1 Corinthians 9: Becoming All Things to All People for the Gospel
I was in the garage last Saturday, squaring up a piece of walnut for a dining table I have been promising my wife since February. The board had a twist in it I did not see until I had the jointer set and the first pass done. I stood there with the plane in my hand, looking at the waste pile, and thought about Paul.
That happens more than I expect. I will be doing something with my hands and a verse I read three days earlier will surface. This time it was 1 Corinthians 9. Paul, defending his right to be paid for his work, then explaining why he does not take it. The work matters more than the right.
What Does Paul Mean by Becoming All Things to All People
The phrase gets thrown around a lot. "I become all things to all people." It sounds like Paul is telling us to be chameleons. Change your colors to match whoever is watching. But that is not what he is saying.
Paul is talking about removing barriers. He had rights as an apostle, had seen the Lord, and had the converts in Corinth as proof that his calling was real. He could have walked into any situation and demanded to be treated as an apostle. Instead, he walked in and asked what the people in front of him needed.
To the Jews he lived like a Jew, to the Gentiles like a Gentile, and to the weak he became weak. He did not change the message. He changed the approach. It is the difference between handing someone a tool and handing them the right tool for the material they are working with.
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews.
That is 1 Corinthians 9:19-20. Paul made himself a servant, and that is not a position of weakness. It is a position of purpose.
Does Paul Waive His Right to Financial Support
This part of the chapter is easy to skip over. Paul spends verses 1 through 14 building a case that he has a right to be paid. Soldiers do not pay for their own provisions, farmers eat from the vineyard, and shepherds drink from the flock. Paul says the same logic applies to those who preach the gospel.
Then in verse 15, he says he has not used any of those rights.
It is a strange move. He argues for pages that he deserves something, then says he does not want it. But that is the point. Paul is not trying to get paid. He is trying to show that the gospel is not for sale. If he took money, someone might say he was in it for the money. So he works with his own hands and preaches for free. The work is priceless.
I have been reading 1 Corinthians 15 and 1 Corinthians 16 alongside this chapter. The whole letter is connected. Paul is building something.
Meaning of Running the Race in 1 Corinthians 9
The Corinthians knew about the Isthmian Games. They were held every two years near Corinth. Athletes trained for months, gave up certain foods, and followed strict regimens. All for a wreath of pine leaves that would wilt in a week.
Paul takes that image and turns it toward the spiritual life.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown. But we an incorruptible.
That is 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. The athlete trains for a crown that fades, but Paul trains for one that does not.
I think about this when I am in the shop. A dining table takes weeks. You joint the boards, plane them, glue them up, clamp them, let them sit, sand them, finish them, sand them again. There is a lot of waiting. A lot of work that does not look like work. But the table at the end is worth it.
Paul says the same thing about the spiritual life. The discipline is the point, not the crown at the end. The running.
How to Apply 1 Corinthians 9 to Modern Ministry
The chapter asks a question I do not love answering. What rights am I holding onto that are getting in the way?
I have a right to my time, a right to my opinion, and a right to be comfortable. Paul says fine, you have those rights. Now ask yourself if using them helps anyone.
There is a man in my neighborhood who does not share my politics. We had exactly one conversation about it and it went badly. I have been avoiding him since. Paul would say that is a barrier I built. I am not becoming all things to all people. I am becoming the thing that keeps me comfortable.
I do not know what to do with that yet. But I am sitting with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Paul argue that he had a right to financial support?
Paul used the examples of a soldier, a farmer, and a shepherd to show that those who labor deserve to be supported by the work they do. He was not asking for himself. He was establishing a principle. Those who preach the gospel should be able to live by the gospel.
What is the meaning of "becoming all things to all people"?
Paul was not being a chameleon. He was removing unnecessary barriers between people and the gospel. He lived like a Jew when he was with Jews and like a Gentile when he was with Gentiles. The message stayed the same. The method changed based on who he was talking to.
Why does Paul compare himself to an athlete in 1 Corinthians 9?
The Corinthians knew the Isthmian Games. Athletes trained hard and gave up a lot for a crown that would not last. Paul used that image to show that the spiritual life requires the same kind of discipline. The difference is that the prize we are running for is eternal.
What does it mean to be disqualified after preaching to others?
Paul says in verse 27 that he keeps his body under control so that after preaching to others, he is not disqualified. It is a warning that teaching the gospel does not guarantee you are living it. Calling and authority do not replace personal discipline.
I went back to the walnut board after I finished reading. I took the twist out with a hand plane, slow passes, checking with a straightedge after each one. It took longer than using the jointer, but the grain did not tear out and the surface was smooth.
Paul would understand. Sometimes the slower way is the only way that works.
-- D.