1 Corinthians 9:21

1 Corinthians 9:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
• English Standard Version (ESV)To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.
• New King James Version (NKJV)to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;

Context of 1 Corinthians 9:21

19Yes, I am a free man. I am not anybody's slave. But I choose to serve everybody like a slave. I do that so that I can help many more people to believe in Christ. 20When I was among Jews, I lived like they do, because I wanted to bring Jews to Christ. The Law that God gave to Moses no longer has authority over me. But I chose to obey that Law when I was among Jewish people who obey it. I did that so that I could help them to believe in Christ. With Gentile people, who do not have Moses' Law, I lived like they do. I continued to respect God's Law. Yes, I obey Christ's law. But I lived like a Gentile, so that I could help Gentiles to believe in Christ. 22With weak people, I became like someone who is weak too. I did that so that I could bring weak people to believe in Christ. Whoever I am living among, I live like they do. I want to do everything that I can to save some of them. 23I want to help people to accept God's good news. That is why I do all these things. I want to share in the good things that the good news gives to believers.

1 Corinthians 9:21 word by word

τοῖς ἀνόμοις ὡς ἄνομος, μὴ ὢν ἄνομος θεοῦ ἀλλ᾽ ἔννομος Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κερδάνω τοὺς ἀνόμους.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• To them that are without lawἄνομοςanomos · lawlessG459
• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• notμήmē · notG3361
• to Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• under the lawἔννομοςennomos · under lawG1772
• to ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• I might gainκερδαίνωkerdainō · to gainG2770

Cross-references for 1 Corinthians 9:21

• Acts 15:28The Holy Spirit has shown us what we should do. We also think that this is the right thing to do. We do not want to put a heavy weight on you. So these are the only rules that we want you to obey:
• Acts 16:4Paul, Silas and Timothy travelled through many towns. In each place, they told the believers the things that the apostles and the other leaders in Jerusalem had decided. They told the believers to obey those rules.
• Acts 21:25But it is different for the Gentiles who believe in Jesus. We have already sent a letter to them. We wrote, “Do not eat any food that people have given to their idols. Do not eat anything that still has blood in it. If people have strangled an animal to kill it, do not eat its meat. Do not have sex with anyone that you are not married to.” ’
• Romans 2:12The Gentiles do not have God's Law that he gave to Moses. If Gentiles do wrong things, God will punish them. But he will not use his Law when he judges the Gentiles. But the Jews do have God's Law. So, if Jews do wrong things, God will use his Law to judge them. The Law will show that they have done wrong things.
• Galatians 2:3Titus was with me then. He is a Greek person and nobody had circumcised him. But the leaders in Jerusalem did not say that we must circumcise him.
• Galatians 3:2So think about this: When you received God's Spirit, was it because you had obeyed the rules of God's Law? No! You received God's Spirit because you heard the message about Christ and you believed it.
• 1 Corinthians 7:19It is not important whether someone has circumcised you or not. The important thing is this: Obey what God says.
• Psalms 119:32I want to obey your commands all the time. Help me to understand them more and more.
• Matthew 5:17Jesus said, ‘You should not think that I have come to destroy God's Law. Also, I have not come to destroy the messages that God's prophets wrote down. No, I have not come to destroy their words. I have come to make what they taught become true.
• Romans 7:22Deep inside myself, I really love God's laws.
• Romans 8:4God did this so that we could become right with him. God's Law showed us how to be right with him. And now we can be right with God, if we live with God's Spirit as our guide. We do not do what our weak human thoughts want us to do.
• Romans 13:8Always pay your debts to people. The only debt that you should have is to love each other. Anyone who loves other people has obeyed God's Law completely.
• Galatians 5:13My Christian friends, God has chosen you to serve him as free people. But you are still weak and human. So you are not free to do anything that you might want to do. Instead, you must serve one another, because you love each other.
• Ephesians 6:1You who are children, obey your parents. Because you belong to the Lord, that is the right thing to do.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:1Christian friends, there are a few more things that we need to say. We have already taught you how to live in a way that pleases God. And we know that you are living in that way. Now we ask you to continue to live like that even more. On behalf of the Lord Jesus, we seriously ask you to do this.
• Hebrews 8:10But now the Lord says this: After the time of that old agreement I will make a new agreement with Israel's people. It will be like this: I will put my laws into their thoughts. I will write my laws deep inside them. I will be their God and they will be my people.

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21To them that are without law - The Gentiles, who had no written law, though they had the law written in their hearts; see on Romans 2:15; (note). Being not without law to God - Instead of ͅ, To God, and ͅ, To Christ, the most important MSS. and versions have , Of God, and , Of Christ; being not without the law of God, but under the law of Christ. Them that are without law - Dr. Lightfoot thinks the Sadducees may be meant, and that in certain cases, as far…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21To them that are without law - To the Gentiles, who have not the law of Moses; see the note at Romans 2:12, note at Romans 2:14. As without law - Not practicing the special rites and ceremonies enjoined in the law of Moses. Not insisting on them, or urging them, but showing that the obligation to those rites had been done away; and that they were not binding, though when among the Jews I might still continue to observe them; see the notes at Galatians…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-23Verses 15-23 It is the glory of a minister to deny himself, that he may serve Christ and save souls. But when a minister gives up his right for the sake of the gospel, he does more than his charge and office demands. By preaching the gospel, freely, the apostle showed that he acted from principles of zeal and love, and thus enjoyed much comfort and hope in his soul. And though he looked on the ceremonial law as a yoke taken off by Christ, yet he submitted…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-23Paul puts himself in the humble position of a servant in the household. He shows how much he was willing to change his lifestyle and behavior to match the people he preached to, in order to bring them to Christ.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. To them ... without law--that is, without revealed law: the heathen (compare Ro 2:12 with 1Co 9:15). as without law--not urging on them the ceremonies and "works of the law," but "the hearing of faith" (Ga 3:2). Also discoursing in their own manner, as at Athens, with arguments from their own poets (Ac 17:28). being not without law to God--"While thus conforming to others in matters indifferent, taking care not to be without law in relation to God…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Corinthians 9:21

• Diplomacy
• Evil
• Expediency
• Minister, Christian
• Tact
• Unselfishness
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Crown
• Forbear
• Mastery
• Plow
• Wait
• Corinthians, First Epistle to the

Commentaries on 1 Corinthians 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings