Under the old covenant, the Israelites could only follow the written Word that God gave them through Moses and the prophets. No-one could say, “Follow me” – not even the greatest prophets like Moses or Elijah or John the Baptist. God’s Word alone was the light for their path (Psa.119:105).
But Jesus came and initiated a new covenant. And He gave us not only the Word of God, but an example to follow, by His own life. He was the first person in the Bible to say, “Follow Me” (Mt.4:19; Jn.21:19; Lk.9:23). So in the new covenant, we have both the written word and also the Word made flesh in Jesus – or in other words, the written word made visible in a human life – to guide us.
Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for merely studying the Word of God but not coming to Him: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. But they testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me to have life.” (Jn.5:39,40).
The life of Jesus is now the Light for our path (John 1:4) – and not just the written Word. If we are unable to find clear guidance in God’s Word in some matter, we can look at the life of Jesus (as revealed by the Holy Spirit to our hearts) and we will always find an answer.
Further: In the new covenant, the Holy Spirit also inspired a godly man like Paul to say, “Follow me – as I follow Christ”. And the Holy Spirit made him say that three times – to emphasize the fact that we should also follow the example of truly godly men who follow in Christ’s footsteps. (1 Cor.4:16; 1 Cor.11:1; Phil.3:17).
A true new-covenant servant not only proclaims God’s standard in the written Word, but also says, as Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ”.
Some Christians say, “We must not follow any man. We must only follow Jesus”. That sounds like a spiritual statement. But it is totally contrary to the Word of God. Because, as we have just seen, Paul (inspired by the Holy Spirit) told us to follow him.
The reason why Paul told the Christians in Corinth to follow him and to imitate him, was because he was their spiritual father. He said, “If you were to have ten thousand teachers in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be followers of me.” (1 Cor. 4:15,16). One cannot follow a Bible-teacher – because even if his teaching is good and accurate, he may not be a good example by his life. According to the above verse, one spiritual father is better than 10,000 Bible-teachers. So it is good for all Christians to have a spiritual father like Paul, whose example they can follow. Following such a spiritual father can save us from sin and from false teaching.
Paul urged Christians to follow other godly men also, who were “following Christ’s example”, as he was doing. He said, “Pattern your lives after mine, and learn from others also who follow our example”(Phil. 3:17- NLT).
The Word of God also commands us to obey our leaders and to imitate their faith.
“Obey your leaders and submit to them” (Heb. 13:17).
“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; consider the result of their conduct (their life), and imitate their faith” (Heb. 13:7).
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