1 Corinthians 4 "Imitate Me As I Imitate Christ" - The Apostle Paul

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The Nature of True Apostleship

Since Paul is talking about leadership, he reviews his own qualifications as an apostle. Remember Paul wasn't an original apostle, or part of the 11 apostles who followed Jesus for three years. He became an apostle on the Road to Damascus, when Jesus appeared to him and appointed him to be an apostle to the Gentiles. 

Paul was getting criticism for this reason, as if he were not a true apostle. Basically Paul says that nothing he does should be evaluated apart from God's eye. Paul says ultimately the final judgment will happen when Jesus returns. 

Even our estimation of ourself is usually wrong. We are almost always too hard or too easy on ourselves. Paul recognizes this, and so will suspend judgment even upon himself. In the end, he who judges me is the Lord. - Guzik

Paul uses this idea to again admonish them not to play favorites. Neither he or Apollos have spoken beyond the bounds of God's Word. Since it is by God's grace alone there is no reason for boasting about one's self. 

The other thing the Corinthians boasted of was their material prosperity, "their riches". 

“My, you Corinthians seem to have it all! Isn’t it funny that we apostles have nothing!”

In opposition to this materialistic way of the Corinthians Paul says that the apostles are like ones who, "For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings."

Instead of being like kings, Paul and the apostles were beaten, left in rags, homeless, hungry, thirsty, and slandered. When they were cursed, they answered kindly. Paul sums up their lot in life by saying, "We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment." And the end of this sermon, I think the Corinthians had a lot to think about. 

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

Despite his rebuke, Paul still shows his heart and concern for them. 

I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me."

Paul considers himself their "father in the faith". A "guardian" was a like a "tutor". A tutor had authority in a young person's life, but not the same as a Father. Paul speaks these hard words in love not to unnecessarily burden them. Most importantly he says "Imitate me as I imitate Christ!" 

Rather than just speaking to them about what they should be doing, he asks them to look at his life as an evidence of what Christ is doing through him. 

Paul might reply, “Yes, imitate me. Not because of all these difficulties, but despite them, and often because of them, the glory and power of Jesus Christ shines through me.”

Paul was the real deal. It is quite a bold thing to say, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ!" Paul walked the talk and never taught anything that he was not living out in his own life. He was not perfect and struggled with his old, sinful nature (See Romans 7), but he even used his weaknesses to show the power of Christ. 

A good question for us to ask ourselves is, "Is my life one that others should imitate?" Does my life beat any resemblance to the life Jesus lived?”