10 For do I now 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.
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
now (v.10) — in the things he is saying in this letter.
do I now persuade (v.10) — Paul is asking if his words seek (court or solicit favor) to conciliate men.
men, or God? — rhetorical. Paul does not attempt to conciliate men but regards only God. In Greek, the question expects a negative answer.
still (v.10) — as in his pre-conversion days
bondservant = slave, with the emphasis on the relationship with the master
bondservant of Christ (v.10) — incompatible with pleasing men.
make known (v.11) — reminding the Galatians of the facts
gospel (v.11) — can refer to the facts, as in 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, or, as in this case, the interpretation of the facts.
not according to man (v.11) — not from men in origin or object
I neither received it (v.12) — Paul didn’t receive his message from any person.
I neither received it — the pronoun is emphatic, suggesting a contrast with the Judaizers, who probably professed to come from James, as they did who taught the same things at Antioch (see Galatians 2:12) and denying any inferiority in this respect to those apostles who had companied with the Lord and had been directly commissioned by Him before His ascension. But while Paul thus “glorifies his ministry” (Romans 11:13), when speaking of himself personally he uses very different language, “I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle” (1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 12:11). — Vine, page 144
nor was I taught it (v.12) — Paul goes to extremes to declare his gospel is unique. There are no other possible alternatives except that it came from Jesus Christ.
revelation (v.12) — direct communication of the mind of God. Paul saw the Lord and heard His voice. He was given information otherwise unknown and unknowable. God didn’t use men to teach Paul.
The revelation to Paul wasn’t only from Christ, it was of Christ.
The Judaizers accused Paul of temporizing because of his stance in 1 Corinthians 9:20. They said he was currying favor. Hence the strength of his anathema in verses 8 and 9 and his response in verse 10.
