The passage
      v19. The principle upon which Paul acts is a simple one. For the sake of a brother's eternal salvation, he is willing to put aside his personal privileges, rights etc., even his greatest privilege, his independence. Although Paul is a slave to no man, he is willing to become a salve to a brother struggling with their faith.
      v20. With Jewish believers (legalistic law-bound believers rather than unbelieving Jews) Paul affirms his Jewishness, his submission to the law. He does this knowing that he is no longer subject to the law to gain right standing in the sight of God, to gain God's approval and good pleasure, or progress his righteousness. There is no gain for Paul in his submission to Mosaic law, but there is gain for a weaker brother or sister, someone, for example, who still has a deep-seated belief in the existence of pagan gods and of the sin of idolatry. Such a person could easily think they were worshipping another god while eating consecrated food at a pagan feast. Paul is quite willing to abstain, rather than undermine the faith of his weaker brother, and thus secure ("win") the eternal salvation of his legalist brother ("those under the law").
      v21. With those not subject to the law of Moses, Paul lives like a person who has no interest in the regulations of the Mosaic law. Those "not under the law" are probably Gentile believers. Paul probably includes in this group the Corinthian libertines, those believers who have found freedom in Christ, but who have forgotten to nurture the fruit of responsibility. Although Paul may, at times, live like a person who has no interest in the law of Moses, he is not suggesting he is "free to sin". A believer is subject to Christ, "under legal obligation to Christ", C.K. Barrett. Our legal obligation is one of faith, one of trust in Christ, and it is through faith that we walk by the Spirit rather than gratify the desires of the flesh.
      v22. With the "weak" brother, Paul happily becomes "weak". The "weak" are most likely legalistic believers, nomists, of whom many would be converted Jews. Such believers tend to think that their standing before God is maintained by their obedience to the law of Moses. With these "righteous" believers, Paul adjusts to their pietism, rather than allow his freedom to offend and thus undermine their weak faith. Paul is willing to adjust his behavior to the needs of others and thus secure ("save") the eternal standing of his brothers and sisters in Christ.
      v23. "I am all things to all men, because of the gospel, so that others might participate with me in its blessings." The gospel compels Paul's inconsistent behavior, his willingness to be "all things to all men." The purpose of this behavior is to secure the standing of those believers whose faith is easily undermined.

Being all things to all men
      It is often argued that our passage for study is all about evangelism, becoming all things to all people so that by all means the gospel may be applicable to them. In recent times this argument has been extended to the way we do church. It is argued today that the shape of worship must be dictated by the need to attract the unchurched. Church must be "accessible", so the argument goes. In many traditional main-line churches, eg. Lutheran and Anglican, there is a push to replace liturgy and ritual with a club-like entertainment alternative that will somehow attract unbelievers.
      The problem with this argument is that it fails to properly identify what Paul really means by becoming "all things to all men." The "accessing" push for church growth usually involves the implementation of an ideological agenda that overrides the sensibilities of the faithful. Yet, church is not about evangelism, it exists primarily to meet with Christ, and in response, worship him (worship in the sense of adoration) in praise, thanksgiving, confession, prayer and the hearing of Christ. In fact, it would be true to say that gospel effectiveness is actually undermined when we go down the "accessible" road. When we think that doing church is about the color of the drum kit in the corner we are in trouble. Once we start "dumbing down", as though shape has some gospel importance, we end up doing the very thing Paul is warning us against in this passage. A whole range of people are offended and their simple faith undermined.
      Leaving aside the poor pragmatics, sociology and theology of "accessible" worship, the issue we face in this passage is the claiming of our right to freedom in Christ, at the expense of our brother's right to free salvation. Too often, this passage is interpreted as if Paul would wholeheartedly affirm our following the example of those Buddhists who dress in suits when "evangelizing" Westerners. Yet, what Paul is actually encouraging us to do is to set aside our claim to freedom when the spiritual sensitivities of our brothers and sisters are in danger of offence. Their ultimate salvation is far more important than our freedom.

Greek notes

v19
      wn (eimi) pres. part. "though I am [free and belong to no man]" - being [free from all men]. The participle probably serves to form a concessive clause as NIV, "although". "Though I am free from anyone's control", Goodspeed.
      eleuqeroV adj. "free" - The position is emphatic: "I am free.", CEV.
      ek pantwn "and belong to no man" - from all. "Though I was not a slave to any human being", NJB.
      A contrastive "yet", or adversative "but", REB, helps carry the sense.
      edoulwsa (doulow) aor. "I make [myself] a slave [to everyone]" - [to all men] I enslave [myself]. "I put myself into slavery", Thiselton.
      iJna + subj. "to [win] - that. Introducing a purpose clause, "in order to win", Barclay.
      kerdhsw (kerdainw) aor. subj. "win" - [that] I might gain, make a profit. Possibly in the sense of "win disciples", "converts", Weymouth, as is the view of most commentators, but also possibly "secure the standing of a brother before God." Given that the context is about leading a brother/sister astray, it seems likely that Paul retains the context of the Christian fellowship and declares his willingness to forgo his own rights and behave in either a Jewish Christian way, or a Gentile Christian way, for the sake of preserving a brother/sister's faith, and thus "gain / secure" the brother, rather than lose them. "So that I might keep safe as many believers as possible for eternity."
      touV pleionaV (poluV) comp. adj. "as many as possible" - the more. "All the more", NRSV, follows the Greek, but the sense is probably "as many people (believers!) as possible", TEV.

