1 Corinthians 9:21
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 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 those outside the Jewish law he became as one outside it in order to win them, while remaining loyal to God under the law to Christ, changing his method without changing his loyalty or the truth. That loyalty meant giving up not one principle, refusing human sophistry and commandments of men as doctrine, and refusing to let love grow cold though wrongdoing increased. His careful choice of when and how to speak and his closeness to those he served was not deceit, compromise, abandonment of faith, or wavering, and his meeting people in custom and ceremony where he could did not alter the truth he taught. With Jews he began from the Scriptures they accepted, honoring the law and unfolding types and prophecies step by step until he could present Jesus as the Lamb of God, while with Gentiles he first preached Christ and God's love until hearts were softened and then presented the binding claims of the law as the test of obedience. The same wisdom still calls workers to fit themselves to people and place as far as conscience and God's law allow, withholding what would needlessly arouse prejudice, coming close by personal labor and common ground, and dwelling on Christ and practical godliness until conscience is awakened to receive the whole truth.
Paul's Meaning and Principle
To those outside the law Paul became as outside the law in order to gain those outside the law, especially those who did not live under the Jewish law, while remaining not lawless toward God but under law to Christ. He adapted his method to avoid needless prejudice and to help people receive the message, without compromising loyalty or truth. His discretion in deciding when and how to speak, and what to say and what to leave unsaid, was a way of seeking to gain hearers by meeting them where they were.
Remaining under the law to Christ means sacrificing not one jot of principle. It means refusing to be led away by sophistry and maxims of men, refusing to coincide with suppositions that teach the commandments of men as doctrine, and refusing to let love wax cold even when iniquity and transgression are in the ascendancy and advancing. It means retaining all zeal and earnestness while withholding features of faith whose expression would at once arouse prejudice in those to be reached.
That carefulness was not deception, compromise of mission, abandonment of faith, or vacillation, but firm groundedness in faith seeking as far as possible to become one with those served. In work among Jews he began with teachings they accepted, followed their customs where doing so served his mission, and set aside personal preferences to avoid needless offense and win them to the truth. Flexibility in manner of labor does not change the truth taught, for in matters of custom and ceremony he met people where they were and did not press nonessential practices in a way that would turn them from the truth, while still teaching the essential matters of faith.
Winning Jews and Gentiles
To those under the law he began with what they already accepted, meeting them as zealous in allegiance to the law of God and perfectly familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. He dwelt on the types and shadows that typified Christ, exalted Christ and His special work for humanity, and opened precious light from prophecies they had not yet seen. He gave due honor to the ceremonial law as instituted by Christ in the whole Jewish sacrificial economy and showed the importance of honoring the law of God. Where observing their customs served his mission he followed them and set aside personal preference to avoid needless offense, and this was not deception nor compromise of his mission.
He did not begin by telling them they must believe in Jesus of Nazareth, for that would at once stir prejudice and make enemies. Instead he led them step by step through Old Testament prophecies testifying of Christ, His mission and work, laying a foundation without offense. Then when spirits softened and hearts softened he could openly present Jesus Christ made flesh dwelling among men as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He brought them to the first advent and showed that every specification was fulfilled in the crucified Jesus.
To Gentiles and those without law he did not begin by exalting the law or presenting anything definite upon the law. He preached Christ as their only hope of salvation, as God's gift and costly sacrifice manifesting God's love and His love for Jew and Gentile in surrender of the heart. This warming presentation melted and subdued hearts until they were subdued. He shaped his method to avoid needless prejudice and help them receive the message while remaining accountable to God and subject to Christ's law.
After hearts were warmed by Christ he presented the law of God as the test of obedience and showed its binding claims upon every soul to the end of time. He led hearers through the stupendous love of God who spared not His Son to ask why such a sacrifice was required. Then he went back to the types and through the Old Testament revealing Christ in the law until they were converted to Christ and to the law. The light reflected from the cross of Calvary thus gave significance and glory to the whole Jewish economy.
In both cases he retained all zeal and earnestness yet withheld features of faith whose expression would at once arouse prejudice in those to be reached. He did not speak all truth at once but planned what to say and what to leave unsaid, laboring patiently and cautiously without at once attacking beliefs and provoking resistance or combativeness, so as to gain access to hearts. He approached those in error with caution and wisdom, agreeing with them wherever conscience permitted, respecting their honesty, and coming near enough for truth to benefit them. Attacking their beliefs at once provokes resistance and closes them off to evidence.
This is the wisdom from above which is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy, which sows righteousness in peace and by all means saves some for the gospel's sake. By this course he was successful to a large degree, though some will not be convinced by any method. Abrupt unskillful handling of the Word reaches neither Jew nor Gentile.
Applying the Principle Today
Missionaries are to accommodate themselves as much as possible to the field and to the circumstances of those for whom they labor, conforming to the practices of the people wherever those practices do not conflict with the law of God. The work cannot be done in the same way in all localities but must be guided by the Holy Spirit, since human effort cannot convince others of wrong traits of character, and the aim is to gain people rather than hinder the work or place stumbling blocks in the way of those who might accept the truth. For the Southern field this means not teaching people to work on Sunday but using Sunday as the very best opportunity to hold Sunday schools and to come to people in the simplest manner possible. There the approach is telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners, educating them in the Scriptures, and reaching all classes both white and black by interesting them in the life of Christ from childhood to manhood and through His ministry to the cross.
In entering new fields where people are not acquainted with the faith, the verse means not presenting the Sabbath first but dwelling on subjects that arouse the conscience, practical godliness, devotion and piety, and the self-denying, self-sacrificing life of Jesus as example. That presentation continues until people see the contrast with their own self-indulgent, unchristian lives, and then the prophecies are presented and the purity and binding claims of the law of God upon every soul to the end of time are shown. Where a community is already acquainted with the faith this cautious course need not be pursued. In every case the method means coming close to hearts by personal labor, avoiding running down the churches, giving no idea that the work is to tear down but to build up and to present the truth as it is in Jesus, dwelling much on the necessity of vital godliness.
Those entrusted with God's truth must take Christ's inspiring, authoritative and social life for example, cultivating the same beneficent spirit He possessed and the same broad plans of action in meeting men where they are. Like Christ they must not shun the society of fellow men but encourage it with the purpose of bestowing on others the heavenly benefits given them, ordering their intercourse with the world so as to keep a calm, hallowed peace. They are to gain a sacred and thorough knowledge of how to meet men with their prejudices where they are, finding common ground and agreeing with them wherever possible without denying the truth, rather than shutting themselves within four walls where light cannot reach others. This bears fruit that answers the lessons of Christ, is worthy of the truth professed, and reveals the wisdom and mercy of Christ, ministering the light, comfort and peace found in accepting God's truth. It includes a kind, generous spirit toward the poor and holding all possessions not as one's own but as lent in trust to advance Christ's cause on earth, since few will fight against those holy principles.