All Things to All Men

1 Corinthians 8:1-9:27

Key Verse 9:22

In this passage we learn from Paul the practical wisdom to reach out to the maximum number of people. There are many who are yet to be reached. Some are hard to reach. There are also many barriers such as cultural barriers or language barriers. There is also the so-called generation gap. But despite all these we should be able to reach the unreachable. In the case of Paul, the Gentiles belonged to a group of the unreachable. Yet, he overcame the barriers and stumbling blocks, and thereby effectively led many to Christ. The same call is upon the members of Jesus’ church. How then are we to respond to God’s call to reach the unreachable? 

1. Think about the following expressions: 1) “we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ” (9:12); 2) “those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel” (9:14); 3) “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel” (9:16); 4) “preaching the gospel…free of charge” (9:18); and 5) “I do all these for the sake of the gospel” (9:23). What is the gospel? Why is the gospel so important? What do these expressions teach us about the way to reach out the unreachable?

** Gospel = 1Co 15:3,4; 2Ti 2:8; John 1:12; 3:16. 

** It is God’s power of salvation for all who believe. Romans 1:16-17

** The first point of wisdom for us to remember is that it is through preaching the gospel to all that one can lead people to Christ. In so doing, we must ensure: 1) that the gospel makes its way straight to the hearts of all with no ‘hindrance’ (or stumbling block) whatsoever; and 2) do everything for the sake of the gospel being preached in a most efficient way. Read Isaiah 19:23; 40:3. 

 

2. Compare what the Apostle Paul says in 1Co 8:9 and the point he is making in 1Co 9:12. What is a “stumbling block” [in 1Co 8:9]? How is the expression “stumbling block” related to the expression “hinder the gospel” in 1Co 9:12? 

** A stumbling block is the block which prevents people from coming to Jesus straight. It can be anything like cultural barrier, language barrier, preoccupation, tradition, bias, racial prejudice, etc. and so forth. It also may consist in your life-style. 

** A stumbling block is a stumbling block if it “hinders” the gospel from flowing freely to the lives of many. 

3. In what respect may “eating food sacrificed to idols” [in the eyes of the one whose conscience is weak] or “a Bible teacher [like the Apostle Paul] charging a fee to [or collecting a tuition from] his Bible student” work as a stumbling block [to a man of weak conscience, or anyone who is materialistic]? Can you think of any other examples (or practices) operating as a stumbling block (or hindrance to the gospel) in a contemporary society or in different mission fields? 

** One of the major stumbling blocks has to do with material. [In 1Co 8:1-9:18, we see the word ‘eat, food, eating, drink, milk, meat, grapes, expense, charge, material’ etc. repeated. All these deal with the issue of what is materialistic. In those days food was rare. So the question of whether or not it is sinning to eat food sacrificed to idols was a religious hot potato, so to speak.]

In our own generation where a lot of people are still very sensitive to money, and show an acid response to the call to sacrifice one’s money to serve the Lord (ministry and ministers), asking the Bible students to make offerings could be a stumbling block for them to come to Jesus. 

** 1) A western missionary trying not to eat kimchi in Korea; 2) A Korean missionary spreading the smell of kimchi or garlic while giving a Bible study to an American sister who is sensitive to smell; 3) A missionary teaching Muslims that Ishmael is the son of the devil; 4) A student shepherd who ditches school all the time, and yet pushes his sheep to study hard for final exams, and get all A’s; 5) Korean missionaries seated among themselves, isolating themselves from native English speakers during lunch hours on Sundays. 

4. 1Co 9:6 implies that Paul and Barnabas lived as “self-supporting” missionaries. (Acts 18:3) Other Bible verses tell us that the apostles asked the churches to support their ministries and those of fellow workers. (Romans 15:23-24; 1Co 16:1-6, 10-11; 2Co 1:16; Tit 3:13-14; 3Jn 5-8) Why the differences? What practical wisdom can we find here in serving the Lord’s kingdom work? 

** It is all to let nothing hinder the gospel, but rather to ensure that the work of the gospel must advance fully. In case of young sheep who needs to be built up, Paul did not ask them to make offerings to support his ministry, so that the issue of money would not be a stumbling block for the gospel to work in his life. But when any sheep is established, and gets saved, and yet remains materialistic, loving money more than Jesus, Paul challenged them to make sacrificial offerings to support the ministry so that through the partnership with his sheep, he could promote the gospel work efficiently. 

** 1) The wisdom of layman missionary work, for: 

a) It will help the gospel to get into the difficult territories (such as work-place such as professors’ society, soldiers’ society, or culturally sensitive world like the Muslim world (1Co 9:12) 

b) It will help new sheep not to be burdened by the burden of having to support their shepherd (1Th 2:9-12)

c) It will help the gospel be carried freely to the mission fields, with or without someone having to support them financially (Matthew 6:33)

d) It will help a lay person be blessed (by God) more than the one who gets materially supported by and therefore dependant on their financial supporters. (Acts 20:33-35) 

5) It will enable a gospel servant to please God rather than men (financial supporters like the congregation) better, for he is financially free from the supporters, so that he can freely rebuke the congregation without trying to read their minds. 2Ti 3:8-14

2) The wisdom to help relatively mature people to be included as partners of the gospel, by providing for the financial needs the Lord and his servants have. Phil 1:5

5. Read 9:19-23. What practical wisdom does this passage teach us in reaching out to the unreachable?

** We must strip ourselves of everything (habit, bias, pre-occupation, cultural differences etc.) except for the gospel of Jesus. We must remove all the barriers and come down to the place where sheep are found. Our missionaries such as Msn. Jimmy Rhee of India sets a good example. 

6. In verses 9:24-27 we find “prize” repeated three times and “crown” repeated twice. What does Paul mean by “the prize” or “a crown that will last forever”?  

** Crown refers to the ultimate outcome (reward) which will come true for those who work for it. In Christianity then the crown refers to all the blessings that the gospel offers and its servants will eventually end up enjoying. Particularly the joy of seeing one sinner repent and be saved into God’s kingdom (in its final state) through one’s own labor would be truly great. 

The end 

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