By James Riley Strange, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religion, Samford University
Life on Mission
1 Corinthians 9:19–27
Today’s passage comes in a section of 1 Corinthians in which Paul uses elements of the Greek rhetorical style called “diatribe.”
This is not a tirade or rant but a kind of teaching in which the author often changes personas, asks rhetorical questions, abruptly shifts topics and uses stock illustrations like the athletic contests of 24–27.
Step into the shoes of others to share Christ. (19–23)
By all indications Paul remained an observant Jew after becoming a follower of Christ.
In Galatians and Romans he will argue that Gentiles who are “in Christ” do not keep Torah: they do not circumcise their males, keep kosher dietary laws or observe the Sabbath.
Nowhere, however, does Paul say that Jews, even Jewish followers of Christ, are not to keep Torah.
“I have made myself a slave to all” probably refers to Paul’s attentiveness to the welfare of others. “I became as a Jew” to his ability to debate Jewish law and “I became as one outside the law” (i.e. a Gentile) to his ability to use Greek rhetorical genres as he is doing here.
“Weak” may refer to those whose understanding of Christian practices is easily shaken and confused (see the discussion in 10:14–11:1).
Paul is not pretending to be someone he isn’t but speaks of his ability to communicate to different groups of people in ways they will understand.
Sharing Christ takes discipline and self-denial. (24–27)
Paul uses two athletic images that are well-known in Roman moral writings. Foot racing and boxing would have been part of the education of a young Roman man of high birth, but Paul doesn’t indicate that he or his readers actually competed any more than a pastor’s use of a baseball metaphor in a sermon means that he or she played shortstop.
Paul says only one person wins a race but then shifts to the plural to encourage the readers to compete: “Run in such a way that you [plural] may win it.”
This prize is not limited to one but is offered to all.
But what prize does Paul have in mind? He is talking about two things.
In verse 19, Paul talks about his ministry of proclaiming Christ in such a way that people experience and respond to God’s grace.
“Win the wreath” looks like a reference to people becoming followers of Christ.
The second is the “imperishable” wreath of verse 25, which is a reference to the “spiritual body” with which Christ’s followers will be resurrected (see Chap. 15). In this case winning refers to participating in the resurrection of the dead when Christ returns.
In 2 Corinthians, Paul refers to the beatings, imprisonments and other sufferings he has endured in his ministry (2 Cor. 11:24–28).
For Paul the proclamation of the gospel really was a physical trial.
To share Christ we may often need to step outside of our own comfort zone. But we can bring the message of Christ to others in the culture in which they live.
It is difficult to read these passages without comparing our own efforts to Paul’s. We might despair of rising to the example he set.
Rather than feeling despair let us be encouraged that we can do difficult things in the service of Christ.
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