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1
A Father's Loving Appeal
Commentators explain that Paul's call to "imitate me" is not an arrogant demand but a tender plea rooted in his unique relationship with the Corinthians as their "spiritual father." As scholars like Charles Ellicott note, Paul is asking his spiritual children to preserve the "family likeness" that should exist in such a relationship, distinguishing his role from that of other teachers or guides.
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Book Overview
1 Corinthians
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Commentaries
7
Albert Barnes
On 1 Corinthians 4:16
18th Century
Theologian
Therefore. Since I am your spiritual father.
Be you followers of me. Imitate me; copy my example; listen to my admonitions…
AT Robertson
On 1 Corinthians 4:16
Be ye imitators of me (μιμητα μου γινεσθε). "Keep on becoming (present middle imperative) imitators of me (objective genitive)." Μ…
Charles Ellicott
On 1 Corinthians 4:16
19th Century
Bishop
Therefore.—Because I stand in this relation, I call you to preserve, as it were, in a moral sense, that family likeness which wou…
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Expositor's Bible Commentary
On 1 Corinthians 4:16
Paul’s seeming harshness in writing this to the Corinthians was not to “shame” (GK 1956) them but to warn them of the seriousness and perverseness …
John Calvin
On 1 Corinthians 4:16
16th Century
Theologian
I exhort you. He now also expresses, in his own words, what he requires from them in his fatherly admonition — that, as his sons, they sho…
John Gill
On 1 Corinthians 4:16
17th Century
Pastor
Wherefore, I beseech you
Though he might have used the power and authority of a father, yet he chose rather to entre…
Matthew Henry
On 1 Corinthians 4:14–21
17th Century
Minister
In reproving sin, we should distinguish between sinners and their sins. Reproofs that kindly and affectionately warn are likely to reform.
T…