Useful Bible Studies > 2 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 5

A right kind of pride

2 Corinthians 5:12

There is a right kind of pride as well as a wrong kind of pride. It is good when we have a right kind of pride towards our churches and their leaders.

However, we probably speak much more about the wrong kind of pride. People can become proud and greedy when they speak about their churches, as about themselves. They think that they are superior to other people; they even laugh at those other people. Christians should never allow themselves to behave like that. They must be humble towards God, and they must be ready to serve other people on his behalf*.

People speak in that wrong manner about their churches when they want to impress someone. They emphasise how great and important their church is. They are trying to make themselves seem greater than the other person.

The right kind of pride, however, impresses nobody. It is right to have pride in a church leader who explains God’s message clearly and simply*. We should have pride in a leader who declares the greatness of God, but his own weakness *. We should have pride when our church leaders choose to obey God, and not to impress people *.

The wrong kind of pride makes us feel greater. The right kind of pride causes us to recognise God’s greatness. We recognise that our leaders truly are God’s servants; so, we can trust the message that they bring to us from God. Then we have a reply to those people who try to impress us with their clever words, but wrong ideas. God carried out a wonderful work in our hearts, by the message that his servants brought to us. Therefore, we must not accept a different message, however impressive it may seem*.

Next part: Was Paul mad? (5:13)

 

* See complete article for these Bible references.

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© 2016, Keith Simons.