1 Corinthians 9:19-22
All Things to All People

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

World English Bible

The Great Commission tells us to go and make disciples, and I believe Paul in this passage tells us how to make disciples. We are to reach people where they are, with their backgrounds, their preferences, their opinions, even in their sins, and present them with the gift of Grace. When some of these people accept that gift, they will begin a process of growth that will draw them away from their sins and enhance the unique glory that God has placed in the them.

Both the Bible and the history of the church tell of intolerance in communities of believers towards people who are different. Some of these historical expressions of discrimination have been brutal and horrible, but more pervasive exclusions continue among us that weaken the body of Christ and reinforce the secular world's opinions of Christians as narrow-minded and judgmental. Barriers to Christian fellowship that are placed in the way of potential believers hurt both those seeking souls and the Church.

I used to be saddened by the proliferation of churches and denominations, hoping for more unity among Christians, but I have changed my outlook as I consider the wonders that God continues to do with that diversity. I used to study to see if I could determine which denominational beliefs were closer to the Truth, but I now believe that just as "all have sinned and fallen short", so are all denominations merely human institutions that should be encouraging our growing relationship with God. Paul can strive to be "all things to all people", but even Paul could not achieve that goal, so he enthusiastically supported the evangelism of Apollos and Cephas elsewhere in his letter so that "by all means" people would find Christ. There is no place for competition between churches and denominations. We do not work to be more "successful" than each other—we each work to do our part as best we can for the Kingdom.

If we as a denomination, a church, or an individual fail, God will find other ways to do what we should have done, just as Jesus noted to the Pharisees on Palm Sunday that if the people didn't shout, the rocks would cry out. We cannot literally be all things to all people, and some seekers need the comfort of a different outlook and philosophy to give them root as they grow spiritually. We must embrace our differences and affirm the differences of others for the overall benefit of the Kingdom, so that we are encouraging those who are doing what we are not situated to do. We are all one holy Body.

The danger comes in how we view our uniqueness and our differences. Many groups have positioned themselves on evil beliefs that they failed to recognize —it doesn't take much research to find Christian leaders in the 19th century who justified the continuation of slavery. We can create human philosophies that unwittingly foster evil in the dogged pursuit of some other evil, just as in New Testament times the Pharisees created a choking legalism in response to the threat of idolatry. Every strong moral belief we hold contains this same threat of encouraging a different evil, particularly when we allow our devotion to Love to be distracted by other "good" causes. We are not called to "good"—we are called into relationship with God.

Paul's directive for how to reach the world cannot fully be met by philosophies or movements, even though the examples Paul provides are generalizations. To be all things to all people requires attention to each individual. In modern marketing terms, our message must be directed to "an audience of one", so that each person is given many opportunities to receive Grace. Every person we encounter is an "audience of one" for our message of Hope and Love, just as they are. We are not called to require unbelievers to come to us—we are called as the Body of Christ to use every option to reach them.