Imitators (3402) (mimetes) means one who follows. Mimetes basically means to copy or imitate someone's behavior and has many related words in English - "mime" (one who acts out an imitation of another person or animal), "pantomime" (a theater production which originally was without words), "mimeograph" (a machine which makes many copies from one stencil). Webster says that to imitate means to follow as a pattern, model, or example; to be or appear like. The 1828 Websters even says in the definition of imitate that... We should seek the best models to imitate, and in morals and piety, it is our duty to imitate the example of our Savior. (Reference) Writing to the saints at Corinth Paul said... I exhort you therefore, be imitators of me. (1Cor 4:16) Be (present imperative) imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. (1Cor 11:1) Similarly Paul commanded the predominantly Gentile believers in Ephesus to... Be (present imperative) imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1-note) The writer of Hebrews exhorted his predominantly Jewish audience... that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Ro 6:12-note) In ancient Greek mimetes referred to imitation. Aristotle used the word to describe how people imitated animals, postulating that at the beginning of civilization men learned from animals, e.g., weaving and spinning from spiders, and house-building from swallows! (This reminds me of Paul's statement in Romans 1 where even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (Ro 1:21, 22, 23) W. Bauder writes that... Very early on (in Democritus of the pre-Socratics) the words were used to express ethical demands made on men. One should take as one's model the boldness of a hero, or one should imitate the good example of one's teacher or parents... The Rabbis were the first to speak of imitation of God in the sense of developing the image of God in men. In the Pseudepigrapha in addition to the exhortation to imitate men of outstanding character (Test. Ben. 3:1; 4:1) one can also find the thought of the imitation of God (i.e. keeping his commands, Test. Ash. 4:3) and of particular characteristics of God (Aristeas 188, 210, 280 f.). (Brown, Colin, Editor. New International Dictionary of NT Theology. 1986. Zondervan) Teachers based their whole educational procedure on imitation, as students imitated the behavior of teachers. Slowly the idea developed that people should imitate the gods, and Plato emphasized this. The basic meaning of mimetes is seen in a mime. An English woman went to France to study under the famous mime artist, Marcel Marceau. All day he taught his students how to make the movements of mime, and each evening they went to see him perform. Their performances were marked indelibly by the style of the master. This is an excellent picture of a Christian who imitates the Lord by exposure to Him. A person who mimes acts a part with mimic gesture and action, usually without words. Let your actions speak louder than your words and then you will have a platform to proclaim the word of truth, the gospel. As believers in their message the Thessalonians began to pattern their lives after the example set by the missionaries. This fact rejoiced the heart of Paul as it was open evidence of the reality of the Thessalonian believers' conversion and therefore of their divine election. The Thessalonians had become third generation mimics of Christ. Christ is the first; Paul is the second; and the Thessalonians are the third. The Thessalonian believers imitated the Lord and Paul (Silvanus, Timothy) in that they responded to the gospel in spite of affliction. Note that Paul did not write what reportedly was said by one pastor "Do as I say; not as I do." Unfortunately this saying has characterized numerous preachers, many of whom have reputations as great teachers of God's Word. However, when their lives are measured by the Bible's qualifications for communication and character, such ministers come up woefully short. Make sure you mime the right model! As an African chief once said: A good example is the tallest kind of preaching. Jonathan Edwards was so concerned about the example which he set which others might imitate, that he framed the resolve to never to do anything which I would be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life. Here is a secular quote that has more truth in it then we would like to believe (think of "spiritual children")... Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. They must, they have no other models. (James Baldwin) Here's another quote worth pondering in this area of imitation... We unconsciously imitate what pleases us and approximate to the characters we most admire. Christian Nestell Bovee In his preface to the writings of Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson wrote that Example is always more efficacious than precept. Dr. Merrill Tenney once said that... The best advertisement for your church is not a large notice board, but rather the example that is set when the town drunk becomes a Christian and lives a godly life. Charles Spurgeon once said that... A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ...We should be pictures of Christ....Oh! My brethren, there is nothing that can so advantage you, nothing can so prosper you, so assist you, so make you walk towards heaven rapidly, so keep your head upwards towards the sky, and your eyes radiant with glory, like the imitation of Jesus Christ. As shown in the uses of mimetes below Scripture always uses this word in a positive sense. Richards writes that mimetes is a call to reproduce in our own way of life (Ed: NOT by self effort but Spirit power, daily learning to yield our rights to Him, allowing Him to control us as we abide in the Vine Christ Jesus) those godly qualities that result from salvation and that we see in others. The idea is intimately linked with the thought that teachers and leaders ought to be clear, living examples of the practical implications of commitment to Jesus. (Richards, L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency) Mimetes is found 6 times in the NAS (1 Corinthians 2x; Ephesians; 1 Thessalonians 2x; Hebrews) and always translated imitators (KJV has "followers") I (Paul) exhort you (Corinthians) therefore, be imitators of me. (1Cor 4:16) Be imitators of me (Corinthians are urged