1 Corinthians 9:19-27 - Paul's Work As An Apostle
19 Yes, indeed, though I am free from any human power, I have made myself a slave to everybody, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I have become like a Jew for the winning of Jews; to men under the law, like one under the law, though I am not under the law myself, to win the men under the law; 21 to men who have no written law, like one without any law, though I am not without God's law but specially under Christ's law, to win the men who have no written law. 22 To the overscrupulous I have become overscrupulous, to win the overscrupulous; yes, I have become everything to everybody, in order by all means to save some of them. 23 And I do it all for the sake of the good news, so as to share with others in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all run, but only one can get the prize? You must run in such a way that you can get the prize. 25 Any man who enters an athletic contest practices rigid self-control in training, only to win a wreath that withers, but we are in to win a wreath that never withers. 26 So that is the way I run, with no uncertainty as to winning. That is the way I box, not like one that punches the air. 27 But I keep on beating and bruising my body and making it my slave, so that I, after I have summoned others to the race, may not myself become unfit to run.