1 Corinthians 11:1

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Paul writes these words to the Corinthians. He has just explained some of how he chooses to interact with the Lost. Giving up many of his own liberties, at times, to better meet those people where they are. And so he tells the Corinthian church to imitate him, as he imitates Christ.

This verse is often used in the more direct sense that we should imitate our leader’s as they attempt to imitate Christ. This is an apt application of the scripture. But it occurred to me this morning as I was reading that we could also probably apply this in a broader sense as well.

As believers we all are imitators of Christ. We all have his Word and his Gospel. While the early church needed leaders to be a kind of ‘walking scripture’ to remind them of the Truth (they didn’t have very may written copies yet, and no one had a copy all to themselves which they could study daily), we now have the written transcripts and almost all of us have one all to ourselves. Those leading figures in our community remain important, but perhaps not always in the exact same way.

Because of this, we are all in a position to learn from each other and pour into one another. In some ways, we are all to each other, as Paul was to the Corinthians. We are all imitators of Christ to each other.

It stands to reason, with some limit, that we ought to not only look to our assigned leaders for our example, but also each other as to how to imitate Christ. To assess what is honorable in each other and imitate that.

Perhaps I have a great will and ability to read and study God’s word, while you have a great will and ability to seek God in prayer. These are both honorable things, and looking to each other, we should see what is good and attempt to emulate that as well.

I suspect this would help us to have a healthier view of following and serving God in our various ways, rather than idealizing church leadership and viewing that as the ‘pinnacle’ of following Christ.

A scripture many of us are familiar with. It’s often used when talking about evangelism. 1 Corinthians 2:1-4:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Whenever I come across this scripture I’m baffled how something so clear can be so totally neglected in institutional church ministry at large.

Even though he was well educated and able to debate the world with the best of them, Paul resolved not to employ such methods. This was so that when the people believe, there would be no risk that their faith would rest on his power of persuasion, but on God’s power alone.

While parts of the church are beginning to move into a healthier mindset, there is still a huge, possibly even vast majority, of the church who is still spending loads of money and time and resources attempting to craft an appealing ministry that will draw in crowds. It’s like Tim Keller says:

“What you win people with, you will keep them with.”

Don’t get me wrong, there is value in meeting people where they are at and allowing ourselves to be culturally relevant. But that happens on a personal level, not a corporate one. When the church manufactures ‘relevance’ the world can tell and just adds one more drop in the bucket for why the institutional church shouldn’t be trusted.

Romans 11:29

“…The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.”

Paul is writing about the nation of Israel. They are an illustration here for how God deals with people. And in this instance he is saying that although God has allowed his chosen people to be hardened in heart for the sake of the gentiles who would be saved, he has not forgotten his promises to that nation.

But there are dual meanings, as virtually every classic Christian commentator agrees.

Therefore, this verse becomes among the most encouraging, strengthening, truths of God’s love to ever fall on the pages of scripture. Though we may fail, we need not succumb to despair. Though we are weak we can take heart and confidence because God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable.

When Paul was under guard traveling to be examined by Caesar, he was put under the charge of the centurion Julius. When they make port, Julius allows Paul to go ashore and visit the church and be ‘refreshed’ by them (Acts 27:3). The very next verse, Paul is back on the boat setting sail for the next port.

This struck me as fascinating.

The 26 chapters of Acts leading up to this one are filled with Paul and the other Apostles narrowly evading capture, sometimes in crazy ways. Like being lowered out of a window in a basket.

Now, it doesn’t say it, but I’d imagine that Julius probably had a guard on Paul as he went ashore. But, even under the watchful eye of a guard, this was probably the best of opportunities to escape and continue his journeys preaching the Gospel. Especially with the help of the Brothers who were there.

But, of course, he didn’t escape. As far as our text is concerned, he didn’t even try. He most likely left peacefully, met the Church, and returned peacefully in a reasonable amount of time. But why?

Respect for his authorities, probably. Concern for the church which he was visiting, probably. But I think he was also convinced that in his chains, God would use him in greater ways than he would with his freedom. In his chains he could speak to Caesar and the high officials. He could make converts of the guards. He could constantly share his testimony of God’s grace in his life.

This is beautiful to me. This is something I’d like to learn to emulate.

I was reading about Saul’s conversion today in Acts. It’s a familiar story. And, a great evidence that God doesn’t need a permission (per se) to make believers out of us by his Spirit. But, that’s not really so much what I’m writing about today.

