That I might save some

Paul wrote the following in Corinthians 9:19-23 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made 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 people 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.

He climaxes his statement by saying "I have become all things to all people  so that by all possible means I might save some."

Then he goes on to say "I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

The implication here is that if we don't become all things to all men (and women) then we are missing out on sharing the gospel and enjoying its blessings. What does it mean in 2015 to become all things to all men? What would the examples Paul might use today be, "To the liberals I have become liberal" "To the post-modern's I have become post-modern" From what it looks like to me Paul met people right where they were and He was not afraid to engage with anyone in any place. I think what we have tended to do is say "this is the gospel, take it or leave it" and when people leave it we just bracket them out and call them rebellious or whatever helps us sleep at night. Paul does something so fascinating in this text, on the one hand he acknowledges his freedom and yet he refers to himself as a slave, he was so compelled with the gospel he gave everything and he saw it as a joy. Perhaps we have been sold something far short of what Paul was referring to, perhaps we need to rethink our whole concept of salvation which to Paul was clearly more than just going somewhere better after death. Jesus described the Kingdom of God like a treasure, may we wake up and see the treasure that the gospel is, may we be so compelled with it that it would naturally overflow from our hearts, that we would take the time to become all things to all men and women, that we may win some.