Bible
Now, if I
have said it once, I have said it a hundred times, “Keep the Scripture in
context.” I often hear people use I
Corinthians 9:22b to justify their lack of standards. For example, I have heard some say, “If I
need to dress like the world to reach the world, I will so that I might by all
means save some.” Still others say, “I
act the way I act and go to the places I go so I can witness to them. You see, I want to be like Paul that I might
by all means save some.”
But
notice with me what Paul is really saying in I Corinthians 9. Notice verse 12 when Paul says that if he
needs to suffer all things, he will, so that he might by all means save
some. Notice also verse 15 when Paul
says he is even willing to die so that he might by all means save some. What about verses 16-18? Paul says that he places himself under the
gospel to live by the gospel so that he might by all means save some. Then there is verse 19 when Paul says he is
willing to become a servant so that he might by all means save some. In verses 20-21 Paul says that he is willing
to place himself under the strictness of the Jewish law that he might by all
means save some. As if that is not
enough, Paul then says in verse 22a, “To
the weak [sickly] became I as weak [sickly].”
Paul is saying that he is willing to lose his health so that he might by
all means save some.
But Paul is not saying, “If I need to go to the movies to reach others,
I will;” nor is he saying “If I need to go to worldly activities and parties to
reach my friends, I will.” Why, Paul is
not saying, “If I need to let my dress standards go to reach others, I
will.” What Paul is saying is, “If I
need to…
1.
suffer,
2.
die,
3.
live by
the gospel,
4.
be a
servant,
5.
live
under the law, or
6.
lose my
health…
What to do:
✞ Keep God’s Word in context. Some suggestions how this can be done:
Ask these
questions –
1. (To
whom is the writer writing?) *
2. Why is he writing to them?**
3. How does he go about proving his point?***
*In I
Corinthians chapter 9, Paul is writing to the church at
**He is
writing to them because they question his apostleship (verse 1) and his
authority (verses 4-5). They question
his receiving pay for his work (verses 9-13), and they question his methods for
reaching others (verses 20-22).
***He says I
will suffer, die, live by the gospel, be a servant, etc.
Asking and answering these three questions will help you keep the Word in context.
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