1 Corinthians 4

In this reading, Paul contrasts the Christians of Corinth with the apostles of Christ. Does this seem strange when to our eyes they were all forging an extraordinary path, the way of Jesus? This letter was written, we think, about 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. Before the Gospels, even before the first Gospel of Mark. Paul had visited Corinth and set up a Christian community there a few years before this letter was written. He almost seems to envy their position, noting that although they and he were servants of Christ, they have honour and wisdom and riches, while the apostles, among whom he counts himself, are weak, poorly clothed and homeless.

In truth of course he does not envy them, but rather he is trying to help them understand that their pride in what and who they are is misplaced. By apparently humbling himself he is trying to give them a model example of how to follow Christ. Not to model themselves on their own leaders, nor yet on Paul himself except simply to do as he does, to follow only Jesus.

We have a range of leaders in our time; should we model ourselves on them? The current outgoing, and about to be impeached, President of the United States would not be an obvious role model. The UK’s current Prime Minister is beset with so many high profile challenges it is hard to determine what kind of model he may be setting us. But it has to be said that the importance of role models remains strong in our time, in fact especially in these difficult and life-changing times. We might not want a political role model, perhaps we prefer a media celebrity or an environmental campaigner; or you might choose someone you looked up to in your own family. I can name half a dozen people who have shown me what was possible in my own life and have given me models to consider when trouble was all around.

But when Paul was writing to the Corinthians, he had had his own life-changing experiences, and difficult times. In Jesus, Paul had found his role model, and had grasped the futility of putting other people on a pedestal. His new churches, including the Christians of Corinth, were losing sight of Jesus, even beginning to criticise Paul, and looking to their own leaders to show them the way. But Paul will not give up. His letters to them in 1^st century Corinth offer us guidance through our own life-changing experiences and difficult times. Follow Jesus he says, not me, not others, just Jesus.