Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Paul continues to lovingly instruct the believers in Corinth. After reading the first part of this passage, it’s clear that his ministry has been questioned or even opposed by some members of the body of believers, and apparently, word reached Paul. Paul stands firm in his apostleship and reminds those he’s addressing in this letter that he’s had privileges he could’ve used along the way, but he made it a practice of denying himself so that nothing would stand in the way of his preaching the gospel.
As you continue reading this passage, you’ll see Paul saying in verse 22 that he has lived in such a way as to “become all things to all people”. Early on in my walk with the Lord, this passage was unclear to me and was actually a little confusing. Being all things to all people seems like a daunting, impossible task. Is Paul saying to be a chameleon, changing with your surroundings, blending in where you are? That’s not the case at all.
See, just like all of us, Paul had a set of God-given limits. He had been born with a specific lineage and in a specific time. He was a Jew with Roman citizenship by birth. He had been richly educated but had also been changed by a face-to-face encounter with Jesus Christ on the Road to Damascus. There were people Paul could reach that other apostles wouldn’t be able to reach with the good news of the gospel. He was determined to serve the people God had put in his path, however he could, in order to reach them for Christ. Paul says in verse 23, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” In concluding this passage, Paul tells the Corinthians to run the race with purpose and discipline. To sum it up, I’d say that Paul was intentionally connecting with people in his path to share the good news of the freedom in Christ available to them.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.