God’s Word Translation
Galatians 1:10
10Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Galatians 1:10 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
- New International Version (NIV)Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
Context of Galatians 1:10
8Whoever tells you good news that is different from the Good News we gave you should be condemned to hell, even if he is one of us or an angel from heaven. 9I’m now telling you again what we’ve told you in the past: If anyone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you received, that person should be condemned to hell. Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant. 11I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the Good News I have spread is not a human message. 12I didn’t receive it from any person. I wasn’t taught it, but Jesus Christ revealed it to me.
Read all of Galatians 1Galatians 1:10 word by word
ἄρτι γὰρ ἀνθρώπους πείθω ἢ τὸν θεόν; ἢ ζητῶ ἀνθρώποις ἀρέσκειν; εἰ ἔτι ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην.¶Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- do Iπείθωpeithō · to persuadeG3982
- nowἄρτιarti · nowG737
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- orἤē · orG2228
- Godὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- do I seekζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
- to pleaseἀρέσκωareskō · to pleaseG700
- ifεἰei · ifG1487
- yetἔτιeti · stillG2089
- I shouldεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- notοὐou · noG3756
- ·ἄνan · ifG302
- the servantδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
- of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
Cross-references for Galatians 1:10
- Acts 4:19Peter and John answered them, “Decide for yourselves whether God wants people to listen to you rather than to him.
- Acts 5:29Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than people.
- 2 Corinthians 5:9Whether we live in the body or move out of it, our goal is to be pleasing to him.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:4Rather, we are always spreading the Good News. God trusts us to do this because we passed his test. We don’t try to please people but God, who tests our motives.
- 1 Samuel 21:7That same day one of Saul’s servants who was obligated to stay in the Lord’s presence was there. His name was Doeg. A foreman for Saul’s shepherds, he was from Edom.
- Matthew 28:14⌞They added,⌟ “If the governor hears about it, we’ll take care of it, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”
- Acts 12:20Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They were going to meet with Herod. They had agreed on what they wanted to do: They enlisted the help of Blastus to ask Herod for terms of peace. This was because their cities depended on Herod for their food supply. (Blastus was in charge of the king’s living quarters.)
- Romans 2:8anger and fury on those who, in selfish pride, refuse to believe the truth and who follow what is wrong.
- 1 John 3:9Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God.
- 2 Corinthians 12:19Have you been thinking all along that we’re trying to defend ourselves to you? We speak as Christ’s people in God’s sight. Everything we do, dear friends, is for your benefit.
- Matthew 22:16They sent their disciples to him along with Herod’s followers. They said to him, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and that you teach the truth about the way of God. You don’t favor individuals because of who they are.
- Romans 15:1So those of us who have a strong ⌞faith⌟ must be patient with the weaknesses of those whose ⌞faith⌟ is not so strong. We must not think only of ourselves.
- 1 Corinthians 10:33I try to please everyone in every way. I don’t think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved.
- Ephesians 6:6Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. But obey like slaves who belong to Christ, who have a deep desire to do what God wants them to do.
- Colossians 3:22Slaves, always obey your earthly masters. Don’t obey them only while you’re being watched, as if you merely wanted to please people. Be sincere in your motives out of respect for your real master.
- James 4:4You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this ⌞evil⌟ world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.
Commentaries on Galatians 1:10
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10Do I now persuade men, or God? - The words may be rendered to court or solicit the favor of God as the after clause sufficiently proves. This acceptation of is very common in Greek authors. While the apostle was a persecutor of the Christians, he was the servant of men, and pleased men. When he embraced the Christian doctrine, he became the servant of God, and pleased Him. He therefore intimates that he was a widely different person now from what he had…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10For do I now persuade men, or God? - The word “now” ( ̓́ arti) is used here, evidently, to express a contrast between his present and his former purpose of life. Before his conversion to Christianity, he impliedly admits, that it was his object to conciliate the favor of people; that he derived his authority from them Acts 9:1-2; that he endeavored to act so as to please them and gain their good esteem. But “now” he says, this was not his object. He had a…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-14Verses 10-14 In preaching the gospel, the apostle sought to bring persons to the obedience, not of men, but of God. But Paul would not attempt to alter the doctrine of Christ, either to gain their favour, or to avoid their fury. In so important a matter we must not fear the frowns of men, nor seek their favour, by using words of men's wisdom. Concerning the manner wherein he received the gospel, he had it by revelation from Heaven. He was not led to…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 10The tone and content of this letter show that Paul did not seek to win people's approval. The Judaizers likely criticized Paul for trying to please people by focusing only on faith and grace, not including the law, which they saw as the whole message. Being Christ’s servant means staying true to Christ, no matter how others react (see Acts 5:29; Ephesians 6:5–6; 1 Thessalonians 2:3–6).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. For--accounting for the strong language he has just used. do I now--resuming the "now" of Ga 1:9. "Am I now persuading men?" [Alford], that is, conciliating. Is what I have just now said a sample of men-pleasing, of which I am accused? His adversaries accused him of being an interested flatterer of men, "becoming all things to all men," to make a party for himself, and so observing the law among the Jews (for instance, circumcising Timothy), yet…Read the comment
Topics related to Galatians 1:10
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Galatians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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