Note 7 at 1Co 4:16: In Paul's arguments for unity among the Corinthian believers, he rebuked them for being followers of man (see note 8 at 1Co 1:13 and note 8 at 1Co 3:7). Here he begged them to be followers of him! Was he contradicting himself? Certainly not!

Paul always pointed people to faith in Christ and not in Paul himself. Yet Paul was so confident that he was correctly following the Lord that he could say "follow me" and he knew they would be following Christ.

Paul was expressing the same thought that Jesus did when He said, "I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things" (Joh 8:28). Just as Jesus was totally dependent on the Father, and therefore worthy to be imitated (Joh 5:19-20, 8:28-29, 12:49, and 14:9-10), Paul was totally dependent on Christ and worthy to be imitated.

In the next verse, Paul said that Timothy would bring them into remembrance of his ways "which be in Christ" (see note 8 at 1Co 4:17). This is clarifying that he was not speaking about people blindly following him; they were to follow him to the degree that he followed Christ.

Jesus Christ should always be our example, but immature believers have a hard time perceiving the Lord's leading clearly. They need a physical believer to help disciple them until they can follow the Lord on their own.