In our message this week, we’re going to encounter something the apostle Paul said – something very interesting – that becomes the philosophy for his ministry, and that forms the basis for a number of chapters in the book of 1 Corinthians, including the chapters that we’re going to view today; and here’s what he said: “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
This morning, in looking at some selected verses from 1 Corinthians chapters 9 and 10, we’re going to see how Paul was able to reach others by becoming all things to all people, and how he did so without compromising his faith. We’re also going to lean some valuable lessons on how to be more accepting of others who do not share our own personal convictions, which are lessons that are really important right now with what we’re still facing in our country with the Corona Virus.
Before we get started, I want to let you know that chapter 9 will be a quick overview of how Paul became all things to all men; and chapter 10 will take us into greater detail of this concept, providing some practical application. This message is one that will hopefully lead each of us to having more compassion and understanding for what others are feeling, so that we can better minister to them.
I Have Become All Things to All Men (9:19-22)
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
In verse 19, Paul realized, through his faith in Jesus Christ, that he was free from the chains of religious ritualism that bound others, and that he was no longer subject to sin or legalism anymore; but, Paul remembered that even though he was free, others were not, and many were still held in spiritual bondage. Paul “did not parade his liberty before the Jews, nor did he impose the Law on the Gentiles.”(1) Instead, he humbled himself to become a servant to all – both Jew and Gentile – and that word “servant” (douloo, doulos) in Greek, means slave or bondservant. So, Paul placed himself lower than others; or rather, he put others before himself.
In verse 20, Paul said that he became as a Jew to those who were practicing Judaism. Now, becoming as a Jew was no huge task for Paul, since he was born and raised Jewish; but after being called by Christ to preach, he didn’t always adhere to the laws of Judaism, for he was often found trying to reach the Gentiles with the gospel. But, in order to not lose his witness to the Jews, he would sometimes have to go along with their customs, just as he tried to practice some of the Gentile customs.
In Acts 21:20-26, we find an account of Paul becoming as a Jew in order to keep his relations with them and maintain his witness. I would encourage you to write these verses down for future reference, as we don’t have time to go through them today. But in Acts 21:20-26, Paul was informed of how it had been reported of him that he was teaching the Gentiles to forsake Moses and circumcision. Of course, it was not true about him teaching the Gentiles to forsake the Old Testament Law; however, he did preach against circumcision, for he felt it was not necessary for salvation.
The elders of the Christian church in Jerusalem realized that Paul would have to do something to maintain the trust of the Jewish believers there, so they told him that he would have to undergo a Jewish purification ceremony, with four other men who had taken a vow, in order to show the Jews that he too obeyed the Law just as they did. Commentator F. F. Bruce says that to Paul “such a temple ceremony was [as meaningless] as circumcision: no saving [power] was attached to it, and it in no way compromised the gospel.”(2)
In verse 21 of our passage, Paul said that he became as one without the Law, or as a Gentile. In Acts 17:24-29, we see Paul’s speech to the people of Athens on a hill called the Aeropagus; and in this passage we learn how Paul tried to reach the Greeks through what was relative to them. He spoke of the existence of God in nature, and God’s self-sufficiency, which, according to commentator John Polhill was “commonplace of Greek philosophy to view divinity as complete within itself, and totally self-sufficient.”(3) Paul was using concepts that the Athenians were familiar with in order to reach them.
He also quoted from some of their own poets. In Acts 17:28, the phrase “in him we live and move and have our being” is a quote from the Stoic poet Aratus of Soli from the third century B.C.(4) It must be noted that Paul started speaking with quotes from Greek poets; however, he did not take their perspective, for he transitioned his discussion to relate it to faith in Jesus Christ.(5)
In verse 22, Paul said that he became as one who is weak. In Romans 14:21, he said, “It is good neither to eat meat or drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.” When Paul referred to people as being “weak” he was saying that if something as little as eating or drinking a certain thing causes someone to stumble in his or her faith, then their faith is immature. If someone is weak, it means that they still need time to grow. We can’t change a person overnight, so we must refrain from the very thing that is becoming a hindrance.
In verse 19, Paul said, “I am free from all men,” but back in 1 Corinthians 8:9-11, he said, “Beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak . . . Because of your knowledge, shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?” Paul said that we do indeed have freedom in Christ, and we become freer the more we grow in knowledge and understanding of our faith. And we might just be more mature than another believer; but we need to keep in mind that others, who have not acquired our level of spiritual or biblical understanding, can actually be offended by our behavior and stumble in their faith.
They can stumble at something as seemingly innocent as what we eat, as Paul mentioned in Romans 14:21 – and we’re going to start understanding more about what he meant when we begin looking at 1 Corinthians chapter 10. You see, Paul had the right to eat whatever he wanted, but he gave up that right that he might save some.(6) This tells us that we need to have understanding and compassion whenever we minister to someone.
