保羅在很多方面可以說是他那個時代的前衛人士。你甚至可以稱他為「文藝復興人士」──他的思想非常自由，也有極成熟的性格，更沒有一點迷信的色彩。

        例如，他一點也不怕吃祭過偶像的食物。食物就是食物，本身不含任何道德價值（8：8）。但如果他與一位曾是拜偶像的信徒同桌吃飯，而祭過偶像之物會令對方聯想起異教的祟拜，那麼保羅就會格外小心，避免吃祭拜之物。這麼做不是為了自己良心的緣故，而是為了他人的良心（8：10~11）。

        保羅對使徒的權利也有他的看法。他認為使徒也有權利娶妻（並帶著妻子往來宣教─9：5）、吃喝、接受服事對象的經濟支持（9：11）。但保羅說：「這權柄我全沒有用過」為什麼？為的是「我傳福音的時候，叫人不花錢得福音，免得用盡我傳福音的權柄」（9：18）。保羅傳免費的福音；不用花錢，也沒有金錢上的義務。聽起來的確非常「自由派」。

        保羅基本上是從事我們今天所謂的「跨文化事工」。他知道他服事的對象中，每一個文化群體都有他們的文化包袱，不論是從前拜偶像的、拜帝王的，或者外邦人、猶太人、異教徒統統有文化的背景。攻擊或輕視那些文化會引起反彈。所以保羅對他的文化背景很敏感，在「有益處」的前提下，他有時甚至還接受一些不同的文化（6：12）。

        保羅只有一個目標──儘可能不妨礙耶穌基督福音的傳播。因此，向外邦人他就作外邦人，向猶太人他就作猶太人。他自由的向什麼人就作什麼人──並且自由的傳免費的福音。

        主，今日我們重新將生命獻給您，當我們跑完人生的賽程，願我們能得著獎賞。幫助我們凡事節制；幫助我們有明確的目標，幫助我們鍛鍊自己的身體，使身體服從命令。主啊，我們決定這麼做，免得我們傳福音給別人，自己反被棄絕了。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        In so many ways the apostle Paul was way ahead of his time. You might even call him a “renaissance man”. He was remarkably free, and admirably mature. And he had absolutely no trace of superstition in his makeup.

        For instance, he had no problem eating food that had been offered to idols. Food was food and had no intrinsic moral value (8:8). But, if he was at table with former idolaters to whom meat offered to idols brought memories of pagan ritual, he was careful not to touch it. Not for the sake of his conscience, but for theirs (8:10, 11).

        Then there was his view of apostle’s rights. As he saw it, an apostle had a right to have a wife (and take her with him on his travels – 9:5), to have food and drink, and to be supported financially by those to whom he ministered (9:11). “But I have not used any of these rights,” Paul says. Why? So that “in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it” (9:18). Paul preaches a free gospel; free of charge and free of financial obligation. That sounds definitely “renaissance”!

        Essentially, Paul was committed to what we today call “cross-cultural ministry”. He recognized that there was cultural baggage in every sub-cultural group to whom he ministered. Ex-idolaters had it. Ex-emperor-worshippers had it. Gentiles, Jews, and heathens all had it. Fighting it or disdaining it would be counter-productive. So instead he was sensitive to it, and even adopted some of it from time to time if it was “helpful” (6:12).

        He had one goal – to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ as free from hindrance as possible. To do this he was prepared to be a Gentile to Gentiles and a Jew to Jews. He was free to be – and free to preach a free Gospel.

        Lord, we commit our lives to You afresh today, to run the race that we may obtain the prize. Help us to be temperate in all things. Help us not to be uncertain in our goal. Help us to discipline our bodies and bring them under subjection. Lord, we determine to do these things, lest having preached to others, we ourselves should become disqualified.