Hi Brother,
I heard a Pastor quoting 1 Corinthians 11:1 and telling us that we should follow him because he is following Christ. He further emphasized that we should follow other pastors who also follow Christ.
I don’t know but I sense something wrong about this teaching. I cannot penpoint what is wrong though. Should we not just directly follow Christ than following pastors? What are your thoughts on this? Is this right?
God bless.
ANSWER
Hi,
You are right when you pointed out that there is something wrong with this teaching. And I can tell why. Let’s tackle what’s wrong with it:
1 Cor. 11:1 “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
Most people interpret this that Paul is telling the believers in Corinth to follow him because he is following Christ. If this is the case, then Paul is telling us to follow men instead of directly following Christ which contradicts Acts 5:29 which tells us:
“Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men.”
Now, take a look at these other Bible versions of this verse:
Contemporary English Version “You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
New International Version “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
Lamsa Bible “Take example by me, even as I also follow Christ.”
Mace New Testament “Imitate herein my example as I do that of Christ.”
Apostle Paul here is telling us that WE SHOULD FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE OF FOLLOWING CHRIST. Meaning, just like him who is following Christ, WE SHOULD ALSO FOLLOW CHIST. The emphasis here is his example of following Christ, not following him per se.
This is why context is very important in reading and teaching 1 Corinthians 11. If we will read further the following verses of 1 Corinthians 11, we will see that Paul is encouraging believers to make Christ as their Head, and not any man.
1 Cor. 11:3 “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.”
So if Paul is telling us to follow him instead of directly following Christ just like the interpretations of some pastors, then He is making himself our head and not Christ. Paul will be contradicting himself. This is why it is very important to get the context of 1 Corinthians 11 which is Christ should be our head and not Apostle Paul or any man. We need to be follower of Christ alone as He is our head. And we need to follow the EXAMPLE of those who follow Him.
In fact, in Hebrews 12:2, Paul reminds us to “fix our eyes unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Our eyes should be on our Lord Jesus Christ alone. Not to Paul, your pastor or other ministers of God. Don’t put them in between you and Christ. They will only block your eyes from Christ.
This is also the very reason why in prior chapter, in 1 Corinthians 3:3-7, we can read that the apostle Paul rebuked the Corinthian believers because they want to follow him and Apollos instead of Christ: “3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
Paul emphasized here that believers who wanted to follow him and any man instead of God are still carnal. He writes that “neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” We can certainly appreciate and learn from the examples of true ministers of God, but we must remember that it is Christ Who is our head and the One Whom we should ultimately follow.
Therefore, Paul’s final advice to the Corinthians is that:
1 Cor. 3:21 “Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours.”
Genesis 1:27 also tells us that we were created in God’s image. The purpose of an image is to reflect what is original, just as a mirror reflects what stands before it. We are called to reflect God, to be imitators of Him, not of men. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Just like little children who want to be like their parents, we should desire to imitate our Lord, not any man.
To imitate means to be a copier. We are like a photocopier. We need to photocopy what we see in Christ. If you copy your pastor instead of directly copying Christ Who is the original, then you are making photocopies out of a photocopy. The final result will be an unclear copy. Those who are only copying out of the photocopy will eventually lose the clarity of the original. In the same way, we should not imitate others who are merely copies—we must always go back to the original, who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ is 100% original and perfect. Our pastors are not. If you copy your pastor instead of Christ, then you will also copy his imperfections.
To be a true follower of Christ means we are no follower of anyone else. As Matthew 6:24 says “No one can serve two masters.” Acts 1:8 also tells us that we are witnesses (martyrs) for Christ. Be a martyr to Him alone and not to anyone else.
God bless.
