| Introduction This passage before us today has been used to justify doing whatever one wants under the guise of Gospel proclamation. After all, Paul says that he became all things to all men! Some missiologists have said that this passage justifies your becoming a Muslim in order to reach Muslims. "Worship with them, behave like them, validate their god and their prophet as being of divine origin," they say. Yet this passage is neither a justification for license nor idolatry. Paul adapts how he behaves and the form his message takes. But he never changes the content of his message. He doesn't want to add offense to the Gospel except for the offense of the cross. This is Paul's strategy to reach the nations! It is universal and it is to be used whether one is a missionary to Timbuktu or Tenino. Paul wants to win the nations through self-denial (see 9:12). Here we find in practice what John the Baptist said before Paul, "He must increase, but I must decrease. (Jn. 3:30)" I. The Context A. Some Corinthian Christians were taking the glorious truth that we are free in Christ and that there is one God but one, and were using it to beat up weaker brothers and sisters, 8:4-6. B. The Holy Spirit uses Paul's example to explain how Gospel love for the brethren governs how a follower of Jesus Christ lives, 8:13, 9:1-18. C. The discussion of meats offered idols as a way to talk about Gospel love for the brethren will continue till 11:1. II. The Motivation to Gladly Let Rights Go: The Gospel! 9:23 A. In order to love the brethren selflessly we need compassion for people, conviction that sin, heaven, and hell are real, and conviction that the Gospel is true. B. The Gospel frees us to renounce our rights. C. The Gospel frees us to serve others, 9:19. III. Paul's Strategy for Transforming the Nations: Die to Self and Serve All! 9:22 A. When he was with Jews, he conducted himself so as to not add offense to the already offensive cross, 9:20. B. When he was with Gentiles, he acted as a Gentile, 21. C. When he was with the weak, he acted as the weak, 22a. D. This is not a bait and switch scheme, let's fake it approach. E. All these adaptations had a clear boundary, 21 (law of Christ). F. This was Paul's strategy because it was Jesus's strategy – the washing of the disciples' feet. Conclusion – Back to v. 23 Paul's whole life was about the Gospel because his whole life was about Jesus. He loved Jesus and he loved people. He understood what life and death without Christ meant. And the thought of people going to help gripped his soul. He understood that God was the only one who could show him the path of life; and that it was in God's presence that one finds fullness of joy. For Paul, the idea that eternal pleasures are at the right hand of God was a no brainer because that is where Jesus dwells. Paul was no superhero. He was one of us. The Gospel of grace that transformed him is the same Gospel that transforms us and has the power to transform the nations. http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2013/06/winning-through-self-denial-1-cor-919-23.html | |||
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Friday, June 14, 2013
Winning through Self-Denial - 1 Cor. 9:19-23
