Move for the Gospel

August 25, 2024

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made 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 people 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.

Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

1. In verse 19, Paul describes letting go of his own freedom in order to win people to Christ. Compare this with how Paul describes Jesus’ attitude in Philippians 2.
2. What do you think Paul meant by ‘making himself a slave to everyone’? What would it look like for us to do that in our context?
3. List all the different ways Paul describes yielding his own rights for the sake of others.
4. Paul seems very willing to adapt himself to all varieties of people and interact with people on their own terms. What might it look like to adapt ourselves to people and interact with them on their own terms? Can you think of any times in the Bible that Jesus did that?
5. Paul seems willing to adapt on peripheral things (Jew/gentile, under the law/not under the law, weakness/strength) in order to focus on his core task: winning souls. What are some peripheral things that we Christians spend too much time and focus on? When we do so, how does that affect our ability to perform our main task?
6. In becoming all things to all people, where are the boundaries that help us maintain our core identity? What keeps us from becoming inauthentic and fake?
7. What do you imagine it means to ‘share in the blessings of the gospel’?