[Having just completed the first leg of my transatlantic sojourn today, I found myself with a few hours to kill in Lisbon airport. What better way to use those hours than to put the finishing touches to this CyberSermon and place it here for public consumption. I hope it stimulates your thought processes as much as writing it has done with mine]

First Reading: First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 18 – chapter 2, verse 5
Second Reading: First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 19-23
Focus Text: First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse, 22b, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some”

INTRODUCTION

When Paul speaks about becoming ”all things to all people” in order that he might save some, what does he mean by this? Does he mean that we have be so “seeker-sensitive” that we must build our worship and evangelism around the interests and activities of unbelievers? How does one attract unbelievers to come anywhere near any Christian fellowships? That is, in a manner which doesn’t pander to the whims of unregenerated folks. For, in modern times, the thinking in many churches appears to be along the lines of the following logical syllogism:

1st Premise: The unbeliever is not at all interested in coming to a Christian church or fellowship.
2nd Premise: The unbeliever is very interested in  “——–”  activity (fill in the blank).
Conclusion: Therefore, in order to get unbelievers interested in coming to a fellowship we must first practise  “——–”  activity within the fellowship, then they will come in huge numbers.

Then, in order to justify this practice and to ward off any criticisms, we are told that Paul “became all things to all people” just like in that syllogism, therefore we should too, with First Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 22 being cited as the proof-text. That is the thinking, isn’t it? This isn’t just a caricature, is it? This is actually what happens.

However, that is a completely false syllogism and it is fatally flawed. It is fatally flawed because it ignores the fact that the call of the Gospel does not operate on a worldly basis but a spiritual one. It is fatally flawed because it does not take account of the fact that we must rely on a very different power, a spiritual power, when we want to engage in evangelism.

Paul told the Corinthians that when he came to them, he “did not come with eloquence or wisdom” when he was engaged in the business of “proclaiming to [them] the testimony about God”. He declared that his “message and… preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but with demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2, verses 1‑5). The need to rely on a power other than a worldly one, when engaging in evangelism, is at the heart of what I want to look at in this CyberSermon today.

So how are we going to get to the bottom of this? I’m going to pose three initial questions, all based on the First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 19-22a, which I urge you to read right now, along with the other Bible texts at the top of this article. Please make sure you have your open Bibles with you, if you can, because I’ll be bobbing around the Scriptures. If you don’t have these verses in front of you, it will be difficult for you to make as much sense of this exposition as if you did.

At the outset, Paul states “I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible”. This is the starting point for all his evangelism (and should be for ours too). In other words, everything he does is for the other, and in service of God, rather than for himself. He places himself totally at their disposal. In the same chapter, he has already shown how although it would be his right to be supported financially in his role as a preacher of the gospel (verses 13-14), he has surrendered that right so that he may offer it free of charge (verse 18). Thus, all his evangelism is concentrated on doing the very best he can to win souls for Christ, with nothing coming in return except the satisfaction of knowing that souls are being saved. In verses 20-22 he explains how that strategy works in practice.

The three questions coming out of those verses are these: 1) In what way did Paul become “like a Jew” to the Jews? 2) In what way did Paul become “like one without the law” to the Gentiles? 3) In what way did Paul become “weak to win the weak”? I believe that in finding the answer to these three questions we will discover some basic ground-rules or hard and fast principles which can be universally applied, so that we can know exactly how Paul became “all things to all people” and therefore know the boundaries of our adaptation in evangelising the world. After we have probed these first three questions, we will then identify five universal principles involved in becoming all things to all people. We will then conclude with a brief analysis of the nature and content of the Gospel in relation to evangelism.

So, first…

I.  IN WHAT WAY DID PAUL BECOME “AS A JEW” TO THE JEWS?

“…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.”

First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 20

Does this mean that he relinquished his Christianity and reverted to Judaism? Not at all. That would be entirely against those principles which he had stated elsewhere in his inspired writings (e.g. Letter to the Philippians, chapter 3, verses 2-11). So when he speaks of becoming “as a Jew” to the Jews, he is simply referring to the spiritually-minded manner in which he adapted or accommodated himself in order to win Jews to Christ. Accommodation is completely different to compromise. ‘Compromise’ always means that one dilutes or negates aspects of truth or one’s faith through one’s actions. Whereas ‘accommodation’ means that one adapts oneself to the other without any compromise of the truth or one’s faith.

