The God Pause for Wednesday, 31 January 2018 = The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States - 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
1 Corinthians 9:
16 For I can’t boast merely because I proclaim the Good News — this I do fr
om inner compulsion: woe is me if I don’t proclaim the Good News! 17 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if I do it unwillingly, I still do it, simply because I’ve been entrusted with a job. 18 So then, what is my reward? Just this: that in proclaiming the Good News I can make it available free of charge, without making use of the rights to which it entitles me.
19 For although I am a free man, not bound to do anyone’s bidding, I have made myself a slave to all in order to win as many people as possible. 20 That is, with Jews, what I did was put myself in the position of a Jew, in order to win Jews. With people in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah, I put myself in the position of someone under such legalism, in order to win those under this legalism, even though I myself am not in subjection to a legalistic perversion of the Torah. 21 With those who live outside the framework of Torah, I put myself in the position of someone outside the Torah in order to win those outside the Torah — although I myself am not outside the framework of God’s Torah but within the framework of Torah as upheld by the Messiah. 22 With the “weak” I became “weak,” in order to win the “weak.” With all kinds of people I have become all kinds of things, so that in all kinds of circumstances I might save at least some of them.
23 But I do it all because of the rewards promised by the Good News, so that I may share in them along with the others who come to trust.
(Comlete Jewish Bible)What does it mean to become "all things to all people?" I think at times we have taken it to mean that in our proclamation of the gospel we must morph the meaning to fit the audience. Certainly, if taken to the extreme, this can become a dangerous enterprise in a world that often seems to be getting worse rather than better. However, this is not Paul's intent.
Instead, the gospel remains the same for all time; Christ crucified for us, for all, for free. That is the gospel. The good news is offered without a membership fee or a price tag. It is available to any and all persons regardless of race, sex, gender, language or any other distinguishable feature. The words we use to proclaim this may morph depending on the audience to which we are speaking, but Jesus was, is and always will be the gospel. Jesus is all things to all people. We are merely his voice as we seek to remain faithful to the message.
Holy God, use us. Make us into instruments of your one true gospel. Speak through our voices to the nations that all may know you and be blessed through you. Amen.
Katie Emery, '12
Pastor, Hope American Lutheran Church, Fallon, Mont. and Community Presbyterian Church, Terry, Mont.
1 Corinthians 9:16 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!
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 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.
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings. (New Revised Standard Version).
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The Luther Seminary
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