1 Corinthians 11:1-2 - Imitators of Christ

1 Corinthians 11:1-2 - Imitators of Christ

1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
2 Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I delivered them to you.

Remember and Hold Firmly

V. 1 - “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” - Many of the commentaries claim that these two verses really belong at the end of chapter 10. Almost half of the letter to this point has been instructional in how the disciples should live together and in their communities to be witnesses for Christ - Morality vs. Adultery; Marriage vs. staying single so as to serve the Lord; Dealing with idols; dealing with the communion service; Freedom of worship vs. Idolatry.

Since that day on the road to Damascus, Paul has committed and devoted his life and activities to doing what God and Christ want him to do. He is teaching “Do what I do - obey and follow Christ.” Remember, Christ Jesus obeyed the Lord - He came to earth to live and die, giving His life as a sacrifice that saves us from sin. Christ was obedient. Paul follows His lead and is obedient to the calling of Christ. He urges us to do likewise - follow Christ, and like Paul be obedient to Christ’s commands and leading.

V. 2 - “you remember me in everything” - Remember that Paul turned from following Judaism to Christianity. He now follows and obeys Christ Jesus our Lord. “Do as I do. Do as I say.” Paul could say that since there is no conflict or hypocrisy in Paul’s life and teaching. Paul is confident enough in his faithfulness to Christ that he can tell them to follow his example.

“hold firmly to the traditions,  just as I delivered them to you.” - What traditions did Paul bring with him on his missionary journeys and to Corinth? Corinth was not a Jewish city, but a fabulously wealthy Greek city, a commercial city on a major trade route situated on a narrow isthmus. Southeast of this isthmus is the NE Mediterranean Sea (or perhaps the western Aegean Sea). Crossing the four-mile wide isthmus brings you to the Ionian Sea which is almost directly east of the 'boot heel' of Italy. Corinth had been around for centuries. Rome had conquered it, destroyed it, and then rebuilt it. This was an important Greek city. I do not suspect that any Jewish traditions that might have been introduced would be significant. The Jewish presence was not important enough to demand their traditions be followed in Corinth.

Paul brought new traditions (which seems to be an oxymoron). Sometimes traditions do not need to be handed down for generations. For example: My wife’s parents bought a cabin near Lincoln City, Oregon. We went there and stayed with our kids on a weekend. The first meal we fixed there was tacos, beans, chips, burritos, salsa, etc. Some time later, we again went to stay. The kids wanted to know why we weren’t having Mexican food since it was a tradition! (Note: the second time we stayed there, and it already was a tradition!)

This is one of those cases where a Greek word can have more than one English equivalent. The word here can be read either “traditions, or ‘ordinances”. For me, personally, these two English words have different connotations. One is something you do, because you have always done it this way - “tradition”. Think of ‘communion’, and of how many ways this is observed - bread or wafers, wine or grape juice, each element served to you by a deacon or you pick up the elements from a tray, or the elements come pre-packaged. Does your church offer a prayer for each element alone, or one prayer for both? Or is communion an ordinance - a part of the worship service commanded by the Lord? Is it both and ordinance and a tradition? I believe it is both - Jesus said that when we remember Him, to remember His body broken for us - the bread, and His blood shed for out sins - the wine/juice. (See: Matt 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20) It is the doing and remembering that is important, and perhaps not so much the how the act is done.

Paul delivered to the churches he planted ordinances and traditions they were to use to preach and remember Christ’s sacrifice for our salvation.

Preaching Christ and Him crucified.
Believe in Christ and you shall be saved.
Baptism, Communion.
Fellowship.
Teaching.
Caring for each other.
Witnessing to non-believers.

These are the traditions (ordinances) Paul brought with him and gave to them. See: “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Tim 2:2)

These principles were not to stop when Paul stopped teaching, but were to be handed to others so they could know and grow in Jesus. See: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Heb 5:12) Also: “As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.” (1 John 2:27)

Paul taught with a purpose so they could listen, learn, apply the truths of the Gospel, and then go out to teach others also. You are saved and remain here on earth so others might hear and learn and receive Christ as Savior.

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