Accountability: It’s Not About You

by Bible Burrow | Jan 13, 2025 | Deep Dives, Work and Business

Not About You - be accountable to Christ

Last Updated on March 4, 2025

When it comes to biblical leadership, accountability isn’t about wielding power—it’s about carrying a burden. A burden that isn’t glamorous, and certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. Let’s dig into what Hebrews 13:17 (NASB) has to say and see how it dismantles any fantasies of leadership being a free ride to respect and influence.

Here’s the verse again for impact:

“Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.”
Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

This isn’t just a job description. It’s a solemn warning.

Context of Hebrews 13:17

The book of Hebrews is a bit like a theological manifesto for early Jewish Christians struggling to reconcile their newfound faith in Christ with centuries of tradition. By the time you get to chapter 13, the writer—possibly Paul or someone else equally long-winded—is throwing down rapid-fire instructions about how to live as a community of faith.

Verse 17 drops into this with an emphasis on leadership. Not the kind where you wear a shiny badge and bark orders, but the type that involves vigilance over the spiritual health of others. The imagery suggests shepherds watching over sheep, not corporate CEOs staring at spreadsheets. And here’s the kicker: these leaders are accountable not just to the people they serve but to God Himself.

A Double Accountability

To the People

The first layer of accountability in this verse is to the community of believers. Leaders are called to “keep watch over your souls.” The Greek here (ἀγρυπνέω) literally means to stay awake or be sleepless. Think night watchman, not daytime influencer.This isn’t a call for micromanagement or control. It’s about guidance, prayer, and discernment. A leader who forgets that leadership is servanthood might as well hang it up now.

To God

Here’s where it gets terrifying. Leaders must “give an account” to God for how they’ve handled their role. It’s like having a performance review, except the boss is omniscient, omnipotent, and unimpressed by excuses.This means that any abuse of authority, negligence, or failure to act isn’t just a personal failing—it’s a direct violation of the trust God has placed in that leader.

Theological Perspectives on Leadership and Accountability

Leadership in the Bible isn’t a glamorous gig. It’s not about titles, power moves, or parking spots labeled “Senior Pastor Only.” It’s about responsibility—the kind that could keep a person up at night.

Early Church Fathers

The early Church didn’t handle this lightly. They read verses like Hebrews 13:17—

Obey your leaders and submit to them—for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they may do this with joy, not groaning; for this would be unhelpful for you.
Hebrews 13:17 (NASB)

—and realized that leadership was less about control and more about carrying the weight of other people’s souls. That’s a heavy thing.

Chrysostom, the golden-tongued preacher, once said:

“The souls of the disciples are required at the hands of their teachers. This is no light thing.”
—Chrysostom

Augustine, ever the realist, warned that the higher one climbs in leadership, the greater the fall if humility is lost. His words in Sermon 340 are a gut check: “The bishop’s title is not for glory but for labor.”

Modern Theologians

The same weighty theme carries forward into modern thought. N.T. Wright emphasizes that leadership is a communal responsibility. In his view, biblical leadership isn’t about a CEO-style pastor calling the shots but about an interconnected body of believers, each accountable to one another. The church is not a stage for ambitious individuals; it’s a body where leaders serve, not dominate.

On the other hand, John Piper takes a swipe at Western individualism, noting that Hebrews 13:17 is a direct challenge to the lone-wolf mentality. He points out that the New Testament never envisions a self-appointed, unaccountable leader. If anything, it screams the opposite: leaders will answer for how they guided others.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who had a thing or two to say about responsibility under pressure, saw leadership as an exercise in self-sacrifice. In Life Together, he wrote, “The church does not need brilliant personalities but faithful servants of Jesus and the brethren.” Try selling that at a leadership seminar.

Denominational Views

The way different Christian traditions approach this verse and its implications says a lot about their theology:

Roman Catholics see this as a clear mandate for apostolic succession and the pastoral responsibility of priests and bishops. To them, the shepherding of souls isn’t optional—it’s part of the divine order, rooted in the authority passed down from Peter.
Protestants tend to focus on the communal aspect of accountability. Congregational churches, for example, emphasize that while pastors lead, they do so in partnership with the flock. Elders and deacons exist precisely because no leader should be making decisions in a vacuum.
Pentecostals highlight spiritual discernment. For them, leadership isn’t just about administrative responsibility—it’s about being sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. A leader isn’t just managing a group; they’re stewarding spiritual direction and, in many cases, prophetic insight.

Biblical Warnings About Leadership

The Bible is packed with cautionary tales of leaders who got it wrong. Moses, for all his faithfulness, couldn’t enter the Promised Land because he let frustration get the better of him. Saul lost his kingdom because he played fast and loose with God’s commands. The Pharisees? Jesus practically wrote a roast session in Matthew 23, calling them out for loving titles and honor while neglecting justice and mercy.

Then there’s James 3:1:

Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment.
James 3:1 (NASB)

Translation? Leadership isn’t a prize—it’s a liability.

Practical Takeaways

Leaders are accountable, whether they like it or not. There’s no such thing as a leader who answers to no one—not biblically, at least.
Authority isn’t about power—it’s about responsibility. If a leader enjoys the perks but dodges the weight of accountability, they’re doing it wrong.
True leadership is marked by service. The best leaders in Scripture weren’t the ones demanding obedience but the ones who laid down their lives for others.

Jesus, the only leader with a perfect record, summed it up best:

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:25-28 (NASB)

That, I believe, is what good leadership is about.

Practical Implications for Leaders

Leadership Isn’t Self-Care: Modern culture loves the idea of “self-care” for leaders. And while rest and boundaries are crucial, Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that leadership is sacrificial. If you’re in it for the perks, you’re in the wrong field.
Accountability Requires Vulnerability: Leaders must answer to others, both horizontally (to their teams) and vertically (to God). This means being open to criticism, correction, and even rebuke.
It’s About the Sheep, Not the Shepherd: The well-being of the people under your care isn’t a secondary concern—it’s the whole job. Spiritual neglect is as serious as financial mismanagement in God’s kingdom.

For the Followers

This verse isn’t just for leaders—it’s also a call to the community to respect and submit to their leaders. Let’s not sugarcoat it: this can be uncomfortable, especially when leaders fail or disappoint. But biblical submission isn’t about blind obedience—it’s about mutual trust and accountability.

Biblical leadership is not about titles, fame, or wielding power. It’s about sleepless nights, selfless service, and standing before God with a clear conscience. Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that leadership comes with a cost, and the price is accountability.

Would-be leaders, count the cost. Followers, pray for your leaders. And everyone, remember this: the greatest leader of all time didn’t come to be served but to serve.

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45 (NASB)

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