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.
The revelation that was given to me
60-0210M §28
Now, just one more moment. Now, listen real close. All of us know that the Angel that appeared to Moses, was Christ. It was the Angel of the covenant. You believe that? The Angel of the covenant. He followed Israel in a Pillar of Fire. And then when Jesus was on earth, He said, "Before..." They told Him... They was angry with Him because He said He saw Abraham's day. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." That was that same Pillar of Fire that was in the bush, "I AM." Now, He's said, Jesus, "I come from God, and I...
Questions and Answers, part 1
54-0103M §1
That's fine, and I'm certainly happy to be here this morning to try to answer a few of these questions. And I see some more has come in. And so we're... It may take me just a little bit of time to kind of read some of these, because I just got them this morning. And I want to express my feeling of being here to worship God today on this beautiful Sabbath that He's give us to come together. And a little place that we gather in and for the pastor, our brother, Brother Neville---a servant of God---and for all the deac...
The Godhead explained
61-0425B §106
[Doctor Tommy Hicks steps to the microphone to make the following comments: I think that we can say this morning to sum up everything that's been said with these words. Christ in me the hope of glory. Say them, please. Christ in me the hope of glory. There's ins-and-outs and overs in the life of every man. (I'm not going to speak.) I have a message. I believe that every Christian has been... Jesus... My heart is stirred this morning, and I believe that for many of us some things that disturb us... make us better me...
A Guide
62-1014E §26
God sends a guide, and God wants you to remember that that's His appointed guide. And we must remember Him. Here it says, Jesus said, "I will not leave you, but I'll pray the father and He'll send you another Comforter." And this Comforter, when He was to come, was to guide us to all truth. And the Word of God is the truth, and the Word is Christ, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." He is the Word, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God ... And the Word was made flesh and d...
Early spiritual experiences
52-0713A §7
I've never been ashamed and God help me, to always be man enough, to stand up and speak my convictions. For if I'm not, I'd be a traitor to Christ. I believe in the old-fashioned baptizing of the Holy Ghost. I believe that a man has got to be born again, or he's still a sinner. I believe it's only through the grace of God that he's called, in the Holy Ghost. We do not receive the Holy Ghost by faith believing. It's the free gift of God given to us by God's grace. That's where I differ with my own church. The church...