Author's Note: All previous volumes of this series are here. The first 56 volumes are compiled into the book "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible." "Part Two," featuring volumes 57-113, was published in December 2022.
Thanks for joining “What the New Testament Says About Pride.” If you missed last week’s study about the consequences of pride in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, take five minutes to catch up. Loyal readers know what comes next—a dose of “while we wait music” from Myra’s playlist.
Everybody ready? Before we discuss pride in the New Testament, let’s refer to the Old for a passage about how Satan (Lucifer) embodied the sin of pride. Think of this sin as when a person, leader, organization, or nation thinks or acts as if they are on par with God — don’t need Him, know better than Him, or behave as if they are above Him. But, whenever the “sin of pride” is embraced or involved, know that Almighty God will always strike back and ultimately triumph.
Concerning the sin of pride, it is important to remember the First of the Ten Commandments:
“You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). In the passage below, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God described what happened to Lucifer (the devil) after he engulfed himself with pride:
“‘How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” ‘Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit’” (Isaiah 14:12-14).
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Jesus battled Satan during His earthly ministry. Then, the resurrected Jesus triumphed over Satan, but their battle continued. For further study, see Vols.104 and 111. Then and now, Satan is prideful. Last week in our Old Testament study, we learned how much God detests pride and why Jesus preached about humility:
“‘The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted’” (Matthew 23:11-12).
Having pride and acting prideful is a hindrance to growing in one's faith. Pride prevents us from being submissive and obedient to God — an obstacle to being a servant in God’s kingdom.
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus included pride among a host of sins that defile humankind:
“‘What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person’” (Mark 7: 20-23).
In the gospel of Luke, Jesus repeats what is recorded in Matthew about the humble being exalted, but this time in a parable about a Pharisee (religious leader) and a tax collector. The Pharisee arrogantly prays, as described by Jesus:
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else…” The Pharisee applauds his prideful traits and says:
‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ Then Jesus praised the lowly despised tax collector who humbly acknowledged his sinfulness:
“‘But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted’” (Luke 18: 9-14).
We turn now to the apostle Paul, who wrote extensively about pride since it can lead to spiritual blindness, conflict, alienation, and humiliation. In one of his most famous passages, often read at weddings, Paul wrote about how prideful behaviors can negatively impact a loving relationship:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
Throughout the New Testament, Paul’s verses offer timeless self-help advice for successful living when humility cancels pride. Here are some examples:
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited” (Romans 12:16).
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves...” (Philippians 2:3).
“‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends” (2 Corinthians 10:17-18).
Recorded in the letter of James is a strong warning about our prideful thoughts/deeds and how God acts accordingly:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (James 4:6).
With your prideful behavior, you can choose to alienate the Lord and invite divine opposition or receive His grace and favor. James also wrote:
“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10).
The messages in the passages above are simple but difficult to follow since human egos often disregard biblical advice and divine warnings.
Here is our takeaway lesson about pride in the New Testament: When you find yourself acting prideful, STOP! Always choose humility if you want to please God — and who doesn’t want to please God?
Since we should live our lives trying to please and glorify God, let’s incorporate a passage from 1 John. This short chapter is attributed to the apostle John, who wrote the gospel of John and the book of Revelation — some impressive writing credits! He wrote:
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Amen to that!
Myra Kahn Adams is a conservative political and religious writer with numerous national credits. Her book, "Bible Study For Those Who Don't Read The Bible," reprints the first 56 volumes of this popular study. "Part 2,” with the same title, reprints Vols. 57-113. Order it here.
She is also the Executive Director of the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit, dedicated to building a future permanent Shroud of Turin exhibit in Washington, D.C. In July, the National Shroud of Turin Exhibit hosted a four-day exhibit (with a “Chosen” VIP guest) at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, IN. Some new news. Contact: <MyraAdams01@gmail.com>