she said, “I am good at organization and finance and I can use these abilities to make the church run better.” The rest of the members agreed with her assessment that her talents from God really did benefit the whole church.
If we examine Paul’s concept of administration in detail, we get a more concrete idea of what he had in mind. Unfortunately the translation in the NRSV loses the power and the punch that the original Greek conveys. “Forms of assistance” (antileempsis) means “helping, protecting” and the text could be translated “acts of enabling” or “administrative work.” It could refer to support staff and indicate that those who help others in the church to do their jobs well clearly have a God-given talent.
The second descriptor, “forms of leadership” (kuberneesis), also means “administration,” but in a related form (kuperneetees) it refers to a “master,” “pilot” or “helmsman” of a sailing vessel. In the ancient world, the pilot was the one who knew the seasons, the sky, the stars, the currents and where the sandbars were in various ports. Paul was an experienced traveler who had experienced storms and shipwrecks at sea himself (2 Corinthians 11:25; Acts 27), and may well have had this image in mind. As such, the administrator is an officer who is critical for the safe passage of the ship of the church. But this metaphor also makes it clear that the helmsman or pilot is not the owner, or the captain. He or she does not even set the course or determine the cargo but guides the ship out of harbor so it can sail to predetermined destinations.
When we consider administration in the church’s current changing seas, Paul’s teaching enables us to avoid two dangerous misconceptions. It helps us see, first of all, that as important as it is to develop efficient management practices, the church really is not a business and does not need CEOs or CFOs as much as dedicated disciples who know and are committed to serving Jesus Christ. It also enables us to realize that administration correctly directed by the Holy Spirit is not to be devalued or disregarded. A disorganized church is one that wastes time and money and discredits the work of God in the practical world.
Paul’s dual images remind us that an administrator is one who takes orders from the chief, Jesus, as the head of the body, and follows the direction of the session, but nonetheless has critical knowledge and expertise that make the journey safe and possible. Members who can help develop strategies and enable us to keep organized have critically valuable skills in a world that often appears to be governed by unpredictability and randomness.
EARL S. JOHNSON JR. is a retired pastor living in Johnstown, N.Y., and an adjunct professor of religious studies at Siena College.
