Lessons #131 and 132
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Apostle Paul’s concern for the Corinthians (1 Cor 4:14-21)
14 I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as my dear children. 15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. 19 But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
The message of this section of 1 Corinthians that we are considering is that pastors should show their concern for members of their congregations in what they communicate, in discouraging arrogance and encouraging demonstration of God’s power, and in their manner of guidance of believers. In our last study, we stated the first major point necessary to expound the message, which is, that a first major evidence of a pastor’s concern for his congregation consists of the reasons for communicating God’s word. We have considered a first reason which is to instruct or admonish his congregation, so we consider the second reason.
A second reason a pastor communicates to his congregation the word of God is to serve as their spiritual father. This reason is derived from Apostle Paul’s statement to the Corinthians regarding his spiritual relationship with them. Recall that the apostle had already stated in verse 14 that the Corinthians were his beloved children, that is, “dearly loved and cherished” children. On hearing this, some of them could question in what sense they were his children. Thus, in verse 15, he provides them an explanation that should cause them to recognize that they are his children in a spiritual sense. Our interpretation that verse 15 is an explanation of the declaration of the Corinthians being cherished children of the apostle is first supported by the Greek phrase that begins verse 15 that the translators of the NIV rendered Even though that literally reads for if. Even the literal suggestion on a surface reading does not seem to support our assertion. Therefore, to prove our assertion is correct, we need to examine the two Greek words used at the beginning of the verse in the Greek which some English versions such as the CEV and the REB did not translate.
The word “though” of the NIV or “if” in our literal translations is translated from a Greek particle (ean) that has several usages. It may be used as marker of contingency with the meaning “ever” although this meaning is generally not used in the English translation, as we see for example in the teaching of the Lord Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount regarding the designation to be given to any believer that obeys God’s commandments in Matthew 5:19:
Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
In this passage, the Greek particle is not separately translated since its meaning is absorbed in the word whoever. The Greek particle may be used as a marker of condition, with the implication of reduced probability hence means “if,” as it is used by Apostle Paul to indicate that circumcision is of value if the law is obeyed, as stated in Romans 2:25:
Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
The Greek particle may be used as a marker of point of time which is somewhat conditional and simultaneous with another point of time and so means “when, whenever,” as the word is used to convey the prospect of the second coming of Christ in 1 John 2:28:
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, it is used with the meaning “if” to denote what is expected to occur, under certain circumstances, from a given standpoint in the present, either general or specific. The apostle states what is more likely to occur in verse 15 so that he meant to convey that despite the fact what he states would take place, something else is true. Hence, the use of the word “though” to translate our Greek particle in the verse we are considering is appropriate although the 2011 edition of the NIV used the word “if” in their translation.
The word “even” in 1 Corinthians 4:15 is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that is used in different ways in the Greek. The Greek conjunction may be used as a marker of cause or reason so that it may be translated “for” or “because” in the English. It may be used as a marker of clarification or explanation so that it may be translated in the English with the word “for” or “you see.” Under this second usage, the Greek word may be used as a narrative marker to express continuation or connection in which case the Greek word may be left untranslated in the English translation. There are more nuances of the Greek conjunction under this second usage. The Greek conjunction may be used to signal an important point or transition to another topic leading to the translation “well, then, you see.” It can also be translated “yes, indeed, certainly, surely”, especially when the Greek conjunction is used in replies, confirming what has been asked. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, the apostle used it for explanation of the reason he described the Corinthians as his children. Our interpretation is reflected in the AMP (Amplified Bible) since verse 15 in it begins with the phrase after all.
The apostle’s explanation involves acknowledgement of the fact that there are other spiritual leaders or teachers of the word of God among the Corinthians since he founded the church. It is this acknowledgement that is given in the first clause of 1 Corinthians 4:15 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ.
