We have seen Paul reveal for us the timeless principle that pastors who are involved in a full-time commitment to serving in a local church should be financially supported by the church. Unfortunately many pastors stop their sermons there. This is unfortunate because while Paul provides us with this timeless principle, this principle is not the main point that Paul is attempting to make to the church at Corinth and to us today.
We see Paul’s main point, and a timeless truth that can occur when Christians act unchristian, revealed for us beginning in 1 Corinthians 9:15, so let’s look at these verses together:
But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
In these verses Paul explains that he had chosen not to exercise his freedom to receive financial support from the church. And in case they misunderstood his previous comments, Paul explains to the church that he does not want financial support from the church. Paul then provides the reason for his decision by stating that it would be better for him to die than to have any man make my boast an empty one. But what does that mean?
To understand what Paul is communicating here, we first must understand what was happening in Corinth. Corinth was a very academic and philosophically based community. And as a result there were many different philosophers and teachers who made their living proclaiming, explaining, and defending their teachings. So there were members of the Corinthian community who would view Paul as just another philosopher who just wanted a paycheck. They would view Paul’s message and motives to be driven by money instead of the kingdom mission that he was given.
Because of this danger, Paul believed that it would be better to die that to create an environment where the message of the gospel was viewed as just another money making scheme. Paul’s source of pride was in God’s activity in the lives of the people at the church and he did not want the pride that he felt from God’s activity to be damaged or destroyed as a result of people questioning his motives for the ministry.
Paul then unpacks the reason for his pride by explaining that he does not proclaim the message of the gospel because he gets something from the gospel; instead he preaches the gospel because he has to. The phrase under compulsion literally means to have an obligation laid upon someone. And because of this obligation that has been laid upon him by Jesus, Paul states woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. Paul’s point here is that his motivation for proclaiming the message of the gospel had nothing to do with his freedoms; his motivation for proclaiming the message of the gospel came from Jesus pressing passion in his life.
Paul then states that if he was to publicly proclaim the gospel without any pressure, but voluntarily, then it could be considered that the only reason that he was preaching the gospel was so that he would receive financial support. But since he proclaims the message of the gospel unwillingly and under compulsion, it reveals that he is not eligible for pay as he is merely functioning as a manager called to proclaim the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.
Paul then asks the members of the church “What then is my reward?” He then answers his own question by explaining that he chooses not to exercise the freedoms that are rightfully his as a church leader when he proclaims the message of the gospel. Paul’s pay was not pay. Instead, Paul’s reward was to lovingly limit his freedom as a church leader in order that those who were skeptical and far from God would be able to hear and respond to the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel.
But not only did Paul lovingly limit his freedoms so that his motives would be clear. We see a second reason why Paul lovingly limited his freedom in Christ in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
Paul continues by stating that while he has freedoms as a follower of Jesus and church leader, he has made himself a slave to all, so that I may win more. The phrase, made a slave literally means to make one subservient to one’s interests. The win here for Paul is that they would receive the forgiveness of their sins and enter into the relationship with God that they were created for by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader.
Here we see Paul reveal for us the timeless principle that as followers of Jesus, there are times that we are to lovingly limit our freedoms as followers of Jesus in order to engage others with the message of the gospel. Paul then unpacks how he limits his freedoms and rights in order to be used by God to share the gospel and bring people to faith in Christ. When Paul refers to Jews, he is referring to those who were God’s chosen people but instead chose to be religious people instead of having a relationship with Christ. Paul explains that he lovingly limits his freedom so that he can engage those who were culturally religious on their own turf with the message of the gospel.
When Paul refers to those who are under the Law, he is referring to religious people who were not Jewish. Paul explains to the church that that while he understands that keeping the rules of the Law will not save Him and that he has freedom from the Law, he will lovingly limit his freedom from the Law so that he can engage those who are under the law on their own turf with the message of the gospel so that they can leave religion and enter into the relationship with God that they were created for.
So if Paul was invited to have lunch with an orthodox Jew, Muslim, and Mormon, he would not order an pulled pork sandwich with a vodka and coke. He would lovingly limit his freedom in order to engage those who lived under religious rules with the message of the gospel.
When Paul refers to those without the Law in verse 21, he is referring to irreligious people. Paul explains that while he followed the message and teachings of Jesus that brought salvation, he will lovingly limit his freedom that comes from the teachings of Jesus in his day to day life so that he can engage those who are irreligious on their own turf with the message of the gospel so that they can leave the irreligious life and enter into the relationship with God that they were created for. So if Paul was invited by an irreligious person who was far from God to have lunch at Hooter's, he would not be judgmental: instead, he would go have lunch with at Hooters without compromising his personal convictions.
In verse 22, Paul shifts from religious or irreligious people who are far from God to those who are followers of Jesus who are immature and weak in the faith. Paul then explains that while he had freedom and rights as a mature follower of Jesus that informed how he lived his day to day life, he will lovingly limit his freedom so that he can engage those who are weak and immature in their faith so that they can grow and mature in their faith. Instead of exercising his freedoms and rights, which could cause the weaker brother or sister in Christ to stumble and sin, he lovingly limited his freedoms for the sake of the weaker brother or sister.
Paul then summarizes all of his statements into a timeless principle that guided his life and should shape our lives as well: I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. Paul’s point here is that as followers of Jesus, we should follow His example by reflecting Christ as we love people where they are at, while loving them enough not to leave them there. Paul, if he was here today and talked to us in the language of our culture, would describe himself as being theologically conservative and culturally liberal.
And as followers of Jesus, we should strive to be theologically conservative and culturally liberal that love people where they are at and love them enough not to leave them there. However, as Christians we act unchristian when we fail to lovingly limit our freedoms for the sake of others. Paul then concludes this section of his letter by stating that his life was driven for the sake of the gospel and the kingdom mission that he was given, so that he might share in the benefits that occur from the impact that the gospel has in the world.
So how are you balancing the freedoms that you have as a result of what you know about God with the responsibility that you have to live in relationship with one another in community? Because the reality is that as Christians we act unchristian when we fail to lovingly limit our freedom for the sake of others. When we fail to lovingly limit our freedom for the sake of others, we can cause others to stumble. And when we fail to lovingly limit our freedom for the sake of others, we fail to be all things to all people so that we might be used to save some.
So what is one way that you can lovingly limit your freedom in order to engage others in a way that loves them where they are at while lovingly reflecting Christ and the message of the gospel?
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