1 Corinthians 9:21

21 To those outside the law [I became] as outside the law ([although I] am not outside the law of God, but subject to the law of Christ) in order that I may gain those outside the law.

1 Corinthians 9:21 Meaning and Commentary

1 Corinthians 9:21

To them that are without law, as without law
Meaning the Gentiles, who, though they were not without the law of nature, nor without many good civil laws, by which the more cultivated and civilized nations among them were governed, yet they were without the written law of Moses; a description of the Gentiles, usual with the Jews; see ( Romans 2:12 Romans 2:14 ) . And to these the apostle accommodated himself, as if he was without the law; by conversing with them without any difference; by eating any sort of food with them; by not circumcising Titus, when the Jews would have had it done; and by resisting Peter, when he, by his example, would have influenced the Gentiles to have lived as did the Jews:

being not without law to God;
or "the law of God", the moral law; for though he was delivered from the curse and condemnation of it, and as a covenant of works, and the ministry of it by Moses, yet not from the matter of it, and obedience to it, as a rule of walk and conversation: and therefore his compliance with the Gentiles was not in anything that was contrary to the moral law; nor did he act as one that had nothing to do with that law, "but" as one that was

under the law to Christ,
or "under the law of Christ"; that is, the law of love, which obliged him to take every lawful and proper method for the good of such souls:

that I might gain them that were without law;
to believe in Christ for life and salvation, and to serve the law of God as in the hands of Christ, the only Lawgiver and King in his church; in testimony of their gratitude to him, for the blessings of grace received by him, without having any dependence on their obedience to it, for acceptance with God.

1 Corinthians 9:21 In-Context

19 For [although I] am free from all [people], I have enslaved myself to all, in order that I may gain more.
20 I have become like a Jew to the Jews, in order that I may gain the Jews. To those under the law [I became] as under the law ([although I] myself am not under the law) in order that I may gain those under the law.
21 To those outside the law [I became] as outside the law ([although I] am not outside the law of God, but subject to the law of Christ) in order that I may gain those outside the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, in order that I may gain the weak. I have become all [things] to all [people], in order that by all means I may save some.
23 I do all [this] for the sake of the gospel, in order that I may become a participant with it.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. *Here "[although]" is supplied as a component of the participle ("am") which is understood as concessive
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.