What does Paul mean when he says he is not trying to please man?

Paul contrasts seeking “the approval of man” with seeking “the approval of God.” He says that if he were still trying to please man, he would not be “a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10).

Passage context

In Galatians 1:8–10, Paul draws a hard boundary around the message the Galatians first heard. Even if the messenger were Paul himself again, or even a heavenly angel, anyone proclaiming a different message is to be treated as under a curse. He repeats this for emphasis, then explains his motive: he is not trying to win human approval. These verses come immediately after Paul expresses shock that the Galatians are turning to “a different message” (1:6–7) and says that some are disturbing them and trying to reshape what they received. Paul answers that situation by stating, twice, that there is no acceptable “alternative” to what he first announced.

Why it matters

Paul draws a bright line around the gospel the Galatians first heard from him. The key point in the text is that the authority of the messenger cannot cancel the authority of the message already delivered (verse 8).

Read carefully

A common mistake is to turn the wording into a slogan. The better reading keeps the phrase tied to the passage, the speaker, and the problem the book is addressing.

Keep reading

Start with Galatians 1:10, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.