This article addresses spiritual leaders and the kind of relationship there ought to be between shepherds and sheep. The author does so by exploring the example of the apostle Paul and how he responded to the Corinthians who were complaining about him. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 reveals how his identity in Christ trumps what others think of him.

Christian leadership is rooted in a conviction that glory and power belong to God, and God displays his glory through weakness. From 1 Corinthians 4:1, 9, 13 this article explains how this is so.

Metaphors referring to family life played an important role in the formation of the New Testament and the early church. This article explores one aspect of the use of family metaphors, namely, the image of a father, used metaphorically by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:14–21 to assert his apostolic authority in the church in Corinth.

The most important models Paul urges his readers to imitate are those of himself, Christ, and God. He also directs his readers to the behavior of other individuals and occasionally reminds them of the example of other churches. There are also exhortations that his readers become "models" for others to imitate. Questions have been asked regarding the motivation behind Paul’s instruction.

According to this article, it seems as if 1 Corinthians 1-1 Corinthians 4 play a significant role in the letter as a whole. The problem of food offered to idols is approached by Paul in essentially the same manner as he approaches the problem of divisions over leaders. It is argued that 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1 appears to follow closely Paul’s pattern of argumentation in 1 Corinthians 4.

What is the nature of the ministry of the church in relation to the nature of the church? In this paper, the author wants to present an accurate picture of the nature of the Christian ministry as Paul conceived of it.

This article, with the help of 1 Corinthians 4:1, considers a couple of qualities that should mark a minister.

What did it mean for the church in Corinth whom Paul founded to imitate Paul? Was the apostle encouraging the local church in 1 Corinthians to get involved in active missionary work? Did the imitation include a call to his readers to imitate him in evangelism?

This article is a Bible study on 1 Corinthians 4:1-21.