In verse 22, Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” Commentator Warren Wiersbe says, “It is unfortunate that the phrase ‘all things to all men’ has been used and abused by the world and made to mean what Paul did not intend for it to mean. Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new situation. Nor was Paul a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. He was an ambassador, not a politician!”(7)
He continues to say, “To immature people, Paul’s lifestyle probably looked inconsistent. In reality, he was very consistent, for his overriding purpose was to win people to Jesus Christ. Consistency can be a very legalistic thing, and a man can become so bound by man-made rules and standards that he has no freedom to minister. He is like young David trying to battle in Saul’s armor.”(8)
Now, let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, as we examine this concept of “becoming all things to all men” in greater detail, as we seek to find some practical application that will aid in sharing our faith.
I Please All Men in All Things (1 Corinthians 10:23-33)
23 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. 24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other's well-being. 25 Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; 26 for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.” 27 If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience' sake; for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all its fullness.” 29 “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience? 30 But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? 31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
In verse 23, Paul echoes 1 Corinthians 9:19, where he declared, “though I am free from all men.” When he said, “all things are lawful for me,” he meant the same as he did before, that he was free from the chains of religious ritualism, and he was no longer subject to sin or legalism anymore; but Paul realized that flaunting his freedom before those with a lesser spiritual understanding could do more harm than good. Whenever we taunt people or chastise them it will only result in walls going up. I found a thought-provoking quote in The Broadman Bible Commentary, based on verse 23, which says this: “Freedom is not found in expressing an individual right, but in helping others grow spiritually.”(9)
Now, what Paul tells us in verse 24, he reiterates over in Philippians 2:4, in which he states, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” According to commentator A. T. Robertson, seeking “each one the other’s well-being” (v. 24), literally translated, would be rendered as seeking “the affair of the other man.” He continues to explain, “This is loving your neighbor as yourself by preferring your neighbor’s welfare to your own.”(10) We have a responsibility to the spiritual affair of others, and “it is a mark of maturity when we balance our freedom with responsibility.”(11)
In verses 25-26, Paul instructed believers to ask no questions about meat that was purchased at the market for their own personal use, and he quoted Psalm 24:1. In Mark 7:15, Jesus said, “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him.” In the book of Acts we read about a rooftop vision that Peter had at Joppa, where he saw a sheet descend from heaven; and the Scripture says, “In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean.’ And a voice spoke to him again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common’” (Acts 10:12-15).
In 1 Timothy 4:3-5, we read that in the end times there will be some who will command to “abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” According to Paul, in verses 25-26 of our passage, “all food is permissible to the believer. The mature believer can enjoy in his own home even meat sacrificed to idols. Even if [the] meat purchased at the regular market originally came from the temple, he would not be harmed.”(12)
It’s an interesting application of Scripture when we relate this information to what’s happening with the Corona Virus. Some are saying the virus came from a meat market in Wuhan, China, perhaps from a bat. It’s also entertaining to see Christians quoting from the Old Testament Law, saying that God gave us rules to protect us from these kinds of situations, such as how Leviticus 11:19 says that eating a bat is an abomination. But the early New Testament believers had a different perspective. They trusted that God would not allow any harm to come to them from what they ate, no matter what it was or where it came from, and that it would be sanctified and purified through prayer, or what we might call a meal-time blessing.
So, Paul is saying that a believer is free to eat whatever he wants in his own home. But what about those times when he’s the guest in someone else’s home, such as the home of an unbeliever? Well, Paul handled that problem in verses 27-30. He said that if a Christian feels led to go have dinner with an unbeliever, that he should eat whatever is set before him and ask no questions; and the believer can do so freely, for he has the understanding that God will sanctity what He has made, through the word of God and prayer. In Luke 10:8, Jesus instructed His disciples, “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.”
But what if you are not the only believer who is present, and there is a new believer there also, one who is less mature and considered to be weak? “There may be present at the meal one of the weaker brothers or sisters who wants to avoid meat offered to idols, and who has done some investigating. If this weaker saint informs the stronger Christian that the meat indeed has been offered to idols, then the stronger saint must not eat it. If he did, he would cause the weaker believer to stumble.”(13)
Paul anticipated the objections. “Why should I not enjoy food for which I give thanks? Why should my liberty be curtailed because of another person’s weak conscience?” His reply introduced a responsibility that we have as believers: We are responsible to glorify God in all things, according to verse 31. We cannot glorify God by causing another Christian to stumble. Our own conscience may be strong enough for us to participate in a certain activity and not be harmed, but we must be careful not to use our freedom in Christ in any way that will injure a fellow Christian.”(14)
Let me apply what we’ve learned to this Corona Virus problem we’re facing. You might hold the conviction that a Christian who chooses to wear a mask is living in fear; and so you choose to exercise your freedom by not wearing a mask. But have you stopped to consider how that might make someone else feel, someone who does wear a mask? It might make them feel condemned, or feel as though their faith is in question. So, based on what Paul taught, perhaps when we are around a believer who feels safer wearing a mask, we should wear a mask too. And by the way, I can’t find any guidance in Bible concerning mask-wearing, so it really all boils down to a matter of personal conviction or preference.
