Paul has urged the Corinthian believers twice in his letter to imitate him. 1 Cor 4:16 – “I urge you, then, be imitators of me.” 1 Cor 11:1 – “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” The call of Christ in the Gospel was to follow him. What is Paul saying here? Is he preaching another gospel? Is he making himself equal with Christ? Is he encouraging idolatry? How can he say, “Imitate me,” when Christ has said, “Follow me?”
Actually, Paul is not out of step with the Gospel at all in these pleas. His call for the Corinthians to imitate him is not contrary to Christ’s call for them to follow, it is one and the same. Paul’s new life of faith is a life following Christ Jesus. Paul has become a living, breathing, walking, talking example of what it means to follow Christ. So what does it mean to follow Christ? What would that look like? The Corinthians can look at Paul to find an answer to those questions.
Paul is not calling for the rise of a cult, he is calling for discipleship. He is essentially saying that his life before them is a model of true belief in Christ. He is following Christ and therefore provides an example for others to follow. Should a Corinthian believer ask, “What does it mean to follow Christ?” Another might reply, “Remember how Paul prayed? Remember how Paul loved? Remember how Paul taught others? Remember how Paul practiced humility? That is what it means to follow Christ.”
We should thank the Lord for those who model sincere, dynamic, mature faith before us. We need them. We need living portraits of faith. We need to know what it looks like. They give us real-life examples to follow as we are seeking to follow Christ!
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