Freedom and Service – 1 Corinthians 9:15-27

Army veteran Pete Ramirez died this Memorial Day weekend, a fitting time according to his family, as this was his favorite holiday.  He was committed to serving all who were veterans, regardless of the military branch they served in.  He received accolades from his family and fellow veterans for a life of service.  Paul has to talk about himself and his life of service, something he did only to serve the need of the Corinthians about how to utilize their freedom in Christ.

But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.  (1 Corinthians 9:15-27 ESV)

Paul elaborates on his relinquishing of his right to receive income from the Corinthians.  He did not always do so, but with the Corinthians he felt he had to lest they think he preached the gospel for any other reason than its claim on his life.  He was under obligation to the gospel stewardship God had given him and his reward would come from God.

And though he was free from all people he had made himself a servant of all people in order to win them to Christ.  He lived as a Jew to win them.  He lived in some ways as a Gentile in order to win them.  He was under the law of God or Christ and his servitude included serving the weak in conscience and becoming like them in his practices (such as abstaining from meat offered to idols).  He was in a race, so to speak, and had to discipline himself to win it.  He submitted to the needs of others to reach them for Christ because to do otherwise would disqualify him from the “race.”

The Corinthians must adopt the same posture and so must we.  We too are under obligation to the gospel that redeemed us, to win others, to save some so they might share in its blessings with us.