Leaders Following Leaders

Corinthians in Context

Corinth was one of the major urban centers of the ancient Mediterranean and one of the most culturally diverse cities in the (Roman) empire. Although a wide disparity between rich and poor characterized the Roman empire more generally, this problem was particularly acute in Corinth. Its mercantile character contributed to the presence of foreign religions and may have accelerated the level of sexual promiscuity, although some promiscuity was characteristic of ancient Greek urban male culture in general. Corinth was know for its prosperity, and the proverbial sexaul looseness of ancient Greek seems to have continued in Roman Corinth as well.

(The IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament).

The Apostle, The Corinthians, and Hair Loss

If there was one church that caused Paul to pull his hair out and made him age before his time, it was probably the “church of God in Corinth”. Paul spent an initial eighteen months with the believers there, establishing thier community. He wrote, it seems, four letters to the Corinthians, two of which we have in our New Testament, all of them dealing wtih problems in the church.

The problems were numerous: deep divisions, sexual immoralities, suspicions about Paul and his motives, and visits of people Paul calls “super-apostles”, touting their own credentials and belittling Paul. This church experienced social, spiritual, and sexual problems, pitting members against one another and the congregation against Paul. And yet we see here the heart of Paul. Paul saw himself as a kind of father to the Corinthians thourgh the gospel. He constantly affirmed his love for them, even when correction and discipline was necessary. These letters reveal the real Paul, not simply as “apostle” or “theologian”, but as pastor, caring for his converts with a deep and resilient love.

(The New Testament in its World - NT Wright and Michael F. Bird)

Paul’s Plea: “Imitate as I imitate”

1 Corinthians 11 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Our topical verse above closes on the subject Paul discusses with the Corinthians starting from 10:23ff. The theme that aptly describes the subject is “doing all things to the glory of God”.

Before we get to 11:1, Paul lays out the virtues that are expected of the new Jesus community created by God and how he himself demonstrates said virtues (e.g. “..just as I try to please...”<verse 33>).

**Re-read 1 Cor. 10:23-33

The key texts of this context are in 10:23-24, 33

Let’s take a look at these verses:

1 Corinthians 10 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up”

Paul raises a rhetorical objection here by drawing on ancient moral teaching. The main key here is making sure whatever we do facilitates the building of our neighbors as opposed to causing them to stumble.

1 Corinthians 10 24 “Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other”.

1 Corinthians 10 33 “just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved”

We see the main focus in this context is building up of the Body of Christ. Furthermore, this theme is prevalent thoughout the the 1st Corinthian letter:

1 Corinthians 8 1 “Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.”

1 Corinthians 14 5 “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.”

1 Corinthians 14 12 “So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.”

1 Corinthians 14 17 “You are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.”

1 Corinthians 14 26 “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”

Now, as we return to Paul’s imitation language, we see more in-depth what he means when he says “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”. Christ sought to bring glory to God in all that he did during his earthy ministry (e.g. “…you will be done” Matt. 26:42). Paul is attempting to mimmick the Lord Jesus, for it is expressly demonstrated when he says “…I do not seek my own advantage but that of many...” vs 33.

“Leadership according to God’s econonmy is selflessness.” - my quote

For the Corinthians to imitate Paul as he imitates Christ, the one who calls the community into being and who sustains it...

1 Corinthians 1 30 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

…they will need to dedicate themselves to the task of building up the body. In terms of concrete action this imitation demands that the Corinthians seek the well-being of others rather than thier own.

(Dictionary of Paul and His Letters: Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship)

Recall Jesus’ discussion with his disciples concerning servant-leadership, responding to the request of the aspirational and ambitious brothers, James and John. After they asked for a perferred place on Jesus’ seating chart in glory (pause: you know how some of us are…some of us absolutely love to be in proximity to fame and/or power. Influence is inticing indeed). Jesus goes on to say, Mark 10:42-45

Mark 10:42–45 (NIV)

Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

You see the connection here, between the worldview of Jesus and Paul. Paul says, “My Corinthian childern be imitators of me as I am of Christ, the One who even said it Himself that He cam to serve. I try ‘to please everyone’ (to deny myself in all of my relational contexts), by not seeking my own advantage in every situation, but to exploit avenues wherein the situation becomes advantageous for others, ultimately for thier salvation.” - *my emphasis.

This is Paul, attempting to influence the spiritual formation of the newly formed Jesus community at Corinth, by imitating Jesus and seeking to convince them to do the same via his example. I believe this is the goal of even Pastor Robinson as pastor of Cultivation Church. Ultimately, becuase he loves Jesus and the people under his shepherding care so much, he is seeking for us to imitate him as he imitate Jesus.

Paul: Further language on imitation

We see Paul utilize the imitation language earlier in the 1st Corinthian letter...

1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I urge you to imitate me.”

After a lengthy discourse on his apostolic ministry and the grueling trials it accompanies, Paul, in a fatherly tone, admonishes the Corinthians, his childern, to imitate him.

Pay close attention to the follwing details in v 17.

1 Corinthians 4 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.”

“Throughout the first four chapters of the letter Paul has sought to reorient the Corinthians’ understanding of the power of the gospel by turning their eyes to the cross. In particular he has pointed to his own life as an apostle, ans an embodiment of a cruciform existence in the world”

(Dictionary of Paul and His Letters: Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship)

Reference Hebrews 13 7 “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

...imitating faith means not merely striving to live up to the faith of others but a readiness to take the same way of faith in full commitment to Christ.

(TDNTA - The Word Group in the NT)

In general, Paul uses the group in three senses: (1) comparison (1 Th. 2:14), (2) following an example (2 Th. 3:7, 9), with a plain implication of Paul’s authority, and (3) obeying directions (1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; 1 Th. 1:6; Eph. 5:1). The NT as a whole does not teach imitation in the primary sense of imitating an example but rather in the predominant sense of discipleship, i.e., of obedience to the word and will of the Lord either directly or by way of the apostles

(TDNTA - The Word Group in the NT)