Galatians 1:10 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Do I now persuade men,— Do I court the favour of men;—or, Do I ingratiate myself with men, rather than with God? The words now and yet cannot be understood without a reference to something in St. Paul's past life. What that was which he had particularly then in his mind, we may see by the account he gives of himself in what immediately follows; namely, that before his conversion he was employed by men in their designs, and made it his business to please them, as may be seen Acts 9:1-2. But when GOD called him, he received his commission and instructions from him alone, and immediately entered upon his office, without consulting any man whatever; preaching that, and that only, which he had received from Christ; so that it would be senseless folly in him, and no less than the forsaking his Master Jesus Christ, if he should now, as was reported of him, mix any thing of man's with the pure doctrine of the Gospel, (which he had received immediately by revelation from Jesus Christ,) to please the Jews, after he had so long preached only that; and, to avoid all appearance or pretence of the contrary, had so carefully shunned all communication with thechurches of Judea; and had not, till a good while after his conversion, and then very sparingly, conversed with any, and those but a few, of the Apostles themselves, one of whom he openly reproved for Judaizing. This is a plain assertion of the divinity of the doctrine which he had preached. The word Πειθω, translated persuade, is sometimes used for making application to any one to obtain his good will or friendship. Hence, Acts 12:20 the words πεισαντες Βλαστον, are translated, having made Blastus their friend. See 1 Thessalonians 2:4.