All things to all men

Origin of: All things to all men

All things to all men

The source is Corinthians I, 9:22, “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” It is ironic that St Paul tried very hard to be all things to all men. It was the ideal he set for himself so that he might save as many souls as possible. Nowadays, the expression is generally used in negation of St Paul’s ideal, in that everyone tries not to be all things to all men.