The first way that Paul became “as a Jew” to the Jews was that

1.      He Preached in the Synagogue on the Jewish Sabbath

For example, in the Book of Acts, chapter 13, verses 16-41, when the leader of the synagogue asked if there was anyone who wanted to give an exposition of the Scriptures, Paul stood up and spoke eloquently but forcefully, culminating in a warning about how their hearts would be horribly hardened if they did not respond to the Gospel. Amazingly, he was asked to come back the next Saturday and “many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas” (Book of Acts, chapter 13, verses 42-43).

But the point here is that Paul met them where they were, rather than expecting them to come to him. He went to their synagogues rather than remaining in a little room somewhere in the hope that someone might turn up. Now there is an example to follow. Don’t wait for people to come into your fellowship. Go and meet them where they hang out. Engage them where they are. After all, that is what Jesus Himself did! (Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, verses 15-17).

Another way in which Paul became “as a Jew” to the Jews was that

2. He Took a Nazirite Vow

In the Book of Acts, chapter 18, verse 18 we read that “He had his head shaved in Cenchrea to keep a vow he had made”. Again, in the Book of Acts, chapter 21, verse 26, it says,

“the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he entered the temple to give notice of the date when their purification would be complete and the offering would be made for each of them”.

Book of Acts, chapter 21, verse 26

This practice, the Nazirite Vow, was instigated by the Lord, speaking to Moses, in the Book of Numbers, chapter 6, verses 1-8. This was a vow of separation (the Hebrew, nazar, means dedication) for a time with the Lord. One could not cut one’s hair and there were various other regulations attached to the vow. This is why Paul had his hair cut. After eighteen months it would be rather long so, at Cenchrea, he had a haircut. Sometimes, those taking the vow would shave their heads beforehand in preparation for the lengthy time of hair-growing to come.

This practice was commended to Paul by some Jewish converts to Christ who were very keen to see their brethren converted. So, at the assembly in Jerusalem, they said to Paul:

“You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. But they are under the impression that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or observe our customs. What then should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do what we advise you. There are four men with us who have taken a vow. Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is no truth to these rumors about you, but that you also live in obedience to the law”.

Book of Acts, chapter 21, verses 20-24

Now Paul was willing to yield to this demand, not as an act of actual religious conviction but as an act of love in order to win the Jews for Christ. As the Genevan theologian, Francis Turretin, succinctly puts it:

“If the apostles observed Jewish ceremonies after the death and resurrection of Christ, they did not do so from necessity, but from charity, to accommodate themselves to the weakness of the Jews; partly that they might show that they were not opposed to the law of Moses (as some wickedly said about Paul); partly that they might gain the Jews over to Christ; partly to give the synagogue a decent burial”.

“To give the synagogue a decent burial”. I love that. A very astute observation. In this manner, Paul became “as a Jew”. Remember that he didn’t actually become a Jew; he became “as a Jew”. There is an important difference. Neither was he pretending, or feigning, Judaism. He was showing that he still had respect for those holy institutions of the old dispensation, even though he knew very well that they were only “a shadow of things to come” (Letter to the Colossians, chapter 2, verses 16-17) and their day was fading fast in the wake of the better covenant and in being fulfilled in Christ.

For fear of alienating them completely, He was holding off from blasting the Jews with the full force of the truth about the demise of the Old Covenant all at once. When evangelising, in whatever circumstances — or sharing deep truths with weaker brethren —  it is important not to hurl the full contents of that ‘vial of truth’ all at once in the faces of others, unless they are ready or able to take it. For, if we are not sensitive to this, we will just blind them with the contents of that vial instead of enlightening them. Wisdom is needed here.

From an evangelistic standpoint, there were special circumstances in operation during that period of history. Many converted Jews continued to live a kind of Jewish-Christian life, attending the synagogue and so forth. It wasn’t until the temple was destroyed in AD.70 that Judaism was finally given “a decent burial”, to use Turretin’s phrase above, in the Christian church.

In AD45, the climate was such that it required a certain amount of skill to ensure the cultivation of the Gospel, while at the same time preserving it from corruption by the Judaisers or other heretics who wanted to set back the clock of truth. Paul was very conscious of this need to walk on a tightrope and he wisely acted on it. It was in this manner that Paul became “as a Jew” to the Jews. It is a fine line and a tightrope and it takes great sensitivity and awareness to walk it correctly, being accommodating without compromising.

