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Lord of All

By: Phillip Ross

Monkey see, monkey do. That was Paul's advice to this church whose leaders were engaged in apostasy and immorality. "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). The KJV translates the word as "followers," suggesting that followers imitate or mimic the one they follow. Follower's are to reproduce the leader's thoughts and behavior, and sometimes even his looks. Paul was not so concerned with how the Corinthians looked -- though he had some concerns about clothing styles that will come up shortly. Rather, his concern here was behavior. At the same time, Paul was not unconcerned about how Christians look because dress, style, and mannerisms are all part of behavior, and all are a reflection of values, beliefs and morality.

Paul was engaged in the ministry of modeling. He was a model Christian. He set himself up as the one to emulate. Paul saw himself as a trend setter in the Christian church. He understood himself to be a foundation stone for a social movement that would utterly change the world -- and it did!

What does it mean to imitate Paul? How do we do that today? Can we do that? Is it important? Paul answers these questions in the next verse: "Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you" (1 Corinthians 11:2). Paul commends the Corinthians. He has trust and confidence in them in spite of the fact of the apostasy and immorality of some of their leaders. He had confidence that the body of believers will be corrected and strengthened by the Spirit of Christ -- saving some and casting some out. His confidence is not simply in them as individuals, but in Christ and in Christ's power to save and sanctify all of His people. Christ is not stopped by apostasy and immorality. His truth marches on, healing and correcting the sin that He encounters. Sin does not stop Jesus Christ -- not at all! He came to conquer sin and death, and is eager to confront it.

Normally, when something dirty touches something clean the dirt is transmitted and pollutes what was previously clean -- sometimes a lot, and sometimes a little. However, when Christ touches a thing His cleansing and purity are transmitted. The dirt and pollution do not accrue to Christ, rather His purity and righteousness accrue to the thing touched. The point is that in Christ the normal transfers of purity and pollution are reversed. When Christ interacts with apostasy and immorality their unrighteousness does not flow to Him. Rather, His righteousness flows to them. The touch of the Lord purifies what He touches.

Paul commends the Corinthians because they remember him. They remember Paul's faithfulness, Paul's model. And they don't just remember him now and then. It is not an occasional thoughtfulness of Paul, but they remember him "in everything." Clearly, Paul was speaking to those who did in fact remember him in everything, but he was also speaking to the whole church and calling them all to remember him in everything, and to imitate him in all things. Paul was speaking to the whole Corinthian church, some of whom were faithful and some of whom were not. The point is that the moral imperative of obedience applied to them all.

Note also that there are three English words used to translate the Greek word (paradosis) -- traditions, doctrines and ordinances. Paradosis means objectively, that which is delivered, the substance or content of a teaching. Secondly, it refers to the body of precepts, and ritual(s) associated with various precepts. It refers to doctrine, but not merely doctrine. Rather, it includes the social practices associated with doctrine. The Old Testament often prescribed various social rituals with various doctrines as a way to give life to the doctrines, and to help people keep various teachings in remembrance. Paul used the word paradosis to suggest a passing on of something important by word of mouth, and it included both knowledge and the practice of cultural norms.

Paul told the Corinthians to "maintain the traditions" (1 Corinthians 11:2) of faithfulness. He was not talking about the "traditions of men" (Mark 7:8, Colossians 2:8), but the religious practices and habits of faithfulness that are biblical, those which have been instituted by Jesus Christ regarding worship and ordinary life. He is speaking in particular about the traditions that he -- Paul -- had given to them, and which he now goes on to clarify.

The first thing that he did was to ground his clarification in a discussion of headship or authority -- the power or right to give orders and make decisions. In a court of law the very first issue that is raised is the issue of jurisdiction. Jurisdiction determines whether this or that particular court has the right and authority to adjudicate in this particular matter? Before a court does anything, it must determine whether it has the proper jurisdiction. That is what Paul is doing in his discussion of headship.

"I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Corinthians 11:3). Paul was describing a kind of chain of command or jurisdictional order. It is important to note that Paul's language is universal, Christ is the head of every man. Not some men, but every man. We might be tempted to limit the context to the Corinthian church, and say that Paul meant that Christ was the head of every male church member. But we can only make such a determination by speculation that doesn't agree with Paul's actual words. Can we limit Paul's meaning like this? I don't think so, because Jesus said that "all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to" Him (Matthew 28:18). If all authority was given to Jesus Christ, then He would indeed be the head of all, not just church members.

The fact that Jesus is Lord does not mean that His Lordship just applies to people who agree with Him. Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. Paul penned one of the earliest Christian creeds in Romans 10:9, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The earliest and most consistent understanding of this creed was that it is universal. It applies to everyone, and at the same time it is conditional. If you confess -- not everyone will, in spite of the universal imperative.

Paul continues, "the head of a wife is her husband" (1 Corinthians 11:3). Just as Jesus is in submission to God the Father, so the husband must be in submission to Jesus the Son. Remember that Jesus did not do what He wanted to do, he did what God wanted Him to do. "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). "So Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me'" (John 8:28). All authority is authority in submission, with God the Father at the top of the heap. Thus, the husband has limited authority over his wife because he must live in submission to Christ. His primary authority is the authority to follow Christ in obedience.


Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

The fact that Jesus is Lord does not mean that His Lordship just applies to people who agree with Him. Jesus is Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all. The earliest and most consistent understanding of Jesus' authority was that it is universal.

About the Author:
Phillip A. Ross, author of many Christian books, has been a pastor for over 25 years. In 1998 he founded http://www.Pilgrim-Platform.org . In 2008 he published a exposition First Corinthians that demonstrates the Apostle Paul's opposition to worldly Christianity. Paul turned the world upside down and Ross captures the action in Arsy Varsy -- Reclaiming the Gospel in First Corinthians.

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