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 Living Translation (NLT)Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Context of Galatians 1:10

8But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. 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. 11But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. 12For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the 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 answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
• Acts 5:29But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
• 2 Corinthians 5:9Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
• 1 Thessalonians 2:4But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
• 1 Samuel 21:7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
• Matthew 28:14And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.”
• Acts 12:20Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.
• Romans 2:8but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,
• 1 John 3:9Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
• 2 Corinthians 12:19Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification.
• Matthew 22:16And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.
• Romans 15:1We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
• 1 Corinthians 10:33just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.
• Ephesians 6:6not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
• Colossians 3:22Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.
• James 4:4Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself 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

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

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• God
• Equal
• Faith
• Galatians, Epistle to
• Criticism of the Bible
• Discrepancies, Biblical
• Favor
• Galatians, Epistle to the
• Laodiceans, Epistle to the

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