The existence of many other spiritual leaders or teachers in Corinth is introduced with the verbal phrase ten thousand that is translated from a Greek word (myrios) that in classical Greek is used with reference to size and so means “measureless, immense, infinite,” but in the NT Greek, it is used hyperbolically for incalculably large number hence means “countless, innumerable.” The Greek word is used only by Apostle Paul twice in the NT; our present passage where it is associated with persons and in a passage that it is associated with words in 1 Corinthians 14:19:
But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
In both passages, it is used in the sense of “ten thousand” or “myriad.” Thus, the apostle used the word to indicate countless number of those he described in 1 Corinthians 4:15 with the phrase guardians in Christ.
The word “guardians” is translated from a Greek word (paidagōgos) that is related to a Greek verb (paideuō) that may mean to provide instruction, with the intent of forming proper habits of behavior or to assist in the development of a person’s ability to make appropriate choices, hence means “to teach, to instruct, to train, to correct, to give guidance” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to describe his education or training he received, as narrated in Acts 22:3:
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
The Greek verb may mean “to punish” as in divine discipline, as stated in Hebrews 12:6:
because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
The implication of the meanings of the Greek verb is that the Greek word used in our passage would contain an idea of both instructing and punishing of someone. Indeed, the Greek word used in our passage was used in classical Greek to describe an individual, primarily a slave, who was responsible for caring for a child. You see, a Greek mother almost exclusively cared for a child until the age of six or seven. At that age, a child was not allowed to go out alone but was entrusted to a slave described with our Greek word that took the child to school and brought him back. This person would carry the child’s bags and ensured that it did its homework, took the child to play sports, ensuring the child does not get into trouble or get involved in anything that would harm it. But not only that, the person ensured that the child behaved properly. This means that the one described with our Greek word would inflict punishment on a child and so the child feared the individual. Of course, when the child grows up, the person was often viewed as a tyrant by the child. Nevertheless, in Hellenistic period, the one described with our Greek word although not a teacher in a technical sense was involved in forming the child’s character and morality and even became private tutor. In the NT usage of our word, it refers to one who has responsibility for someone who needs guidance, hence means “guardian, leader, guide.” The word is used twice in the NT by Apostle Paul. He used it to describe the law as a temporary guide so that it served to constrain a person in contrast to the freedom in the gospel, as stated in Galatians 3:24:
So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, the Greek word is used in the sense of “moral caretaker,” that is, a person appointed to watch over a young child, train his public behavior, and keep him safe in public; perhaps with the fuller understanding of a tutor. This being the case, the apostle meant to say that the Corinthians may have many teachers who instruct them regarding Christian conduct, but they were, of course, not in the same level or status with the Corinthians that he is. The apostle ensured there was no doubt that he had in mind those who instructed or guided the Corinthians regarding Christian conduct, hence, he used the phrase that he commonly used in his epistles, that is, the phrase in Christ. This phrase may sometimes refer to a Christian as one who is in the sphere of Christ. This is the sense of the word in our passage although it is possible, as some take it, that the phrase refers to being a Christian. We will say more later about this phrase.
It is our assertion that the apostle viewed those he described as helping in moral instructions to the Corinthians as not being in the same level or status with them as he. This is introduced by the apostle’s use of a Greek particle (alla) that is not explicitly translated in the NIV. The Greek particle may be used to indicate a transition from one clause to something different or contrasted so that the usage has the meaning “the other side of a matter or issue, but, yet” as the word is used in John 6:64:
Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him.
The Greek word the apostle used that is not translated in the NIV is not the only Greek word that means “but” or conveys a contrast since there is another Greek word (de) that also means “but”; however, the Greek word the apostle used in 1 Corinthians 4:15 is for a more emphatic contrast to convey that the apostle was emphatic in the contrast he puts between himself and the many other teachers that the Corinthians have.
The apostle contrasted himself from those other teachers in Corinth not only by his use of the Greek conjunction we cited but by what he actually said in the next clause of 1 Corinthians 4:15 you do not have many fathers. To understand what the apostle meant we need to examine the word “father.” The word “father” is translated from a Greek word (patēr) that may mean the male parent as the immediate biological ancestor, that is, father, as it is used to describe Joseph’s relationship with Jacob in Acts 7:14:
After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.
