9:16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting,
for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim
the gospel!
9:17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of
my own will, I am entrusted with a commission.
9:18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I
may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my
rights in the gospel.
9:19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a
slave to all, so that I might win more of them.
9:20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those
under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not
under the law) so that I might win those under the law.
9:21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law
(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law) so
that I might win those outside the law.
9:22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have
become all things to all people, that I might by all means save
some.
9:23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in
its blessings.
Is Paul a bit pragmatic here? Or is he driven by compassion and love
so as to bring light to as many as possible that grope in darkness.
Just wondering in VA
Pragmatic? Maybe. But what a wonderful lesson in reaching people
where they are:
To those who wore blue jeans, I wore blue jeans, that I might win
those in blue jeans
To those who spoke Spanish, I spoke Spanish, that I might win those
who spoke Spanish
To those who love the old-time hymns, I sang the old-time hymns,
that I might win those who love the old-time hymns
To those who are interested in Pokemon cards, I learned about
Pokemon cards, that I might win those who are interested in Pokemon
cards
To those who are just learning to sing ABCs, I sang ABCs, that I
might win those who are learning their ABCs.
Janet in MD
Remember the phrase You have to earn the right to be heard? You have
to build trust and live your what you witness to.
Im preaching this with the back drop of boy scout sunday. We have
three troops that meet in our church so we do it up big. To me this
sounds like the faith equivalent of "Be prepared." A lot of fleshing
out needs to be done, but...
RC in DFW
Does anyone else feel a bit awkward preaching on this text because
what Paul is talking about in Chapter 9 is not receiving any
compensation for his ministry?
<>< Kingdom DJ
Perhaps I'm reading this in a manner other then it was intended, but
as I read the NRSV, I hear Paul talking about making the gospel as
free as possible and that those who offer it should expect no
reward. The question here is whether we place Paul in the
professional clergy category or more in the lay pastor role. To be
honest, neither seems to fit very well. To try to make some equation
with the clergy of today is a stretch. Paul's greatest challenge, as
I read him, is to the modern church which is so consumed by
ministering to its own and is wary of anyone who might not fit in.
Exactly a year ago on Super Bowl Sunday, a homeless man came forward
and joined my congregation. The man had problems, his motives were
suspect, and his appearance was out of the underside of the 1970s.
The congregation made an initial effort to reach out to him and
include him, but at the first sign of his "differentness," the talk
began and the cops were called on him when he shacked out in one of
the buildings behind the church. Our willingness to truly bend and
become like those we serve is very limited.
Mark in Texarkana
I think that Paul is expressing that he can do no other than to
preach the gospel. He is not doing it for money, nor is he doing it
for any personal gain. He has no choice because he is a slave to the
gospel.
Should the people who hear him give him money and food to sustain
him? Of course! But that has nothing to do with Paul's motives for
what he does.
I have known pastors who go into the ministry to make a living, and
some are actually somewhat good at it. But if they are not in it
because they have no choice but to be in it, then they shouldn't be
in it.
How far will we go to reach those to whom we minister? I think
Paul's example is one we all need to duplicate. There is no end to
how far we will go to allow others to receive the gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Jude in Wash.
Thank you, Janet, for a wonderful "modern translation" of this
passage. It was very helpful to me as I was trying to figure out
what it meant to become all things to all people.
MN
"I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means
save some". This passage causes me some concern. How far does the
attempt to please go in our pursuit of sharing the message of the
Gospel to people? I wonder if this is not some of the hyperbole that
we are occasionally faced with in scripture. My sense of Paul is
that he had a passion for his mission, but, he was somewhat
unequivocal in his pursuit of that mission. Would his sense of
integrity allow him on a personal level to adjust what he truly
believes just so that he would be appealing to a potential convert?
Often I reflect on our denominational differences and am prepared to
acknowledge the differences as a blessing. Through each of our own
unique ways of sharing the Gospel we become attractive to people who
approach life if different ways (if Myers-Briggs has any
credibility) Starting a new interim ministry tomorrow I will be
preaching "the all things to all people" line. Thinking of doing
something with the "Push me, Pull me" creature of Dr. Doolittle
fame. RevRip, Beamsville
I am a desperate preacher working on tomorrow and if any of you
check it late this is where I am going. The church is busy saying
"come unto us" instead of going unto them. We want others to become
like us instead of us being like them. I like the idea of "consumed
with ministry to ourselves". How can we win others to Christ if all
we are doing is ministry behind closed doors? Is all we are doing
preaching to the choir? On the campus I work the only people who
listen to street preachers are Christians. We talk at people instead
of talking with people. The comment earning the right speaks
clearly. I see this as saying 1]Quit being a ministry to yourself 2]
Go and be with people and 3] Really be with them and not on a
commando raid drying to drag bodies back to the pews. Make them
commited to Christ not our churches.
Brad at OU
