In Philippians 1:27 Paul wrote, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ…” Paul desired that the Philippians act in a certain way. He wanted their behavior to be as a Christian’s should be. It does not make much sense for Paul to tell the Philippians that they needed to act a certain way if there was no way to know how to act. The word “conversation” refers to a duty as a citizen. Duty implies responsibility. It also implies that a rule of some kind must be involved.
The word ‘becometh’ is from a Greek word meaning weighed. It means one thing’s weight equals another’s weight. The inspired Paul was saying that the Christian’s manner of life should be in equal weight to the Gospel of Christ. This means that the Christian’s life will be compared to the Gospel.
There is a device known as a balance. It has a place on one side to put weights. On the other side one puts an item for which he wants to know its weight. It is necessary to keep putting weights on the opposite side until it balances with the item. Then, you add up the weights to know how much the item weighs. Paul was giving such a picture of a person’s life. One’s life is on one side and the Gospel is on the other side. Paul said the child of God’s goal is to equalize his life with the Gospel.
This was not a new teaching. We have references in the Old Testament about this. We read in 1 Samuel 2:3, “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” The great prophet Daniel told King Belshazzar that the writing on a wall by the finger of God said, “Tekel; thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting” (Daniel 5:27). Job told his friends in Job 31:6, “Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.”
Study your Bible. Learn what God wants you to do. Then, obey Him. Live your life as it becometh the Gospel of Christ. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