In the plural, it may refer to male and female parents together as the Greek word is used to describe Moses’ father and mother in Hebrews 11:23:
By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
The word may mean “forefather, ancestor, progenitor”, that is, one from whom one is descended and generally at least several generations removed as the word is used to describe Israel’s forefathers with whom the Lord made a covenant when they came out of Egypt, as described in Hebrews 8:9:
It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord.
It in this sense of the word that the Israelites of the time of the Lord Jesus called Abraham their father in John 8:39:
“Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do the things Abraham did.
The word may mean “father” in the sense of one who is responsible for having guided another into faith or into a particular pattern of behavior; hence, means “spiritual father.” It is in the negative sense of guiding one to a particular pattern of behavior that the word is used for the Lord Jesus’ description of the devil as father of those Jews who opposed Him during His earthly ministry, as stated in John 8:44:
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
The word may mean “father” as a title of respectful address, as in Matthew 23:9:
And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.
By the way, the prohibition of the Lord here is not against the word “father” to address one’s biological father; instead he meant one should not use the word “father” as a title of honor in addressing someone of a superior rank so that what Jesus prohibits is using the honorary title “father” to address some teacher or leader in the spirit of superiority. This means that all those religious leaders that expect others to call them “father” are in violation of our Lord’s instruction. The Greek word may mean “father” in the sense of a revered deceased person(s) with whom one shares beliefs or traditions. Hence, the word may mean “father” as an “archetype” or “prototype” of a group or the founder of a class of persons as the word is used to describe Abraham as the father of those who believe in the Lord regardless of their circumcision status in Romans 4:11:
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
The word may mean “Father” as a description of the supreme deity, who is responsible for the origin and care of all that exists. Thus, God as the originator and ruler is called “Father of lights” in James 1:17:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
It is under this meaning that the word is used to describe the first member of the Godhead, as it is used by Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:16:
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,
Thus, we see that the Greek word translated “father” has a range of meanings. However, in our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, it means “spiritual father” as one responsible to leading another to faith in Christ.
We have noted the sense that the apostle used the word “father” in the clause of 1 Corinthians 4:15 you do not have many fathers so we can now interpret what the apostle meant. He meant to convey that he is the one who founded the church in Corinth so that he is the spiritual father of most of the Corinthians in terms of leading them to faith in Christ. The apostle recognized that some of the Corinthians might have been saved, after he founded the church in Corinth, through the ministry of other teachers such as Apollos but he remains unique among those that God would have used to lead many of them to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as he was the first to preach the gospel and so founded their local church. That is a unique position that apostle occupies and no one else can claim that. Hence the apostle in the clause you do not have many fathers meant to say that the Corinthians have only one spiritual father, that is, him.
The interpretation that we have given is indeed correct because of the explanation the apostle provided as to how he became their father in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 4:15 that begins with the word for. The word “for” is translated from a Greek conjunction (gar) that is used in different ways in the Greek, as we have previously considered. In its second usage in our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, it is used to provide an additional information that explains the apostle’s claim of being a unique spiritual father to the Corinthians. In effect, the apostle’s explanation is intended to remove any kind of doubt or ambiguity of what he meant as their father since he could not have been their father in a biological sense.
