As one reads these words...
Illustration
As one reads these words from Saint Paul, one cannot help but wonder about his arrogance at saying he is the example to which the Philippians should look to define appropriate Christian behavior and doctrine. On the other hand, Paul would be the first to admit that Jesus is the ultimate example provided for humankind. Paul is merely following in Jesus' footsteps and serving as the prototype of discipleship, not divinity. In every area of life having a model is helpful as one begins to learn the rudiments of some new skill.
The math teacher writes a problem on the board which serves as the paradigm for similar problems and she tells the class, "Now watch carefully. This is the way you solve this type of problem."
The parent takes his son out into the yard to instruct him in how to bat in baseball. He can tell the child the way he should stand, how he should swing, and where he should be looking, but then he will finally say, "Look, this is the way it is done." At this point he will take the bat and model the skill of batting so the child can observe and emulate.
Likewise, in our discipleship we are in need of models or prototypes against which we can measure our efforts. This is the foremost type of discipling we can perform.
The math teacher writes a problem on the board which serves as the paradigm for similar problems and she tells the class, "Now watch carefully. This is the way you solve this type of problem."
The parent takes his son out into the yard to instruct him in how to bat in baseball. He can tell the child the way he should stand, how he should swing, and where he should be looking, but then he will finally say, "Look, this is the way it is done." At this point he will take the bat and model the skill of batting so the child can observe and emulate.
Likewise, in our discipleship we are in need of models or prototypes against which we can measure our efforts. This is the foremost type of discipling we can perform.
