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All Things, To All People

June 14, 2006

Have you ever seen the movie Mr. Holland's Opus? If so, you might remember the scene in the movie where the principal and vice principal question Mr. Holland's use of rock music in his music appreciation class. Mr. Holland defends his teaching methods and says he will use whatever music he can to teach his students to love music.

I think Christians, including pastors, teachers, and even parents should work to use whatever means necessary to teach our congregations, children, students, and even lost people to love God. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all of your heart, mind, and soul. To teach others to grow in their love for God is to teach them to obey the greatest commandment.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 - Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

It seems Mr. Holland and the apostle Paul had very similar styles. Though Mr. Holland's passion was for music in the movie, Paul's passion was for God. Paul's desire was that he would be able to reach some men with the gospel.

Paul explains that he he is a free man, but one who makes himself a slave to others in order to win them to Christ. I believe Jesus had the same attitude, while he was the King of the world he came as a servant to the people. Though people should have bowed before him, he knelt before men and washed their feet.

There is a sense of irony here. Paul says that though he is free from all men, he is still a servant of all men. Because of Paul's freedom he was able to set aside his own rights, privileges, and freedoms in order to serve people. Paul had the right to eat any meat he wanted as a gentile, but he gave up that right in order to witness to the Jews. He understood the people, their situations and beliefs, and he was willing to become what he needed to be in order to reach those who were lost.

We should be careful here to emphasis that this verse is not an excuse for ungodly living. It's a shame that many people will use this verse to justify their own ungodly lifestyle. It has been used and abused by many people in the world and made to mean what Paul never intended. Paul was not a chameleon who changed his message and methods with each new person, nor was he a compromiser who adjusted his message to please his audience. Paul didn't participate in sin with sinners in order to be on their level. You don't have to be a drunk to witness to an alcoholic. You don't have to purchase a prostitute to reach prostitues. That isn't the point of being all things to all people.

Paul worked to share the gospel with people in a way that did not offend others. In that day the laws and the covenants separated the Jews from the gentiles. Paul did not parade his freedom before the Jews, nor did he impose the Law on the Gentiles. He knew what they needed to hear. Paul new that the Gentiles did not know the law or God, so they needed to hear of the God of creation and who God was. He also new that Jews new God and the Law and could hear about the Patriarchs of the Old Testament. If someone, like the gentiles, has never heard of the bible or read it you can't go up to them and use words like salvation, being saved, faith, and so on because they won't understand. You can't talk to them about all the great things Moses did if they don't know who Moses is, so you have to start from the beginning, Paul new this and used such knowledge to the advantage of the gospel.

He wasn't changing his message in order to tell the people what they wanted to hear, he simply told them what they needed to hear, by which he became all things to all people. Paul followed the example of Christ and humbled himself to become the servant of all.

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