“1 Corinthians 9:19-27”

Thursday, April 12, 2018

“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Paul understood that, even though he was a “free” man in the Lord, he was also a “slave”. Even when we have been liberated from the bondage of sin through the blood of Christ, we do not lose our status as servants. We just change our allegiance. Since Christ “came not to be served but to serve” (Matthew 20:28), as Christ servants we are called to pour our lives out in service to others. No matter what earthly treasures or pleasures we may have to forfeit for Christ, we always “win more” (verse 19) when we seek the kingdom first and help other people find their way into it.

Paul became “all things to all men” so that he could “save some” (verse 22). He was by no means a hypocrite or a “people pleaser” (Galatians 1:10). He simply lived his life with the “flexibility” to adapt to his environment and appeal to people in ways that they could relate to. And of course, he did so without violating the “law of Christ” (verse 21) or his own conscience. He just conformed to the customs and practices of the people in the regions in which he worked.

To the Jews Paul became a Jew (verse 20). When Paul and his companions were teaching the Gospel to the Jews in the region of Galatia, he had Timothy circumcised in order to keep from harming their influence with their countrymen (Acts 16:3). Paul also participated in certain “Jewish” vows while he was a Christian (Acts 18:8; 21:36). But, as the apostle makes it clear in verse 20 of today’s reading, he was not himself “under the Law”. He did these things as matters of norms and customs, but by no means as a matter of obligation before God. At no time did he keep a component of the Law of Moses as a commandment for salvation.

But when Paul was living and working among Gentiles who had no attachment to the Law of Moses, he did not practice its customs (verse 21). He was not “playing the hypocrite”. He was using “all means” to become “all things to all people” so that he might “save some” of them. He also “became weak” that he might “win the weak” (verse 22). He refused to eat meat sacrificed to idols around his “weak” Gentile brethren who didn’t fully understand that food was just food (chapter 8 verse7). He would not risk emboldening them to violate their own consciences by influencing them to do something that they thought was sinful (chapter 8 verses 9-13).

It takes a great amount of spiritual “discipline” to live life as a faithful, fruitful child of God (verse 27). Paul compared our life in Christ to the “Isthmian Games” which was a five day festival held every two years about eight miles from the city of Corinth. This national competition was second in importance only to the Olympic Games. With the Summer Olympics set to start this Friday, I think most of us can understand the kind of training and self-control and self-denial that it takes to qualify as such an elite, world-class athlete. Paul is telling us that we need to expend the energy to train ourselves to be the kind of “spiritual athletes” that God wants us to be.

We are going to need a great deal of spiritual maturity to deny self and forgo our personal rights in order to help other people get to heaven. But we need to exercise and train ourselves so that we can “run in such a way that we might win” (verse 24). This will require a lot of time devoted to reading and studying Scripture and to prayer and worship that will build up our “spiritual muscles” and “endurance”. With God’s help, we can live a life of faith and devotion that leads to that imperishable crown (verse 25).

But we must “discipline our bodies and make them our slaves” (verse 27) if we hope to cross the finish line as winners. If the Apostle Paul could be “disqualified” because of carelessness or breaking the rules, we certainly can be as well. There are so many distractions in our world that pull our attention away from the things that matter the most. Let’s scrutinize our own lives and keep our bodies and minds in check so that we don’t miss the one the greatest and eternal goal—Heaven!

Please read 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 for tomorrow.

Have a godly day!

-Louie Taylor

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