II.  IN WHAT WAY DID PAUL BECOME “AS WITHOUT LAW” TO THE GENTILES?

“…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 in the law of Christ), so as to win those not having the law” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 21)

 Paul speaks of three moral states in the verses before us (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 19-23): 1) To be without law (Gentile); 2) To be under the law (Jew); and, 3) To be living in the law (believer in Christ).

To be without law means to do one’s own thing and live according to one’s corrupt nature, having no written revelation as one’s rule of life, therefore living in sync with the “mystery of lawlessness”. To be under the law means to be subjected to external controls and statutes which are obeyed only under constraint (as under the Old Mosaic Covenant). To be living in the law of Christ means that your moral life is guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Paul was keen to show that even though he can speak of himself as being ”as without law”, he was not lawless or being “antinomian”. He could say this with certainty because he was still ”in the law of Christ”.

It is important to stress a contrast which occurs in the Greek here but which is not clear in all English translations. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 20, Paul refers to the Jews three times as being “under the law”. The Greek phrase used there is “hupo nomon”. The word hupo means under. Then, in verse 21, he refers to his approach to “those who are without law” as being “as without law”. But just so that people wouldn’t seize on this as an example of Paul being lawless, he adds the parenthetical words “not being without law toward God, but in the law of Christ”. The Greek words commonly translated as “under the law to Christ” (KJV) or “under law toward Christ” (NKJV) are ennomos Kristou. However, Paul deliberately uses there the prefix en, in, instead of hupo, under. He was not “under” the law of Christ as in something external being imposed from without, like the Mosaic law, but he was living in the law of Christ. It was a part of him. This is the whole point of the New Covenant and its contrast with the Old Covenant.

In the Old Covenant, one was hupo (under) the law. In the New Covenant, one is en (in) the law. This is an important distinction which, for some strange reason, is never made in standard English translations, which all say, “under the law of Christ”, even when hupo is not being used and en is being used instead. Being in the law is very different from being under the law. To be living in the law of Christ means that your moral life is guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. As Paul states in Letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 2: ” For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death”. The atoning death of Christ happened “so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 4). Having the Holy Spirit indwelling them, disciples of Christ fulfil the law by being “in the law of Christ”.

As it is said in Jeremiah, speaking of the New Covenant in Christ, ratified initially with the converted remnant from the Jews (the early disciples in the Gospels) after the incarnation of the Messiah: “this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 33). In other words, being “in law” rather than “under the law”. In the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 34, the Lord goes on to say that the relationship with God will no longer be externally imposed but will be internalised: “No longer will they teach their neighbour, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest”. This would be the chief difference between the Apostles and those Jews to whom they preached. The latter were still “under the law” of Moses while the Apostles were living “in the law of Christ”, exactly as prophesied in Jeremiah 31. To be a Christian is to be “in-lawed” to Christ. It is a vital internal relationship with Him through the ministry and medium of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Once one grasps the fullness of truth concerning these sacred facts, it should transform our understanding of what it means to be a faithful disciple of Christ and bring a scintillating sense of true freedom into our lives.

So, if Paul was “in the law of Christ”, how on earth did he become “as without law” when presenting the Gospel to the Gentiles? The first way is this:

1. When he was with Gentiles whom he was Seeking to Evangelise he didn’t Conform to the Jewish Law

Although on occasion (as has been shown above) Paul would accommodate himself to the Jews by performing certain ritualistic aspects of their law, he was always careful to avoid alienating Gentiles by doing that in front of them. For example, in Antioch Paul rebuked Peter for behaving like a Jew among the Gentiles (read the Letter to the Galatians, chapter 2, verses 11-21 for the interesting account of that). If the Gentiles had been burdened with the whole weight of the Mosaic law it would have been a great impediment to the spread of the Gospel among them. Paul didn’t want to burden the Gentiles with laws and regulations which he knew were no longer necessary. So he came to them “as without law”.

Another way that he became “as without law” to the Gentiles was

2. By Meeting them on their Own Ground

Just as Paul actually went to the synagogue to present Christ, he would also meet the Gentiles on their own ground. The famous Mars Hill sermon is a worthy model for becoming all things to all men. “Then Paul stood up in the middle of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens…’” (Book of Acts, chapter 17, verse 22).

