The Freedom to Be a Servant
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
Truth Taught- Like Paul, we are not to be enslaved by anyone except Christ
We are shown today another reason the Apostle Paul would not accept pay from the elite at Corinth.
Remember last time the reason was so that they could not manipulate him. He wanted the freedom to preach the Gospel God called him to preach, not their version of the gospel. So, while at Corinth he did not accept any pay from them. They did not like the fact that they could not control Paul.
In our passage today, we are going to see that his freedom also gave him the opportunity to be a slave to Christ. He would never be enslaved by the Corinthians because he was already bought and paid for by Jesus. He was a slave of Christ and would never belong to anyone else. So, in his freedom from the Corinthian elites he could remain a slave of Christ.
His pay at Corinth, then would be the freedom to be enslaved to Christ and no one else so that he could preach the Gospel unhindered and thereby see the salvation of others.
1 Corinthians 9:19–27 (ESV)
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, 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 not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
1. The Freedom to Be a Servant (9:19-22)
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, 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 not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
Jesus Christ was Paul’s only Master. He desired to be like Christ in everything. We even learned that he wanted to share in Christ’s suffering. Here, he wants to be like Jesus was to others to bring honor to Christ.
Matthew 20:26–28 (ESV)
26 It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In serving Christ, the Apostle became a servant to others.
All who are Christians must also serve others in Christ’s name. We are not their servants first but Christ’s servants first. Yet, He calls each and every one of us to stop thinking so much about ourselves and to think of others and care for others. Why? Well, we are to see that in a minute.
Jesus is our ultimate example of serving others. Let’s look at Jesus’ example and Jesus’ reward. This will help us understand Paul’s motivation as well.
Philippians 2:5–11 (ESV)
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So, the example is that Jesus lowered Himself in status to be a servant and trusted that the Father, in due time, would exalt Him. Of course, that happened after the cross.
So, we should take note here that truly Christ-like behavior is in freedom, humble yourself and serve others as Jesus did.
I want to look at Paul’s play on words here. It has to do with clarification and emphasis. It may be slightly tedious but bear with me.
The Greek word he uses for outside of the Law is anomos. He says, among Gentiles he behaves as one who is anomos (lawless in the sense of not being under Jewish Law). However, he is not anomos (Lawless and committing sin). He goes on to say he is (and here’s the play on words) he is ennomos subject to the Law…literally, Christ’s Law. That’s not to mean there is a separate Law for Jesus but he is using that word to make his point. No matter who I’m with, I follow Christ.
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
He uses weak here to take us back to the original point and that is that going to the pagan temples as a Christian and eating the meat that had been sacrificed to idols will harm the weaker brother’s conscience. So, he is telling us that to the weaker or new Christian coming out of that pagan demonic religion he becomes as one of them not eating meat so as to not harm his brother’s faith.
What does that look like? What does becoming all things for all people? Someone might be a CEO of a major corporation and make millions but shows up at the Church workday. Or someone may be in some other high position but visits that sick person from his Church to pray with them. Like Jesus, we too must lower ourselves and become servants of others.
If you’re not serving why? Are you too good to serve others? Are you too proud? Are you lost? If our Lord can do it and if Paul can do it…
You too are free to become a slave to Christ and a servant of others. Look around you and ask God to show how you can humble yourself and serve others. No one is going to take you by the hand and lead you, you must seek God’s face and have Holy Spirit discernment and see where this type of service is needed within this congregation. There are needs.
2. Why Use Your Freedom to Be Servant? (9:23)
23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
Here we see one of the driving forces in Paul’s life…the Gospel of Christ.
Now, we come to the question, why? Why did Paul use his freedom to serve others? Why did he become all things to all people?
First, we already mentioned, He became a servant to imitate Christ. His goal was to be like Jesus. So, because Jesus humbled Himself and became a servant, so to Paul did the same.
Secondly, he used his freedom to serve others in order to win them to Christ. He desired that the Gospel be freely preached for the purpose of those who heard would come to Christ by faith. He did not want his status as a Pharisee or even as an Apostle to hinder the Gospel’s advance. By becoming like those he preached to his status was not a hindrance.
