Paul did not insist people to blindly follow him. He said in 1 Cor. 11:11, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” NKJV
How did Paul imitate Christ? Paul was blameless according to the overseers’ qualifications (Tit. 1 & 1 Tim. 2) and:
“Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16).
Paul considered the Bereans more noble because they eagerly received what he taught them, and they checked the scriptures daily to make sure what he told them was true (Acts 17:11).
And Paul said we are to judge those in the church. 1 Cor. 5:
9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
Jesus said in John 7:
“Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Read More