1 Corinthians 9:22
 
1 Corinthians 9:22
(KJV) To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
(1611 KJV) To the weake became I as weake, that I might gaine the weake: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all meanes saue some.
(1568 Bishops Bible) To the weake became I as weake, that I might winne the weake. I am made all thinges to all men, that I might at the least way saue some.
(1526 Tyndale) To the weake became I as weake to wynne the weake. In all thinge I fassioned my silfe to all men to save at ye lest waye some.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
(1901 ASV) To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
(CSB) To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some.
(NIV) To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
(NASV) To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
(THE MESSAGE) I've become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life.
(AMP) To the weak (wanting in discernment) I have become weak (wanting in discernment) that I might win the weak and overscrupulous. I have [in short] become all things to all men, that I might by all means (at all costs and in any and every way) save some [by winning them to faith in Jesus Christ].
(NLT) When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
(ESV) To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.
(CEV) When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can.
(NCV) To those who are weak, I became weak so I could win the weak. I have become all things to all people so I could save some of them in any way possible.
(HCSB) To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some.
(NIRV) To those who are weak I became weak. That was to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that in all possible ways I might save some.
(RSV) To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to people of all sorts, that I might by all means save some.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
εγενομην τοις ασθενεσιν ως ασθενης ινα τους ασθενεις κερδησω τοις πασιν γεγονα τα παντα ινα παντως τινας σωσω
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
εγενομην τοις ασθενεσιν ασθενης ινα τους ασθενεις κερδησω τοις πασιν γεγονα παντα ινα παντως τινας σωσω
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - (Corrected) Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century
K 018 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “as”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842 (In the margin or brackets
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
Paul now reminds these Corinthians of the weak brethren he spoke of in the previous chapter plus many that are new Christians and still weak in the faith. He identified with these people to be able to grow them in the faith. Paul did not overwhelm those who are new in the faith and neither should we. Then Paul states that he chooses to identify himself with all people for the purpose of bringing the true Gospel to them. The sign of a great missionary is to place themselves on the same level as those which are being witnessed to. Whenever we go out to the streets to witness, we always try to identify with the people that we are trying to reach. We must keep in mind that at one time we were all unbelievers holding to some type of worldly philosophy. By identifying with the group we are witnessing to it keeps our pride from flaring up. This is why the Scripture uses the word “as.” In the Greek the word “hos” is a relative adverb which is a particle of comparison. Let us look at two examples from the Scriptures:
 
(2 Pet 3:8 KJV) But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
 
In 2 Peter 3:8, we see the word “as” which is making a comparison of 1,000 years and one day. The verse does not say that a day is a thousand years or a thousand years is a day. It is making a comparison to eternity that time is of no value in eternity because there is no measurement of time as we know it.
 
(1 Cor 13:11 KJV) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
 
Paul here speaks about when he was child he spake as a child would speak. Then he states that he understood as a child understands. He makes another comparison. When he was a child, he spoke as a child speaks but when he grew up, he put away childish things. Now back to 1 Corinthians 9:22. The modern versions claim that he became weak to reach the people who are weak. So according to the modern versions, if someone had a weakness with drinking alcohol, then Paul became a drunk to reach them which is ridiculous. The King James Bible places “as” in that verse according to the true text and it instead does not say Paul became a sinner to reach sinners, but he identified with them and understood where they were at and reached them at that level. If I know someone with a gambling problem, do I become a gambler to reach them or try to understand the motivations behind gambling and then reach them. A very big difference indeed.

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