H
HIGHLIGHT: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27
Week of 6-18-17
19Although
I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to
everyone, in order to win more people. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win
Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not
under the law—to win those under the law. 21To those who are without that law,
like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to
win those without the law. 22To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak.
I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save
some. 23Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its
benefits.
24Don’t
you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the
prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25Now everyone who competes exercises
self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade
away, but we a crown that will never fade away. 26Therefore I do not run like one
who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. 27Instead, I discipline my body
and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not
be disqualified.
E
EXPLAIN
Leaders: Feel free to use any of the “Explain” materials to guide discussion as it is
needed or to expound on a certain area of the text as it comes up during your Life Group
time, but the purpose of this section is to deepen your own personal understanding of the
Word. Your members have access to all of this material as well.
Greeks had two world-famous athletic festivals: the Olympic Games and the Isthmian
Games. The second of these two festivals, the Isthmian Games, were held in Corinth—the
city to which Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. The athletes in these games would stick to
extremely strict training regimens so that they would be in the best possible shape to win
the prize at the end of them. Everybody in Corinth would have been familiar with these
games and the lengths to which the athletes devoted themselves to them, so Paul uses
them to draw out a bigger picture for the believers there: Athletes train day and night to
win a prize made of leaves; what are you doing to receive a prize that lasts forever?
v.19-23
In this complicatedly worded section, Paul lays out his missionary
principle: be “all things to all people.” Not to be confused with being a
people-pleaser for the sake of getting them to like him, being “all
things” was how Paul attempted to cater to the personal, cultural, or
religious patterns of the people to whom he was speaking—all for the
purpose of attempting to win them for the Gospel.
v.20
The “Jews” and “those under the law” are essentially the same. There
are two places in Scripture where we get a glimpse of what Paul is
talking about here: when he circumcised Timothy in Acts 16:3 and
when he underwent a seven-day Nazarite vow in Acts 21:20-26. Paul
circumcised Timothy not because circumcision is necessary for
salvation, but because if an uncircumcised Jew walked into a
synagogue, an instant barrier would be set up between Paul/Timothy
and those they were trying to win for the Gospel. Likewise, Paul’s
Nazarite vow in Acts 21 was not because taking the vow brought him
closer to God, it was a “political” move to help him bridge the gap
between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Jerusalem.
v.21
“Christ’s law” probably refers to two things: the principle of selfsacrifice (Mk 10:45. It is also consistent with the theme of selfdiscipline in this passage) and of love being the summary of God’s Law
(Mt. 22:37-40; Romans 13:8-10; Gal. 5:13-14). Paul was not
advocating submitting to Christ’s law because it is a duty; rather,
submission to His law proves your devotion to Him.
v.22
Being “all things to all people” is not a charge to be wishy-washy or a
people-pleaser. Instead, it demonstrates Paul’s desire to reach as many
as he can for Christ by adjusting how he delivers the message of the
Gospel.
v.24
Using athletic imagery was common in Greco-Roman literary circles of
the time because it was one nearly everybody understood. However,
while the Isthmian Games (which were held biennially in Corinth)
crowned only one victor, Christianity does not. It is not a competition.
Thus, Paul used this metaphor not to talk about the competition of the
games, but to illustrate what it takes to compete well.
vv.26-27
Paul’s main point in 1 Corinthians 8-10 is the necessity of self-control
and self-discipline, especially in the context of the freedom granted by
Jesus Christ. His comments on discipline are not to be tied to a
discussion about the doctrine of eternal security or the means of
salvation—salvation is God’s to give, and you receive it by grace alone
through faith alone. Still, there exists a tension between divine
sovereignty (John 10:28-30) and man’s responsibility (James 2:14-26).
Those whose prize is Jesus Christ will act in the way that their Lord has
commanded that they act—not because it will save them, but because
they have been saved.
A
APPLY
Your Leader Guide will have material that the member guides do not have. The bolded
material is what the people in your group will have, the other material is only for you to
help guide discussion.
This guide can be as strict a script or as general a resource as the leader needs it to
be.
1. What stuck out to you or challenged you in what you heard in the sermon or read
in the text?
2. Based on this passage, what do you think a believer’s main focus should be?
What are some things that distract us?
Those who have been saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ will find that their
entire worldview has been changed. Suddenly, they do not live to please self, but to
please their Lord. Therefore, the things that they want will be the things that their
Master wants. It should be the chief burden and joy of every believer’s heart to bring
the nations to Him, as well. This is not a call for every person to give up their lives and
go join the mission field, it is the declaration that where you are is a mission field.
That said, we run into things every day that can distract us, whether they be
temptations to sin or the illusion that our life here on earth is all that matters.
Remember: we are citizens of a kingdom that is not of this world; we are passersby and
foreigners in a land that needs desperately to learn of our King.
3. Why does Paul compare living a Christian life with that of an athlete? What is the
purpose of an athlete’s self-denial? How should self-denial (or self-control) look
in a Christian’s life?
Paul avoided things that were not necessarily bad in order to avoid being
“disqualified.” If we are doing something that lowers our effectiveness in the minds of
those we are trying to reach with the Gospel, we need to consider our motivation for
doing those things. Paul described in vv.19-23 how he became a servant to everyone
so that they might be saved.
Denying ourselves doesn’t just mean avoiding illegal activity or chasing temporal
pleasure; sometimes it means putting off something good for the sake of something
better. It is not bad for a husband to sit and read a book in the quiet of the living room.
But if doing so would make his wife feel under-valued, he has the joy of denying self
and actively loving her, instead.
Furthermore, many of us have the ability to display our impressive knowledge of sports
statistics or understanding of current events, neither of which is bad. But do we
display the same kind of tenacity when it comes to training ourselves for
righteousness? Self-discipline means intentionally pursuing the things that will make
us more effective tools for Jesus to use as He draws all people to Himself.
4. How is discipline different from legalism? How, specifically, can we discipline
ourselves to be better co-laborers for the Gospel?
Legalism is working to earn favor or a blessing from God for the betterment of yourself.
Discipline, like that which is seen in 1 Tim. 4, is working hard in order to achieve a
desired result. The difference is perspective: Legalism works for, discipline works from.
John Piper calls it the difference between duty and devotion. If we are devoted to Christ,
we will discipline ourselves so that we can better serve Him.
5. The Corinthians craved honor and fame from the athletic competitions, and proved
it by training themselves day and night to receive that prize. What prize do you
think the people around you are running for? What prize are you running for?
R
RESPOND
Challenge your group to respond either privately or corporately to this question:
•
•
What are you running for—something temporary or something eternal?
What is something you need to trim out of your life this week so that you can
be a better servant of others, that you “might win more of them” to Christ?
Encourage one another through email, text messages, or coffee dates throughout the
week to build up and encourage each other.