In that sermon, he quoted the Gentile poet from Crete, Epimenides, and used images with which they would be familiar from their idolatrous worship. In short, he met them on their own ground and related to them there. He had some success too, even in that potentially inhospitable environment (note the “mockers” in v.32), for we read that “some joined him and believed”, v.34.

III. IN WHAT WAY DID PAUL BECOME “AS WEAK” TO THE WEAK?

“…To the weak I became weak, to win the weak” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 22).

The “weak” here are not unbelievers but barely won believers, of which there are many even today. Those who are in that very delicate state where you are sometimes not really sure whether they are fully disciples of Christ or not. The “weak” refers to those who are so vulnerable that the slightest knock could throw them off beam. In short, they have a very undeveloped faith.

When he speaks about “winning the weak” he does not mean it in the same way as “winning” the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles to Christ. He means winning them in the sense of confirming them in, and reassuring them of, their professed conversion — bringing them in fully — so that they don’t go out of the church and backslide into their former ways.

How careful we have to be with fledgling believers. One moment accommodating ourselves to their weaknesses, the next perhaps gently chiding them into the right way. When I think back to my own very early Christian life in the mid-1980s, I remember with gratitude the way in which kind Christians (thank you Paul, Malcolm, Anthony and Diana et al) quietly received me into their fellowships, tolerating my rough edges which took some time to get straightened out. They didn’t ram things down my throat or start reading the riot act to me about my hair and my dress code, my “eclectic” library, my still somewhat hippy ways, my relationships or my ignorance. They gently led in loving servanthood so that I would see for myself what was necessary and what was not. That takes wisdom. They became “as weak” to the weak.

So Paul became “as weak” to the weak. How? Primarily, by not scandalizing them, or by not making a big deal out of things which are merely a matter of individual conscience. Paul says: “Receive one who is weak in the faith, without quarrelling over disputable matters” (Letter to the Romans, chapter 14, verse 1). In other words, don’t get involved in contentions over things on which believers can safely agree to differ without any spiritual harm coming to either party.

In his Letter to the Romans, chapter 14, Paul cites such examples as the keeping of special days and vegetarianism. Whether one kept days or not was immaterial, says Paul. Don’t get involved in disputes about such things. People of weak faith may need to keep such days or eschew meat, because their conscience tells them so. But they are “doubtful things”, indifferent, of no real significance one way or the other. So don’t burden the weak believer about things which are indifferent. There must be no despising and no judging about such things for they are matters of individual conscience: “The one who eats everything must not belittle the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted him” (Letter to the Romans, chapter 14, verse 3). We have to be very careful how we handle “the weak”. We who may be stronger have to adapt our behaviour in front of them. This is paramount. It is not compromise but accommodation.

We can see another aspect of this carefulness and adaptation in the First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verses 9-13:

“Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. By sinning against your brothers in this way and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble”.

First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verses 9-13

Do you see what Paul is saying here? He cites the example of believers who didn’t have any problem with eating meat at social gatherings which might have previously passed through sacrifice in a heathen temple. Technically speaking, they were right. The meat itself wasn’t spiritually contaminated for to believe that would be superstitious and without any foundation. It’s just meat. After all, “an idol is nothing at all in the world” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 4).

However, Paul brings a couple of considerations before their eyes. First, they must put love as a priority rather than feeling “cool” because they are free from superstition (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verses 1-2). They may realise that they have that liberty but it is morally unacceptable if it is at the expense of others who are weaker than themselves and who don’t have their knowledge (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 7). This leads on to the fact, second, that our liberty must not be allowed to become a stumbling-block to those weaker in faith than ourselves (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 9). That is the principle here. For although we may do something with a clear conscience, if weaker believers see us, they may feel obliged to join us in the practice, even though it goes against their conscience. They might even get into idolatrous practices because of their weakness.

So Paul says: “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to stumble” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 13). This was precisely Paul’s point in our sermon text from First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9. He says: “Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 19). Freedom in Christ, although our right, means nothing if it does not lead on to servanthood and the fulfilment of love. In the interests of other, weaker brethren, we may opt to limit our freedom when in front of them.

It was in these ways that Paul became “as weak” to the weak. He accommodated himself to them, without compromise, as a mark of servanthood and love.

