This Sunday we are going to continue our study in the book of 1 Corinthians (Chapter 9:19-27) and we will be reading some fairly famous verses that Paul wrote. The verses start with a statement from Paul where he juxtaposes his freedom, (“with no master”), and his slavery (“to all people”). Those are clearly opposite statements and it leaves us pondering how both can be true.

He goes on to say that when he was with the Jews, he lived like a Jewish person. When he was with the Gentiles, he lived like a gentile person. Some people could perceive this as Paul being fake or disingenuous, but the fact that he proudly shares his choices tells us that this was all for a purpose. Why doesn’t Paul walk into those spaces with the rights and freedoms he possesses to show people how Christianity should look? Isn’t he one of our prime examples of how to live Christianity out?

It’s important to remember that when Paul went to preach about Jesus at the synagogues he was not met with open arms. He knew the risk, he knew the challenges, he knew the outward changes he had to make to be heard, and he knew the feeling of being beaten and bruised by those he once called family. He knew all those things and not only did he continue to share, he looked at the people he was writing to and asked them to do the same.

So where does this leave us in the polarized world that we live in today? In what ways can we exercise our freedom by choosing to be a slave to the people around us? How does this work in our effort to maintain healthy boundaries and remain honest about who we are at our deepest levels?

There is a lot to ponder in these verses and we invite you to join us this Sunday at 10:00 AM as we study and break down these verses together.

Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.