Galatians 1:10

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

8But even if we (or an angel from heaven) should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be condemned to hell! 9As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ! 11Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12For I did not receive it or learn it from any human source; instead I received it by a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 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 4:19But Peter and John replied, “Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,
• Acts 5:29But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than people.
• 2 Corinthians 5:9So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, not to please people but God, who examines our hearts.
• 1 Samuel 21:7(One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord. His name was Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds.)
• Matthew 28:14If this matter is heard before the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.”
• Acts 12:20Now Herod was having an angry quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they joined together and presented themselves before him. And after convincing Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, to help them, they asked for peace, because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.
• Romans 2:8but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.
• 1 John 3:9Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.
• 2 Corinthians 12:19Have you been thinking all this time that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up.
• Matthew 22:16They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.
• Romans 15:1But we who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not just please ourselves.
• 1 Corinthians 10:33just as I also try to please everyone in all things. I do not seek my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved.
• Ephesians 6:6not like those who do their work only when someone is watching – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.
• Colossians 3:22Slaves, obey your earthly masters in every respect, not only when they are watching – like those who are strictly people-pleasers – but with a sincere heart, fearing the Lord.
• James 4:4Adulterers, do you not know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever decides to be the world’s friend makes himself God’s enemy.

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

• Affections
• Flattery
• Minister, Christian
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Christ, Messiah
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Equal
• Faith
• Galatians, Epistle to
• Criticism of the Bible
• Discrepancies, Biblical
• Favor

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