v20
      toiV IoudaioiV (oV) dat. "the Jews" - Probably a dative of respect (reference), "with respect / regard / regard to Jews", or possibly locative, "when I am with Jews", CEV. Paul probably has in mind Jewish Christians and this is why he further spells out what he means in the phrase "those under the law." This view is not widely held.
      egenomhn (ginomai) aor. mid. "I became" - I became, made. "I behaved like a Jew", REB, is probably what Paul is saying, although "to the Jews I made myself a Jew", NJB, is safer. Paul's affirmation of inconsistency, or better, adaptability, has been the subject of much ethical debate. Was Peter's alignment to the "judaizers", as recorded in Galatians 2, an example of "become all things to all men", and if so, why is Paul so critical of Peter's behavior? Love is probably the arbiter of inconsistency, rather than apostolic authority, given that Paul, as with all believers, are "subject to a higher consistency", Bruce. The aorist is best translated as a simple present tense; "with Jewish believers I behave like a Jew."
      uJpo + acc. "under" - under [law]. "Those under the law" are probably legalist believers, most being converted Jews, who still find it necessary to subject themselves ("under") to the Mosaic law, certainly the moral law, but also possibly cultic and, given the context, food laws.
      wJV "like [one under the law]" - as. Paul is making the point that, in Christ, he is no longer subject to the law, he is free of the law, but for the sake of a brother's eternal salvation, he is willing to live as if he were a person subject to the law; live "like a man who accepts the law", Barclay.
      mh wn autoV upo nomon "though I myself am not under the law" - not being myself under law. "I stand free from it", Phillips.

v21
      toiV anomoiV adj. dat. "to those not having the law" - to/with/for the lawless ones. Obviously, all people are under some kind of law, even if only the conscience, so here the ones without law are the ones without Mosaic law; "those outside / not subject to the Torah." "With Gentile believers, I behave like a person who has no interest in the law of Moses."
      annomoV Cristou (oV) gen. "law of Christ" - pertaining to law, legal / under law, subject to law, of Christ. The genitive, "of Christ", may be possessive, "the law belonging to Christ", or source, "comes from Christ", either way the law is likely to be "the law of love." Certainly in this context, the phrase would then have the same meaning as in Galatians 6:2, in the terms of "bear one another's burdens." In the context of the issue of eating food associated with idols, "love sets bounds to Christian freedom", Kasemann. A more general understanding would be "a code of precepts to which a Christian man is obliged to conform", Dodd. Yet, it is more likely that we are dealing with an objective genitive and this with the adjective taking the sense of "pertaining to legal status /in law" produces the translation: "under legal obligation to Christ", Barrett. The legal obligation, of course, is more likely to be faith than obedience. Of course, genuine faith produces love.

v22
      toiV asqenesin adj. dat. "to the weak" - to the weak, vulnerable, insecure, inferior ones. The identification of "the weak" is particularly important for an understanding of this passage, but given that we have little to go on, much is speculation. These notes take the view that they are legalist Christians, many being converted Jews, not only unable to easily slip into eating a nice piece of pork, or meat consecrated to a pagan idol, but actually feeling defiled before God if they do eat. In a sense, they are defiled if they eat against their better judgment and so Paul is concerned that their faith be not undermined.
      gegona (ginomai) perf. "I have become" - Barclay's "behaved" for "became" in v20 is well expressed in the perfect tense with "I accommodated myself to people in all sorts of different situations", NJB. The perfect tense expressing a past action with ongoing consequences.
      panta (paV) adj. "all things" - The NIV brings out Paul's play on the word "all", although the CEV attempt carries something of the nuance; "I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can."
      toiV pasin "to all men" - to all the ones. Paul is grouping all the different groups he happily adjusts to. This is indicated by the presence of the article. "To all the lot of them", BDF.
      iJna + subj. "so that" - that, in order that. Introducing a purpose clause.
      pantwV adv. "by all possible means" - by all means. "At least / by all means", BAGD. Possibly "in all circumstances", "in one way or another", REB.
      swsw (sozw) aor. subj. "I might save [some]" - Phillips stays with "win"; "rescue", Barclay; "bring some to salvation", NJB. The sense of "convert" is dominant with commentators, but again, Paul is most likely thinking in terms of securing the eternal inheritance of a believer.