Galatians 1:10 “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.”
Paul goes straight to the heart of the Minister’s duty. He asks, who “do I now persuade”; that is “do I now persuade men” that “God” is right in His Holy Word or “do I now persuade … God” that men’s interpretations and alterations and applications of His Word are right. It seems that each new generation has “new and improved” versions of what the Lord meant to say or what He should have said or that He should not have said. If his motive was to “please men”, then Paul would have tried to “persuade … God” that men’s ideas are better for their generation than God’s Commandments. He explains that if his motive was to “please men”; then, he would “not be the servant of Christ”, he would be the “servant of” fickle “men”. He was writing to admonish them and us to not accept the preaching “any other gospel” (Galatians 1:8). The easiest way to introduce another “gospel” is to alter the Word of God to fit the new ideas. But, God doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6) and He doesn’t change His Mind. Furthermore, we are twice Commanded not to add to or take away from the Word of God: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2), “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:19). These Commands apply to be the actual written Word, as well as the interpretation and application of the Word. The Apostles and Preachers of old “preached THE gospel” (Acts 8:25), not their own version or interpretation of it. As men began to preach “another gospel” there was some changes; but, in each successive generation the deviation from the true Word of God becomes greater and greater. The deviations have now become so great that many do not even recognize the true Word of God or have abandoned it all together. We would do well to take heed to the Lord’s message to Judah, Jerusalem: “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.” (Jeremiah 4:1).