Being a Servant To All Men
January 7, 2023
Commentary
The sole reward that Paul desired was to be able to preach “the gospel of Christ without charge.” Someone might ask the question, with all the freedom in the world open to him, why did the apostle Paul restrict himself so severely? The answer is “that I might gain the more.” (v. 19) In other words, his greatest interest was to preach the gospel and win men and women to Jesus Christ. He summarizes his guiding principle of being adaptable in these words, “I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (v. 22).
Of course, the apostle does not at all mean that he compromised the essentials of the Word of God, nor does he mean that he stooped to any evil deed. He was a Jew who had a great burden for his own people (Rom. 9:1-3), but also a special calling to minister to Gentiles (Eph 3:8). What Paul does mean is that whether dealing with men under the law (Jews) or without law (Gentiles) he adapted himself to their condition. He had the right to eat whatever pleased him, but he gave up that right so that he might win the Jews. At the same time, he respected the law but set the law aside so that he might reach the lost Gentiles (vv. 20-21).
Paul gives several important principles for ministry (vv. 22-23):
1. Find common ground with those you contact
2. Avoid a know-it-all attitude
3. Make others feel accepted
4. Be sensitive to the needs and concerns of others
5. Look for opportunities to tell them about Christ
Application
I must never compromise the gospel, but I want to be a person who is willing to change the way I do things in order to reach more people for Him.
1 Corinthians 9:19– 23 (NET)
19 For since I am free from all I can make myself a slave to all, in order to gain even more people. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew to gain the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) to gain those under the law. 21 To those free from the law I became like one free from the law (though I am not free from God’s law but under the law of Christ) to gain those free from the law. 22 To the weak I became weak in order to gain the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that by all means I may save some.
23 I do all these things because of the gospel, so that I can be a participant in it.