Daily Bread 2011 - 1 Corinthians 9
Daily Bread 2011 – 1 Corinthians 9
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 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. 21 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. 22 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. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
What Does This Mean?
There are probably no greater verses in the bible than these that describe the heart of the apostle Paul, chosen by God to be a light to the Gentiles. Again Paul uplifts that even though He is free in Christ, he makes himself a slave to everyone so that he might win some. What does he mean by this? Does this mean he has no boundaries and is co-dependent with everyone? I don’t think so.
Paul is saying that instead of expecting people to become like him, he comes to them on their terms not his. We call this “incarnational ministry”, and Jesus was the one who modeled it for us first. Importantly, this does not mean “dumbing down” or “watering down” the Gospel, but preaching it in a way that will make sense for someone based on where they are at in life. For a Jew, this meant connecting it to the Old Testament prophecies, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah they were looking for. And also reconciling the purpose of the Law, which was to drive people to Christ and then be a guide for life as a regenerated believer. For the Gentiles it was explaining how Jesus was sent to all to be a light for the whole world.
Importantly Paul concludes, “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings!”
What Does This Mean For Us?
It means that in the church if we want to grow and reach new people for Christ, we can’t expect them to be flocking to Church. We need to incarnate (or make real) the Gospel out in the world where we rub elbows with those who don’t know Christ and have no desire to know him. It means that we will be students of the culture to understand what is driving people and how the Gospel answers the deepest questions of the heart that eventually all people will have in life. It means getting out of having everything happen at the Church, but purposely getting people in the Church out into the world.
Becky Pippert wrote a great book first published in 1989 called “Out of the Salt Shaker” with this theme.
http://www.christianbook.com/saltshaker-into-world-revised-and-expanded/rebecca-pippert/9780830822201/pd/22208
Bottom line is that when our lives are changed by the very nature of the Gospel like Paul, our desire will be to share in its blessings. Part of that blessing happens in the Christian community with fellow believers, but another part lies in being sent out into the world to meet the world on its’ turf to share in those blessings. This is the essence of Jesus and Paul’s ministry and should be the essence of the Church today.
Jesus thank you that you have brought us from death to life, from darkness to the light. Let our light so shine and make us the salt of the earth for the sake of the gospel that we might share in its blessings! Amen.
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 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. 21 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. 22 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. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
What Does This Mean?
There are probably no greater verses in the bible than these that describe the heart of the apostle Paul, chosen by God to be a light to the Gentiles. Again Paul uplifts that even though He is free in Christ, he makes himself a slave to everyone so that he might win some. What does he mean by this? Does this mean he has no boundaries and is co-dependent with everyone? I don’t think so.
Paul is saying that instead of expecting people to become like him, he comes to them on their terms not his. We call this “incarnational ministry”, and Jesus was the one who modeled it for us first. Importantly, this does not mean “dumbing down” or “watering down” the Gospel, but preaching it in a way that will make sense for someone based on where they are at in life. For a Jew, this meant connecting it to the Old Testament prophecies, that Jesus was indeed the Messiah they were looking for. And also reconciling the purpose of the Law, which was to drive people to Christ and then be a guide for life as a regenerated believer. For the Gentiles it was explaining how Jesus was sent to all to be a light for the whole world.
Importantly Paul concludes, “I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings!”
What Does This Mean For Us?
It means that in the church if we want to grow and reach new people for Christ, we can’t expect them to be flocking to Church. We need to incarnate (or make real) the Gospel out in the world where we rub elbows with those who don’t know Christ and have no desire to know him. It means that we will be students of the culture to understand what is driving people and how the Gospel answers the deepest questions of the heart that eventually all people will have in life. It means getting out of having everything happen at the Church, but purposely getting people in the Church out into the world.
Becky Pippert wrote a great book first published in 1989 called “Out of the Salt Shaker” with this theme.
http://www.christianbook.com/saltshaker-into-world-revised-and-expanded/rebecca-pippert/9780830822201/pd/22208
Bottom line is that when our lives are changed by the very nature of the Gospel like Paul, our desire will be to share in its blessings. Part of that blessing happens in the Christian community with fellow believers, but another part lies in being sent out into the world to meet the world on its’ turf to share in those blessings. This is the essence of Jesus and Paul’s ministry and should be the essence of the Church today.
Jesus thank you that you have brought us from death to life, from darkness to the light. Let our light so shine and make us the salt of the earth for the sake of the gospel that we might share in its blessings! Amen.
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