The Confident Witness (14)
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 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; 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 arewithout law; 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. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. 1 Corinthians 9.19-23
All things to all people?
OK, so this passage gets my vote as the most misunderstood and misapplied text in the entire New Testament.
For more than a generation now, church leaders, waving the banner of “All Things to All People”, have overhauled the life and worship of churches. Out with big pulpits and ecclesiastical jargon and garb. Out with solemn organs and ancient hymns. Out with pews and other traditional furnishings. Out with rigid and judgmental moral codes. Such things do not “speak” to our modern generation. We need to become all things to our modern age so that they can see that we’re pretty much like them. That way they’ll be more likely to come to our services of “worship” and find a pleasing place to hang their spiritual selves.
And as for all those programs we’d run for years, which hadn’t accomplished much more than to take up space in our churches, revamp and increase them, add videos, refreshments, fun things to do, and more affinity-type teaching, and stay away from things like doctrine and church history.
New songs! New tech! Newly designed facilities! More staff! New programs! Everything fresh and relevant!
Thus our churches have labored to become all things to all people, and yet today, churches are in decline everywhere, especially in this country. We have “all-thinged” the life out of our churches, and as a result, scarcely “some” are being saved. Why did this happen?
Because we took a text which Paul applied to himself and tried to normalize it for our churches. In the process, we lost sight of Paul’s goal and replaced it with one of our own—more visitors, more attenders, more members.
Let’s see if we can understand Paul’s testimony here, because it comes to us as a word of advice from a confident witness.
The goal
Let’s start with the goal Paul had in mind: “Now this I do for the gospel’s sake…” (v. 23). The goal we should be seeking is the promulgation of the Gospel. The Gospel, as we have seen, is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, which brings power not just for salvation but for transformation, exceedingly and abundantly more, and which affects all aspects of a person’s life. The goal is not repeat attenders or church members. And the Lord Jesus did not command the world to go to church, as we suppose; rather, He commanded us, as we are going about in our daily lives, to be His witness and make disciples who will follow Him (Matt. 28.18-20).
As a confident witness, Paul longed to see this Gospel reach more and more people, so he went to them and gathered with them where they were—in marketplaces, by riversides, in their religious gatherings, and even in their jails. Once he was among them, he listened carefully, waited patiently, and, when asked for a word, spoke the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom freely, clearly, and exuberantly.
Which is just to say that Paul worked his Personal Mission Field continuously and effectively. He was well-prepared, lived what he preached, used every conversation as part of his witness, and kept the transforming power of the Gospel in mind at all times.
He was tireless, unyielding, and—as far as his ethics and beliefs—completely out-of-step with those he sought to win. But he was not trying to be like them, only to bear witness to them of a new reality, a new way of life, a new ethic and power, and all bound up in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.
The way to be all things
And yet there is that “all things to all people” strategy. What did Paul mean? Only that he understood and cared about people enough to discover as much as possible about their background, interests, cultural distinctives, and needs, so that he could speak the Gospel in their language and to the point of their concerns. This is what a servant does (v. 19)—find out what others need and go get the remedy.
So Paul was a good and patient listener. It’s obvious from the speeches we have—in Athens and at Caesarea before Felix and Agrippa—that Paul was courteous, self-effacing, and seeking some common ground with his audience, so that they could see how the Gospel spoke into their lives and times. And always, he brought the Good News of Jesus into the conversations. He was trying to win people to the Lord on their turf, using their language and thought, speaking into their needs, and making Jesus and His resurrection the solution for all their ills.
And all the while he was undeterred by knowing that, for all his efforts, only “some” would be saved (v. 22).
Paul’s example speaks to our own faithfulness as witnesses to the Lord. It’s clear from the sad and declining state of churches today that he did not intend these words for congregations, but for individual believers. For you and me.
And as we embrace our calling and follow the example and teaching of Jesus and Paul, our confidence will grow and the more effective our witness to Christ and His Kingdom will become.
For reflection
1. Who are the “all people” to whom God sends you week after week?2. What does it mean for you to be “all things” to these people?3. What will this require of you today?
Next steps—Preparation: Review the disciplines necessary for working your Personal Mission Field and the goals Paul mentioned for doing so. Begin improving in all these areas.
T. M. Moore
Give thanks
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Knowing Jesus
Being confident witnesses begins in our relationship with Jesus, in knowing Him. Two books can help you grow in Jesus. To Know Him is a brief and lively exposition of Philippians 3.7-11 and explains what Paul means by this. You can order your copy by clicking here. Be Thou My Vision offers 28 daily meditations on Jesus, drawing on Scripture and writings from the period of the Celtic Revival. Order your copy by clicking here.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
