Examples of the Word

Crown of Glory

I Peter 5:1-4 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

For those leaders or elders in the Body of Christ who become examples to the flock.

The Greek word for ensamples used above is the word tupos. Tupos transliterated into English would be the word type. It comes from the word tupto meaning to strike. Tupos is a die or stamp hit or struck with a hammer to make an exact copy of the original. Just as the key on a typewriter contains a stamp or die of a letter that when inked and hit against the paper leaves an exact copy, a tupos, example, is an exact copy of the original.

The first use of the word tupos is in:

John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring [tupos] all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Jesus Christ promised the disciples that the holy spirit once given would "type" on their memory the things that he had said unto them.

Philippians 3:17
Brethren, be followers [imitators] together of me, and mark [aim at the mark] them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample [tupos].

We are to imitate those leaders who walk the Word and we are to aim at the mark of walking the way believers who are walking the Word are walking. The walking leader in the body of Christ becomes a type or example that others can imitate and focus on as an example of how to walk God's Word. The key here is that our example is one like the Apostle Paul who is walking accurately according to God's Word. We do not imitate the man - we follow his example of believing the Word.

I Thessalonians 1:2-8
    We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
    Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
    Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
    For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
    And ye became followers [imitators] of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost:
    So that ye were ensamples [tupos] to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
    For from you sounded [echoed] out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.

The believers in Thessalonica worked God's Word with believing; they worked hard out of a love for God; and they continually moved ahead patiently looking toward the hope of Christ's return. The believers in Thessalonica had chosen God.

Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus had delivered God's Word to them in power, holy spirit, and much assurance. They acted as examples for the new believers in Thessalonica. In turn the Thessalonians became followers or imitators of the leaders who had shared God's Word with them.

Finally, the Thessalonians became the examples or types by speaking the same word they had been taught. Paul declared that the Word shared by the Thessalonians was an exact copy of that which he, Sylvanus and Timothy had shared with them so that he did not have to speak anything because of the perfect example that the Thessalonians had become.

I Timothy 4:12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example [tupos] of the believers, in word, in conversation [behavior], in charity [the love of God], in spirit, in faith [believing], in purity.

Paul tells Timothy to be an example or type as a young leader in the body of Christ. He is to become an example of the Word living in a believer, an example of behavior or conduct that glorifies God, an example of walking in the love of God, an example of believing God's Word, and an example of purity - walking focused on the word and the return of Christ - untarnished even though living in a contaminated environment.

I Peter 5:1-4
    The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
    Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
    Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples [tupos] to the flock.
    And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

God's Word promises that the leader who becomes an example to the other believers has waiting for him or her a crown of glory. We are to feed God's people with God's Word, lead willingly -"of a ready mind", not as lords over other believers but as types - examples of God's Word. If we are to be examples for others to copy we must make sure that our example is according to the Word and reflects the kind of walk on that Word described in the scripture.

FIVE CROWNS

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. Proverbs 25:25

October, 1997 URL http://www.cortright.org/type.htm Michael Cortright