To ensure there is no kind of confusion about his claim of being a unique spiritual father to the Corinthians, the apostle defined the domain of his claim of being a father to the Corinthians. This is given in the next phrase of 1 Corinthians 4:15 in Christ Jesus. The preposition “in” is translated from a Greek preposition (en) with several meanings. For example, it may mean “in” as a marker of a position defined as being in a location as the apostle used it in instructing believers of how they should conduct themselves in the community of believers that he described as God’s household in 1 Timothy 3:15:
if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
However, Apostle Paul used the Greek preposition in relationship to Christ in the phrase in Christ Jesus that appears forty-five times in his epistles. In using this phrase, the apostle means being in union with Christ, something that is mysterious, in that we cannot understand how we are united in Christ but that is true. For after all, Jesus taught the disciples that they will be in Him as He will be in them in John 14:20:
On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
It is beyond human comprehension at this point to understand what it fully means to be in union with Christ other than to take it in faith and realize that believers are closest to Him that such relationship with Him can only be described as being in union with Him or being in Him. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, the apostle used it to describe the domain of his claim of being the unique father of the Corinthians. The domain of this claim is limited to the spiritual that is to be understood as the sphere where Christ is involved so that he is the spiritual father of those in Corinth that are in union with Christ.
Apostle Paul not only defined the domain of his claim of being the unique spiritual father of the Corinthians, but he explained how that happened. He became their unique spiritual father through the preaching of the gospel to them as in the next sentence of 1 Corinthians 4:15 I became your father through the gospel. This is the first time the apostle used the word “gospel” in this epistle to the Corinthians. Wait a minute, you may ask, did the apostle use it in 1 Corinthians 1:17:
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Not really. This is because he used a Greek verb (euangelizō) that means “to bring good news” or “to proclaim the gospel.” That aside, the word “gospel” used in 1 Corinthians 4:15 is translated from a Greek noun (euangelion) that may mean “details relating to the life and ministry of Jesus,” hence means “good news of Jesus” as the word is used in the introduction of the book of Mark in Mark 1:1:
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The phrase beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ is more literally beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. The Greek word may mean “good news as a proclamation” and so means “gospel” as the word is by Apostle Paul to describe the message he preached to Gentiles, as recorded in Galatians 2:2:
I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
It is in the sense of the gospel, that is, the proclamation of the good news concerning salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that Apostle Paul used it in 1 Corinthians 4:15.
The apostle conveyed to the Corinthians that it is by the preaching of the gospel that he became their spiritual father in the sense of the one who led them to Christ, so to speak, when he stated I became your father through the gospel. The expression “became ... father” is translated from a Greek word (gennaō) that may mean “to become the parent of”, that is, “to beget” as it is used to describe Abraham as fathering Isaac in Acts 7:8:
Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
The clause And Abraham became the father of Isaac is literally and so he begat Isaac. The Greek word may refer to exercising the role of a parental figure as that is the sense in which Apostle Paul described Onesimus as his son in Philemon 10:
I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.
The word may mean “to give birth to,” that is, “to bear” as it is used by Apostle Paul in his argument concerning election as he referenced the birth of Esau and Jacob in Romans 9:11:
Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad—in order that God’s purpose in election might stand:
The Greek word may mean “to produce, cause” as it is used to describe the result of foolish and stupid arguments in 2 Timothy 2:23:
Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:15, the word is used in the sense of exercising the role of a parental figure so that the apostle meant that he became a spiritual father who not only preached the gospel to them but instructed them regarding the Christian faith although his emphasis is probably on leading them to Christ. The apostle in saying that he became the spiritual father of the Corinthians is certainly aware that it is through the word of God that anyone is borne again to be a child of God, as Apostle Peter stated in 1 Peter 1:23:
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
In any case, the apostle’s statement I became your father through the gospel should teach us that if we become instrumental in leading a person to Christ then we have in a sense become the individual’s spiritual parent. The implication, of course, is that we should become nurturing in a spiritual sense to that person, encouraging the person to expose self to spiritual food from a local church that communicates God’s word. In any event, it is because of the role of the apostle in founding the church and being their first teacher, we state the second reason a pastor communicates to his congregation the word of God is to serve as their spiritual father. Thus, a pastor should show his concern for his congregation by caring for the spiritual welfare of the members of his congregation by teaching them the word of God.
A third reason a pastor communicates to his congregation the word of God is to serve as an example to them. This reason is derived from Apostle Paul’s statement to the Corinthians regarding his spiritual relationship with them. His spiritual relationship of being their spiritual father is one that gives him the authority to encourage them to imitate him. We are confident that the apostle draws from his spiritual relationship to the Corinthians to encourage them to imitate him because he began 1 Corinthians 4:16 with the word Therefore.
