1 Corinthians 11:1

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

As a followup to yesterday’s tupos, allow me to share my problem with English translations. To me the word imitate implies we are not being real and we should be real.

Focus on Paul’s term, “I am of Christ.” He was the Paul expressed image of Christ. How he expressed Christ was through obedience of faith, to do what he was called to do as instructed by the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:3

And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Ephesians 2:7

so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Playing our part in obedience of faith is not an act, we are merely expressing the love of God that abides in us in every measurable way to be who we are in Christ. We do not try to be Paul, or Peter, or John, or James, we are the [place you name here] expressed image of Christ.

Yes we are fallible but so were all of those who came before us and that fact did not hinder the Holy Spirit from doing His job. Shining the light through us.

Matthew 5:14

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

John 8:12

I Am the Light of the World

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Jesus is the light, Jesus is the life and His abiding presence wants to be seen through us.

Remember the image in the mirror we spoke of recently? Cleaning the mirror, wiping off the filth, allows us to see our image more clearly but does nothing to change the image in the mirror.

Obedience of faith is the only thing that will change the image in the mirror.

Numbers 12:8 a. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord

Moses was not the Lord but rather can be seen as a form of the Lord. We call that a tupos.

Strong’s Definitions [?]

(Strong’s Definitions Legend)

תְּמוּנָה tᵉmûwnâh, tem-oo-naw’; or תְּמֻנָה tᵉmunâh; from H4327; something portioned (i.e. fashioned) out, as a shape, i.e. (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively) manifestation (of favor):—image, likeness, similitude.

We often create words that are used to express complex ideas. It is important in the Hebrew word translated as form to see that form is something portioned, a part and not all that the original is in existence.

Psalm 17:15

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

The same word is used in this psalm translated likeness. The important thing in this verse is the often overlooked issue of waking up. Often we wake up in the morning and wash our faces, looking in  the mirror.

1 Corinthians 13:12

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 

The reason we use tupos to try and identify complex issues is in part because of one word in Psalm 17:15 which is satisfaction. Satisfaction is the achievement of ambition and if our goal is self-satisfaction then our understanding of our Lord is extremely important if we strive to imitate His character. If we have a poor understanding, satisfaction will kill our drive for perfection.

Seeing our Lord in the morning when we wake is not a matter of putting on a Jesus mask but rather taking off our mask and being seen for what God has made us and not we ourselves in selfish ambition like the phantom stated in Strong’s definition above.

We were meant to be the embodiment of our Lord. A type of Christ. Tupos.