IV. WHAT UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES CAN WE NOW APPLY?

1. We must do everything we can to avoid causing unnecessary offence to people who are the focus of our evangelism

The accent here is on the word “unnecessary”. The Gospel is enough of a stumbling-block in itself, so do not let us create any more by the manner in which we present it. Our approach to unbelievers and the weak in faith must be accommodating to their ignorance. Our evangelistic manner must not have a trace of ranting or be viciously accusative and unrelenting. That kind of preaching is not a pretty sight.

This means that we must present the gospel in a clear and comprehensible manner. We must not obscure the Gospel behind heavy theology. That can come later, if needed. People do not need to know about the written complexities of Augustine’s doctrine of the Trinity or become embroiled in a debate on Pelagianism or Monophysitism in order to get into the kingdom of God! Of course, once they are in the Kingdom, they will naturally want to deepen their understanding of Church History and theology, and to broaden their knowledge and their faith. But remember this: to become a “babe in Christ”, one doesn’t need to have a Ph.D. or Masters Degree in Theology.

As it is, people will often already be offended by us when we merely present the truth. That is only to be expected. We cannot avoid that. But we must still do everything we can to avoid causing unnecessary or superfluous offence to people who are the focus of our evangelism.

Another universal principle involved in becoming all things to all men is that

2. We must deal with people where we find them

In fact this is precisely how Christ deals with us!

If I think back to the time when I was being saved by the Lord. He never took the attitude “I’m not going to have anything whatsoever to do with this man until he becomes a sinless perfectionist”! No. For God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Letter to the Romans, chapter 5, verse 8). And we, too, must meet people where they are.

For example, if a couple comes into your fellowship dressed in the most outlandish clothes you’ve ever seen with piercings in every conceivable part of their anatomy, what do you say to them? How do you behave towards them? Do you give off bad vibes and blow them away? Do you “tut-tut” to others about the state of these seeking people?

If you’re doing door-to-door evangelism, and you come to a house which you know is inhabited by a bunch of dope-smoking, fornicating, cohabiting bikers who are in and out of prison for acts of Grievous Bodily Harm, do you pass by the house because it’s too unclean for you to meet with them? Do you stand on the doorstep and coldly repudiate them for their behaviour? Not at all. Remember, you are there faced with the glorious, seemingly impossible task of winning them to Christ. For we cannot say that we have done our evangelistic duty until we have got alongside people in some way — met them exactly where they are, without fear and without superfluous judgementalism.

This should also be the case with all Christians who should be generous-hearted with the light which they have had entrusted to them — just as Christ did with prostitutes and every other kind of wayward human. He was God and He came as a servant to save. Isn’t our example there? This is surely a beautifully deliberate reversal on the part of God in sending His Son (the King of Kings) to earth as a servant, in complete contrast to Satan, who was created as a servant of humankind (Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 1, verse 14) and who subsequently rebelled against that and set himself up as God. Satan stands everything on its head.

Isn’t Christ’s example the most powerful one we could have. He met the world where it was: fallen, rebellious, scoffing — but nevertheless desperately in need. We must meet people where they are, without compromise but always accommodating with spiritual generosity.

However, that having been said, another universal principle involved in becoming all things to all people is that

3. In all our efforts to evangelise, no matter how much we accommodate the weaknesses of others, we must never violate the Holiness of God

“Not being without law toward God, but in law toward Christ” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 21).

Nothing which Paul did in order to become “as a Jew” to the Jews, or “as one without law” to those without law, or “as weak” to the weak involved anything sinful. Indeed, when becoming as a Jew to the Jews the things he did were essentially holy.

How careful we have to be when following this pathway of identification and accommodation for the purposes of evangelism that we don’t find ourselves involved in something sinful in order to win people for Christ, which of course would be a contradiction in terms.

We see this principle exemplified in the Letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, verse 1: ” Brothers, if someone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted”. That is the true context of adapting ourselves to people’s differing needs and circumstances. It does not mean that we have to go off and attempt to impersonate people or lead the lives they are leading or prostitute the Gospel by presenting things to them which we think will appeal to them but which are in reality sinful or utterly superfluous.

The all-too-common approach to evangelism is that we must attract people with things which they normally do in life in order to win them to Christ. For example, I have heard of fashion shows, Multi-Media Shows with Lasers, heavy rock concerts, clowning, the showing of soap opera videos in evangelistic settings. The justification is that this caters to people’s felt-needs and thus provides a point of contact. We hear much about how we must discover people’s “felt-needs” in order to be “relevant” to them. However, true evangelism must involve ministering to people’s real needs rather than pandering to their “felt needs”.

