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1 Corinthians 9:19-22 – How To “Do” Evangelism
How to “Do” Evangelism
Good hearted people often ask, “How do I ‘do evangelism’?” 1 Corinthians 9:19-22 is one of the most important instructional texts in teaching “practical” evangelism. Other passages emphasize what to teach; here Paul emphasizes how to act. It is easy to interpret and know how to apply to the circumstances in the first century. I opine it is one of the most difficult to apply today.
Seeing it in chiastic form helps us focus on an important segment which I will develop more after the chiasm:
A – “FREE – SLAVE”: 19) For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all,
B – “GAIN MORE”: so that I may gain more.
C – “TO THE/THOSE”: 20) To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the Law, I became as one under the Law, though not being under the Law myself, so that I might gain those who are under the Law; 21) to those who are without the Law, I became as one without the Law,
D – “NOT WITHOUT THE LAW”: though not being without the law of God
E – “LAW OF CHRIST”: but under the law of Christ,
D’ – “WITHOUT THE LAW”: so that I might gain those who are without the Law.
C’ – “TO THE” 22) To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I have become all things to all people,
B’ – “SAVE SOME”: so that I may by all means save some.
A’ – “FELLOW PARTAKER” 23) I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
The center of this chiasm is “but under the law of Christ” (E). Commonly this phrase is interpreted to mean that when becoming all things to all men we can’t participate in what is sinful or contrary to the law of Christ.
If doing a chart on the “law of Christ” emphasizing, “Is it sinful or not?”, we can make these categories:
• Is it lawful or sinful?
• If sinful, then I can’t do it.
• If lawful, does it violate my conscience?
• If lawful and doesn’t violate my conscience, is it expedient?
• If lawful, doesn’t violate my conscience, and is expedient, then I can do it.
Here are some additional hard thoughts to contemplate:
• Does this mean I might do something that is not sinful, but some in my fellowship might think is, while doing evangelism? (Did Jesus Christ?)
• Does this mean I might hurt my reputation within my fellowship, while striving to help those not yet in God’s fellowship, while doing evangelism? (Did Jesus Christ?)
Again, the center of this chiasm is “but under the law of Christ” (E). I am sure that phrase is teaching we can’t do what is sinful in becoming all things to all men. But is that all? Is that even the main point? Could “the law of Christ” here include love, as in loving our neighbor as ourselves? That is the thrust of the “law” of Christ in Galatians 5:14; 6:2 (which also includes not sinning as the works of the flesh illustrate).
If we expand the “law of Christ” beyond only defining what is sinful, to include loving our neighbors, then we can expand the above chart:
• If lawful, but violates my conscience, am I willing to train my conscience, because I love my neighbor as myself so that then I can do it?
• If lawful, doesn’t violate my conscience, and is expedient, do I love my neighbor as myself to become all things to all men so that then I can do it?
In loving our neighbors as the law of Christ demands:
• Do I love my neighbor enough to study to know what is sinful or allowed?
• Do I love my neighbor enough to train my conscience?
• Do I love my neighbor enough to do what is expedient for THEM, even if not expedient for ME?
As everyone is an evangelist for Christ, we must:
• Know the law of Christ (i.e., right from wrong) so we can evangelize.
• Know oneself and our conscience so we can evangelize.
• Know it is imperative to train our conscience so we can evangelize.
• Know our neighbors so we can best help by becoming all things to all men so we can evangelize.
This is how to “do evangelism”. It isn’t easy and may take a lifetime to keep accomplishing it. May we all practice what Paul preached.
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