1 Corinthians 11:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To seek what is profitable for the community is the rule of the most perfect Christianity. This is its exact aim. This is the summit of perfection.

The Apostle expresses this in the words, "as I also am of Christ." In nothing can you imitate Christ so much as in care for your neighbors. You may fast, sleep on the ground, and wear yourself out. Yet if you do not care for your neighbor, you do nothing great. Even with all this, you still stand far from the model.

“Be imitators of me.” Do not take the words “as I also am of Christ” as an expression of pride. They were said in order to urge them more strongly to imitation. For if, he says, I have imitated Christ, who did not spare His own life so that you might live, how much more can you imitate me? I am not better than you to the same degree that He is better than me. He incomparably surpasses all.

If the aim of Christianity is the imitation of Christ according to the measure of His becoming man, so far as this accords with each person's calling, then those entrusted with guiding men must, through themselves, urge those still weak toward likeness to Christ.

Since you have not seen Christ so that He might be an example for you, imitate us, for we also struggle in imitation of Christ.

The Apostle speaks of what belongs to men, for we must be imitators of the one given to us by God as a teacher. If he is an imitator of God, why should we not imitate a man? For as God the Father sent Christ as teacher and source of life, so Christ sent the apostles to us as teachers, that we might imitate them when we cannot directly imitate Him.

Imitate these measures of mine in the work of the divine economy, because I also imitate the Master. He spoke in one way with the Jews and in another with the apostles. He set one thing before the perfect, and another before the imperfect. Thus, after concluding his accusation about eating things sacrificed to idols, the Apostle corrects other faults as well. The Corinthian women had the custom of leaving their heads uncovered even during prayer. Others, proud of their eloquence, even attempted to teach in church. Therefore the Apostle corrects this here.

If you are mine, and I myself am Christ's, be imitators of Christ, as Christ is of God.

"Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ," proclaims the Apostle. He calls the faithful to restore and perfect within themselves the divine likeness, pointing to the most holy Pattern of perfection for new men, recreated and renewed by redemption. "Put on our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 13:14). In redeeming His image, man, God the Trinity gave such a possibility for progress in perfecting the likeness that the likeness becomes the union of the image with its Prototype, the poor creature with her all-perfect Creator.

"But if anyone says to you, 'This has been offered to idols,' whether a weak Christian or a pagan testing you, then do not eat, for the sake of the one who told you. In the first case, this is so as not to scandalize the weak. In the second, it is to preserve Christian dignity before the tempter. Do this also for the sake of the conscience of the one who disclosed it. For, as far as your own conscience is concerned, you could eat, since 'the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof'" (1 Cor 10:31).

This is the general guiding rule concerning food and eating. "A man eats and drinks to the glory of God when he eats and drinks without giving scandal to others, and not as a glutton or lover of pleasures" (Theophan). Therefore, to the rule about eating the Apostle immediately adds this:

The Apostle points to his own personal example now for the second time. He does this, of course, to act more vividly upon the Corinthians' resolve. In dealings with unbelievers, they must act not according to selfish views and desires, but according to common Christian principles and aspirations.

These are directed toward preserving the unity and exaltation of the Church. But lest anyone think that the Apostle sets forth his own example as independent, as pagan teachers, the philosophers, did, he leads the Corinthians up to the highest model for all, Christ.

"This word is not self-conceit, but a desire in every way to dispose them toward the work he was urging. If, he says, I have imitated Christ, who despised His own life in order to grant life to us, how much more may you imitate me? For I am not so much above you as Christ, who infinitely surpasses all, is above me" (Theophylact).

Or, if we restrict the mind's gaze only to the present subjects of the discourse, the Apostle says as it were: "Vie with these measures of mine in the work of divine economy, because I imitate the Master. He spoke in one way with the Jews and in another with the Apostles. He set one thing before the perfect, and another before the imperfect" (Theodoret).