1 Corinthians 9:21, I Might Gain them That Are Without Law

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.

Charles Ryrie writes: “Paul is not demonstrating two-facedness or multi-facedness, but rather he is testifying of a constant, restrictive self-discipline in order to be able to serve all sorts of men. Just as a narrowly channeled stream is more powerful than an unbounded marshy swamp, so restricted liberty results in more powerful testimony for Christ.”

When the Apostle Paul was reaching out to the gentiles in Asia Minor, he did not insist that the gentiles keep the ceremonial laws of the Jews especially the rite of circumcision, rather salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

At the Jerusalem council in Acts 15, the decision was that the Gentiles need not be circumcised and follow the ceremonial laws of Moses except these:

(1) Abstain from meat offered to idols

(2) Abstain from eating blood

(3) Abstain from eating animals which are strangled

(4) Abstain from fornication (Acts 15:20, 29).

The Apostle Paul and Barnabas were authorised by the church in Jersusalem to disseminate this binding agreement to all the Christian churches that is binding till today. Amen.