Now, in verse 32, Paul said that we should give no offense to Jews, Greeks, or those within the Church. There is another responsibility that we have as believers: We are responsible to seek to win people to Christ. “We must not make it difficult either for Jews or Gentiles to trust the Lord, or for other members of the church . . . We must not live to seek our own benefit, but also the benefit of others, that they might be saved.”(15) I must point out, however, that there is one thing that will always offend, something we should never back down on, and that is the gospel. Galatians 5:11, calls it “the offense of the cross.” But in matters lesser than the cross, and in doctrinal issues that do not compromise our faith, we can and should back off in order not to push people away.
In verse 33, Paul said, “I also please all men in all things,” sounding like, “I have become all things to all men” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Now, when Paul said this he was not suggesting that he was a compromiser or man-pleaser. Over in Galatians 1:10 he asked, “Do I seek to please men?” and he answered, “For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Paul “was affirming the fact that his life and ministry were centered on helping others rather than on promoting himself and his own desires.”(16)
“We ought to note the fact that Paul probably appeared inconsistent to those who did not understand his principles of Christian living. At times, he would eat what the Gentiles were eating. At other times, he would eat only ‘kosher’ food with the Jews. But instead of being inconsistent, he was actually living consistently by the principles he laid down in these [two] chapters.”(17)
“A weather vane seems inconsistent, first pointing in one direction and then in another. But a weather vane is always consistent: it always points toward the direction where the wind is blowing.”(18) In John 3:8, Jesus said, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Sometimes, the Holy Spirit will ask us to do things that can run contrary to our own feelings, or that might even “seem” to run contrary to what others assume we stand for; but in following the direction in which the wind of the Spirit is blowing, we are being obedient and consistent to God.
As Christians, we do have freedom. Our freedom was purchased by Jesus Christ, so it is very precious; and our freedom becomes stronger the more we grow in spiritual knowledge of the truth. In John 8:32, Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The strong and grounded Christian knows that he has freedom, but he also knows that with freedom comes responsibility.(19) There is a saying that “with knowledge comes great responsibility.”
So, let’s not flaunt our knowledge and belittle others, thereby becoming a stumbling block; but let’s put aside our pride and do whatever it takes to relate to others and their customs, in order to make that connection that will earn their trust. Once we have their trust, we can then share the gospel.
Warren Wiersbe observes that out of these two chapters come several “tests” that we may apply to our decisions and activities as believers. “All things are lawful,” (1 Corinthians 10:23) but: 1.) Will they lead to freedom or slavery? 2.) Will they make me a stumbling block or a stepping-stone? 3.) Will they build up or tear down? 4.) Will they only please me, or will they glorify Christ? and 5.) Will they help to win the lost to Christ or turn them away?
It’s easy to look down on a brother or sister and label them as weaker; but perhaps we are the one who is weak, if we go about flaunting our spiritual freedom, or using our liberty to mock and deride others. The way that we handle our Christian freedom, and how we relate to others, indicates whether or not we are truly mature in Christ.
Time of Reflection
I want to close by asking you if you have found this freedom that Paul speaks about. In John 8:31-32 we read, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’.” Jesus went on to explain how the truth that sets a person free is found in Him, for He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6); and then He said in John 8:36, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” In Jesus we find a spiritual freedom that leads to abundance of life, for in John 10:10, Jesus declared, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
But let me tell you, there is a much greater freedom that we find in Christ. In Romans 8:1-2, Paul said, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” In Jesus we find freedom from death. Romans 3:23 tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” We are all condemned men and women, bound in a spiritual prison, awaiting the day of our spiritual death, on account of our sins; but if we know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then Paul says we are set free from “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
All me to re-read Romans 6:23 in its entirety: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God offers us a gift; the forgiveness of sins, freedom from condemnation, and eternal life; and Romans 10:9-10 tells us how to receive this gift (quote Romans 10:9-10).
NOTES
(1) Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1989), 601.
(2) Robert Eisenman, James the Brother of Jesus (New York: Viking, 1996), 447.
(3) John B. Polhill. The New American Commentary, Vol. 26 (Nashville: Broadman,1992), 373.
(4) Ibid., 375-376.
(5) F.F. Bruce. The Acts of the Apostles (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), 82.
(6) Wiersbe, 601-602.
(7) Ibid., 601.
(8) Ibid., 601.
(9) Raymond Brown, “1 Corinthians,” The Broadman Bible Commentary, ed. Clifton J. Allen (Nashville: Broadman, 1970), 350.
(10) A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1931), 156.
(11) Wiersbe, 597.
(12) Ibid., 597.
(13) Ibid., 597.
(14) Ibid., 597.
(15) Ibid., 598.
(16) Ibid., 598.
(17) Ibid., 598.
(18) Ibid., 598.
(19) Ibid., 598.
