I'm sure you'll agree that 1 Corinthians, chapter 11 is a rather controversial chapter of this letter. Paul was addressing social customs among the Corinthians of his day that were not in harmony with the Lord's vision of the divine roles of men and women. It's important not to confuse these customs with the truths Paul was teaching. However, my desire here is to draw attention to the apostle Paul's bold statement ‘Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ’.
The essence of Christian freedom is all about following the example of Jesus Christ. He said, ‘Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.’ As disciples of Jesus, we are called to follow his example and conform to him. This involves a considerable commitment and also involves being helped and encouraged by other mature Christian servants who can provide us with spiritual encouragement (1 Thessalonians 2:14).
From this statement, an important question arises: Are we imitators of Christ? Or are we admirers of Christ? There is a crucial difference here.
Let me give you an example: Imagine I say something like “I'm an excellent footballer.” The first question I'd be asked would be ‘OK, Junior. What have you done (or doing) to make you say that with such certainty?’ I answer by saying that I know everything about football. All the numbers and statistics about teams and players. I have a considerable amount of information about football, from an athlete's diet to the tactics used by today's great coaches. I can tell you who was last season's champion and give you accurate guesses as to who will be the next champion.
The question here is: does my admiration for football make me a good footballer?
A true footballer brings together a specific set of skills that characterise him as a real athlete. In addition to his behaviour, there is also a great commitment to the sport. They sleep early, diet, exercise, take care of themselves and seek out all the information they need to play football well.
So, there is a big difference between admiring Jesus and being a disciple of Jesus. To be an admirer is, first and foremost, to be a passive spectator. To be a disciple is to be an imitator who is highly committed to Jesus Christ and the cause of the gospel.
When Paul said, ‘Follow my example, as I follow Christ's,’ he was kindly encouraging believers to take a close look at Christ's life and the lives of those who claimed to be his followers. He had already given a similar command in 1 Corinthians 4:16. In the original Greek, the verb translated as ‘imitate’ in both chapters is ‘mimētai’, which means ‘to become a person who reproduces the words and behaviour of another’. This Greek term is the root of the English word ‘mimic’. Paul chose the same verb when instructing the Ephesians: ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God forgave you in Christ. Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children’ (Ephesians 4:32-5:1).
Our freedom in Christ is not about doing whatever we want, but it's about following in Christ's footsteps. Jesus told his disciples: ‘If anyone wants to be my friend, they have to forget about themselves, take up their cross and follow me’ (Matthew 16:24). To follow Jesus' example, we must die to ourselves, just as Christ did (Philippians 2:5-8). This is the secret to true Christian freedom.
To imitate Christ, we must get to know him really well. This is done by spending lots of time studying his life and words. Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1 is a great place to start. It shows us that Jesus was never happy with just what was allowed. He always looked for what was helpful and good for others (verse 23). He wasn't just thinking about himself, but about how he could help others (verses 24 and 33; cf. Philippians 2:4). He always thought about how his actions might affect someone else's conscience (verses 28-29; cf. Matthew 17:24-27). Jesus always did everything he did to reflect God's glory (2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3).
In the past, students were expected to imitate their teachers as part of their training, which is a great way to learn! In the Christian faith, we are all on a journey of learning and growing together. We come to know the character of Christ through fellowship with godly mentors and receive spiritual advice from them. The author of Hebrews wrote: ‘Don’t be negligent. Instead, try to be like those who, through their faith and patience, have been given the promises’ (Hebrews 6:12). Later, he encouraged them with these words: ‘Remember your leaders, who spoke to you the word of God. Take a moment to think about the outcomes of their behaviour and then try to imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).
As disciples of Christ, we try to be like Him in all we do. We want to be good examples for others to follow (Philippians 4:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 3:2-4). And as we try to be more like Christ in everything we do, we can truly feel free (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:14-16, 22-24). The apostle John said something important: ‘Herein is love perfected towards us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgement: for as He is, so are we in this world’ (1 John 4:17).
My prayer today is that we may have in our minds and hearts the same feeling that the apostle Paul had about the Christian faith. To be more and more like Christ in all things.
Every blessing.
Jose Junior.
Comments