“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (NIV)

The Apostle Paul took great joy in bringing people to Christ Jesus. He strove to save all. And while he knew such an aspiration was unrealistic, Paul pursued it vigorously nonetheless. He pursued it with the Jews. He pursued with the Greeks. He pursued it with Christians whose nascent faith was vulnerable to worldly temptations and false teaching.

Just how did Paul seek to lead such diverse communities to the Lord? He did so by “becoming all things to all people” so that he might save some. Some might characterize this as disingenuous. Baptist pastor Elliott Cooke, however, aptly calls it “finding that point of connection.”

In his commentary on First Corinthians, Pastor Stephen Um (1 Corinthians: The Word of the Cross, 2015) characterizes these verses as “the quintessential passage concerning Christian witness in the world.”

This is a very significant statement. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) declares that, as followers of Christ, we are to “go and make disciples of all nations.” These instructions were given to the Lord’s disciples who bore witness to His works, His death and His resurrection. They were uniquely qualified to carry out that mandate. The rest of us, perhaps less so.

Um continues: “If an individual identifies himself as a Christian, and since he most likely was schooled on the importance of being a witness, he might believe there’s nothing more important for him to learn.”

Christians are to not only live their faith, but share it as well. This imperative is clear throughout the New Testament and the Psalms. Among my favorite verses is Psalm 40:10 which many insist makes it compulsory that we reveal the blessings God has bestowed upon us:

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
from the great assembly.

Um: “Times have changed, and our cultural moment now is vastly different from what it was even a decade ago. And given this difference, much of what was learned to be true about witness has to be reevaluated. And this passage is helpful in doing precisely that.”

The pastor raises an interesting point. Our culture is in upheaval. The manner in which we share Christ must also evolve, not because the truth has changed – it remains infallible and eternal – but the receptivity to both the message and the messenger certainly has. Given that our approach to the nonbeliever must also change, Um urges Christians to turn to 1 Cor 19-23 for guidance. The effectiveness of our witness is at stake:

“For a mildly curious skeptic the topic of Christian witness doesn’t seem so much unhelpful as unreasonable. Witness reeks of coercion and imperialism, which is one of the things many modern people can’t stand about religion. There has to be an admission that coercion and imperialism have absolutely no place in civil discourse. The kind of witness Christians are after is about persuasion, not coercion, cultural immersion, not cultural imperialism.”

Implications for This Blog

Paul was willing to humble himself – to become a servant to all for the sole purpose of leading people to Christ. Like evangelists today, his message was much more effective if it fell upon ears willing to hear it and predisposed to being moved by it. He invested in building his connection with listeners by empathizing with them.

Readers of this blog will know that I share Um’s concerns regarding coercion and imperialism. Evangelism today is sometimes stuck in the past, undermining connections rather than building them. I have frequently warned of the dangers of Christian hypocrisy. I have at times railed against those who seek to compel obedience to Christian morals through legislation rather than empathetic witness. Have such positions perhaps disappointed some of my Christian brethren? I am quite certain they have.

Why then the criticism? The answers are found in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

First, the majority of my posts are intended to reach those who have resisted the Good News because they perceive incongruity between the profession of Christian values and the reality of Christian behavior. They see, for example, a contradiction between the Lord’s great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31) and support for political candidates that they believe embody only hate. Or, perhaps they see intolerance and condemnation by some Christians for social behavior reflective of today’s cultural upheaval.

Note that finding points of connection does not mean compromising on God’s law. It means listening and being respectful. Those connection points will be uncovered. A point of connection may simply be a place of mutual respect. Such respect can open the door to hearing the Gospel.

Secondly, I am joyful in the knowledge that many who read this content are passionately in Christ. That is our point of connection, and many know the Gospel far better than me. But I am duty-bound to remind all that we must always remain true to our faith – living testimonies to the word of God – and forever wary of Satan’s desire to make hypocrites of witnesses to His word. While the Lord’s grace ensures our salvation, even one hypocritical moment can compromise an opportunity to witness to one who does not yet know that grace.

Let us follow Paul’s example by leading the doubters to Christ through empathy and love. That does not mean that we compromise in our obedience to God. Rather, we listen and share, with respect and without condemnation. We find a point of connection that allows us to break down the walls of resistance to hearing the Good News, so that we might save as many as possible.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

1 Peter 3:15-16