Why did Paul not have to serve men or worry about pleasing people?
Paul was not beholden to anyone because he did not draw a salary; he worked, sewing tents when he needed money. Since his support did not depend on men, he did not fear losing pay or have to serve and please men. He belonged wholly to Christ as His bond slave.
Les explains that Paul asks, “Do I persuade men or God? Who is he serving?” Certainly not men, because Paul, like the teacher, did not draw a salary. Paul said he did not have to be beholden to anybody; if he needed money, he went out and sewed tents. So he did not worry about losing his pay, and he did not have to serve men. Paul says if he yet pleased men, he should not be the servant of Christ, for you cannot serve both; you cannot please God and mammon. Yet Paul suffered imprisonment, beatings, shipwreck, cold, heat, and nakedness, as studied in the Corinthian letters, not to serve men but because he was the bond slave of Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter 3, starting at verse 1, shows the motivation of this apostle.
For 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.
More Questions
Why did Paul say he would not be a bond-servant of Christ if he pleased men?
If Paul were still trying to please men, he would not be a bond-slave of Christ; pleasing men is incompatible with being Christ's bond-slave.