1 Corinthians 9:20

Contextual Overview

¹⁹ I am free. I belong to no other person, but I make myself a slave to everyone. I do this to help save as many people as I can. ¹⁹ For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. ¹⁹ For though I be fre from all men yet have I made my silfe servaunt vnto all men that I myght wynne the moo. ¹⁹ For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more. ¹⁹ Although I am free from all people, I made myself a slave to all of them to win more of them.Matthew 18:15; 1 Corinthians 9:1; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 3:1;">[xr] ¹⁹ For though I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may gain more. ¹⁹ I am free and belong to no one. But I make myself a slave to all people to win as many as I can. ¹⁹ For though I was free from all [men,] I became a slave to all, that I might gain the more. ¹⁹ For though I am free from all [men], yet I have made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more. ¹⁹ For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

unto: Acts 16:3, Acts 17:2, Acts 17:3, Acts 18:18, Acts 21:20-26

are under: Romans 3:19, Romans 6:14, Romans 6:15, Galatians 4:5, Galatians 4:21, Galatians 5:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 26:26 - bars of shittim wood Matthew 4:19 - I will Acts 21:24 - but Acts 21:26 - Then Romans 10:1 - my heart's Romans 11:14 - by 1 Corinthians 9:19 - that Galatians 2:3 - General Galatians 3:23 - under Galatians 4:12 - be Philippians 2:12 - own

Cross-References

Genesis 3:23
therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God forced Adam out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.

Genesis 3:23
Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
Therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
therefore the LORD God sent Adam away from the Garden of Eden, to till and cultivate the ground from which he was taken.

Genesis 3:23
And the Lord God sente hym out of paradijs of likyng, that he schulde worche the erthe, of which he was takun.

Genesis 3:23
Jehovah God sendeth him forth from the garden of Eden to serve the ground from which he hath been taken;

Genesis 3:23
Therefore the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And unto the Jews I became as a Jew,.... That is, in religion; or with respect to some religious observances peculiar to the Jews, for he himself was really a Jew by nature; who became as one unto them in this sense, when he for their sakes circumcised Timothy at Derbe, or Lystra, purified himself at Jerusalem, shaved his head at Cenchrea, observed their sabbath, and abstained from some sorts of food forbidden in the law; and his end in so doing was, not to confirm them in such usages, but that he might hereby have the greater influence over them, and by little and little bring them off of these things, or, as he says,

that I might gain the Jews; bring them over to Christ, and off of a dependence on their own righteousness, for justification before God:

to them that are under the law, as under the law; the Vulgate Latin version adds, "when I was not under the law", and so the Alexandrian copy and some others; by whom seem to be meant the same persons as before; though some have thought that the Samaritans are intended, and others the Sadducees: but if any as distinct from the former are designed, they should rather seem to be the converted Jews; who though they believed in Christ, looked upon themselves to be still under the law, and therefore observed it; with whom the apostle on certain occasions complied, as if he was under it too, that he might have the greater share in their affections and credit; hoping in time that by such means he might be able to prevail upon them to relinquish these things, and wholly attend to the Gospel and ordinances of Christ, or, as he says,

that I might gain them that are under the law; meaning the Jews, who were observers of the law of Moses.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And unto the Jews - In this verse, and the two following, Paul states more at length the conduct which he had exhibited, and to which he refers in 1 Corinthians 9:19. He had shown this conduct to all classes of people. He had preached much to his own countrymen, and had evinnced these principles there.

I became as a Jew - I complied with their rites, customs, prejudices, as far as I could with a good conscience. I did not needlessly offend them. I did not attack and oppose their views, when there was no danger that my conduct should be mistaken. For a full illustration of Paul’s conduct in this respect, and the principles which influenced him, see the notes on Acts 16:3; Acts 18:18; Acts 21:21-27; Acts 23:1-6.

To those that are under the law - This I understand as another form of saying that he conformed to the rites, customs, and even prejudices of the Jews. The phrase “under the law” means undoubtedly the law of Moses; and probably he here refers particularly to those Jews who lived in the land of Judea, as being more “immediately and entirely” under the law of Moses, than those who lived among the Gentiles.

As under the law - That is, I conformed to their rites and customs as far as I could do it. I did not violate them unnecessarily. I did not disregard them for the purpose of offending them; nor refuse to observe them when it could be done with a good conscience. There can be no doubt that Paul, when he was in Judea, submitted himself to the laws, and lived in conformity with them.

That I might gain - That I might obtain their confidence and affection. That I might not outrage their feelings, excite their prejudices, and provoke them to anger; and that I might thus have access to their minds, and be the means of converting them to the Christian faith.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. Unto the Jews I became as a Jew — In Acts 16:3, we find that for the sake of the unconverted Jews he circumcised Timothy. See the note there.

To them that are under the law — To those who considered themselves still under obligation to observe its rites and ceremonies, though they had in the main embraced the Gospel, he became as if under the same obligations; and therefore purified himself in the temple, as we find related, Acts 21:26, where also see the notes.

After the first clause, to them that are under the law as under the law, the following words, μη ων αυτος ὑπο νομον, not being myself under the law, are added by ABCDEFG, several others; the later Syriac, Sahidic, Armenian, Vulgate, and all the Itala; Cyril, Chrysostom, Damascenus, and others; and on this evidence Griesbach has received them into the text.