1 Corinthians 9:19 – free & slave

For, being free of all, I enslave myself to all, that I should be gaining the more.

Paul was a free man against people. And he values that freedom. For, he who pays the piper calls the tune.

If Paul should receive a salary for his work, he should be held responsible to his payers. Surely, he who pays is in charge. Being independent of the judgement of others is crucial, for all is just about the truth of the Evangel. Not what people think about it. In Galatians 1: 10 Paul writes that if he should please men, he should not be a slave of Christ. Hence black-and-white.

But for Paul this independence of people doesn’t mean carelessness for people. On the contrary, for the Evangel is indeed “not in accord with man” (Galatians 1: 11), but it is on behalf of man. Paul’s entire life is focussed on reaching people with the Evangel! And for that aim he effaced himself completely. If we speak about “gain’, Paul seems to say, for me only this gain counts: gaining as much as possible people for the Evangel!

Delen: