Become All Things To All Men Series

I Become All Things To All Men So I Might Save Some

1 Cor: 9-27

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.

I do all this for the sake of the gospel that I may share in its blessings.

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.

No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

So-zo

to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction

a) one (from injury or peril)

1) to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health

1) to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue

b) to save in the technical biblical sense

1) negatively

a) to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment

b) to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance

It was written from Ephesus (1Cr 16:8) about the time of the Passover in the third year of the apostle’s living there (Act 19:10; 20:31), and when he had formed the purpose to visit Macedonia, and then return to Corinth (probably A.D. 57).

He had heard of the abuses and contentions that was among them

It captures the problems we face living today.

Corinth was the most American city in the New Testament---a resort, the capital of pleasure in the Roman Empire.

Corinth was a beautiful city, a lovely city of palms and beautiful buildings, the center of pleasure for the whole empire, and it was devoted to two things---the pursuit of pleasure (largely passion), and of wisdom. It was a Greek city, and its inhabitants loved to philosophize, and they were given to what Paul calls, "the wisdom of words."

intellectualism and sensualism.

This was a city devoted to the worship of the sex, like modern conditions today.

In the city of Corinth there was a temple that was dedicated to the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, and part of the worship of the Greek goddess was the performance of certain religious ceremonies that involved sexual relationships; therefore, the priestesses of this temple were really prostitutes, and there were some 10,000 of them attached to the temple.

The city was openly given over to the practices of licentiousness; it was regarded as a normal, proper part of life and no one ever thought twice about it. If we think we are living under conditions where sensualism is rampant and worship of sex is widespread, these conditions do not yet approach those of the Christians who had to live in Corinth.

The spirit of the city had come into the church.

There are those who tell us that the need in the church today is to capture again the spirit of the age in which we live.

When a church reflects the spirit of the age it immediately loses its power, and that is what had happened to the church at Corinth.

The one thing the church must never do is to capture the spirit of the age.

The job of the church is to correct the spirit of the age.

Jesus is our model for connecting with people, culture and gender.

For a church to be deemed credible, it must demonstrate the values of the Kingdom.

Role models

• Fruit

• Gifts

• Mutual accountability

We have to adjust to those weaker than us

Paul uses himself as an example.

He adjusted to those who couldn’t do what he did until he won them. Illustration:

The missionaries in a Muslim country.

We see a selfless act