All Things to All People
"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22, NIV).
What does Paul mean when he says that he has "become all things to all [people]?" We can be confident that whatever his meaning, the apostle is not advocating compromise. He is not talking about changing the gospel, the doctrines, the ethics, or any of the truth of God's Word. He is talking about making these things as attractive and understandable as possible for different cultures.
Paul modeled this approach by using different methods to reach different people.
For example, in attempting to reach Jews, Paul would arrive in a city, visit the synagogue, and teach (see, for example, Acts 9:19-22, 13:14-16).
Read Acts 13:16-42. In his sermon, where does Paul's short overview of biblical history begin and end? To what authority does he appeal to prove that Jesus is the Messiah? What does this tell you about Paul's approach to Jewish people?
Read Acts 14:8-18. How does the way Paul talks to the pagans—who did not believe the Old Testament—differ from his speeches to the Jews?
Paul makes no appeal to Scripture as an authority (he does allude to the Old Testament in verse 15, but in the way he might quote a poet, not as an authority). Rather, he appeals to the natural world and the evidence that nature gives of a Creator God. And he points out the futility of worshiping idols. How far should we be willing to go in trying to reach people in their own culture? How can we avoid the dangers of going too far; that is, of compromising truth in our attempts to spread it?
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