The Sin Of Pandering
"...do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I
would not be a servant of Christ," (Galatians 1:10).
Paul wrote these words in a context that had one premise: There is only one
gospel! (See also, 1 Tim. 1:3). He was disturbed that some in Galatia had turned
away from the truth of the gospel of Christ, "to a different gospel." The
message they had defected to was "a different gospel" that involved perverting
the real gospel (see verse 7). Paul was not only disturbed that members of
churches in Galatia had turned to false doctrine, it was also his
purpose to speak plainly in exposure of those who brought this message: "...if
anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be
accursed," (Gal. 1:9). It is at this point Paul said: "For do I now persuade
men, or God? Or, do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I could
not be a servant of Christ," (Gal. 1:10).
One dimension of apostasy is, seeking to please men; in modern vernacular,
pandering ("catering to") {* See footnote on the use of the term}.
When we seek the favor of men above or at the expense of the favor of God, we
betray any claim to faith in God. It is proper to commend good people (Col.
4:7-15). There is no issue when we act toward others out of appreciation,
courtesy and even honor (Romans 13:7). We can praise men, as Paul praised
Timothy and Epaphroditus in Philippians two. We can love and serve one another
(Gal. 5:13). In the contextual sense intended by the
apostle, we should follow his example to please all men (1 Cor. 10:33). The
problem is, seeking the favor of men equal with or above the favor of God.
This sin of pandering is illustrated by the Jewish rulers who "believed in Him,
but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put
out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of
God," (Jno. 12:42,43). There can be no doubt, this is the very thing Jesus spoke
about when He said: "Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their
fathers to the false prophets," (Lk. 6:26). One dimension of apostasy is,
forsaking God to have the praise of men. Paul recognized this as active in the
defection of some in Galatia, and confesses his own guilt in the matter previous
to his conversion ("...if I still pleased men..."). When we place ourselves
under the influence of pleasing men, it is equivalent to submitting to human
authority!
"The friendship of men would be dearly bought at the cost of the Lord's
friendship. 'No man can serve two masters.' To Christ he owes obedience,
reverence, diligence, faithfulness; for he bore the 'brands of his slavery.'
Therefore his subjection to him implied the rejection of all human authority in
matters of faith." (Pulpit Commentary, Gal. 1:10)
Mark this well in Galatians 1:10 - Pandering is incompatible with the activity
of faith in Christ! "...If I still pleased men, I could not be a servant of
Christ." We cannot pander to human praise, and enjoy divine favor. The motives
are incapable of harmony.
Every Christian must guard his heart against anything that is part of apostasy.
Anything that is part of the process of apostasy, every Christian must watch for
and guard against. When we seek the favor of men with such intensity, we are
willing to compromise our relationship with God - the sin is present and must be
forsaken in order to step back in the light of fellowship with Deity.
1. When we become a parrot of our favorite preacher, we
are involved in this. Read the first four chapters of First Corinthians.
It is about loyalty to men instead of God. As already granted, love and
appreciation for someone is proper. Putting your mind in submission to your
favorite preacher serves no godly purpose, puts you in peril to the error of
another, fosters a religious party and betrays your allegiance to God. "Test the
spirits," ought to be applied to every religious preacher/teacher/writer without
personal favoritism (1 Jno. 4:1; see also Acts 17:11). Simply repeating what
your favorite preacher says is not a function of faith; it is pandering, and may
also implicate the guilty one is laziness. (One can certainly quote another; but
to let the teachings of another become your creed to please them is the sin of
which I speak.)
2. When a preacher speaks and writes for the purpose of
gaining the praise of his colleagues, he is pandering. Understand, as
granted above, there is no inherent evil in praising or being praised (assuming
biblical context). The sin is, preaching motivated by the desire for human
applause! The content of the preaching may be perfectly in keeping with the
Scriptures, and may fall on the hearts of good and honest hearers. The present
point goes to motive. Pandering occurs first in the heart. Whether the
preacher/writer is presenting truth or not - the desire for human applause
constitutes the immature pandering and advances human pride and party. (While
Paul rejoiced in the message, he gave no approval of ill-motivated preachers,
see Phil. 1:12-18).
3. When elders play to the desires of men rather than
insist upon the will of God, pandering has corrupted them. Elders may be
under pressure to be governed by the flock; guided and improperly influenced by
the wants and wishes of the people, rather than the singular will of God.
Formally or informally, some leaders of this sort "poll the members" before
doing anything. Faithful elders must be completely committed to "holding fast
the faithful word" regardless of contrary winds of doctrine (Titus 1:9).
4. When members remain silent about sin, false teaching,
unscriptural practice, lest they displease someone - they serve men, leaving
Christ. I understand the challenge of knowing exactly when to speak up
and when to leave, but the answer is not "never." To abdicate loyalty to the New
Testament pattern, for fear of displeasing men is clearly the sin of pandering
and compromise. You cannot just surrender to the human agendas which find their
way into the work you are a part of! If the congregation you are a member of
ceases to imitate the characteristics of the New Testament pattern for local
churches, silent submission will (a) not solve the problem, (b) will contribute
to the loss of souls, and (c) will become your own condemnation. The duty is:
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose
them," (Eph. 5:11).
5. When parents refuse to stand against sin, for fear of
their children's reaction, the affection of human relationship has supplanted
loyalty to God. The temptation the devil dispatches to parents of sinful
children is: "Let your affection for your children overrule your regard for the
Scriptures." This is another version of pandering; neglecting the truth of God
for the sake of human relationship. (It is a subtle form of child abuse - to
neglect spiritual
values in order to have emotional peace. And in the end, there is never any
peace in forsaking divine truth! Likewise, the practice of religion merely to
keep a family tradition alive does not reflect the depth of personal commitment
God demands.)
These several applications do not detail every possible form of pandering. My
hope is, these examples will bring the sin to our attention. Once your focus is
misplaced in the direction of human pleasure, you suffer a loss of divine
pleasure. Albert Barnes stated the matter well. "It follows that if people would
become Christians, they must cease to make it their object to please people.
They must be willing to be met with contempt and a frown; they must be willing
to be persecuted and despised; they must he willing to lay aside all hope of the
praise and the flattery of people, and be content with an honest effort to
please God." (Barnes, Gal. 1:10)
"Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men," (2 Cor. 5:11). "But as we have
been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as
pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts," (1 Thess. 2:4).
* The term "pandering" is used throughout this article in
the modern sense of catering to and serving the desires of others. In
contemporary journalistic commentary this expression is commonly used:
"pandering to the electorate, pandering to the left/right, south, corporate
interests, public opinion," etc. There is religious pandering to the masses;
cultural pandering to a human standard of correctness; media pandering to the
youth. I'm using the expression in this contemporary sense, not in the older,
legal sense of brokering lewd services.
By Warren E. Berkley
Final Page
From Expository Files 10.2, February, 2003
