TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Matthew 20:28

“I made myself servant unto all,
that I might gain the more.”

A SERVANT UNTO ALL

In 1 Corinthians 9:16-18, Paul explained that his call as an Apostle of Christ demanded of him to be a willing servant to the gospel of Christ. No matter the circumstances, he was most willing to preach the gospel of Christ. Pay or no pay, he would preach!

As one who was not financially dependent on the Corinthian Christians (1 Cor 9:19), Paul had the choice of whether to be of service to them or not. Yet, because of the necessity that was laid in his heart to preach the gospel (1 Cor 9:16), Paul was most ready to humble himself to be the servant of all.

Paul then proclaimed that he desired that “by all means” he would “save some” (1 Cor 9:22). Some have taken this to mean that compromises can be made with regard to God’s Word in order to preach the gospel of Christ. Thus, they would integrate certain practices that are contrary to God’s Word in order to reach out to others as a result of their misunderstanding of how Paul became a Jew to the Jews, and a Gentile to the Gentiles.

However, the context of the passage deals with humility and the forsaking of rights for the gospel’s sake. When Paul said, “by all means save some,” he was referring to his willingness to give up his rights or preferences in order to reach others with the gospel. He was not saying that we should compromise the truth in order to save souls.

With regard to the Corinthians, Paul taught them to be willing to forsake their rights to minister to those with weak consciences. They ought to be considerate in their conduct so that the weak might learn by their example and grow unto spiritual maturity. Similarly, whether at home or in the missions field, we must not go expecting to be served but rather to serve. If we can give up certain comforts to minister to others, we must be ready to do so.

THOUGHT: Will I be willing to lay down my life for others?
PRAYER: Father, grant me a servant’s heart!