1 Corinthians 9:16-23
If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel.
For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.
“All things to all men” was something that I heard a lot and said often. It was a pass in a way. A loophole for bending the rules. Being a part of a religious organization with an intense focus on accountability and recruiting, if someone was ever in a questionable situation, as long as it was done in with the goal of converting someone, we could justify it by saying, “All things to all men, right?”. As an example, if my small group or we called them “bible talk” was meeting, but I went to watch a ballgame at a bar with a buddy who was not a christian, (which was defined as anyone who was not a part of our church), I could say that I was reaching out to my friend and being “all things to all men”. As long as what I was doing involved recruiting, it could be justified.
Being a part of a religious organization that was fixated on growth for 15+ years, and being placed in leadership roles (though never on staff as a paid worker for the church), I rose to a high enough bird’s eye view to see how most of the pieces fit together. The driving aspiration of this organization was to grow in numbers, i.e, church members. It was stated that we were to have one church in every major city in the world. Growth in numbers (GIN) meant everything. It was what every member was taught to focus on. It made us believe that we were doing everything right and that God was blessing us. If our church was outgrowing all other churches in the area then we must be doing things right because God is blessing us with growth. We coined the term, “personal fruit” which was defined as meeting a stranger and getting them to convert to our beliefs, be baptized in our church, and abandon all other relationships and faith and become active in recruiting others to do the same. That was being personally fruitful. Bearing personal fruit was the goal of every member all the time. If you bore fruit, it was proof that you were right with God because a bad tree cannot bear good fruit we would say. So to validate all that you became a part of, every member strove, with a laser focus on a “kingdom first” agenda, to bear “personal fruit”.
Because GIN was the driving force behind this religious organization, converting the sharp and influential was not going to happen except through other sharp and influential converts. And having sharp and influential people as members, validates the legitimacy of who we are. So in order to convert them, you have to become like them, “all things to all men” right? So doctors, lawyers, actors and those who were esteemed by the world, received a special pass when it came to “seeking the kingdom first” and were given the privilege of deciding for themselves what’s best for them even when it didn’t match what they told others was best for them. They were often moved up the ranks pretty quickly so that they could be seen by many and have a broader influence over organization. I often wondered how the Spirit must have pricked their consciences when they read that Jesus chose fishermen and tax collectors and prostitutes to be his inner circle, to be the ones to live out his teachings for the world to see and did not chase after the rich young ruler as he went away sad. He did not make it easier for him to follow him justifying how he could influence others and all the good that could be done with his money. Why did Jesus not become “all things to all men” in that instance?
I don’t think Paul was telling everyone to become all things to all men. I think He was saying that this was a special calling just for him. Paul seems to be communicating that he was chosen for a life of traveling and planting churches and getting things established and one of the skills he has developed is to reach others where they are at. Becoming all things to all men, meant for Paul that he was able to adapt easily to the customs of others while remaining faithful to Christ. And he could do this because he traveled so extensively. He learned and understood the customs of others as he observed them and perhaps saw Christ at the heart of all humanity and was able to stay true to that. Becoming all things to all men for Paul meant adapting his lifestyle to the culture he was reaching out to and not about watering down the gospel so that he could convert the influential.
It seems that Paul was writing this idea as a response to questions that may have arisen as to why Paul did not stay in one church and accept pay. He seems to be saying that he does not want to come across as boasting but the truth of the matter is that he was given this gift for adapting well with the customs of others and he is called to use it. To me it seems that Paul has obviously chosen a harder path. He claims later in his 3rd letter to the Corithian church just how hard this path has been that he has chosen (2Corinthians 11:25). Yet this is the path that Paul could say lead to him sharing in the blessings of the gospel.
I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.