Another universal principle involved in becoming all things to all people is that

4. In all our efforts to evangelise, no matter how much we accommodate the weaknesses of others, we must never compromise the gospel

Here we must highlight the difference between “accommodation” and “compromise”. Accommodation furthers the truth; compromise erodes or even negates it. Let’s go into this a little.

We welcome unbelievers in our fellowships; we encourage unbelievers to come to us; but the temptation is to forget that worship is designed for believers — although we can still welcome unbelievers to join us and see where we’re at.

If one isn’t careful one finds that in order to avoid putting off the unbeliever (which at its most basic is a noble desire) we begin to pander to them to such an extent that we wind up with a service which is providing entertainment for the goats rather than food for the sheep! Isn’t this what has happened so much today? That is compromise rather than accommodation. Accommodation furthers the truth; compromise erodes or even negates it.

Another universal principle involved in becoming all things to all people is that

5. We should work out our accommodations on a case-by-case basis

We can see this clearly in the behaviour of the Apostles. When dealing with Jewish people, they were willing to partake in some Jewish ceremony (which was still specifically appropriate in 45AD); but when dealing with the false apostles or adversaries of the free grace of Christ from among the Jews — Judaisers who wanted to restore the Old Covenant — they withstood them 100%.

For example, Paul was willing for Timothy to be circumcised so as to win the weaker Jews (Book of Acts, chapter 16, verse 3). He knew that circumcision or uncircumcision availed nothing one way or the other, and he certainly knew that it was not a sign of the New Covenant in Christ. So, in order to further the mission of the Gospel among the Jews, he permitted Timothy to be circumcised. However, when dealing with the Judaisers in Galatia — who weren’t weak Jews but powerful heretics who sought to undo everything that Christ stands for — he was completely unwilling for Titus to be circumcised so as not to give them any leeway whatsoever (Letter to the Galatians, chapter 2, verses 3-5).

This is not to say that ‘circumcision or not’ is part of our consideration today in terms of evangelism. Not at all! But it was a consideration in 45AD, before the temple had been destroyed and before “Judaism had been given a decent burial” (quoting from Turretin above). It is the principle which is of importance: That everything is weighed on a case-by-case basis in order to ascertain how it is best to achieve a real hope of evangelistic success.

We see here the enormous importance of being flexible and working things out on a case-by-case basis. We can now see how Paul became all things to all people. This is really all about a test of how much we care about people’s souls.

A final concern regarding the limits of our evangelism is

V. THE CONTENT AND NATURE OF THE GOSPEL

This is the same Gospel for which Paul became all things to all people in order to win them for Christ. The content and nature of the Gospel dictates that:

1. We Must Only Preach a Crucified Christ

“Jews demand signs and Greeks search for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength”.

First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 22-25

He did not say: Jews request miraculous signs therefore we’d better cook some up — which is what an increasing number of evangelists are doing today in their efforts to impress the world, amass power and accumulate a very wealthy ministry with their huckster “healings” and “miracles”. He did not say: “Greeks look for wisdom so let’s get genned up on rhetoric and schooled in philosophy”. Just as today he wouldn’t say, “Young people love rock music and light-shows, so let’s give it to them”. He would NOT say: “People just love “Neighbours”, “Coronation Street”, and “Fame Academy” so let’s hold a video to get them in”. He would NOT have said in his own day: “These Greeks are really into gymnasia and the development of the body, so let’s make sure the next Mr. Universe contest is held in the church at Ephesus”.

Why do people feel the need to dress up the Gospel, or exchange it for another Gospel? Main reason: Because they do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.

Paul says: “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2, verse 2). “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!” (Letter to the Galatians, chapter 1, verse 8). “As for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Letter to the Galatians, chapter 6, verse 14).

The content of the Gospel is Christ Crucified. Thus, presenting the Gospel means painting a scriptural picture of Christ. That is our work — to paint the picture of Christ before them. That is the role of the preacher. That is the nature of the proclamation. We do not need to change the message so as not to offend. To some we will be the sweet aroma of Christ, to others we will be an odour of death and demise:

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us triumphantly as captives in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one, we are an odour of death and demise; to the other, a fragrance that brings life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ”.

Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 2,  verses 14-17

The content and nature of the Gospel dictates that:

2. We Have to Take Account of the Manner in which God Calls People to Himself

The Bible clearly shows that is God Himself who creates believers (e.g. Rom.9:15-16; Eph.2:4-9). We cannot force God’s hand by pandering to people’s “felt-needs”. It is God Himself who creates believers. How does He do this? There are a couple of verses in the Scriptures which we can call the Golden Chain of Redemption:

“For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified”.

Letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 29-30

Another way of putting that is to say ”No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (Gospel of John, chapter 6, verse 44). This is a magnetic, utterly irresistible process. You see, we don’t need to try all kinds of humanistic tricks to get people into the Kingdom. Jesus says that His sheep will definitely ”hear His voice” (Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 27). This is why we must rely solely on the power of God working through our evangelism to bring souls to Himself. “To those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 24-25).

People fail to realise that the Lord always honours faithful preaching and teaching. It may not be as grandly or as numerical as we want it to be. It may not be in the manner or timing in which we would like it to be. But honour it He does. Of that we can be assured. In describing the work of the Gospel, Paul says:

“What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role. I planted the seed and Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow”.

First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 3, verses 5-7

If we do not take into account the effectiveness of the call of the Gospel through us in its ability to call out those who are His, then we will fall into all sorts of silly errors when it comes to evangelism. And is this not what has happened?

CONCLUSION

If a person is a genuine “seeker” — who is genuinely seeking the Lord and the way of truth rather than being one who is merely seeking an experience — he will dance to no other tune than God’s own. Jesus said: ”My sheep will hear My voice” (Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 27). It is His tune, His voice, that the genuine seeker is listening for. The genuine seeker will dance to no other tune than God’s own.

However, the tune which the modern-day “seeker-sensitive” services are playing is that of the hypocrite, the “seed-picker”, the one who is always seeking ‘who-knows-what’ but never coming to a knowledge of the truth. In general, so-called “seeker-sensitive” services do not present people with an objective experience of divine truth, but instead they are merely holding up a mirror to the world. Such an approach is based on a fundamental misunderstanding on two fronts: first, there is a complete lack of insight into the psychology of the genuine seeker; second, there is a wholly deficient understanding of the work of God in salvation.

We have to get the balance right in terms of our evangelism. On the one hand, we must always seek to get alongside people who are strangers to Christ with compassion. The Lord Himself was in the company of sinners of all kinds, including prostitutes. But He did not become a prostitute himself, or submit to sin in any way, or compromise the fullness of His teaching — and neither should we.

He approached Nicodemus (Gospel of John, chapter 3) very differently to how he approached the Samaritan woman at the well (Gospel of John, chapter 4). He approached the ignorant common people very differently to how He approached the Pharisees. In all our efforts to come alongside others, we must only partake in their activities so long as they do not compromise the dignity and integrity of the Gospel.

The main problem today is that the large majority of believers do not know the Scriptures or the true power of God. They have become so used to generating their own ideas about “power evangelism” and peddling false gospels based almost exclusively on subjective experience. They do not want to go deeply into anything. They do not want to feel uncomfortable. Neither do they want anyone else to feel uncomfortable, even with the power of the gospel. Do they not realise that the pure Gospel is a power unto itself and has been devised that way by the Lord? Becoming all things to all people, that I might by all means save some is the noblest of servant teachings you can find. But it should be peppered with caution so that we don’t start to peddle the Word of God. When we speak the truth about Christ to unbelievers, we are both the “aroma of death” and the “aroma of life”, and it is “only God who makes things grow” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 7)

There is a condemnatory element in the Gospel which finds its fulfilment in all those who disbelieve and refuse it absolutely. And there is a salvific element in the Gospel which finds its fulfilment in all those who believe and accept it absolutely. It is a grave responsibility. That is our ministry. It needs no bells or whistles. It needs no gimmicks or frills. It carries its own power and it does its own work. Only those who have no understanding of the power of God would need to use tricks and gimmicks to attract people — like advertising people designing the box for some cereal or soapflakes.

There are limits to our adaptation to differing circumstances and in accommodation of the weak and ignorant. We must be sensitive when we become all things to all people so that it is never at the expense of the integrity and holiness intrinsic to that Gospel.

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© Copyright, Alan Morrison, 2023
[The copyright on my works is merely to protect them from any wanton plagiarism which could result in undesirable changes (as has actually happened!). Readers are free to reproduce my work, so long as it is in the same format and with the exact same content and its origin is acknowledged]