Win some
Thursday, 28 April, 2005
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.
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (ESV)
Here Paul expresses the stance which characterized his whole missionary career. Five times he employs the well-known missionary term kerdaino indicating that he aims to “gain” or “win” the many, that is, Jews, those under the law, those not under law and weak Christians (vv. 19-22), while in the general sentence of verse 22 he uses the more common synonym sozo (“save”). Although the verb to “win” has been taken to refer to Paul's goal of converting “as many as possible” (v. 10). including Jews and Gentiles (vv. 20-21), it cannot refer only to their conversion, since in verse 22 he speaks of his aim of winning “the weak,” a designation which should be understood of Christians (rather than non-Christians; cf. Rom. 5:6) whose consciences trouble them about matters which are not in themselves wrong (cf. 1 Cor 8). Paul's goal of winning Jews, Gentiles and weak Christians has to do with their full maturity in Christ and thus signifies winning them completely. To win Gentiles has to do with his ultimate purpose for them, namely, their being brought to perfection in Christ on the final day. Nothing short of this will fulfil Paul's ambitions for them. Similarly, his goal of winning “weak” Christians has to do with their full maturity and blamelessness at the second coming. On this interpretation kerdaino has a consistent meaning throughout the paragraph.
Andreas J. Köstenberger and Peter T. O'Brien, Salvation to the Ends of the Earth, New Studies in Biblical Theology, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 2001, p. 181.
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