1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord? 2If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3My defense to those who examine me is this: 4Have we no right to eat and to drink? 5Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work? 7What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn’t eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn’t drink from the flock’s milk?
8Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares, 10or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope. 11If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things? 12If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more?
Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ. 13Don’t you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar? 14Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.
15But I have used none of these things, and I don’t write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about, for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me if I don’t preach the Good News. 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18What then is my reward? That when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.
19For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; 21to 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. 22To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 23Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it. 24Don’t you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, so that you may win. 25Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. 26I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, 27but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
Get Down on the Ground
19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law,that I might gain 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 gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
Paul continues the theme of freedom in Christ in this chapter. He explains that in his work as an evangelist, he has learned to adapt himself and to be sensitive in his approach to others. Paul is not advocating hiding or changing what he believes. He is not suggesting that we become two-faced or three-faced, appearing to be something we’re not. His ultimate goal is to share the gospel of Jesus with others. He is determined not to let some cultural or societal hurdle get in the way. We should always be searching for some common ground when dealing with those who are different than us. Many years ago, we hosted a Home Fellowship on Sunday afternoons. There was a group of believers and seekers in our country neighborhood who would show up for singing, Bible study, and a meal. We patterned our activities after what is described in Acts 2:42. After a year of meeting, a lady came who had lived among the Navajo indians for quite a few years. She always had on beautiful Indian jewelry. She suggested that we drive out to Arizona and minister to her old friends.
We loaded up our Chevy Suburban with all sorts of things. We took clothes to give to the Navajo people, and my wife packed a variety of Bible studies to do with the ladies, a color printer, and supplies for a vacation Bible school for the kids. It was a LONG drive out there, but eventually we made it. We set up our tents and cooking gear to settle in for a week or so. As we became acquainted with our new friends, they kept talking about “Uncle Roy,” who had wandered off a few years before, and they couldn’t find his body to have a funeral.” This vexed them. I thought, “So what’s the big deal here? Why can’t they have a memorial service and move on?” Of course, I didn’t say this out loud to anyone. The ladies’ bible lessons, which my wife brought, were of no use as only a few of the women spoke English. We suggested that we might host a celebration of Uncle Roy’s life. They didn’t understand what we were talking about, but they agreed. We created programs with Uncle Roy’s picture on the front, and on the designated day, about 50 Indians showed up and assembled in a large hogan made of earth. We sang a few hymns (in Navajo and English) and then the old people took turns speaking. They would hold their hands on Uncle Roy’s image on the front of the bulletin as they spoke in Navajo about him and their memories with him.
When the service was over, everyone in the group seemed relieved. An old man named Pete came up to us, and he said, “Many come here and they look up to us indians in some special way. Others come here and they look down on us because we are poor and so different. You have come here, and neither have you looked up at us nor looked down on us. You got down on the ground with us, and you held our hands, and you looked across to us.” That, my friend, is what it means to “be all things to all people”. Get down on the ground with those with whom you want to share the gospel. Hold their hand and look into their eyes, and share the love of Jesus and the gospel message with them.