I. Paul Set Aside His Rights For A Greater Goal Vs. 19-23
A. How Paul Set Aside His Rights Vs. 19-22a
1. V. 19a Paul knew his God given rights as a Christian, as a leader, and as a Roman citizen.
a. He had the marks of being an apostle and a church leader in the churches.
b. He was a Christian and was not bound to the cultural or religious demands of others.
c. His responses to people, and his actions were never done out of fear or peer pressure.
d. Paul wasn’t humanly obligated to put himself “under” anyone’s demands or expectations.
2. V. 19b Yet, Paul willingly often out himself “under” others, adapting to many various situations and cultures in order to
bring the Gospel to as many people as possible.
a. Paul “made himself a slave”. He agreed to put himself in situations and environments that he normally would not have been in. He was pliable and flexible.
b. Paul’s responses were not forced upon him, but he saw the advantages of temporarily “becoming” something other than his normal self, and he willingly adapted.
3. V. 20 The Jews were very careful to follow the Old Testament with its many laws and interpretations of God’s laws. The
Jews had 613 laws from God’s word that they were careful to follow, plus hundreds of additional interpretations.
a. Besides the 613 laws of the Old Testament, the hyper religious Jews added their own interpretations of those laws, which were called “the traditions of the elders”.
b. Exodus 20:8-10 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
c. The Jewish leaders added many interpretations of what it meant to keep the Sabbath holy, including not to carry a burden on the Sabbath, not even a handkerchief, unless one corner of it was sewn onto your garment. Lighting a candle was forbidden, as was traveling more than 2/3 of a mile from your home. Jews would carry a stool with them, leave it at
the 2/3 of a mile mark, and then travel another 2/3 of a mile.
d. The man-made additions to God’s laws made life burdensome, but Paul would go along with them if it allowed him to speak to a tradition keeping Jew.
e. Understand this: Paul would also argue against those traditions if someone was trying to say that they were essential for salvation. Paul would go along with them if it gave him access to share Christ, but he would argue against them re. the Gospel.
f. NOTE- Some Christians would try to argue about the needlessness of the traditions of men and would refuse to go along with them. They would claim their “freedom in Christ”, and refuse to be a part of those traditions. In doing so, they would lose the opportunity to present the Gospel.
4. V. 21 Paul was also flexible and adaptive to those who had no knowledge or care about the laws of God.
a. NOTE- Would we sit and chat with someone who used God’s name in vain, didn’t pray before a meal, and spoke rudely of other ethnicities, genders, or cultures?
b. Smith- “Paul sought to win people to Jesus Christ by being sensitive to their needs and identifying with them. We should try to reach people where they are today and expect to see changes later.”
5. V. 22a Weak- Paul was probably here referring to those who were weak in conscience.
a. They were those who would not eat the meat that had been sacrificed to idols.
B. Paul’s All-Encompassing Motivation Vs. 22b, 23
1. V. 22b Here we see Paul’s overarching attitude and desire for life: To see people saved.
a. Paul was willing to endure unneeded legalism or offensive ungodliness in order to have the opportunity to share the Gospel with people.
b. Application- As we consider your own life, how quickly might you pull away from people because of their traditions or differing religious views? How quickly might you pull away because of their ungodliness? How quickly might you dismiss them because of their cultural or political worldviews?
c. I am not saying that we sin with people. I am saying that we should not allow their sins to cause us to pull away because we have to momentarily live outside our as lifestyles, convictions and rights as followers of Christ.
2. V. 23 This was Paul’s great motivation.
II. What Is Your Overarching Goal? Vs. 24-27
A. Paul Gives Us Two Considerations V. 24
1. V. 24 He is comparing life to a race.
a. He says that we are all in the race, but perhaps not running with the intention of winning.
b. He has been talking about knowing your rights but giving them up for a higher goal.
c. Athletes have the right to eat junk food and not train.
d. They might insist on those rights, but they probably won’t accomplish much in the race.
e. Their coaches will tell them to give up the lesser thing to gain the greater thing.
f. The same is true for you spiritually. What will you give up to gain the greater goal?
g. Is you getting your rights the greater goal, or is sharing the Gospel the greater goal?
2. V. 25 Temperate- self-control, self-governing. Intentional living towards a goal.
a. Athletes do it for a trophy and notoriety. We do it for eternal reward
3. V. 26 Imagine a runner who trained for a marathon by running two miles per day. Imagine a boxer who shadow boxed but never hit a punching bag or sparred with live opponents. They can claim that they are training, but it is inadequate and will not prepare them for the challenge. Greater sacrifice is needed, great intentionality, greater commitment.
B. Paul’s Lifestyle Of Self-Discipline V. 27
1. We hear people say, “I’m training for a 5k run”.
a. For a time these people are more careful with diet, exercise, getting enough sleep, etc.
b. After the race has passed, they go back to a less careful lifestyle.
2. For the Christian, our entire life is a race. We are always to be living “so as to win”.
a. Our overarching goal of sharing Jesus isn’t seasonal, but constant.
3. “I discipline my body”-Paul say that his body desires will not be master over him, but his inner man will be the master over his body desires. Paul would keep the goal of preaching the Gospel forever in the forefront. That would determine his life choices.
4. “I should become disqualified”-This is not talking about someone losing their salvation, but of a the loss of reward due to insisting on remanding their rights and losing the opportunity to share Jesus with others, or edify others in the faith.
5. The Corinthians had asked, “How much can I insist on and still be a Christian”?
a. Paul said, “Do all you can to be the best Christian that you can”.
b. Being the best Christian that you can be comes by having the highest goal.
c. V. 23 This person is also the most fulfilled Christian. NIV- that I may share in its blessings