I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.
Summary: Paul strives to be “all things to all people” to serve the Lord by winning people over to him.
What does Paul mean? How did he become like the Galatians? What does he want the Galatians to become like? What kind of “wrong” is he talking about?
In Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he writes:
“I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Corinthians 9:22)
The examples he uses include making himself a slave to everyone (1 For 9:19). This reflects Jesus’ teachings about the greatest and the least (Mark 9:35).
Paul is a kind of spiritual chameleon. To the Jews, he is like a Jew. If someone is under the law, he places himself under the same law. If he is around people who are weak, he adopts their weakness so that they do not feel threatened by him. (1 Cor 9:19-23)
When Paul was in Athens waiting for Silas and Timothy to arrive, he busied himself by engaging the Athenians in their favorite subject of discussion, the “latest ideas” (Acts 17:21). By positioning himself as an equal, instead of preaching down to the Athenians, Paul was able to engage them in a discussion of their “unknown god” (Acts 17:23). He used their “unknown god” to open their eyes to the true God, and his Son, Jesus Christ.
We don’t know much about the region of Galatia in Paul’s day* but from what we know of Paul, he would have approached the Galatians with the humility of Christ. When he says, “I became like you,” he doesn’t mean that he adopted their values and beliefs. We know for a fact that is not the case. More likely, he applied Jesus’ admonition to “do to others what you have have them to do you” (Matthew 7:12).
Becoming like the people we want to help is a fine line between walking in humility and staying true to our faith in Jesus.
Application: Practice walking the “fine line.”
Food for Thought: What specific things can we do to be more like Paul?
*There is an excellent overview of the region’s history here:
https://www.worldhistory.org/galatia/
What specific things can we do to be more like Paul?
Become more like Jesus as we allow Him to minister to the world around us, through us.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Becoming more like Christ is the desire of every believer, and it is encouraging to know that God has the same desire for us. In fact, the Bible says that God “predestined believers to be conformed to the likeness of his Son. Romans 8:29
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
Thank you, Ron!
Excellent verses! I especially like the message in Romans 8:29.
🙂
Truth 👍🏻 in ministering to them he did Not adopt their values/beliefs.
I have a fine line story I will share with you the next time I see you.
Thanks RKM!
Looking forward to the story! 🙂
I have always found it amazing that Paul would and could ask people to become more like him. It shows that he was humbly aware of his own growth in the Lord and was comfortable to put himself out there as an example – especially while the NT Scriptures were still being written.
His ultimate goal is that others become more like Christ. He has become more like Christ and a set himself as an example, but Christ is the goal.
1 Corinthians 11: 1: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Rich,
Great point! It is rather amazing. It is akin to Numbers 12:3 where it says, “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.”
One difference between Paul and Jesus is that Paul is not God. Some of the things Jesus did were “God things.” People who emulate Jesus by pretending to know what is in someone’s heart are – in my view- walking down the wrong path. Using Paul as a model avoids that trap and provides us with a very human model of sacrifice and dedication to the Lord’s work.