Picture description: Paul
Picture copyright: V. Gilbert and Arlisle F. Beers
“I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”
When you become all things to all men, you please everyone.
Paul was a devoted missionary whose footprints in spreading the gospel could be seen across Asia and Europe. When he preached, he accommodated himself to suit people of different cultures. He would behave differently in front of different audiences in order to gain their friendship and later, the salvation of their souls.
When you become all things to all men, you please everyone – which implies an element of hypocrisy, too. This is hard to achieve in reality. So, this phrase is more often used in negation: you can’t be all things to all men.
A lot of phrases, such as "two-edged sword" and " an eye for an eye", are taken from the English Bible. Learning the stories behind these idioms is fun, and can help boost your vocabulary. Click here to find out now!