After Saul was blinded God told him to go and wait for a man called Ananias. What I find so interesting is the way Ananias addresses Saul when he finally meets him.

“Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ "

Ananias refers to Saul as ‘Brother Saul’. That word ‘Brother’ is the Greek word ‘Adelphos’. It literally refers to a blood brother. But, it’s also the word commonly translated as ‘Brethren’, as in the following. 1 Thes. 1:2-5:

“We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father, knowing , brethren beloved by God, His choice of you”

There is no record that Saul (yet to be renamed ‘Paul’) had made a profession of faith. As far as we know at this point, Saul had been terrified by a bright light and a booming voice which knocked him to the ground, all of which was followed by blindness.

I’d imagine that more than anything, Saul was terrified. And, having been confronted by Jesus himself, was truly broken in Spirit. Yet there was no open profession of repentance. I’d imagine at this point that he probably didn’t even grasp the idea of grace distributed through faith in Christ’s work.

Yet, besides that, Ananias refers to Saul as ‘Brother Saul’. Though Ananias could have been pointing out their shared heritage, it seems more likely that Ananias was acknowledging that God had chosen Saul and that whether he knew it or not (at this point) he was one of the Brethren.

I’m uncertain what application this thought might have to our own lives and relationships. But on the front end, it means that I may have to reconsider what I consider a ‘Brother’ to be. Perhaps there are Brothers in my life that neither I, nor they, quite know they’re in the family yet. But, it will only be a matter of time.

Paul’s words in Romans 7 have always resonated with me. It’s this idea that as new creations we have this sort of split personality. While our spirit desires one thing, our flesh continues to try and pursue what we do not want. I often feel that way. An inner monologue persists between my flesh and my spirit. And in some ways, I’ve grown to see my flesh (in one sense) as my closest enemy.

As I’ve been reading through the Psalms this time around, I’ve begun reading it in light of this thinking. Perhaps this isn’t universally accurate, but on a personal level, I have found it compelling.

Tonight I was reading Psalm 13. It’s short.

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
   How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I take counsel in my soul
   and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
   Consider and answer me, O LORD my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him,"
   lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
   my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
   because he has dealt bountifully with me.

For me, this becomes a prayer for sanctification and domination over the sinful nature that resides in me. Prayer that God would not let my own flesh conquer me.

But, as the final verses of the prayer would imply, Jesus has won this battle for my soul! Though I fight and sometimes fail, I will rejoice because in Christ, the Lord “has dealt bountifully with me.”

In Have you ever read Romans 14:13? It goes like this:

“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother”

I think I hear this verse (and others like it) way too often. It’s usually used as kind of a blanket verse. A trump card to avoid tense situations. Billy is drinking a beer and Betty thinks it’s wrong. Rather than Billy and Betty having to deal with the tension of holding differing convictions, it’s argued that Billy shouldn’t drink beer because it’s causing Betty to ‘stumble’.

Is it? Or is her sense of right and wrong taking offense at Billy’s differing opinion? They’re not the same thing.

Admittedly, this is not a topic that I have thoroughly thought through. There are still quite a few questions and points of contention in my mind over it. But the overarching issue, I think, is relatively clear.

Consider the verse, Proverbs 27:17:

Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.

Is it possible for iron to sharpen iron without friction? No, of course not. Friction is more or less why iron can sharpen iron. Likewise, I can’t think of too many times that a brother refined me apart from my own convictions rubbing against theirs. For us to benefit from one another as believers, our sense of right and wrong must be offended some times.

In Romans 14, Paul does not want to cause a brother to stumble by eating meat. After all, many of his Jewish brothers would be violating their conscience by eating meat. But eventually, they did eat meat. There are very few Christians today who refrain from eating meat for biblical reasons. How’d this happen? At some point someone’s convictions must have been offended causing them to reconsider their resolves, ultimately allowing them to change their views and eat meat with a clean conscience.

In the situation with Billy and Betty, Billy shouldn’t entice Betty to drink beer, nor should he drink beer if Betty is feeling the urge to do so—thus violating her conscience. However, I don’t think Billy has much obligation to Betty’s preferences beyond that.

If we allow the definitions of ‘stumbling block’ and ‘offended’ and ‘conscience’ to be convoluted, then we’ll be restricted from just about everything. There aren’t many topics that Christians unanimously agree on and how specifically to live this life is far far far from being on that list. That’s okay. But it means that topics like this one shouldn’t be carelessly understood and hidden behind.

It usually results in more irritated conflict and threatens to stunt our spiritual and relational growth.