1 Corinthians 4:16
New International Version
Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

New Living Translation
So I urge you to imitate me.

English Standard Version
I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

Berean Standard Bible
Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore I exhort you, become imitators of me.

King James Bible
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

New King James Version
Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

New American Standard Bible
Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me.

NASB 1995
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.

NASB 1977
I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.

Amplified Bible
So I urge you, be imitators of me [just as a child imitates his father].

Christian Standard Bible
Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

American Standard Version
I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.

Contemporary English Version
and I want you to be like me.

English Revised Version
I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So I encourage you to imitate me.

Good News Translation
I beg you, then, to follow my example.

International Standard Version
So I urge you to imitate me.

Majority Standard Bible
Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

NET Bible
I encourage you, then, be imitators of me.

New Heart English Bible
I appeal to you therefore, be imitators of me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

Weymouth New Testament
I entreat you therefore to become like me.

World English Bible
I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
I call on you, therefore, become followers of me;

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore I exhort you, become imitators of me.

Young's Literal Translation
I call upon you, therefore, become ye followers of me;

Smith's Literal Translation
I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me, as I also am of Christ.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, I beg you, be imitators of me, just as I am of Christ.

New American Bible
Therefore, I urge you, be imitators of me.

New Revised Standard Version
I appeal to you, then, be imitators of me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
I beseech you therefore, to follow me.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Therefore, I beg of you that you would imitate me.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
I exhort you, therefore, be imitators of me.

Godbey New Testament
Therefore I exhort you, be ye imitators of me.

Haweis New Testament
Now I conjure you, be followers of me.

Mace New Testament
and therefore I intreat you, to copy after me.

Weymouth New Testament
I entreat you therefore to become like me.

Worrell New Testament
I beseech you, therefore, become imitators of me.

Worsley New Testament
I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Paul Warns his Children
15Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16Therefore I urge you to imitate me. 17That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.…

Cross References
1 Corinthians 11:1
You are to imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

Philippians 3:17
Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who walk according to the pattern we set for you.

1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.

1 Thessalonians 2:14
For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Judea that are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the very things they suffered from the Jews,

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not undisciplined among you, / nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. Instead, in labor and toil, we worked night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you. / Not that we lack this right, but we wanted to offer ourselves as an example for you to imitate.

Hebrews 13:7
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

Ephesians 5:1
Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,

1 Peter 5:3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Timothy 4:12
Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

2 Timothy 3:10-11
You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, / my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

1 John 2:6
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

Luke 6:40
A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

John 13:15
I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.

John 15:18-20
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. / Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.


Treasury of Scripture

Why I beseech you, be you followers of me.

1 Corinthians 11:1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

John 10:4,5
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice…

Philippians 3:17
Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

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Beg Beseech Desire Entreat Example Exhort Followers Imitate Imitators Urge Wherefore
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Beg Beseech Desire Entreat Example Exhort Followers Imitate Imitators Urge Wherefore
1 Corinthians 4
1. In what account the apostles ought to be regarded.
7. We have nothing which we have not received.
9. The apostles spectacles to the world, angels, and men;
13. the filth and offscouring of the world;
15. yet our fathers in Christ;
16. whom we ought to follow.














Therefore
The word "therefore" serves as a critical connector, linking the preceding arguments and teachings of Paul to the exhortation that follows. In Greek, this is "διό" (dio), which implies a conclusion drawn from previous statements. Paul has been discussing the nature of apostleship, humility, and the role of spiritual leaders. This word signals that what follows is a logical and necessary response to the truths he has just laid out. It reminds us that Christian living is not isolated from doctrine; our actions are a direct response to the truths we embrace.

I urge you
The phrase "I urge you" comes from the Greek "παρακαλῶ" (parakalō), which conveys a sense of earnest appeal or exhortation. This is not a mere suggestion but a heartfelt plea from Paul. It reflects his pastoral heart and deep concern for the spiritual well-being of the Corinthian believers. Paul is not commanding with authoritarian force but is appealing with love and urgency, emphasizing the importance of the message. This reflects the relational nature of Christian leadership, where guidance is given out of love and concern rather than mere obligation.

to imitate me
The call "to imitate me" is derived from the Greek "μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε" (mimētai mou ginesthe). The word "imitate" (μιμηταί) is where we get the English word "mimic." In the historical context, discipleship often involved imitation of a teacher's life and conduct. Paul is not suggesting that he is perfect, but rather that his life is a tangible example of living out the teachings of Christ. This is a bold statement, yet it is rooted in humility, as Paul elsewhere acknowledges his own weaknesses and dependence on Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). The call to imitation is not about creating clones but about embodying the principles of the Gospel in a way that others can see and follow. It challenges believers to live lives worthy of emulation, reflecting Christ in all they do.

(16) Wherefore.--Because I stand in this relation I call you to preserve, as it were, in a moral sense, that family likeness which would naturally accompany such a relationship (Galatians 4:12; Ephesians 5:1; Philippians 3:17).

Verse 16. - Be ye followers; rather, imitators. He makes the same appeal in 1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17. Of course, he only uses his human example as a guide to them in the special virtues of humility, self denial, and faithfulness (1 Peter 5:3; Hebrews 13:7). In the highest sense we can only be "imitators of God" (Ephesians 5:1).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Therefore
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

I urge
παρακαλῶ (parakalō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.

you
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

to imitate
μιμηταί (mimētai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3402: An imitator, follower. From mimeomai; an imitator.

me.
μου (mou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.


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NT Letters: 1 Corinthians 4:16 I beg you therefore be imitators (1 Cor. 1C iC 1Cor i cor icor)
1 Corinthians 4:15
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