February 4, 2024
1 Corinthians 9:15-27
“Compulsive Passion”
Service Overview: While Paul had rights he could exercise, his passion for advancing the Gospel led him to forfeit those rights in order to remain laser-focused and effective regarding the mission at hand; that of saving souls.
Memory Verse for the Week:
“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” 1 Corinthians 9:19 (NIV)
Background Insights:
- In that day, the Greek cities were filled with all kinds of itinerant teachers and preachers, most of whom were out to make money. Not only had Paul refused to use the kind of oratory and arguments that these teachers used (1 Cor. 2:1–5), but he also refused to accept money from those to whom he ministered. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Wise, 115)
- [Paul’s] ethnic identity as a Jew was . . . no longer the primary reality in his life; Paul identified himself first and foremost as a Christian.” Yet “Paul adapted, living as a Jew when with the Jews in order to win them” (Thomas Schreiner, 1 Corinthians, 190–91)
- (v. 22) “The weak” refers to those with a weak conscience, a subject Paul had discussed in chapter 8. (Grant R. Osborne, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 127)
- In verses 24–26a, Paul reminds the Corinthians that not all who run in a race receive the prize for first-place—a “crown” (actually a pine wreath) that “will not last” (literally, “corruptible”). He does not want any of the members of his church to fail to get their spiritual and incorruptible crowns. Because this is an analogy, we must not press the correspondence too far. Paul scarcely imagines that there will be only one faithful Christian on Judgment Day! But he is aware that some who begin the race of fulfilling their commission may not complete it and thereby be disqualified (v. 27). So too he likens his struggle to a boxer who dare not shadow box or miss too many punches if he intends to knock out his opponent (v. 26b). (Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, 247)
- Paul’s use of this imagery is inspired by the Isthmian Games, the great athletic festival held at Corinth every two years; the Corinthians would find Paul’s depictions of the runner and the boxer familiar, vivid, and compelling. Even his reference to the athlete’s “perishable wreath” (v. 25) is illuminated by the fact that the victory wreath at the Isthmian Games was made of withered celery (Murphy-O’Connor, St. Paul’s Corinth, 17, 101). Paul is saying, “If these athletes push themselves to the limit in training to win that pathetic crown of withered vegetables, how much more should we maintain self-discipline for the sake of an imperishable crown?” (Richard B. Hays, First Corinthians, 155)
- He sees faithful gospel proclamation as a life-or-death issue for himself. So great is this burden, he tells us, that he must preach the gospel. There is no choice. (Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians, 181)
What about Paul demands our attention and respect here?
- The compulsion he’s under to share the gospel.
(vv. 15-18 | Ps. 73:25-26; Prov. 4:25; Is. 6:8; Mat. 6:21; Phil. 3:12-14; Colossians 3:2)
Paul willingly set aside his rights as an apostle, giving up the easier path of voluntary support for hard work, in order to bring more people in Corinth to the Lord. Paul was single-minded—his entire life was focused on advancing God’s kingdom. (Grant R. Osborne, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 124)
Christianity is a divine project of replacing inferior joys in inferior objects with superior joys in God Himself. (John Piper, Why I Love the Apostle Paul, 162)
Paul lives under a new and different law because he has a new and different understanding of his Lord. It is Christ! (Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians, 187)
- The versatility he deploys in order to be effective.
(vv. 19-23 | Matthew 28:19; Romans 1:16; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philemon 1:6; 1 Peter 3:15)
[Paul] accommodates himself to Corinthian pagans on morally neutral matters precisely in the hopes that more of them will come to faith in Christ that way. (Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, 249)
[Paul] would not … have tolerated the middle-class captivity of the church in the Western world. He would have been as active in evangelizing skinheads as undergraduates. He would have been as much at home talking of Christ in the bar or the open air as at the supper party. (Michael Green, To Corinth With Love, 96)
Everything that Paul does is aimed at winning as many people as possible to the gospel. He will adapt his behavior (not his message!) in whatever way necessary to achieve that end. (Richard B. Hays, First Corinthians, 153)
- The discipline he embraces to win the ultimate prize.
(vv. 24-27 | Prov. 12:1; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Timothy 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 12:1-3, 11)
Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind. (C.S. Lewis, Yours, Jack, 369)
Discipline means giving up the good and the better for the best. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Wise, 118)
Paul uses an athletic illustration to explain that not all Christians will be rewarded equally for the way they lived and invested their time, energy, and resources. (Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on 1 & 2 Corinthians, 138)
God is our greatest treasure, and our lives will count on earth only when we invest them in His kingdom for eternity. (David Platt, Counter Culture, 41)
Conclusion… How does a passage like this challenge and grow our faith?
