All Things to All People

In 1 Cor. 9:19-22 Paul speaks of his ability to become all things to all people. Yes, Paul a 'Hebrew of Hebrews', a Pharisee with a zeal for the Law that few could match. According to Polhill, many of Paul's writings reflected his Pharisaic Torah training and sometimes he used Midrashic methods of intrepretion (31). Paul also reflected the teachings of the Jewish traditions of his time (32). He received a commission to persecute the early Christians for his zeal and became able to "breath out threats against the Lord's disciples" (see Acts 9:1). Where Paul grew up in Tarus, his education in Jerusalem and his Roman citizenship all lent to the widespread persecution he carried out. This also led to his ability to become all things to all people. After his conversion I believe it would of been easy for Paul to maintain this kind of self righteous attitude. To somehow see himself as better than the next because of who he is and the intellgence that he posessed. To top all of this off the Messiah appeared to him personally. Paul's attitude could of been completly different and instead of seeing himself as all things to all people he could of seen them as beneath him. Yet Paul did see himself as all things to all people. To the Jew he became a Jew, to the Greek a Greek, to the weak, weak. Paul was all these things yet did not hold any as better than the other. So I have to ask the question of myself. Have I so quickly forgotten the mercy and grace that God has shown me and become 'better than'? It is easy for us to become consumed in our own little WBC world that we forget to "...become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22). By all means necessary. So that all may know Him.

Michael Carpenter