1 Corinthians: “Be Imitators of Me”
Introduction: When we think of the letters to the Corinthians, often our first thought is the many ways Paul needed to correct the Corinthian Christians for worldly beliefs and practices. Sexual immorality, lawsuits, turning the Lord’s Supper into a feast, and a myriad of other faults needed correcting.
However, before Paul corrects these specific sins, he lays down a foundation of why all of these are a violation of the gospel, which is defined by preaching Christ crucified (2:2).
It is the message of Christ crucified that solves:
- The problem of following the wisdom of men with their lofty speeches that appeal to the flesh.
- A man having his father’s wife since “Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.”
- Sexual immorality since we have been bought with a price and you are not your own.
- And we could go throughout the letters. Whatever the problem, living the message of Christ crucified, answers the problem.
In all of this, Paul pursues a repeated theme of “there is a pattern of teaching and living that must be pursued as a Christian.”
We are not surprised that Paul commands these Christians to imitate is teaching. But it is shocking when Paul commands them to imitate is life. It is even more amazing when we realize that God gave Paul permission to use himself as a model for the life of a believer. That is not to say that we are all called to travel like Paul or expect to be beaten and imprisoned. But Paul’s life-example teaches us how to view our purpose in the world to make the life of Jesus “visible in our mortal bodies.” (2 Cor. 4:10).
- Paul’s Emphasis on a Pattern: “Be Imitators of Me”
- Let’s begin with a quick overview of how many times Paul calls on Christians to imitate him:
- 4:6 In answer to their self-exaltation, Paul concludes the first section of book by using himself and Apollos as examples “…that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.”
- 4:16-17 Paul mentions a “pattern” three times:
- 16 “Be imitators of me”
- 17 “I sent Timothy to remind you of my ways in Christ…”
- 17 “… as I teach them everywhere in every church.”
- 7:17 Paul’s principles on marriage is something that is a “rule in all the churches.”
- 9:26-27 Paul uses himself as an example of a life with discipline and purpose.
- 11:1 The verse is a conclusion of a lengthy section from chapters 8-10 in which Paul calls on us to “Be imitators of me.” –– sacrificing self for the salvation of others and the glory of God.
- 11:2 Paul commends the Corinthians for “maintaining the traditions even as I delivered them to you.”
- 11:16 Concerning how the roles of men and women: “If anyone wants to argue about this, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God” (CSB).
- 14:33-35 Paul again appeals to his teaching in “all the churches” concerning women keeping silent in an assembly where the church is being instructed. In this assembly, they are not allowed to use their gifts.
- 16:1-2 Adding this up, we now have the eleventh time Paul reminds the Corinthians that what he is teaching is universal for all the churches.
- What do we learn from this?
- We live in a time when a large majority of religious teachers shame those who believe that there is a pattern of worship and practice that is to be held universally among all churches. It is such an amazingly foolish position since there is nothing new about God having a universal practice of worship. Throughout the OT God insisted on certain rules of worship and utterly condemned or even struck dead those who deviated!
- Further, Paul does not say this exclusively to the Corinthian church. Consider his words to the Philippians: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9).
- Let’s begin with a quick overview of how many times Paul calls on Christians to imitate him:
- How Does This Pattern Apply in Worship?
- It is not difficult to observe what NT Christians did in worship and follow the pattern. Jesus said the same when he quotes Isaiah in Mark 7:7, “…in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandment of men.”
- Paul said, “…that you may learn in us not to go beyond what is written…” (4:6), so what is written that was done by NT churches?
- Acts 2:42 “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
- Hebrews 10:24-25 They assembled to stir one another up (and other types of assemblies): “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
- Ephesians 5:19 They sang together: “be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”
- 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9; Philippians 4:15-16 As we have already seen, they participated in giving to provide for needy Christians and for the preaching of the gospel.
- Ephesians 4:11-16 Evangelists, shepherds and teachers taught and edified the church so that each member would come to maturity with each part to doing its share.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 They followed the pattern of the apostles and of Jesus by sounding forth the gospel and reaching lost souls:
“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.”
- Those are the things we can read about that churches did in their worship and work. If there is something else we can read about, then we should do it. But to add activities and doctrines that are not written is not the pattern of what Paul said was delivered to all the churches.
- The Pattern of Lifestyle
- We need not go into much detail here since I’ve shown this is recent lessons. Therefore, I will just note two passages:
- 1 Corinthians 4:8-17 Note specifically that it not only Paul’s teaching, but also the way exemplifies his life of sacrifice, that is to be imitated.
- In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Paul reinforces the same principle: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
Conclusion: Do we accept the gravity of what Paul taught the Corinthians about how they worship and how they live as Christians? We cannot fool ourselves. These patterns are certainly often violated either as a church or as individual Christians. This is what all the churches are to look like.
Berry Kercheville
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