Lexical Summary kauchesis: Boasting, glorying, pride Original Word: καύχησις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance boasting, glorying, rejoicing. From kauchaomai; boasting (properly, the act; by implication, the object), in a good or a bad sense -- boasting, whereof I may glory, glorying, rejoicing. see GREEK kauchaomai HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 2746 kaúxēsis (a feminine noun) – boasting, which can either be in the "achievements" of self (negatively) or about God's grace (positively). See 2744 (kauχomai). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2746: καύχησιςκαύχησις, καυχήσεως, ἡ (καυχάομαι), the act of glorying: Romans 3:27; 2 Corinthians 9:4 Rec.; 2 Corinthians 11:10, 17; James 4:16; στέφανος καυχήσεως, crown of which we can boast, 1 Thessalonians 2:19; Ezekiel 16:12; Proverbs 16:31; ὑπέρ τίνος (on behalf) of one (cf. καυχάομαι, under the end), 2 Corinthians 7:4; 2 Corinthians 8:24; ἐπί τίνος, before one, 2 Corinthians 7:14; ἔχω (τήν critical editions) καύχησιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, the glorying which I have I ascribe to Christ, or I owe it to Christ that I am permitted to glow (see ἐν, I. 6 b., p. 211b), Romans 15:17; 1 Corinthians 15:31; that of which one glories, cause of glorying, 2 Corinthians 1:12. (The Sept. several times for תִּפְאֶרֶת; ((Diogenes Laërtius 10, 7 at the end); Philod. in Vol. Hercul. Oxfort. i., p. 16.) Topical Lexicon Overview The New Testament term translated “boast,” “boasting,” or “glorying” appears eleven times and carries a two-sided thrust. Positively, it denotes rejoicing in what God has accomplished and taking legitimate pride in faithful believers. Negatively, it exposes arrogant self-confidence and prideful speech that displaces dependence on God. Legitimate Grounds for Glorying • Christ-centered ministry. Romans 15:17 celebrates a servant’s exaltation “in Christ Jesus in my service to God.” The apostle’s triumph is not personal achievement but what Christ has done through him (Romans 15:18). Apostolic Strategy in Corporate Life Paul does not hesitate to publicize commendable examples as motivation. He urges the Corinthians: “Show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our boasting about you to the churches” (2 Corinthians 8:24). Healthy recognition fuels generosity and sets a pattern others can emulate. Warnings against Empty Boasting • Exclusion by faith. “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded” (Romans 3:27). Justification by faith annihilates any claim of human merit; grace leaves no room for self-exaltation. Historical and Cultural Setting In Greco-Roman society, public self-praise was common in political oratory and patronage networks. Against that backdrop the apostles redefine boasting, relocating honor from social status to divine grace. The shift is radical: confidence belongs to God’s acts, not to lineage, learning, or rhetorical skill. Theological Significance 1. Soteriology: Boasting is silenced at conversion; salvation excludes works-based pride (Romans 3:27). Practical Ministry Implications • Encourage, but do not flatter. Highlight God’s work in believers, thereby fostering faith and generosity. Connection to Old Testament Roots New Testament usage echoes Jeremiah 9:23-24, where the prophet contrasts human boasting with boasting “in the Lord.” The apostolic appeal thus fulfills a longstanding biblical trajectory: glory is appropriate only in the knowledge of God’s character and acts. Summary The motif of boasting stands as both danger and duty. Scripture condemns self-congratulation yet commands believers to glory in the Lord, to celebrate evidence of grace in others, and to await final commendation at Christ’s return. Strong’s Greek 2746 therefore serves as a moral barometer: it reveals whether a heart is inflated by self or enthralled by God. Forms and Transliterations καυχησεως καυχήσεως καυχήσεώς καυχησιν καύχησιν καυχησις καύχησις kaucheseos kauchēseōs kauchḗseos kauchḗseōs kauchesin kauchēsin kaúchesin kaúchēsin kauchesis kauchēsis kaúchesis kaúchēsisLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Romans 3:27 N-NFSGRK: οὖν ἡ καύχησις ἐξεκλείσθη διὰ NAS: then is boasting? It is excluded. KJV: Where [is] boasting then? INT: then [is] the boasting It was excluded Through Romans 15:17 N-AFS 1 Corinthians 15:31 N-AFS 2 Corinthians 1:12 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 7:4 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 7:14 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 8:24 N-GFS 2 Corinthians 11:10 N-NFS 2 Corinthians 11:17 N-GFS 1 Thessalonians 2:19 N-GFS James 4:16 N-NFS Strong's Greek 2746 |
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