19. I am free. I belong to no man. But I make myself a slave to all people. I do this to help save as many people as I can.
20. To the Jews I became like a Jew. I did this to help save the Jews. I myself am not ruled by the law. But to those who are ruled by the law I became like a person who is ruled by the law. I did this to help save those who are ruled by the law.
21. To those who are without the law I became like a person who is without the law. I did this to help save those people who are without the law. (But really, I am not without God’s law—I am ruled by Christ’s law.)
22. To those who are weak, I became weak so that I could help save them. I have become all things to all people. I did this so that I could save some of them in any way possible.
23. I do all this because of the Good News. I do it so that I can share in the blessings of the Good News.
24. You know that in a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win!
25. All those who compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a crown. That crown is an earthly thing that lasts only a short time. But our crown will continue forever.
26. So I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air.
27. It is my own body that I hit. I make it my slave. I do this so that I myself will not be rejected after I have preached to others.