Written by Don Byrd
All Thing's To All Men;
“For though I be free from
all men, yet have I made
myself servant unto all,
that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became
as a Jew, that I might gain the
Jews; to them that are under
the law, as under the law, that
I might gain them that are un-
der the law;
To them that are without
law, as without law, (being not
without law to God, but under
the law to Christ,) that I might
gain them that are without
law.
To the weak became I as weak,
that I might gain the weak: I
am made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save
some.
And this I do for the gospel’s
sake, that I might be partaker
thereof with you” (1 Corinthi-
ans 9:19-23).
The “in Christ” Perspective
It is obvious from the Old and New Testaments that the status of a person’s freedom was according to his birthing. If his parents were slaves he was born into slavery. If his parents were free then he was born into freedom. From verse 20
it is explicitly clear that Paul is not a Jew nor is he a Gentile. It is interesting to note that Paul who by natural birth was a Jew, born under the law, had to become “as” a Jew to win the Jew and become “as”underthe law to win those under the law.
What had happened that caused him to need to revert back to being a Jew if he was born a Jew? How could someone who was born a Jew no longer be a Jew? Is that possible? He encountered grace and the new birthing which perpetually changed Paul and everything associated with him. Confirmation: “But God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whomthe world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).
It is also obvious from Paul’s statements that he neither considered himself no longer a Jew nor Gentile.
He had to become as one without law, a non-Jew to win those without law. The interesting thing is he presently was not under the Mosaic Law nor was he without law because he said he had to become
these things to win those under these circumstances! (1 Corinthians 9:19-21) In his mind he had to become something that he was not to influence others. His new birth and abundance of revelations hadput him in a situation where he was
not like anything else on earth.
He was totally different from the Jews or Gentiles because he was a new creature. It is also obvious that the new birth usually does not have this kind of effect upon the believer (it should, but doesn’t). The new birth caused a radical change in the mind and heart of the apostle Paul that few have understood.
“And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this
freedom. And Paul said, But I was
free born” (Acts 22:28).
There are two methods of obtaining freedom in the above verse. It could be purchased with a great sum or it was
automatically obtained by a birthing. It is obvious that the latter is the easiest and best method.
The first method is because of what an individual does and the latter is because of who he is through a birthing.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
“And that because of false
brethren unawares brought in,
who came in privily to spy out
our liberty which we have in
Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage:” (Gala-
tians 2:4).
“Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not en-
tangled again with the yoke of
bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
“For, brethren, ye have been
called unto liberty; only use
not liberty for an occasion to
the flesh, but by love serve one
another” (Galatians 5:13).
“While they promise them
liberty, they themselves are
the servants of corruption: for
of whom a man is overcome,
of the same is he brought in
bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).
All Thing's To All Men;
“For though I be free from
all men, yet have I made
myself servant unto all,
that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became
as a Jew, that I might gain the
Jews; to them that are under
the law, as under the law, that
I might gain them that are un-
der the law;
To them that are without
law, as without law, (being not
without law to God, but under
the law to Christ,) that I might
gain them that are without
law.
To the weak became I as weak,
that I might gain the weak: I
am made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save
some.
And this I do for the gospel’s
sake, that I might be partaker
thereof with you” (1 Corinthi-
ans 9:19-23).
The “in Christ” Perspective
It is obvious from the Old and New Testaments that the status of a person’s freedom was according to his birthing. If his parents were slaves he was born into slavery. If his parents were free then he was born into freedom. From verse 20
it is explicitly clear that Paul is not a Jew nor is he a Gentile. It is interesting to note that Paul who by natural birth was a Jew, born under the law, had to become “as” a Jew to win the Jew and become “as”underthe law to win those under the law.
What had happened that caused him to need to revert back to being a Jew if he was born a Jew? How could someone who was born a Jew no longer be a Jew? Is that possible? He encountered grace and the new birthing which perpetually changed Paul and everything associated with him. Confirmation: “But God forbid
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whomthe world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Galatians 6:14).
It is also obvious from Paul’s statements that he neither considered himself no longer a Jew nor Gentile.
He had to become as one without law, a non-Jew to win those without law. The interesting thing is he presently was not under the Mosaic Law nor was he without law because he said he had to become
these things to win those under these circumstances! (1 Corinthians 9:19-21) In his mind he had to become something that he was not to influence others. His new birth and abundance of revelations hadput him in a situation where he was
not like anything else on earth.
He was totally different from the Jews or Gentiles because he was a new creature. It is also obvious that the new birth usually does not have this kind of effect upon the believer (it should, but doesn’t). The new birth caused a radical change in the mind and heart of the apostle Paul that few have understood.
“And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this
freedom. And Paul said, But I was
free born” (Acts 22:28).
There are two methods of obtaining freedom in the above verse. It could be purchased with a great sum or it was
automatically obtained by a birthing. It is obvious that the latter is the easiest and best method.
The first method is because of what an individual does and the latter is because of who he is through a birthing.
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
“And that because of false
brethren unawares brought in,
who came in privily to spy out
our liberty which we have in
Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage:” (Gala-
tians 2:4).
“Stand fast therefore in the
liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not en-
tangled again with the yoke of
bondage” (Galatians 5:1).
“For, brethren, ye have been
called unto liberty; only use
not liberty for an occasion to
the flesh, but by love serve one
another” (Galatians 5:13).
“While they promise them
liberty, they themselves are
the servants of corruption: for
of whom a man is overcome,
of the same is he brought in
bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).
