We all wear social masks from time to time. We pretend to be someone we are not. We try to fool others into thinking we are someone whom we are not. And at first reading of this passage we could easily see Paul being one of those “posers,” one of those people who act a certain way to try to fit in.
This is especially true if we look at some of the earlier verses (1 Corinthians 9:20-21). Paul says he became like a Jew to win the Jews. To win over those who were strict adherents to Hebrew law he became like one who obeyed the law. And likewise, to win those who ignored the law he became like them.
What other behavior does Paul speak of? Why did he do all this?
While the words Paul uses to talk about how he went about winning souls for Christ may appear to be the complete opposite of being real and genuine with people, I wonder if perhaps the word choice Paul has is misleading. Knowing what we do of Paul it is hard to imagine that he would compromise his principles, that he would become lawless and weak, that he would pretend to be a certain person.
Instead I wonder if what he meant was that he was willing to accept these other types of people so that he might be able to share the Gospel with them. Is it possible that Paul did not actually become a lawless person or become a weak person, but rather he accepted these people where they were?
Perhaps Paul “became” like all of these different groups of people by simply existing within their circle of community. And perhaps he “became” like these people by accepting who they were and not judging them.
If we will be honest and open for our faith we must determine how it is we will interact with others. If we will be genuine, loving Christians we cannot sit in judgment of others. We cannot feel that we are above the other people. Rather, we must be honest with them, but also be accepting of them where they exist in their own faith and life.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you honestly accept others?
