Gal. i. 10. Do I seek to please men ? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
IN the Churches of Galatia, great efforts were made, by Judaizing teachers, to " pervert the Gospel of Christ," and to establish in its place a doctrine more congenial with Jewish prejudices and Jewish habits. St. Paul set himself vigorously to withstand their influence, and to maintain the Gospel in all its purity. For this end, he declared, in this epistle, his full authority from God to require from all of them a submission to the doctrines which he preached ; and he denounced a curse on any creature, whether man or angel, who should attempt to introduce any other Gospel. In prosecution of his argument, he appeals to the Galatians themselves, whether he was, or could be, actuated by any unworthy desire of pleasing men : " Do I now persuade men, or God ? or do I seek to please men ?" In explanation of these words, some would supply an ellipsis here, as though he had said, " Do I persuade (preach) the things of men, or of Goda?" Others would translate it, "Do I solicit the favour of men or of Godb ?" But neither of these in- terpretations can I altogether approve. The former is that which our translators seem to have acquiesced in ; though, rather than express it, they have left the
a " Dei appellatione to. rov Qeoii intelligit : et Trddttv idem decla- rat atque to KripvTTew." Beza in loc. b Doddridge on the place.