June 17 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: I Corinthians 4:14-17 I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

In the previous verses, Paul has used sarcasm to point out the failings of the Corinthian believers, and then has contrasted that with the difficulties and persecutions that he and his fellow apostles faced. Now the tone of his message changes. In verse 14 he says that his goal in doing this was not to shame them, although if they took his words to heart they certainly would be ashamed. His desire was to warn them of the dangers that they faced if they did not change their thinking and behavior. The word "warn" literally means "to place in the mind" and thus to caution beforehand of danger or evil. It is good to note that Paul does this because he considers them to be his "beloved sons". Paul's rebukes have been harsh, and they will continue to be harsh through much of this epistle. However, he wants to make sure that the church understands that he is saying these things because he loves them. He told the Ephesians that they should "speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15), and here he does that very thing. He also says that he considers them to be his "sons". Many of these folks were people that he had won to Christ. In verse 15 he emphasizes this point by saying that while they might have had numerous teachers, they only had a few fathers, and he was one of them because he had first preached salvation by grace to them. The Greek word translated "instructors" refers to a slave who was given the responsibility for training a child and educating him. The slave was not a family member, but was responsible to the child’s father. Though he might love the child dearly, there were no natural ties. The father had begotten the child and thus the child's welfare was ultimately in the father's hands. This is how Paul felt about the Corinthians.

So, because of this special relationship that he had with the church, Paul begs them to follow him. Other teachers might go a different direction, and they might do so with more oratorical skill than Paul, but, since Paul had brought them to Christ, he asks them to choose to follow him. The Greek word translated "followers" is the basis of our English word "mimic", so Paul is not asking them to go in the same general direction that he is going, but to do things the way that he would do them. Dave Guzik wrote,

"The first reaction of many of the Corinthian Christians would probably be horror. 'Imitate you, Paul? You are regarded as a fool, as weak, as dishonored; you are hungry and thirsty and poorly clothed, homeless and beaten; you work hard to support yourself with manual labor. People look at you and see filth and the offscouring of all things. And you want us to imitate you?'. Paul might reply, 'Yes, imitate me. Not because of all these difficulties, but despite them, and often because of them, the glory and power of Jesus Christ shines through me.' "

Because he wants the church members to follow him, Paul sends Timothy to teach them the things that he (Paul) has been teaching to others. He knows that Timothy is faithful and will carry out his mission correctly by reminding them of the Biblical principles that they have already learned, but are not putting into practice. It is worth observing that Paul says that these are the things that he teaches "everywhere in every church". Sound doctrine and practice should not vary from church to church. Paul's preaching was consistent because God's Word is consistent. And his life of dedication to the Lord is one which should still set an example for believers today.