Now that the Olympics are wrapping up in Beijing, one of the strangest events took place. International Olympic Commission President Jacques Rogge said that Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was disrespectful to his rivals. He saw it as a disrespectful display of Ego as Usain won gold in the men’s 4X100-meter relay.. The irony, is that many commentators see China’s hosting of the Olympics itself as an ego display. Not for the international community, but to its own people that they are such a great country. (Agence France-Presse “Bolt Having Fun; No Disrespect” as appeared in The National Post. Saturday August 23rd, 2008. p. S5)
Ego can indeed be a destructive thing. Internationally, countries have gone to war over words. The ability to save face, has diverted many conflicts. Ego can prevent conversation, put barriers up between people and prevent the meaningful exchange of ideas.
Paul’s fight over truth recorded in the book of Galatians seems to come to a head over the issue of ego. It is an avenue that the false teaching Judaizers attack Paul, and an issue that he has to work though his background and put the issue squarely back to truth. The book of Galatians itself falls into three sections of two chapters each. In the first two chapters Paul recounts his spiritual autobiography. His life story shows that he is a true apostle who preaches the true gospel of free grace. The theology of the one true gospel is expounded in chapters three and four. Finally in chapters five and six, Paul takes his theology and applies it to daily life, explaining the ethical implications.
For each of us, it can be difficult to separate ourselves from our message. How tightly we cling to our own ego has a tremendous implication for what we aim for. Are we going to do everything in our power for as many people to like us personally, or is truth something to make a line in the sand for, regardless of the consequences.
In Galatians 1:10–12 the Apostle Paul shows presenting the Gospel is not about 1) Pleasing People; 2) A Human Centered Message; 3) A Human Devised Message, but a 4)Christ Centered Message.
The Gospel is Not About:
1) Pleasing People. (Galatians 1:10)
Galatians 1:10 [10]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. (ESV)
Paul now begins to elaborate the point the made in verse 1, namely, that the gospel is not “from men” but from God. It is not designed to please men, as if God had to cajole and entice them to believe. It is “the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1), designed to promote the glory of God and of his Christ (Edgar H. Andrews. Free in Christ: The message of Galatians. Evangelical Press. 1996. p. 28)
Gar (for) has numerous meanings, which are largely determined by context. It can also be translated “because,” “yes, indeed,” “certainly,” “what,” and “why.” It can also sometimes mean “there,” which is a helpful rendering in this verse. “There,” he is saying, referring back to the strong anathemas of the previous two verses, “does that sound like I am a people pleaser? Am I now seeking the approval/favor of man, or of God? Or am I striving to please man?” When Paul talks about the approval/favor of man he is talking about appeasement. Obviously, Paul’s pronouncing a curse on men (v. 9) does not fit with the accusations of the Judaizers against him. Rather, it unquestionably seeks to honor God, whose truth was being perverted.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 [4]but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. (ESV)
Quote: One commentator reflected on this trend like this: “In a market-driven age we are accustomed to think of every church having a special niche, of every visitor as a prospective customer, and every aspect of worship designed to satisfy the consumers. Paul was reminding the Galatians that the gospel was not a product to be peddled on the marketplace of life. It has no need of shrewd salesmen to make it more palatable to modern tastes. The gospel has its own self-generating, dynamic authority and need not be propped up by artificial means, however sophisticated or alluring. One day every person called to the ministry of the word of God must give an account for the stewardship of that office. On that day we will either be “disqualified for the prize” or hear those coveted words, “Well done, faithful servant.” God, not any human audience, is our true constituency”. (George, T. (2001, c1994). Vol. 30: Galatians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (101). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
If I were still trying to please men refers to the days when he did seek to please his fellow Jews by zealously persecuting Christians, assuming he was being faithful to God while concentrating his effort on favoring traditional Judaism. But in light of what he taught and the way he had lived since his conversion, the idea that he was still trying to please men was preposterous. If that were true, he would not be a (bond)-servant of Christ. He had surrendered his life entirely to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and that surrender had cost him dearly in human terms. The word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. (Biblical Studies Press. (2001; 2002). The NET Bible Notes (Ga 1:10). Biblical Studies Press.)
A (bond)-servant Doulos. Paul elevates this word by using it in its Heb. sense to describe a servant who willingly commits himself to serve a master he loves and respects (Ex 21:5, 6; Gal 1:10; Tit 1:1; cf. Ge 26:24; Nu 12:7; 2Sa 7:5; Is 53:11). (MacArthur, J. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible : New American Standard Bible. (Ro 1:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.) For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. (Biblical Studies Press. (2001; 2002). The NET Bible Notes (Ga 1:10). Biblical Studies Press.)
By nature, people pleasers are not martyrs. The desire to escape ridicule and trouble is one of their hallmarks. Pleasing others does not bring the severe persecution Paul endured and is totally incompatible with being a bond-servant of Christ.
• Think about this in the perspective of your presentation of the Gospel. When was the last time you openly faced ridicule in witnessing for Christ? If it is not easily recalled, you probably are more concerned with pleasing others than God.
