Why a band of brothers is better than a ‘great man’

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow... And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him – a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecc. 4v9-10, 12).

One of the greatest practical problems I see across the church is the isolation of so many church leaders. There are many contributing factors, but surely one of them is the idea that spiritual growth occurs only or mainly through the purposeful, influential actions of elevated individuals. We might call this the “great man” theory.

'Great man' theory

Please let me be clear: I don’t want to downplay the genius of many great men. Throughout church history, and even in the Biblical narratives, it has often been an exceptional man raised up by God who has provided the special leadership or reform the church has needed. Surely we see that in a Luther, a Lloyd-Jones, a Stott, and others.