This is Paul's first letter to the church at Corinth, and it's worth reading slowly.
"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." — 1 Corinthians 9:22-23
Different Maturity Levels, Different Conversations
Every believer is at a different point in their walk, and every believer knows other people at very different points in theirs. Coming back to church over the years, it's easy to notice believers using big church language and heavy theological concepts around people who either aren't saved yet or aren't as far along in their walk — and that habit can quietly do real damage.
It's important not to cause someone less mature in the faith to stumble. It's arguably even more important not to cause a non-believer to stumble through the words we casually choose. Being technically right in what's said doesn't always mean it needed to be said in that moment, to that person, in that way.
What Sounds Normal to Us Can Sound Strange to Someone Else
Talking about "the blood of Jesus" among believers is completely ordinary. Dropping that same phrase into casual conversation with someone who isn't seeking — someone for whom that language sounds less like faith and more like something cult-like — can push them away rather than draw them in. Paul is directly addressing this. "To the weak I became weak" means meeting someone exactly where their understanding actually is, not where we wish it was.
Some, Not All
Paul is realistic: "that by all possible means I might save some" — not everyone. He's not chasing an impossible outcome; he's being faithful with the conversations in front of him. There's a real temptation to become so determined to bring someone to Christ that the pressure itself drives them further away. That's not the calling here. The calling is to present the gospel faithfully and let God handle the increase.
Not Above, Alongside
Paul isn't standing above the people he's speaking to, handing something down from a position of superiority. He's walking the same crowded street they are, simply hoping to share in the same blessing they could share in too. That posture — alongside, not above — shapes everything about how he chooses his words.
A Practical Tool: Ask, Don't Tell
One simple, tested approach: ask questions instead of making statements. A statement can put someone on the defensive before they've had a chance to think. A question puts the same idea in front of them but leaves room for their own mind to engage — for them to be the one who says, "yes, I believe that" or "yes, I understand that," rather than being told what to believe. Nobody has enjoyed being told things since roughly age five, and that instinct doesn't disappear with age.
And it helps to pray before a conversation even starts — not scripting exactly what to say, but genuinely asking the Holy Spirit for direction on which way to take it. Sometimes the wisest, most loving thing is simply discernment about when to speak and when to hold something back for a better moment.
"I have become all things to all people" wasn't a skill Paul was simply born with — it was one he learned, developed, and recognized he needed. The same is worth pursuing: watching our words carefully, especially around those still outside the faith, not because the truth needs softening, but because how it's delivered can be the very thing that draws someone in or pushes them away.
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