Man, if we neglect Paul as an example of how to live a Christ-like, evangelical life, then we are really missing out on something. In verses 19-23 (which would be easy to copy & paste, but I won't because hopefully you have read it, or will read it) Paul is essentially testifying how he has become like the Jews to win the Jews, become weak to win the weak, and "become all things to all men so that by all possible means" he might save some. This is true effective evangelism to a T.
Becoming all things to all men involves a very complicated, enigmatic idea. You ready for this? .............Be a friend to someone. Paul became all things to all men by forming connections with unbelievers. He found a common ground with the unbeliever, whatever that may be depending on who it was, and befriended them, loved them, and (not in a fake, preachy way) told them about God. Paul did not treat the unbeliever as an object to be converted, or someone to shout damnation at. Paul used the strategy of love to lead the lost to salvation. Paul was not the first person to use this strategy of love. Jesus was the perfect example of this love strategy. Jesus befriended the prostitutes, the drunkards, the homeless, the criminals, the lepers, you name it. And he did this much to the disapproval of the so-called 'religious' too. Jesus did not come as an unapproachable deific figure, but he came humbly as a friend and "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped" [Philipians 2:6]. So if we are saved and have truly experienced the love and presence of God, let's not separate ourselves so far from the lost that we refuse to make any connections with them. Making Christian friends and meeting other new believers is great and that is what is called "fellowship", which is crucial. But there is another integral part of our Christian walk: winning souls. There is a video link I provided of the famous magician Penn Jillette from Penn & Teller (and who is a staunch advocate of atheism) commenting on receiving a Bible from a guy after a show. It certainly convicted me. So instead of writing a unnecessarily lengthy conclusion to finish this blog, I'm going to let Paul and the truth (coming from an atheist no less) in this video speak for itself. I simply urge you to watch this vid, and you'll get the point of this whole 'strategy of love' thing that Paul is talking about.
http://www.facebook.com/l/1cfc03MQva9dKczFABJIiBNKlOA/www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhG-tkQ_Q2w
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