Page 19 - Spiritual Covering English

Corinthian church reminding them of his role as their
spiritual father -
“I do not write these things to shame you, but to
warn and advise you as my beloved children. For even if you
were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ,
yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ
and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father
in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation]. So I urge

you, be imitators of me [just as a child imitates his father]”(1
Corinthians 4:14-16 AMP).
In my opinion, it often takes a pastor at least 15-20 years
before they develop the spiritual maturity and wisdom
to be considered a spiritual father. A spiritual father is
one who knows the Lord’s heart intimately (1 John 2: 13)
and someone whose faith and example is worthy of being
imitated (1 Corinthians 4: 16).

Just as a father may place his young child under many
different teachers in his school, but is overall in charge of
the responsibility of the spiritual and physical development
of his child, so also a spiritual father may place his spiritual
son (or daughter) under many other Bible instructors, yet he
shows responsibility and care for the overall development
of him (or her).

Just as there is promised blessing in honoring your father
and mother – “that it may go well with you and you may
live long” (Ephesians 6: 2 – 3), so also there is a promised
blessing in honoring your spiritual coverings.

In Hebrews 13: 17, we are commanded to –

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