It was rather Paul’s Jewish accusers who were people pleasers. It was “to make a good showing in the flesh” that they tried “to compel [Gentile believers] to be circumcised,” for the very purpose of not being “persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Gal. 6:12).
Please turn to 1 Corinthians. 10
In looking at the life of Paul, it is easy to become confused and think that at times he did seem to be a people pleaser. Context is the key. Paul could be remarkably flexible and tolerant about many things. He agreed for Timothy to be circumcised; he submitted to the purification rites for entering the temple at Jerusalem; he even rejoiced when certain rival missionaries preached Christ out of envy and ambition while he sat in chains (Acts 16:2–5; 21:26; Phil 1:15–18). He was willing, if not always happy, to make such adjustments and concessions whenever the missionary situation required that kind of flexibility so long as the foundational principles of the gospel were not being compromised. When that did occur, however, he was adamantine in his resistance—not budging an inch in his dispute with the false brothers, opposing Peter to his face in a painful confrontation (Gal 2:5, 11–14). (George, T. (2001, c1994). Vol. 30: Galatians (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (101). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers).
1 Corinthians 10 puts the balance in perspective:
1 Corinthians 10:31-33 [31]So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [32]Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, [33]just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (ESV)
• The ultimate aim is to glorify God. If personal pride and ego must be sacrificed for the sake of the Gospel, so be it. We are to seek the welfare of others that they may be saved. Yet, never at the expense of the truth of the Gospel.
Illustration: Approval
A young man once studied violin under a world-renowned master. Eventually the time came for the student’s first recital. Following each selection, despite the cheers of the crowd, the performer seemed dissatisfied.
Even after the last number, with the shouts louder than ever, the talented violinist stood watching an old man in the balcony. Finally the elderly one smiled and nodded in approval. Immediately the young man relaxed and beamed with happiness.
You see, the man in the balcony was his teacher, and thus the applause of the crowd had meant nothing to him until he had first won the hearty approval of his master. (Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching. Includes indexes. (24). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
• If we live our lives for the approval of others, be it our spouse, boss or friends, then they become our idol. If our ultimate aim is the honor of Christ, then that is Godly worship.
The Gospel is Not About: 1) Pleasing People. (Galatians 1:10) nor is it:
2) A Human Centered Message (Galatians 1:11)
Galatians 1:11 [11]For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. (ESV).
False gospels are designed to please human pride. They have their origin in human reasoning, and driven by human desires. (Edgar H. Andrews. Free in Christ: The message of Galatians. Evangelical Press. 1996. p. 29)
I would have you know is from gnôrizô, a strong Greek verb that means to make known with certainty, to certify. In vernacular English the phrase could be rendered, “Let me make it perfectly clear.” “The gospel I preach,” he said, “is not human either in nature or in authority. Paul did not invent it or alter it, nor did any one else. Its message is completely divine in origin, without any mixture of human wisdom whatever.” The Gospel exemplified here by Paul, is the standard by which all false human theories of salvation are measured and condemned.
Had Paul proclaimed a gospel that was man’s gospel/according to man, it would have been permeated by works righteousness, as is every humanly devised system of religion. Human sinful pride is offended by the idea that only God’s mercy and grace can save him from sin, and humans therefore insists on having a part in their own salvation. This comes in many forms: From taking pride in deciding to follow Christ, in what is perceived as righteous works that God must be impressed with, or the avoidance of actions that they see others sinners doing.
The very fact that Paul preached a message of salvation in which works play absolutely no part was itself evidence that his message was from God and not … man.
• Lets you think that righteous actions are enough, that you evangelize by your lifestyle, the gospel must be presented by words. The preaching here is heralding. It is verbally proclaiming God’s standards, Christ’s fully satisfying actions, and the call to repentance and faith.
Quote: On the content of Preaching, Martin Luther said this:
“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the Devil are at that point attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is tested. To be steady in all the battlefields besides is mere flight and disgrace, if the soldier flinches at that one point” (Green, M. P. (1989). Illustrations for Biblical Preaching : Over 1500 sermon illustrations arranged by topic and indexed exhaustively (Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
Think about the implication of verses 10 & 11 on not centering a message on human means and human pleasure:
• Much of church growth philosophy centers on a “market” approach, discovering what people want. If our ultimate desire is to please people, our packaging of the gospel may take priority over the content. If our message is human centered for meeting felt needs, then we lose the essence of the gospel in repentance of sin and faith in the finished work of Christ alone for eternal life.