To the Jews, he was a Jew, he did Jewish things. To the Gentiles, he became like them, he was not too good to sit with them and eat with them. To the weak he did not admonish them but showed kindness and mercy. To the Corinthians, he did admonish and correct.
The point is, he spoke to them on their level and treated all with respect. He lowered himself for the sake of the Gospel.
What he means is that he tried to fit in within their social settings, without sin of course. This refers us back to the meat sacrificed to idols and the Corinthians refraining from exercising all their rights. They too needed to become like others in order to win some.
So Paul became a servant to 1. Be like Christ, 2. For the sake of the Gospel…
Third, he used his freedom to serve others so that he could also share in the Gospel benefits. He too wanted to share in the blessings of God as an obedient servant of Christ. He too one day would be exalted by God and rewarded for all his service.
3. Living the Christian Life, Requires Certain Discipline (9:24-27)
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Here, we are reminded that to be a good servant requires discipline. Paul uses the Isthmian Games to explain his point. The Isthmian Games were held every two year just outside of Corinth. They were much like the Olympics today. There was great fanfare and excitement that surrounded these athletic competitions.
He is using examples they would understand.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Run the race in such a way as to win the prize. This requires discipline and sacrifice.
His point is that we should run the Christian life in such a way as to obtain the eschatological reward. What he is highlighting specifically is that Christians are to be self-sacrificing and under proper self-control.
Self-sacrificing- not demanding all your rights but sacrificing them for the good of others.
Self-control- Purposely and consciously serving others as Slaves of Christ.
Beloved run the Christian race in order to win the prize. In the games, they would win a crown like a wreath. Our crown is eternal. do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
The prize for the Christian is eternal, imperishable…
1 Peter 1:3–4 (ESV)
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
Paul runs the race so to receive the prize.
He’s like a boxer who does not slap at the air but is purposeful and is set out to defeat his opponent.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
He does all he does for the sake of the Gospel and to also share in it himself. He is out to share the Gospel with all who will listen. He is purposeful and under self-control to not do anything that would hinder the Gospel’s advance. He becomes all things to all people. He disciplines himself and sacrifices many things so the Gospel will move forward. He will never eat meat in front of Gentiles because it would hurt their conscience.
When Paul and his companions attended the Jerusalem Counsel which was called to help discern what God was doing with and among the Gentiles. They concluded that Gentiles did not have to become Jewish in the sense of observing Jewish tradition and being circumcised. Notice with me what they said…
Acts 15:28–29 (ESV)
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
It is very important to see the point here. Gentiles were not to go to the pagan temples. They were not to eat meat sacrificed to idols. Not because it was sin necessarily but because it might be a hindrance to the Gospel advancement among the Gentiles. They were called to give up or to sacrifice for the good of others. To live a purposeful life with the Gospel and Christ at the center.
Paul’s concern was that he would not be disqualified. His purpose was to obtain the prize at the end of his life. What exactly is the prize?
In another passage, Paul makes the same comparison, the Christian life is like an athlete running a race… Philippians 3:12–16, the apostle Paul compares the Christian life to a disciplined athlete running a race. Although he has not reached the finish line yet, Paul explains, “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14, ESV).
In Hebrews, Paul uses the exact same image for us…
Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Here he gives us a wonderful picture of an athlete running a long-distance race; one in which endurance is needed.
So we have the great cloud of witnesses, those who have already finished their race of endurance, cheering us on. They are telling us things like…don’t be discouraged, don’t lose heart. You can do it! You’re almost there! Keep the faith! Fight the good fight…you can do it…finish the race…
Then we run around the final obstacle in the cross-country race and there we see the prize…
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
The Prize is Jesus Christ with arms outstretched…Keep the faith, endure as a good soldier!
Conclusion:
How will you be more purposeful in living the Christian life so as to obtain the prize?
What are you called to sacrifice for the good of others and for Gospel advancement?
What rights will you forgo to be an effective witness?
Beloved we are called to live a higher life of service that includes self-control and willingness to endure hardships if necessary. Don’t lose sight of your eschatological prize. Don’t run aimlessly but run with purpose…run as to obtain the prize…Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Resources Used:
1 Corinthians by Gordon Fee
1 Corinthians by Stephen Um
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