The word “therefore” is translated from a Greek particle (oun) that has several usages. It may be used as a marker of inference, denoting that what it introduces is the result of or an inference from what precedes, hence means “so, therefore, consequently, accordingly, then.” It is in this sense that Apostle Paul used it to draw inference from his statement that Jesus Christ was delivered to death for our sins and resurrected for our justification, to indicate its result in Romans 5:1:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
The Greek particle may be used as a marker of continuation of a narrative in which case it may be used to indicate a transition to something new with the meaning “now, then, well” as the word is used to indicate a transition to something new from the recollection of the disciples of Jesus about a prophecy concerning Him to the demand for proof of Jesus’ authority in John 2:18:
Then the Jews demanded of him, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
The Greek particle may be used as a marker of emphasis with the meaning “indeed, certainly, really” as the word is used by Luke to record Apostle Paul’s narrative of his activities as the persecutor of the church prior to his conversion, according to Acts 26:9:
“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
The translators of the NIV used the word “too” for emphasis since the phrase I too may be literally translated Indeed, I myself. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:16, the Greek particle is used as marker of inference to indicate that what the apostle demanded of the Corinthians results from his relationship of being their spiritual father.
The apostle implies that because he is the spiritual father of the Corinthians, they should look towards him for their example. You see, many times parents forget that they are to serve as examples to their children and focus only on teaching them. However, an important aspect of parenting is being examples to children so that children have something to imitate. Children mimic their parents so that they speak and act as their parents. For example, if spouses speak to each other using cuss words then their children quickly pick them up. Thus, when you hear children use cuss words, you can be sure they learned them from someone either their parents or from some others such as in school. Likewise, if the spouses shout to each other all the time, then a child will pick up that, thinking that that is how people interact with each other. A lazy parent raises a lazy child. The point is that children mimic their parents. This being the case, it should not be surprising that Apostle Paul stated that because he is the spiritual father to the Corinthians that they should mimic him as we read in 1 Corinthian 4:16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.
The word “urge” is translated from a Greek verb (parakaleō) that has several meanings. It may mean “to ask to come and be present where the speaker is,” hence, it may mean “to summon to one’s aid, call upon for help,” as it is used in Jesus’ question to Peter to indicate He did not need for him to use the sword in His defense, as stated in Matthew 26:53:
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
The word may mean “to invite” someone, as the word is used to describe the invitation of Lydia to Paul and his team to stay in her house following her conversion, as we read in Acts 16:15:
When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
The word may mean “to urge strongly,” hence means “to appeal to, urge, exhort, encourage.” It is with the meaning “to encourage” that the word is used to describe Apostle Paul’s communication to believers in Ephesus when the riot spearheaded by Demetrius, the silver smith, ended and before he traveled to Macedonia, as narrated in Acts 20:1:
When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.
It is in the sense of “to urge” that the word is used to describe the appeal of Apostle Paul to Romans to avoid believers who cause division and so become distraction to their spiritual life in Romans 16:17:
I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
The meaning of “to appeal” is used in the urging of the apostle for the Corinthians to avoid partisanship among them in 1 Corinthians 1:10:
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.
The word may mean “to comfort, cheer up” as Apostle Paul used it to describe what God did for him and his team by Titus joining them in 2 Corinthians 7:6:
But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus,
The word may mean “to make a strong request for something,” that is, “to request, implore, entreat” and so it is used in Apostle Paul’s vision in which a Macedonian begged him to bring the gospel message to them, as narrated in Acts 16:9:
During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
The word may mean “to speak to in a friendly manner, appease” as the word is used by the officials to speak to Paul and Silas when they realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and should not have been put in prison without due trial, as recorded in Acts 16:39:
They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.
