Observation: Paul writes about how he has become a "slave to all", even though he really believes himself to be free in Christ. The upshot of this is, he's able to adapt to and respect customs of both Jews and Gentiles, in order to build relationships and share his Gospel message with as many people as possible. I'm not sure if everyone is aware, nowhere in the New Testament does Saul permanently "change his name" to Paul when he begins following Jesus. Instead, the Book of Acts starts out calling him Saul, and later calls him Paul, because in the beginning of the narrative Saul (a common name among Jews) is interacting more with Jews than Gentiles, and when he is out preaching mostly to Gentiles, he goes by the more common Greco-Roman name Paul. Fun fact.
Application: Quick Confession. I am not a huge fan of Christian media. Christian rock, Christian films, what have you, it's just not something I pay a lot of attention to in my downtime. As worship music, there are lots of songs I enjoy singing with a congregation, but it's not where I have the radio tuned seven days a week. The reason why, for me, is because in certain contexts it feels inauthentic. Not that I don't think these artists believe everything they're singing. It's just that some Christian music feels like it's not actually there to entertain you or make you think, the way other music is. It's there to drive home a message. Like, if we record a song that sounds enough like something else you like, that you keep the radio tuned there for a while, we'll "catch" you, and be able to give you the "Jesus pitch." You may disagree, but that's how I sometimes experience Christian rock outside of a worship setting. Unless it's done exceptionally well, it feels inauthentic.
What I feel Paul means when he says he has become "all things to all people", is not inauthenticity. He wasn't pretending to be like people he's not really like. It's authentic interest in others. It's genuine curiosity and listening. It's not a "bait and switch" where he learns how to imitate others' customs and language, to give them a message they wouldn't otherwise want to hear. It's being his real self. Saul, from Tarsus, who went to Hebrew school, who remains a deeply committed Jew, who believes he has encountered the Messiah. And Paul, a citizen of the Roman Empire, who knows his Greek, his philosophy, his rhetoric, and genuinely appreciates the good aspects of the culture in which he lives (RATHER than trying to shelter himself or his listeners from it.)
Please, don't get me wrong. If you like Christian Rock and Christian movies, great. But if you're a believer in Christ, and it's not your cup of tea, don't waste your time and money. Be you. God likes that person. God has plans for that person. Really.
Prayer: God, thanks for making me who I am. Help me appreciate and listen to others. Help me listen to and build friendships with all kinds of people, for your sake. Amen.
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