Commentary - 1 Corinthians 11:1

Bird's-eye view

This single verse serves as a powerful capstone to the preceding argument and a foundational principle for what follows. Paul concludes his lengthy discussion on Christian liberty (chapters 8-10) by presenting himself as the living embodiment of the principles he has just taught. The command is not simply to understand his teaching, but to imitate his life. However, this is not a claim to personal perfection or a demand for slavish devotion. The entire force of the command rests on the crucial qualifying clause: "just as I also am of Christ." Paul's life is a worthy pattern only insofar as it is itself patterned after the ultimate standard, the Lord Jesus Christ. This verse, therefore, establishes the principle of derivative authority and embodied discipleship, teaching that Christianity is passed down not just through precepts, but through people who are themselves striving to follow the Master.

In essence, Paul is telling the Corinthians that if they want to know how to navigate the complexities of Christian freedom, how to lay down their rights for the sake of others, and how to live entirely for the glory of God, they should look at his own life. But as they look at him, they should be looking for the reflection of Christ. He is a mirror, not the light itself. This principle is central to the Christian life: we learn Christ from the Scriptures, and we see Christ lived out in the lives of faithful saints who have gone before us and who walk alongside us.

Outline

Context In 1 Corinthians

First Corinthians 11:1 is a hinge verse. Many modern chapter divisions are unhelpful, and this is a prime example. This verse properly belongs as the conclusion to chapter 10. The entire section from chapter 8 onward has dealt with the practical issue of eating meat sacrificed to idols. Paul has navigated the treacherous waters between legalism (which would forbid it entirely) and license (which would indulge without regard for a weaker brother). His governing principle, laid out in 1 Corinthians 10:31, is that "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." He then explained that this means seeking the good of one's neighbor, not just oneself, for the sake of their salvation (10:33). Having laid down these principles, he now offers his own life as Exhibit A. "Do what I do," he says, "because what I do is strive to do what Christ did." This verse thus provides the concrete, personal application of the preceding theological argument before Paul pivots to new topics concerning order in public worship in the remainder of chapter 11.

Key Issues

The Pattern of the Pattern

Our modern, individualistic age is deeply uncomfortable with the sentiment Paul expresses here. "Imitate me" sounds arrogant, self-important, and dangerous. We prefer a flattened-out discipleship model of "just me, my Bible, and Jesus." But this is not the biblical model. The Christian faith is not a set of abstract ideas to be downloaded into a brain. It is a way of life, a culture, a craft that is passed on from master to apprentice. It is caught as much as it is taught.

Paul understands that the Corinthians needed more than just rules; they needed a role model. They needed to see how the theology of the cross worked itself out in the daily grind of missionary life. So Paul, without a hint of false modesty, puts himself forward. But notice the profound humility in his claim. He is not setting himself up as the ultimate standard. He is, in effect, saying, "I am a student of the Master. Come, stand beside me, and watch how I try to copy His every move. Do what I do, because I am trying to do what He did." This establishes a crucial biblical principle: all human authority and all human examples in the church are derivative. Pastors, elders, fathers, and mothers are to be followed only as they follow Christ. They are not the light source; they are mirrors intended to reflect the light of the Son. This is not arrogance; it is the essence of true discipleship.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

The verse breaks down into two essential clauses that must be held together. The first is the command, and the second is the foundation upon which that command rests. The Greek for "imitators" is mimetai, from which we get our words "mimic" and "mime." This is not a call for a vague, spiritualized agreement with Paul's ideas. It is a summons to a concrete, observable, practical imitation of his life. Paul had just spent a chapter describing how he laid down his apostolic rights and became all things to all men in order to save some (1 Cor 9:19-23). He disciplined his body like an athlete (1 Cor 9:27). He sought the good of others, not his own (1 Cor 10:24, 33). This is the life he tells them to copy.

This command is a rebuke to any form of Christianity that remains purely theoretical. God has ordained that His truth be transmitted through human vessels. We need flesh-and-blood examples of what godliness looks like. This is why the roles of pastor, elder, and father are so vital. They are to be men whose lives can be safely imitated by the flock and the family.

But the second clause, "just as I also am of Christ," is the indispensable governor on the whole enterprise. Without it, the command to imitate Paul would be a call to idolatry. With it, it becomes a call to worship Christ. Paul's life is not the original manuscript; it is a copy, and a flawed one at that. He is pointing away from himself to the true Original. He is telling the Corinthians, "Look at me to see a man who is looking at Christ." The legitimacy of Paul's example is entirely dependent on its fidelity to the example of Christ. This means our imitation of human leaders must always be a critical imitation. We are to follow them, but our eyes must always be scanning over their shoulder, as it were, to make sure they are still following the Master. When the human example deviates from the divine pattern, our loyalty remains with the pattern, not the person.

Application

This verse places a twofold demand on every Christian. First, you must be an imitator. You need to identify faithful, godly men and women and learn from them. Find the Pauls in your life. Watch how they pray, how they work, how they love their spouses, how they raise their children, how they face suffering, and how they die. Discipleship is not a solo endeavor. If you cannot name anyone you are actively seeking to imitate, you are not practicing biblical Christianity.

Second, you must be imitable. Whether you like it or not, if you are a Christian, someone is watching you. Your children, your younger Christian friends, your coworkers, your neighbors. Your life is a sermon, and you are preaching something every day. This verse calls us to live in such a way that we can say with integrity to those in our sphere of influence, "Watch me. Do what I do. Follow my lead, because I am doing my level best to follow Jesus Christ." This is a high and holy calling. It requires us to live with intention, to take our sanctification seriously, and to constantly be conforming our own lives to the pattern of Christ. We are all called to be mirrors, and the great business of our lives is to keep that mirror clean, so that when others look at us, they see a clear reflection of Him.