1 Corinthians 4 - Imitate Me, As I Imitate Christ!
The Nature of True Apostleship
4 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.
An apostle is someone sent as a messenger of the gospel, often to places the gospel has never been heard. The narrow definition is the 12 apostles that Jesus commissioned in Matthew 28, and poured out the Holy Spirit on in Acts 2. But Paul also lists being a apostle of one of the important roles in the church in Ephesians 4, and one of the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14
Importantly with all of the debate on whether they followed Paul or Apollos, Paul wanted to make it clear that the only one who would judge them was the Lord. Although Paul had nothing to be ashamed before his church, ultimately it was only God who would judge his work as an apostle. I.e. From last chapter did Paul use gold or silver or, wood, hay, and straw to build the kingdom.
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
All of us will be judged by what is written in God's Word. In the end a minister or pastor will be judged by they handled the word in their teaching, preaching, and counseling. They have no reason to be puffed up, because their value is not based on their personality or persuasion, but on their faithfulness to preach the word in season and out of season. Cf. 2 Timothy 4:2
"Many people today evaluate a pastor or a minister on unbiblical standards. They judge him on his humor, his entertainment value, his appearance, or his skill at marketing and sales. But this is to think beyond what is written in the sense Paul means it here. - Guzik
8 Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! 9 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. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.
Paul explains the reality of the lifestyle they live and it is not glamorous. The apostles suffered hardship, persecution, and never had a place to lay their heads. They are certainly not uplifted up in the world as anything special. Paul says he is a, "Fools for Christ!" What does that mean?
I think it means they have given up any sense of vanity or self-promotion. They are okay with looking foolish or being humiliated for Christ's sake. They may do something dumb or be made fun of, but since their motivation is to honor Jesus, they are okay with being mocked.
"The image of 1 Corinthians 4:9 is either from the coliseum or the parade of a conquering Roman general, where he displayed his armies first, the booty second, and at the end of the procession, the defeated captives who would be condemned to die in the arena. Just as before going into the arena, the gladiators said, morituri salutamus (“we who will die salute you”), so Paul now salutes the Corinthian Christians."
Paul’s Appeal and Warning
14 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. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
Though Paul is being sarcastic, he is not trying to make them look dumb. He sees himself as their spiritual father, since he was the one who brought the gospel to them. Paul says something very bold. He says, "Imitate me, as I imitate Christ". One might be tempted to think, "Wow that is prideful for Paul to ask someone to imitate him!" But the key thing is when he says, "As I imitate Christ."
Meaning the only time they should imitate him is when he was doing what Jesus would do if he were him. Though Paul wasn't perfect, he could say this because he was following Christ. He had surrendered his life to the Jesus' leadership. One could never say this unless they had submitted their life to Jesus.
Could you say, "Imitate my life, as I imitate Christ"? Why, or why not?
Paul sent Timothy as another brother who was walking in Christ. The same principle would apply to Timothy. Timothy was a disciple of Paul's, and modeled his life after Paul's life, as Paul imitated Christ.
Notice Paul says, "Timothy will remind you of my way of life." Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Followers of Christ walk in a specific way that Jesus has shown us in his life, death, and resurrection. This is why they called the early Christians, "Followers of the Way." CF. Acts 9:1-2
When you follow the way, you follow the truth, and this brings you the life you've always wanted.
18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline, or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?
Paul promised those who were living in arrogance and by worldly standards that he would hold them accountable for their attitudes and behaviors. Part of being a "spiritual father" is disciplining those you love. CF. Hebrews 12:6
Do you have someone in your life who you would to imitate? We all need mentors and are a step ahead of us in spiritual maturity and their walk with Christ!
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