“And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; to them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22).
Here is the ruling law of the apostle Paul’s life. It was not spun like a mental web out of his head; but it issued with burning earnestness from a heart thoroughly devoted to God’s glory, Christ’s interests, and the blessing of his fellow-men, whether Jews or Gentile.
Would to God we pondered these precious words, written by the great spiritual diplomatist to the Corinthian saints, proud of their spiritual gifts, till we were, so to speak, imbued with the same consuming zeal, and willing to be anything, and do anything, for God’s glory, and to gain souls.
In reading through the Pauline epistles we can see what argumentative skill, what power of language, what a wonderful scope of truth was given by God to this man who was caught up to the third heaven. Yet with all this, his warmth of heart, his earnestness of prayer, tell of one who used not his great gifts to exalt himself, but consecrated them for others. How many of us, who possess not a tithe of Paul’s knowledge in the things of God, and know nothing of the journeyings, often in perils of water, robbers, countrymen, heathen, city, wilderness, sea, false brethren, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, &c., yet strut about in spiritual pride, looking down upon our fellow Christians entangled in the meshes of error, or drawn aside by the glamour of the world! How prone our hearts are to this! The greatest servant the Lord ever had, suited and adapted himself to circumstances and to people, so as to be of the greatest possible service to those he came in contact with. He never gave up a tittle of the truth, nor lowered the dignity of the gospel, nor took away the power and force of that which was divine. His care for God’s glory forbade that; yet, so far as he could, he studied those with whom he was brought in contact, and with rare skill ministered to them that which benefited them most.
When he entered a Jewish synagogue, his address would be very different from his preaching on Mars’ hill. No doubt he spoke differently to Lydia at the river’s bank, whose heart was ready to receive the truth, than he did to the money-loving Felix. To Agrippa he spoke as one knowing Jewish customs.
How strongly he addresses the Corinthian saints about the sin in their midst! In the second epistle he rejoices, and gives them every possible credit for the zeal his first had awakened in them. Many more instances might be brought forward. Truth is truth; yet truth, ministered at the wrong time and place, may do injury to souls. Meat given to a babe might choke it. May we all have spiritual wisdom to help and not hinder those around us. We remember one, who has gone to be with the Lord, saying, “The great thing is to help souls where they are.” Christians with knowledge and not wisdom do a great deal of harm. A wise person without much knowledge, on the other hand, can be of wonderful service. Paul tells the shrinking Timothy that “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7). The power without the love might lead me to be overbearing, and seek to rule my brother’s conscience. The love might degenerate into that which is merely human, and lead me only to give out that which would tickle the ears and please the fancy. But the sound mind keeps everything in its place.
To turn from the servant to his Master, what wonderful lessons we learn! How graciously He gained the confidence of the woman at the well! How He opens up the Scriptures concerning Himself to the two disciples on their road to Emmaus, preparing them thus for the manifestation of Himself in the breaking of bread. Divine adaptability was His, which drew the publicans and the sinners to the side of Him who was the Light of the world. Precious Saviour! And Paul got his adaptability from his Master. The way for us to acquire it is not to set our minds to manufacture it by the power of will, but so to be occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ, so to be in communion with Him, that insensibly to ourselves we drink in more of His spirit and learn His ways. Oh, to be more like Him! Then, instead of hindering and offending others by giving them that which is beyond their measure and capacity, we shall be able by His grace to help and draw them into closer bonds of fellowship with the Lord and with ourselves, and to know more of the truth.