“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other.”

Example that he was, Paul was not afraid of anyone calling him arrogant. A teacher must model what he expects of his students. Yet how can one set himself up as a model without being arrogant or deluded? We must understand this, for Paul instructs us later in this letter to follow his example (1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1) and repeatedly in his letter to the Philippians and Thessalonians. We must therefore, like Paul, present ourselves to others as an example of Christian living.

First of all, Paul’s goal is to undercut arrogance—he says so himself in this verse. His concern is not to present himself as the “best” example more than anyone else, for then he would be comparing himself “one against the other.” He is calling his readers (the Corinthians and us) to the same standard by which he is walking. Hardly would we follow someone’s teaching who fails to even come close to what he teaches others!

Second, Paul does not exceed what he has written. Think about it: what he has written is that neither he, nor Apollos, nor Peter is anything big, but they are all simply servants and stewards of God. Paul’s understanding of this truth does not make room for modern clericalism, where people kiss the priest’s ring or kneel before a religious leader. A servant, in Paul’s teaching, is simply one who serves, not one who is treated with great accolades.

Third, there is nothing more humble than the two attitudes Paul portrays to us. According to Romans 12:3, a Christian is “not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” Humbleness is seeing ourselves the way God sees us and acting accordingly. If God has made you a teacher, then teach with confidence as His servant. That is what Paul did. Nothing arrogant about confidence like this. Further, submitting oneself to one’s own teaching implicitly and humbly acknowledges that the teaching comes from an authority higher than oneself.

Finally, the apostle Peter ratifies Paul’s teaching here when he says to the elders, “Shepherd the flock of God … proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3; see also 1 Tim 4:12, Titus 2:7). If we show a child how to tie his shoes, should we not also show one another Christ-like living?

Lord, I acknowledge that I am an example to others. Help me be a good example, not a bad one.