What Does It Mean When Paul Says, "follow Me as I Follow Christ," and How Does That Relate to Following Jesus Directly?
1) Direct Answer
Paul’s words mean: imitate a true, Word‑led life only as it mirrors Jesus Christ. We follow no man as an absolute. Christ is the Head. When a servant of God stays with the Word and the Spirit of Christ, following that example is following Jesus. If he departs from the Word, we do not follow.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). The condition is clear—only as he follows Christ.
- Paul says, “Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). So the life to imitate is Christ’s life expressed through a yielded vessel.
- “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” (Philippians 3:17). The pattern is a Word‑walk, not personality.
- Christ is the Head of the church (Ephesians 5:23). We never trade the Head for a man.
- God set ministers for perfecting the saints (Ephesians 4:11‑13). True ministry points us to Christ, not to themselves.
- We “ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). If any voice clashes with Scripture, we stay with God’s Word.
- “Though we, or an angel… preach any other gospel… let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8). No message outranks the Bible.
- “My sheep hear my voice… and they follow me” (John 10:27). We follow Jesus directly by recognizing His Voice in His Word.
- “Try the spirits” (1 John 4:1) and “prove all things” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Everything is tested by Scripture.
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- One Head, one Lord—Jesus Christ. He speaks by His Word and Spirit. He also uses servants as signposts. You follow the signpost only because it points to the destination. If it points off the road, you don’t follow the sign—you stay with the road.
- The Spirit and the Word agree. If a minister magnifies the Word and leads you into obedience to Christ, you’re following Jesus through that example. If he adds to or takes from the Word, you stop right there and hold to the Bible.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Now notice: it’s not following a man; it’s following Christ in the man—as long as it is Christ. Stay with the Word. Christ remains the absolute, and every true servant merely points to Him.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Water baptism
59-0329M §41
Now I would imagine this morning, if either ... any of us had been baptized by the same man that baptized Jesus Christ, we would think our baptism was pretty well secured. Wouldn't you think so? But here is Paul, says it isn't. In the same hole of water, by the same man that baptized our Lord, Paul condemns that baptism now, because it wasn't in the name of Jesus Christ. Now listen. And he said, "Unto what then were you baptized?" Now if you wanted to look that up in the Greek, it said, "How was you baptized?" See?...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 1:E-34
Jesus said, "I came from God and I go (back) to God". John 16:27-28. That is exactly what happened. He disappeared from earth by way of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Then Paul met Him on the road to Damascus and He spoke to Paul and said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Paul said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" He said, "I am Jesus." He was a pillar of fire, a blinding light. He had turned back, exactly as He said He would. Back to the same form that He was before He took on a tabernacle of flesh. T...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 4:E-129
But to go on. These elect were not only the eternal thoughts of God which were to be expressed in flesh in their due season, but these same elect are called by another name. Romans 4:16. "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." Romans 9:7-13, "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in Isaac shall...
The testimony of a true witness
61-1105 §114
I want to make another announcement. I forgot, I didn't know it rather. There's a baptismal service following this one. If anyone here that has not been baptized in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, let me say to you as God's servant, baptism is essential to salvation. He that believeth and is baptized, and is baptized, shall be saved. Now if you haven't been baptized in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and you have believed on Him and confessed your sins, come now forward after this service and you'll can be ba...
Present stage of my ministry
62-0908 §47
Now we find out that Paul... Demas preaching with Paul, had seen Paul see a crippled man laying there, and said, "I perceive you have faith to be healed. Stand up on your feet! Jesus Christ makes you well." Had seen him heal the sick, and yet he leaves his friend Theophilus [Trophimus] sick. "Paul's lost his ministry." That's what Demas must have thought. "Why didn't he, if he had a gift of healing, why didn't he go up there and heal that buddy that had stood by him so faithful? He said, 'I've left him up there sic...