A. When we embrace the fact that true freedom is realized in sacrifice and service, not selfishness.
(Matthew 20:28; Luke 6:38; John 13:12-14; Acts 20:35; Galatians 5:13-14; 1 Peter 4:10)
People imagine that dying to self makes one miserable. But it is just the opposite. It is the refusal to die to self that makes one miserable. The more we know of death with Him, the more we shall know of His life in us, and so the more of real peace and joy. (Roy Hession, The Calvary Road, 28)
Forsaking oneself for Christ’s sake is not an optional step of discipleship subsequent to conversion; it is the sine qua non of saving faith. (John MacArthur, The Gospel According to Jesus, 135)
When Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, it’s not just because wealth might be lost; it’s because wealth will always be lost. Either it leaves us while we live, or we leave it when we die. No exceptions… Realizing its value is temporary should radically affect our investment strategy… According to Jesus, storing up earthly treasures isn’t simply wrong. It’s just plain stupid. (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, 13-14)
B. As we learn to use tact in order to have lasting impact.
(2 Cor. 5:20; Col. 3:2; 1 Thes. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 3:11)
Paul never compromised the doctrines of Scripture, never changed God’s Word in order to make it more palatable to people in any given place. He never went against God’s law or his own conscience. In matters that did not violate any principle of God’s Word, however, Paul was willing to become like his audience in order to win them to Christ. (Grant R. Osborne, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 126)
Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new situation. Nor was Paul a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. He was an ambassador, not a politician! (Wiersbe, 117)
So ask yourself…
C. How am I winning right now? How can I be training to win better?
(Philippians 4:13; Colossians 3:23; 1 Timothy 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16; 2 Peter 1:5-10)
Paul wants us to begin well, run well, and finish well as soul-winners for Christ. It will require rigorous discipline, but we will see it was worth it in the end. (Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians, 191)
We must gladly surrender our rights and make ourselves servants of others so that we “win more” of them to our King. (Daniel L. Akin, Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians, 186)
Gospel Connection…
Jesus came to seek, serve, and save, and his followers are called to do the same.
(Ps. 96:3; Mat.4:19; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 10:2; 19:10; John 13:12-14; Rom. 6:23; 10:13-14; 2 Cor. 5:20)
Paul had one great goal in life: to glorify the Lord by winning the lost and building up the saints. To reach this goal, he was willing to pay any price. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Wise, 120)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- In 1 Corinthians 9:19, Paul states that he is free but also a slave. What does he mean?
- What does Paul mean when he says he is all things to all people? How is this different from being a people pleaser in a negative sense?
- What are appropriate ways for you to accommodate yourself to unbelievers for the sake of the gospel?
- What is the “race” Paul talks about, and how should a believer prepare for this race?
- In order to bend yourself for others, what must you believe about Jesus? What must you believe about yourself?
- In what ways is Jesus the supreme example of this passage’s teaching?
Quotes to note…
But isn’t it wrong to be motivated by reward? No, it isn’t. If it were wrong, Christ wouldn’t offer it to us as a motivation. Reward is His idea, not ours. (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, 39)
Paul had the right to eat whatever pleased him, but he gave up that right so that he might win the Jews. Paul revered the law (Rom. 7:12), but set that aside so that he might reach the lost Gentiles. He even identified himself with the legalistic weak Christians so that he might help them to grow. It was not compromise, but rather total abandonment to the higher law of love. (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Wise, 118)
The world’s religions and cultures include many such practices that at times may be intertwined with anti-Christian spirituality but that in many settings are not. These includes ceremonial foods, days, festivals, dress and grooming, forms of recreation, social functions, and so on. Where participating in any one of these would inherently compromise the gospel, Christians must refrain. Where abstaining would inappropriately distance believers from their non-Christian friends and neighbors, they should participate. (Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, 249)
By using the expression “under Christ’s law” (cf. Gal. 6:2) Paul does not mean that he has acquired a new legal code of commandments to obey (such as the teachings of Jesus); rather, he is asserting that the pattern of Christ’s self-sacrificial death on a cross has now become the normative pattern for his own existence. (Richard B. Hays, First Corinthians, 154)
Nobody wants to lose in the race of life. So, why do so many of us do things that are guaranteed to leave us empty-handed when Christ takes His seat and hands out heavenly rewards? (Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on 1 & 2 Corinthians, 140)
Self-denial is a practice which lies very near to the heart of true religion. Without its exercise there can be no conversion to Christ. Qualities most basic to a Christian frame of heart – notably humility and meekness – would dissolve without its active expression. (Walter Chantry, The Shadow of the Cross, 7)
True liberty consists exactly in self-determination in the direction of holiness. Man is never more free than when he moves consciously in the direction of God. (Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 548)
When you leave this world, will you be known as one who accumulated treasures on earth that you couldn’t keep? Or will you be recognized as one who invested treasures in heaven that you couldn’t lose? (Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle, 49)
It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day. (Matthew Henry)