Bible Contradiction? Should we try to please others?

 

 

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Should we try to please others?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Yes

“Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification.” (Romans 15:2)

“just as I also please everyone in all things, not seeking my own benefit but the benefit of the many, so that they may be saved.” (1 Corinthians 10:33)

No

“For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

1. When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction.  A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time.  To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
2. One should be skeptical of whether this is a Bible contradiction given the Skeptic Annotated Bible’s track record of inaccurately handling the Bible.  See the many examples of their error which we have responded to in this post: Collection of Posts Responding to Bible Contradictions.  Of course that does not take away the need to respond to this claim of a contradiction, which is what the remainder of this post will do.  But this observation should caution us to slow down and look more closely at the passages cited by the Skeptic Annotated Bible to see if they interpreted the passages properly to support their conclusion that it is a Bible contradiction.
3. The skeptic tries to pit 1 Romans 15:2 and 1 Corinthians 10:33 as affirming the claim “We should please others” against Galatians 1:10 as affirming “We should not please others.”
4. I think what helps with seeing there’s not a contradiction with these passages is to consider what is the ultimate goal with pleasing people in different situations.  Does it ultimately please God or not?  It would be the case that when the end goal of pleasing someone does not glorify God, then it shouldn’t be done; but if the end goal of pleasing someone in a specific situation does result in glorifying God, then we should not be surprised that there’s passages in the Scriptures that permit or command it.
5. Romans 15:2 talks about pleasing others for the goal of their good.  It also explains further that is should be done if it results in their edification.  The term for edification is a Greek term that describe constructing a building.  So when there’s someone you can build them up in their faith and their walk with God then you should do so to please them.
6. 1 Corinthians 10:33 talk about pleasing others where the aim or result is “so that they may be saved.”  This is a good thing and God is glorified with salvation.  So thus this type of situation we pursue with pleasing others.
7. Galatians 1:10 is in the context of a section where Paul talk about how people should not change the Gospel (see Galatians 1:8-9).  In Galatians 1:10 Paul is thus talking about how he would not change the Gospel message in order to please people.  Changing the Gospel of course would not glorify God.  In fact it would not be loving to people (for false Gospel will damn and not save people).  So Paul in strong terms in Galatians 1:10 talk about not changing the Gospel in order to please people.
8. It is interesting that 1 Corinthians 10:33 and Galatians 1:10 are actually compatible and not contradictory.  Both verses are two sides of the coin if you will. 1 Corinthians 10:3 talks about pleasing people in the context of the goal with people’s salvation; but if it is a case of pleasing people that is the opposite of saving them, one shouldn’t pursue it and that’s what Galatians 1:10 is saying.
9. There is no contradiction here.  Seems the skeptic needs to learn of How to Handle Bible Contradictions.
10. We shouldn’t miss that worldviews are at play even with the skeptic’s objection to Christianity.  The worldview of the author of the Skeptic Annotated Bible actually doesn’t even allow for such a thing as the law of non-contradiction to be meaningful and intelligible.  In other words for him to try to disprove the Bible by pointing out that there’s a Bible contradiction doesn’t even make sense within his own worldview.  Check out our post “Skeptic Annotated Bible Author’s Self-Defeating Worldview.”