Follow Christ by Following Paul
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to, “Be ye therefore followers of God…” in response to the forgiveness offered to us through Christ explained in Ephesians 4:31-32. How do we follow God today in the Body of Christ? The Apostle Paul provides clear instructions as to how we do so:
“[16] Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” – 1 Corinthians 4:16
“[1] Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. [2] Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1-2
“[17] Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” – Philippians 3:17
“[16] Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” – 1 Timothy 1:16
While this may sound arrogant of Paul, we need to recognize the extremely important reasons why he tells the Body to follow him as he follows Christ. Just as Moses was the vessel in which God chose to deliver the law to Israel, Paul is the vessel God chose to preach grace to the world (1Co 3:5-10). So, why do we follow Paul?
Jesus Christ Himself sent Paul (Acts 9:15)
Paul was the first person to be saved in the Body and is the pattern for everyone after him to be saved by God’s grace (1Ti 1:11-16)
God made Paul your Apostle, the Apostle of the Gentiles (Rom 11:13)
God dispensed grace to Paul, revealing the mystery of Christ and instituting the Body of Christ (Eph 3:1-10, Col 1:25-27)
God gave him the gospel of grace by which you are saved today (1Co 15:1-4, 1Co 9:17, Rom 1:16, Rom 16:25, Gal 2:7-8)
Peter recognized Paul was sent to the Gentiles and deferred to him as to what God is doing now (Gal 2:9, 2Pe 3:15)
Paul instructs us to follow his pattern for following Christ (1Co 4:16, 1Co 11:1, Php 3:17)
Paul was given the blueprints from Christ on how to build the Body of Christ correctly (1Co 3:5-10)
When we fail to recognize Paul’s special apostleship and his pattern for the Body today, a slew of issues arise:
It diminishes the preaching of the cross for salvation and confuses the gospel by adding works
It robs you of your complete position in Christ
It robs you of your spiritual riches in Christ
It diminishes Christ’s resurrection power in you and promotes your own willpower
It conflates and confuses the otherwise extremely clear will of God for you today
It ultimately weakens the Body of Christ by wrongly identifying it with Israel, thereby putting the church under a covenantal, law-based system and imparting a works-based, endurance-based, conditional standing with God
Many people turn to the red letters (which were added by man in 1901) of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to follow Jesus. While the intention is good, Jesus had much more to reveal and say after those events occurred. All scripture is inspired and profitable (2Ti 3:16), but if we’re seeking to find our pattern for ministry in the red letters, we’re looking in the wrong place and there are lots of unintended consequences.
In fact, Jesus was sent to the house of Israel and His time on earth was to minister to Jews and confirm the promises made to the fathers of Israel.
“[24] But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” – Matthew 15:24
“[8] Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.” – Romans 15:8
“[4] But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” – Galatians 4:4-5
“[16] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” – 2 Corinthians 5:16
When you follow Jesus’s life in the red letters, you’re following God who perfectly fulfilled the law (Mat 5:17). He needed to walk in the law perfectly to become a perfect sacrifice for sins (Eph 1:7, 2:13). You’re not under the law and you couldn’t follow it perfectly even if you wanted to (Rom 3:20, 6:14-15).
When you follow Jesus’s post-resurrection instructions to Paul, you’re following God under grace and according to the mystery of Christ as you should (Rom 16:25, 1Co 2:7-13, Eph 3:1-10, Col 1:26-27).
Don’t be ashamed of following Paul. If you want to walk in truth without the guilt of religious chains, a conditional standing with God, or a fear of condemnation, recognize the complete position you have in Christ by trusting the gospel of grace entrusted to him and consequently us (1Ti 1:11, 1Co 9:16-17).
Do we glorify Paul? No. We don’t glorify men, but we respect the office and the instructions given to Him so that we can walk as the Lord desires us to (1Co 1:31, 3:21, 2Co 12:5, Gal 6:14, Rom 11:13). If you want to follow Christ correctly, we must recognize what Christ revealed for us to follow through Paul as the mouthpiece.
