Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "pleasing man" in the Bible often carries a cautionary tone, warning believers against prioritizing human approval over God's will. This theme is explored in various passages, emphasizing the importance of seeking God's favor above all else.
Biblical Warnings Against Pleasing Man1.
Galatians 1:10 · The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of seeking human approval in his letter to the Galatians: "Am I now seeking the approval of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." . Here, Paul underscores the incompatibility of being a servant of Christ while simultaneously striving to please people. His rhetorical questions highlight the priority of divine approval over human acceptance.
2.
1 Thessalonians 2:4 · Paul further elaborates on this theme: "Instead, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our hearts." . This passage emphasizes that the motivation for preaching the gospel should be to please God, who knows the true intentions of the heart, rather than to gain favor with people.
3.
Colossians 3:23 · The Apostle Paul advises believers on their work ethic: "Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men." . This instruction encourages Christians to perform their duties with a focus on serving the Lord, rather than seeking human recognition or approval.
Examples of Pleasing Man in Scripture1.
King Saul · In
1 Samuel 15, King Saul disobeys God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions. Instead, he spares King Agag and the best of the livestock, claiming he did so to offer sacrifices to the Lord. However, his actions reveal a desire to please the people rather than obey God fully. This disobedience ultimately leads to his rejection as king.
2.
Peter's Hypocrisy · In
Galatians 2:11-14, Paul recounts an incident where Peter, fearing the circumcision group, withdrew from eating with Gentile believers. This act of hypocrisy was driven by a desire to please certain Jewish Christians, compromising the truth of the gospel. Paul confronts Peter, emphasizing the importance of aligning actions with the truth of God's word rather than succumbing to peer pressure.
The Call to Please God1.
Romans 12:2 · Believers are called to transform their minds and not conform to the patterns of this world: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." . This transformation enables Christians to discern and pursue what pleases God, rather than seeking worldly approval.
2.
Ephesians 5:10 · Paul instructs believers to "test and prove what pleases the Lord." . This involves a continuous effort to understand and align with God's desires, ensuring that one's life reflects His will rather than the fleeting approval of people.
ConclusionThe Bible consistently teaches that the pursuit of pleasing man can lead to spiritual compromise and disobedience to God. Believers are encouraged to seek God's approval above all, ensuring that their actions and motivations align with His will. Through the examples and teachings found in Scripture, Christians are reminded of the importance of prioritizing their relationship with God over the desire for human acceptance.
Topical Bible Verses
Galatians 1:10For 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.
Topicalbible.org
Greek
441. anthropareskos --man-pleasing...man-
pleasing. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: anthropareskos Phonetic
Spelling: (anth-ro-par'-es-kos) Short Definition: desirous of
pleasing men
...2107. eudokia -- good pleasure
... good-will (good-pleasure), favor, feeling of complacency of God toman, (b) good...
pleasure (1), good will (1), kind intention (2), pleased (1), well-pleasing (2...
Strong's Hebrew
2896a. tob -- pleasant, agreeable, good... 3), intelligent* (1), kind (1), like* (1),
man (1), more* (2), one (1), one who
(1), one who (1), one who is good (1), one who is
pleasing (1), pleasant (2
...Library
A Third Kind is "Pride" which isPleasing toMan, not to God.
... Book X. Chapter XXXVI."A Third Kind is "Pride" Which isPleasing toMan,
Not to God. 58. Shall we, then, account this too amongst...
The Works of the Unregenerate Can bePleasing to God, and are...
... Thus the confession, by which any one acknowledges himself to be "a cold, blind
and poor creature," ispleasing to God; and theman, therefore, flies to Christ...
OnPleasing all Men
... and not only to weak minds, as the desire of praise, whether deserved or undeserved,
is planted in every child ofman. But it ispleasing only for a while....
Pleasing Christ
... These are the things which every Christianman and woman is bound by the power of...
handicrafts, may each be sure that they are doing what ispleasing to Christ...
Pleasing Christ
... His notion of acceptable service was service which aman suppressed much to render,
and... a struggle and a dead lift, to live so as to be well-pleasing to Him....
The True Gnostic is Beneficent, Continent, and Despises Worldly...
... of wisdom." [3608] But the perfectman, out of love, "beareth all things, endureth
all things," [3609] "as notpleasing man, but God." [3610] Although praise...
On the Justification ofMan Before God
... can be opposed to the rigid and severe judgment of God, though it ispleasing to
God... But it may be thus defined, "it is a justification by which aman, who is a...
Redemption forMan Lost to be Sought in Christ.
... turns to our greater disgrace, until God, who does not acknowledgeman when defiled...
such, are under the curse, the children of wrath, cannot bepleasing to God...
The LoneMan who Went Before
... for Him as aman to have lived, and He lived another sort of life. It was an emergency
life, a life fitted to His Father's plan, and so the Father-pleasing life...
On the Covenant into which God Entered with Our First Parents
... difference between each [of these kinds of] obedience, that the first (Thesis I)
is true obedience and, in itself,pleasing to God; and theman who performs it...
Resources
Can a Christian be a model? Is a modeling career something a Christian can consider? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about self-gratification / self-pleasure? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does the Bible say about being a Christian wife? | GotQuestions.orgPleasing: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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