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.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 3:E-7
Now don't get led astray here. When I said that God and His ways never change, I did not say that the church and its messengers could not change. The church isn't God. So she can change. But what I said was that because of the unchanging God with unchanging ways we can go back to the beginning and see the first and perfect act of God and then judge by that standard. That is how it is done. The True Church will always try to be like the original at Pentecost. The True Church of today will try to approximate that ear...
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 3:E-27
At the time of the giving of the Revelation, according to tradition, Paul had already died a martyr, but John was carrying on in his stead exactly as Paul had done in the days of his ministry. The death of Paul, before the Revelation was given, does not at all annul the fact that he was the messenger to the Ephesian Church Age, for the messenger to every age, regardless of when he appears or goes, is the one who influences that age for God by means of a Word-manifested ministry. Paul was that man.
God's provided way of healing
54-0719A §26
...on here this afternoon, I would want to believe, believes in divine healing, every one of you. You say, "Sure, Brother Branham, I believe in divine healing." Now, maybe you mean that with all the intelligence you know how to speak it. You believe it. That's in your head. But remember, there's a subconscious, down there, has got to say the same thing. If it doesn't, you'll never get nowhere. You might read the Bible, say, "Well, here, Brother Branham, the Bible says this." That's true. That's exactly right. There's...
Hebrews, Chapter 3
57-0901M §31
Notice the Word! Paul, first found that... He went back in the Old Testament, and he found this. He seen that experience of his absolutely... "Now what was that that struck me down?" It was a light, big light standing there shining like the sun, standing in front of his face. He said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" He said, "Lord, who are You that I persecute?" He said, "I'm Jesus." "I thought He was a man, has scarred hands; that they claim is appearing in meetings now, with nail scars in his hands and his...
An Absolute
63-1201M §30
And Paul had a Christ-centered life. It was a different life than he once had. He once had an educational conception; but now he has got a Christ-centered life, an absolute. No matter how much Agrippa could say, "You've gone crazy, Paul. You lost your mind. You studied too much," he said, "I am not mad." And then he got onto Agrippa in such a way till he said, "Thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian." He said, "I wish you were, only besides ... as I am, but these bonds." It makes you do things, when you get a...