to imitate the self-sacrificing example of Paul and Christ), just as I also am of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children (see note Ephesians 5:1) and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:2) (Comment: Just as God forgave us so we should forgive others Ephesians 4:32 [note]) For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea (the problems of the believers at Thessalonica among their fellow Gentiles were similar to those of the believers in Judea who were persecuted by Jews), for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews (1Thes 2:14) And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Be diligent just as OT saints like Abraham were, knowing that what has been promised will be fulfilled). (Hebrews 6:11-12) (By the way, this verse provides ample reason for saints today to read biographies of saints of yesteryear.) Robert Morgan has an illustration entitled "It Stirs Me Up Much"... Jim Elliot, who gave his life while trying to reach the Auca Indians, was largely shaped through the reading of Christian biography. I see the value of Christian biography tonight, he wrote in his journal, 'as I have been reading Brainerd's Diary much today. It stirs me up much to pray and wonder at my nonchalance while I have not power from God. I have considered Heb 13:7 (note) just now, regarding the remembrance of certain ones who spake the word of God, 'consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith'. I recall now the challenge of Goforth's Life and By My Spirit, read in the summer of 1947, the encouragement of Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret, and The Growth of a Soul. There are incidents which instruct me now from the reading of J. G. Paton's biography, read last winter. And now this fresh Spirit-quickened history of Brainerd. O Lord, let me be granted grace to 'imitate their faith.' It has since been through the reading of Elliot's journals that scores of young people have given their lives to the service of the Gospel. (Morgan, R. J. Nelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes: Thomas Nelson Publishers) (I highly recommend reading Hudson Taylor's "Spiritual Secret" which can be downloaded free at CCEL) Imitators is perfectly illustrated by this section of Scripture for the Thessalonians followed the apostles' example especially by gladly enduring persecution (with joy) for the Gospel's sake and also (1Th 1:8) by sounding forth the gospel with others. Hiebert adds that Paul's description of the converts as mimitae (from which we get our English word mimic) does not imply that their conversion was artificial or insincere. It does not have the belittling connotation of our English derivative. It was no superficial or slavish copying of merely external resemblances. As De Boer well remarks, It was an imitation in the deep and basic sense of the word; it was a bringing to expression in their own lives of what they had seen and detected outside of themselves. It was a capturing of something they had witnessed around them and making it a part of themselves. Clearly their conversion went beyond mere verbal profession. They actively began to express in their own lives the characteristics of this new life as they observed it in the lives of the missionaries. It was an imitation perfectly consistent with the development of their own selfhood within this new life. Such imitation demands moral effort (cp Ezek 36:27 where the first half speaks of the provision of divine power and the second half the necessity of personal responsibility). (Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians) The Thessalonians became imitators of us and of the Lord Hiebert explains that The order may at first strike us as startling, but it is the logical order. It is the natural order in the experience of converts on a new mission field. Even before the message of a missionary is fully understood or personally accepted, the hearers will observe the outworking of that message in the life of the missionary. And when the Spirit leads them to a personal acceptance of the message, the new converts naturally look to the missionary to learn how to live the Christian life. To reflect their message in their own lives is part of the work of missionaries." (Hiebert, D. Edmond: 1 & 2 Thessalonians) Paul exhorted the Corinthians to Be imitators of me (pattern yourselves after me), just as I also am of Christ." (1Cor 11:1) and the Ephesians to "be imitators of God, as beloved children." (Eph 5:1) Like Father, like Son so to speak. MacDonald agrees with Hiebert writing One would have expected him to say "of the Lord and of us," mentioning the Lord first. But here he is giving the order of their experience. Their first introduction to the Lord Jesus was in the life of the apostle. It is sobering to think that people are supposed to be able to see Christ in us. We should be able to say with Paul, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). (MacDonald and Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson) Pulpit Commentary says that Christ not only died as a Sacrifice, but lived as an Example. He is the great Example Whom we must imitate, the Pattern of the new creation, the Original of which all believers are copies. Especially we must imitate Him in His patient endurance of suffering. The cross is ever the Christian's motto." Later explaining how the word of God was performing its work in the believers at Thessalonica wrote that you (Thessalonian believers), brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in (intimate union with the living) Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews (1Thes 2:14) As F B Meyer once wrote... Children mostly resemble their father. There is often an unmistakable family likeness, which compels the most casual observer to exclaim, "The very image of his father." Oh that in each of us there might be that which would make men think of God! (Our Daily Homily) HAVING RECEIVED THE WORD IN MUCH TRIBULATION: dexamenoi (AMPMPN) ton logon en thlipsei polle: (Col 2:13,14; 3:2,3,4; Ho 2:14; Mk 10:29,30; Ac 17:5; 2Co 8:1,2; 2Th 1:4) when you accepted the word amid much tribulation, with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit (WBC) having welcomed the Word while under much pressure of affliction (Wuest), because you welcomed our message (Williams)