Albert Barnes Commentary 1 Corinthians 9:21

"to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law." — 1 Corinthians 9:21 (ASV)

To them that are without law. To the Gentiles, who do not have the law of Moses. (See Barnes on Romans 2:12,14).

As without law. This means not practicing the peculiar rites and ceremonies prescribed in the law of Moses. I was not insisting on them or urging them, but showing that the obligation to those rites had been abolished and that they were not binding, though when among the Jews I might still continue to observe them. (See Barnes on Acts 15:1 and following, and the argument of Paul in Galatians 2:11-18).

I neglected the ceremonial precepts of the Mosaic law when I was with those who had not heard of the law of Moses, or those who did not observe them, because I knew that the binding obligation of these ceremonial precepts had ceased.

Therefore, I did not press them upon the Gentiles, nor did I superstitiously and publicly practice them. In all this, Paul refers only to those things which he regarded as in themselves indifferent and not a matter of conscience; his purpose was not to needlessly excite the prejudice or opposition of the world.

Nothing is ever gained by provoking opposition for the mere sake of opposition. Nothing tends more to hinder the gospel than that. In all things of conscience and truth, a person should be firm and should lose their life rather than abandon either. In all things of indifference, of mere custom, or of prejudice, one should yield and accommodate oneself to the ways of thinking among people, adapting to their views, feelings, and habits of life, so that one may win them to Christ.

Being not without law to God. This means not regarding myself as being absolutely without law, or as being freed from the obligation to obey God. Even in all this, I endeavored so to live that it might be seen that I felt myself bound by law to God. I was not a despiser, scorner, and neglecter of law, as such, but only regarded myself as not bound by the peculiar ceremonial law of Moses.

This is an instance of Paul's conscientiousness. He would not leave room for it to be supposed for a moment that he disregarded all law. He was bound to God by law; and in the conduct to which he was referring, he felt that he was obeying Him. He was bound by a higher law than those ceremonial observances which were now to be abolished.

This passage would destroy all the refuges of the Antinomians. Whatever privileges the gospel has introduced, it has not set us free from the restraints and obligations of law. That is binding still, and no one is at liberty to disregard the moral law of God. Christ came to magnify, strengthen, and to honor the law, not to destroy it.

But under the law to Christ. This means being bound by the law commanded by Christ; under the law of affectionate gratitude and duty to Him. I obeyed His commands, followed His instructions, sought His honor, and yielded to His will. In this, I would violate none of the rules of the moral law.

And Paul here intimates that his grand object was to yield obedience to the law of the Savior, and that this was the governing purpose of his life. And this would guide a person right. In doing this, he would never violate any of the precepts of the moral law, for Christ obeyed them and commanded their observance.

He would never feel that he was without law to God, for Christ obeyed God and commanded it of all. He would never feel that religion came to set him free from law or to authorize licentiousness, for its grand purpose and aim is to make people holy and to bind them everywhere to the observance of the pure law of the Redeemer.