The word may mean “to exhort” as the word is used in Apostle Paul’s instruction to Timothy of how to deal with older men in his congregation in 1 Timothy 5:1:
Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers,
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:16, the word is used in the sense of “to request earnestly” or “to urge strongly” that is, “to appeal to, to urge.” The Greek present tense the apostle used implies that at the time of his writing, he completed his appeal to the Corinthians. It is not something that is repeated; instead, his appeal to them to do what he advocates is seen as complete.
The action the apostle strongly urged the Corinthians is to follow his example as stated in instruction of 1 Corinthians 4:16 I urge you to imitate me. The Greek did not use a verb “imitate” as we find in the NIV since literally, the Greek reads I urge you, become imitators of me. This is because of the key Greek words used in the Greek.
The word “become” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (ginomai) that may mean “to be” although it is different from another Greek word (eimi) that may also mean “to be” in that our Greek word emphasizes that of being what one was not before. That aside, our Greek word has several meanings. It may mean “to come into existence” hence means “to be made, be created, be manufactured, be performed.” It is with the meaning “to be made” that the word is used to describe that it is through Jesus Christ, the Word of God, that creation occurred in John 1:3:
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
It is with the meaning “to be performed” that the word is used to describe the healing of a cripple man, as narrated in Acts 4:22:
For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
The description in the NIV the man who was miraculously healed is more literally the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed. The word may mean “to be born” as it is used to describe virgin birth in Galatians 4:4:
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
The word may mean “to happen, turn out, take place” which is the sense in which our word is used to describe the benefit of honoring parents in Ephesians 6:3:
“that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
The verbal phrase may go well may be understood as may turn out well although literally the Greek reads may be well. The word may mean to experience a change in nature and so indicate entry into a new condition, that is, “to become something” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to express his apprehension that his ministry among the Thessalonians should become useless, as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 3:5:
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
The Greek word may mean to come into a certain state or possess certain characteristics and so it may mean “to be, become, show oneself, prove to be” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to reference his and his team’s conduct among the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 2:10:
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
The clause we were among you may, according to the standard Greek English lexicon (BDAG), be translated we proved/showed ourselves … toward you. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 4:16, the word is used in the sense of “to become something”, that is, “to enter or assume a certain state or condition.” The apostle used the present tense in the command “become” so that in this verse, the sense of the word is that the apostle urges repeated action of becoming what he stated. In other words, what the apostle advocates for them to become is something they should do repeatedly, that is, again and again.
They are to become again and again imitators of the apostle. The word “imitators” we used in the literal translation is translated from a Greek noun (mimētēs) that means “imitator.” The translators of the NIV although translated the Greek noun as a verb “to imitate” but they used the noun “imitator” to translate our Greek word in three passages. They used it in Apostle Paul’s instruction to Ephesians to become imitators of God in Ephesians 5:1:
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
They used the noun to describe Apostle Paul’s commendation to the Thessalonians for becoming imitators of him, his team, and the Lord in 1 Thessalonians 1:6:
You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.
Likewise, the translators of the NIV used the noun “imitator” to translate our Greek word in the apostle’s comparison of the Thessalonians to the churches in Judea regarding suffering, as we read in 1 Thessalonians 2:14:
For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,
Of course, there is a Greek verb (mimeomai) that means “to imitate, emulate, follow, to use as a model” as the Greek word is used in Apostle Paul’s statement explaining why he worked in Thessalonica to support himself and his team so as to leave an example or model for them to follow regarding hard work, as we read in 2 Thessalonians 3:9:
We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
The verbal phrase but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow is literally but so that we may give ourselves as an example to you, so that you may imitate us. Anyway, Apostle Paul used the Greek noun that means “imitator” and not the Greek verb that means “to imitate, follow, to use as a model” in 1 Corinthians 4:16. Hence, the apostle wanted the Corinthians to form the habit of being his imitators. But in what way does he want them to become his imitators? We are out of time so come back next week for the answer but let me end by reminding you that a third reason a pastor communicates to his congregation the word of God is to serve as an example to them.