"For do I 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." -- GALATIANS 1:10

Amid earlier observations, the force of 1.8, 9 carries into 1.10, what Luther calls (1) an "ardor" for God’s gospel. The sense: "Galatians, how 'bout it? What do you think, fellas? Do I seek God’s or man’s favor? What about the disputes, difficulties, trials, shipwrecks, false witnesses, assassination attempts, the stoning, and other foul barkings? At Iconium, Lystra or Derbe, for starters? I don’t endure these things, folks, because I'm a human-pleaser. My eye is on the Divine Being".

Unlike Paul, let’s try a different path and seek human favor (tongue firmly in cheek). Let's present the gospel in a "user-friendly" way with lots of funny stories and the goal of offending no one. We could shift the focus (2) to the One who is there to help (a little emoting helps here), not God in all of His Sovereign Majesty as Creator, Sustainer, and Lord of creation. We could present the gospel as a way "to meet our needs" rather than it’s highest purpose to glorify the eternal God and His grace (Eph.1.6).

We could keep the content of the gospel to basal levels (3), bleaching total depravity with high-power detergents. No more "...and men loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil" (Jn.3.19) or that the unjustified are "dead in sins and trespasses"...children of wrath, captives of Satan, and condemned (Eph.2.1-3). We could avoid all talk about the bondage of the mind, will and affections (4). We could genuflect to the idol of free will, never adequately discussing sin's impact. In fact, we could invent new words for offenses against a holy God and transgressions of divine law: "shortcomings", "mere peccadilloes" perhaps, glossing over the biblical portrait of inveterate hatred in the mind (Rom.8.7), the will (Rom.3.20) and the affections (Jn.3.17ff.). God loves everybody, period.

We could encourage people to consider themselves Christians because they prayed a simple prayer of commitment (and fill the pews), avoiding the larger sense of the biblical word, "salvation", as a sovereign life-work of God with a beginning (regeneration) and indubitable consequences for life (sanctification and perseverence of the saints). We could define faith as a single, efficaceous mental event making good works commendable, but not necessary. We could avoid such warnings as "work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure." Mmmm? Judgment and hell too would need dilution, if not outright excision, in hymns, liturgy, counseling and, of course, tracts, sermons, books, Sunday School classes and email notes (5). The agenda would need to mix in some "universalism" as Billy Graham has noted:

"I used to think that pagans in far-off countries were lost and were going to hell if they did not have the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them. I no longer believe that. I believe there are other ways of recognizing the existence of God through nature, for instance and plenty of other opportunities, therefore, of saying yes to God."(6)

Think of it: no more need for evangelism, missions and preaching really...and the money and time we would save. Those "pagans in far-off countries" would appreciate our inclusivity since they do well without evangelistic intrusion. The cultural anthropologists too, who disparage missions as western imperialism, would warm up as we got with their caring program...seeking their favor and fellowship. Evangelical Machiavellianism? (7) I wonder how this would wash with Paul? You know, he could have avoided all those missionary journeys, conflicts and the like. But, Galatians 1.10, "For do I 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."

1. Martin Luther, Lectures on Galatians (1535), p.58.

2. This is an "emphasis argument" admittedly, but "shifts of emphasis" need to be watched. I suggest that that is how we lose or gain biblical focuses. Never quick, just slow, subtle, and imperceptible.

3. The Four Spiritual Laws (Campus Crusade for Christ)

4. Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing Company).

5. We’ll want to take our lead from Marcion (late 2nd century) in our selection of Sunday School material too.

6. Standard Bearer (May, 1997), an interview between Billy Graham and Bob Schuller (Crystal Cathedral).

7. Nicolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), courtier, political theorist, and papal diplomat rightly believed that "evil is a human characteristic and therefore a factor that politics must take into account". Bard Thompson, Humanists and Reformer (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1988), pp. 298-305. Although we assume human evil with Paul, like Machiavelli, with some flattery, we can predict the listener’s desire to not hear about his sin, give it up in repentance, embrace a Savior, and surrender to a Sovereign God. If we flatter the sinner, maybe he’ll come back next Sunday, join one of our committees, and, yes, contribute to the building fund.