Year 5, Day 73: 1 Corinthians 4

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Imitation

• Imitation: This is the second over-arching step of the discipleship process.  First we gain information, then we imitate our spiritual mentor.  Imitation leads to innovation of spirituality in our own life.

Let’s spend yet another day on imitation, just to make sure that we understand the importance of this topic.  We’ve already talked about how the Corinthians’ lack of desire to be humble has gotten in the way of being able to become mature.  Through their lack of humbleness they are unwilling to imitate!  They cannot imitate when they are thinking of themselves first!

However, today we hear Paul lift up a stellar example of how imitation brings about spiritual maturity.  Take a look at 1 Corinthians 4:16-17.  Paul tells the Corinthians to be imitators of him.  And then he tells them about Timothy.

Let’s remember Timothy’s story.  Timothy meets Paul when Paul comes to Lystra.  There Paul teaches.  There Paul gets arrested by a mob.  There Paul gets stoned by the people.  There Paul is left for dead.  There Paul gets up, comes back in Lystra, and recuperates.  Then Paul heads back home only to return.  Upon Paul’s return, Timothy is ready to join Paul.  You can read this story in more depth in Acts 14 and Acts 16.

Now let’s return to the list that Paul gives to us in the middle of this chapter.  Paul reminds the Corinthians that he and those who follow Christ are a spectacle to the world.  We are fools.  We are weak.  We are in disrepute.  We hunger.  We thirst.  We are poorly dressed.  We work hard.  We are persecuted.  We are slandered.  He goes on.  And that is what Timothy saw in Paul in Lystra.  That is what Timothy chose to imitate.  That is what Paul is telling the Corinthians to imitate.

We all want to imitate the successful.  We all want to imitate the glorified.  We all want to imitate that which will make us exalted. 

But that’s not truth.

Jesus came and was crucified.  Jesus’ own disciples were scorned by the world.  God has always called his people into sacrificial love for others – even those who would kill them.  That’s what we are called to imitate.  That’s what Jesus’ disciples saw in Jesus.  That’s what Timothy saw in Paul.  That’s what the Spirit calls forth in each of us.

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