If they are, the New Testament doesn't say so. This text is interesting, because it gives us an insight into the positive side of the New Testament's understanding of leadership. Up to now I have emphasized the negative-that they do not have spiritual authority in the usual sense, and believers are not told to obey them. In spite of all this, the New Testament insists that there are recognizable leaders in a local body and that their existence and ministry are important to the health of the body. Now that's helpful.
Believers are to let themselves be persuaded by their leaders.
Leaders are to be accorded a certain respect which lends their words more weight than they have in and of themselves. And the rest of the church should be biased in favor of listening to what they say. We are to allow ourselves to be persuaded by our leaders-not to obey them mindlessly but to enter into discussion with them while being biased toward what they are saying. So now we understand that it was significant that Paul's statements in 2 Corinthians were in a context of persuasion. He was trying to persuade them to let themselves be persuaded by him.