are under the law; 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. 22. To the weak became I as weak,
that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all
men, that I might by all means save some. 23. And this I
do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof
with you.'--1 COR. ix. 19-23.

Paul speaks much of himself, but he is not an egotist. When he says,
'I do so and so,' it is a gracious way of enjoining the same conduct
on his readers. He will lay no burden on them which he does not
himself carry. The leader who can say 'Come' is not likely to want
followers. So, in this section, the Apostle is really enjoining on
the Corinthians the conduct which he declares is his own.

The great principle incumbent on all Christians, with a view to the
salvation of others, is to go as far as one can without
untruthfulness in the direction of finding points of resemblance and
contact with those to whom we would commend the Gospel. There is a
base counterfeit of this apostolic example, which slurs over
distinctive beliefs, and weakly tries to please everybody by
differing from nobody. That trimming to catch all winds never gains
any. Mr. Facing-both-ways is not a powerful evangelist. The motive of
becoming all things to all men must be plainly disinterested, and the
assimilation must have love for the souls concerned and eagerness to
bring the truth to them, and them to the truth, legibly stamped upon
it, or it will be regarded, and rightly so, as mere cowardice or
dishonesty. And there must be no stretching the assimilation to the
length of either concealing truth or fraternising in evil. Love to my
neighbour can never lead to my joining him in wrongdoing.

But, while the limits of this assumption of the colour of our
surroundings are plainly marked, there is ample space within these
for the exercise of this eminently Christian grace. We must get near
people if we would help them. Especially must we identify ourselves
with them in sympathy, and seek to multiply points of assimilation,
if we would draw them to Jesus Christ. He Himself had to become man
that He might gain men, and His servants have to do likewise, in
their degree. The old story of the Christian teacher who voluntarily
became a slave, that he might tell of Christ to slaves, has in spirit
to be repeated by us all.

We