Figurative Language In 1 Corinthians 1-4

Still, it is true Paul advocates for mimesis. However, what true imitation looks like for him is not one which leads to glorification of social order, but the opposite. It is this opposite, counter-cultural view of the cross that Paul has been articulating in all of chapter 4, and in 1 Corinthians 1-4 entirely. As problematic as 4:14-21 can seem, when this pericope is kept in view of the chapter as a whole a different interpretation Paul’s aim emerges. Still, Paul’s command to “imitate me” can seem vague; Paul’s lack of explicit reference to Jesus’ teachings has been a source of questions for scholars. But despite Paul’s omission of obvious command here, he has already made clear earlier in the chapter what sort of life he is asking the Corinthians to emulate.
In this section, Paul sets up a stark contrast between the way the Corinthians are living the way the apostles are living. Verses 9 and 13 form an inclusion around Paul’s ironic speech, as they both contain illustrative metaphors for Paul and Apollos’ lives. 4:9 describes the two men as being led on display to die, while 4:13 refers to them as the scum of the earth. The words translated “rubbish” (perikatharma) and “dregs” (peripsema) in 4:13 were words used in Greek literature to describe criminals and the lowest of society; occasionally, they were used to reference a scapegoat. All of these connotations express juxtaposition to the world the Corinthians seek—glory, knowledge, ruling as kings—and yet Paul emphasizes that this is the state he is in, as an