The Gospel is Not About: 1) Pleasing People. (Galatians 1:10); 2) A Human Centered Message (Galatians 1:11) nor is it:
3) A Human Devised Message (Galatians 1:12a)
Galatians 1:12a [12]For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, (but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ). (ESV)
That statement was particularly directed against the Judaizers, who received their religious instruction primarily from rabbinic tradition by means of rote memorization. (Rather than studying the Scriptures directly), most Jews-religious leaders and laymen alike-looked to human interpretations of Scripture as their religious authority and guide. Their theology, moral standards, and ceremonies had roots in God’s revealed Word of the Old Testament, but the biblical truths and standards had been so diluted and distorted by human interpretations that the Judaism of New Testament times was largely received … from man and taught according to man’s interpretation. Although the Scriptures, especially the Torah, or law, were ritually given the highest honor, they were not honored by the people through direct study and sincere obedience. In the eyes of many Jews of that day-just as in the eyes of many professing Christians today-Scripture was a religious relic that deserved superficial reverence but not serious study or obedience. The religious ideas they took seriously and attempted to live by were the man-made traditions related to their unique community culture that had accumulated over the previous several hundred years. Many of the traditions not only were not taught in Scripture but contradicted Scripture.
This is what Jesus taught when he said:
Matthew 15:5-6 [5]But you say, ’If anyone tells his father or his mother, "What you would have gained from me is given to God," [6]he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. (ESV)
Please turn to Genesis 9
• The danger today is that tradition or common practice is the first guide to behavior. Allow me to give you a very controversial example. The common practice in most western countries is to ban capital punishment.
The arguments to ban the practice always seem to be based on personal ethics, directives between private citizens.
• But capital punishment is a mandate that God gave to the state (Acts 25:11; Rom. 13:4) because we are made in the image of God and the honor of such must be upheld.
Genesis 9:1-7 [9:1]And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. [2]The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. [3]Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. [4]But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. [5]And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. [6]"Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image. [7]And you, be fruitful and multiply, teem on the earth and multiply in it." (ESV)
• Today we base our practice on tradition and void the word of God.
But Paul’s teaching and preaching had no such human basis. Neither translates oude, which is here used emphatically, meaning “not even.” The idea is, “Not even I who might so readily have been taught by men was so taught.” Although he had been highly trained in rabbinic schools and was “a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of [Jewish] religion” (Acts 26:5; cf. 23:6), he had discarded every unscriptural notion he had learned in that man-made religious system. No Jew had more reason than Paul to boast in his accomplishments in Judaism; but everything he had accomplished in the flesh before receiving Christ he counted “as rubbish” (Phil. 3:4–8), and even the elements of the story of Christ that he knew prior to his conversion were shallow and empty because of his unbelief.
• We must be continually checking our thought patterns, assumptions, what we read and hear against the word of God.
What Paul now believed and preached he neither received … from man, nor was … taught by man. There was no human source for Paul’s message. The gospel was not invented by men nor transmitted to him by any human being. This response no doubt reflects another of the Judaizers’ accusations against Paul, namely, that he had been taught his doctrine by the apostles in Jerusalem, who had also abandoned Judaism.
Quote: On the nature of a man centered-gospel, Richard Neibuhr said described it as: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross” (H. Richard Niebuhr, The Kingdom of God in America [New York: Harper & Row, 1959], p. 193).
• A human devised and centered message has no relevance or solution to a Christ needed rescue.
The Gospel is not about 1) Pleasing People; 2) A Human Centered Message; 3) A Human Devised Message, but a
4) Christ Centered Message.
Galatians 1:12b [12] (For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it,) but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. (ESV)
The gospel Paul preached and taught was neither a human invention nor a human tradition, but was given to him directly by God through a revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 11:23; 15:3-4). Revelation is from apokalupsis and means an unveiling of something previously secret. Jesus Christ is best understood as the object of that very revelation. It was not that he had no previous knowledge of Jesus. It was for the very reason that he did know something of Him and His work that he had fiercely persecuted those who believed in Him. He obviously had known that Christians believed Jesus was the Son of God and the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, because it was for those claims that Jesus was most criticized and eventually crucified (Luke 23:2, 35; John 5:18; 10:30). Paul had known that Christians believed Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. He also knew that Jesus not only dispensed with the rabbinic traditions but even fulfilled the ceremonial laws of Moses. Before his conversion Paul could have accurately stated many of the central teachings of the gospel. But he did not believe those teachings were true and thus had no grasp of their spiritual meaning and significance.
• It is not enough for us to know the elements of the Gospel. Satan himself does. We must have the elements of the Gospel as the core of our faith and message.
Jesus said:
John 5:39 [39]You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (ESV)
• When Paul speaks about the revelation of Jesus Christ, he is saying several things. He is placing his preaching and writing in the same category of revelation as the Old Testament Scriptures which Christ, here in John 5, say speak of him.
• The gospel that Paul preaches is a revelation of Jesus Christ, he is distinguishing it from the many false gospels of self-improvement, works, social gospel, signs and wonders or ritual.
• The gospel that Paul preaches is a revelation of Jesus Christ, and since the work of Christ is perfect and complete, the Gospel of Him is likewise perfect and complete. It must be only rooted in the perfect completed work of Christ. It cannot take away elements, like Christ’s lordship, nor added to by human works. Likewise, it cannot be changed or improved.
The strength of our faith and message must rest only on the perfect completed work of Christ. Understand this for your assurance of salvation and the yardstick to measure any action both in regards to personal or corporate ministry.
(Format Note: Some base commentary from MacArthur, J. (1996, c1987). Galatians. Includes indexes. (20). Chicago: Moody Press.)
