Superiority
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Definition and Context:
Superiority, in a biblical context, refers to the state of being higher in rank, quality, or importance. It is often associated with the divine nature of God, the preeminence of Christ, and the moral and spiritual excellence expected of believers. The concept of superiority is not about human pride or arrogance but about recognizing the rightful place of God and His order in creation.

Divine Superiority:
The Bible consistently affirms the superiority of God over all creation. God's sovereignty, wisdom, and power are unmatched, as seen in passages like Isaiah 55:8-9 : "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." This divine superiority is foundational to understanding God's authority and the reverence due to Him.

Christ's Superiority:
The New Testament emphasizes the superiority of Jesus Christ, particularly in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 1:3-4 states, "The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. So He became as far superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is excellent beyond theirs." Christ's superiority is evident in His role as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer, surpassing all angelic beings and any other spiritual entities.

Moral and Spiritual Superiority:
Believers are called to a life of moral and spiritual superiority, not in a sense of self-exaltation, but in living according to God's standards. Philippians 2:3 instructs, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves." This call to humility and service reflects the true nature of superiority in the Christian life, where greatness is measured by one's likeness to Christ and service to others.

Superiority in Wisdom and Understanding:
The Bible also speaks of the superiority of divine wisdom over human understanding. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." This passage highlights the importance of relying on God's superior wisdom rather than human intellect.

Superiority in the Kingdom of God:
In the Kingdom of God, the concept of superiority is often inverted from worldly standards. Jesus taught that the greatest in the Kingdom are those who serve others. Matthew 20:26-28 records Jesus saying, "It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Conclusion:
The biblical concept of superiority is deeply rooted in the character of God, the preeminence of Christ, and the call for believers to live in a manner that reflects God's holiness and love. It challenges human notions of power and status, urging a life of humility, service, and reliance on divine wisdom.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(n.) The quality, state, or condition of being superior; as, superiority of rank; superiority in merit.
Greek
5236. huperbole -- a throwing beyond, excess, superiority
... a throwing beyond, excess, superiority. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
huperbole Phonetic Spelling: (hoop-er-bol-ay') Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5236.htm - 7k

5247. huperoche -- a projection, eminence
... eminence. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: huperoche Phonetic Spelling:
(hoop-er-okh-ay') Short Definition: superiority, excellence Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5247.htm - 7k

5242. huperecho -- to hold above, to rise above, to be superior
... 5242 (from 5228 , "beyond, above" and 2192, "have") -- properly, "have beyond, ie
be superior, excel, surpass" (); to exercise prominence (superiority). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5242.htm - 7k

5309. hupselophroneo -- to be high-minded
... behavior") -- properly, a high, self-exalted outlook which is (a problem arising
from ); to reek from (a false sense of superiority); (figuratively) to live ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5309.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew
3148. yother -- superiority, advantage, excess
... 3147, 3148. yother. 3149 . superiority, advantage, excess. Transliteration:
yother Phonetic Spelling: (yo-thare') Short Definition: advantage. ...
/hebrew/3148.htm - 6k

3499. yether -- remainder, excess, preeminence
... From yathar; properly, an overhanging, ie (by implication) an excess, superiority,
remainder; also a small rope (as hanging free) -- + abundant, cord, exceeding ...
/hebrew/3499.htm - 5k

4195. mothar -- abundance, preeminence
... plenteousness, preeminence, profit. From yathar; literally, gain; figuratively,
superiority -- plenteousness, preeminence, profit. see HEBREW yathar. ...
/hebrew/4195.htm - 6k

4928. mishmaath -- an obedient band, body of subjects
... simile. Feminineal sense of superiority in mental action; properly, a pithy maxim,
usually of metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as a adae, compare, use (as ...
/hebrew/4928.htm - 6k

4609. ma'alah -- what comes up
... to a higher place, figuratively, a thought arising), or (concretely) the condition
(literally, a step or grade-mark, figuratively, a superiority of station ...
/hebrew/4609.htm - 6k

4912. mashal -- a proverb, parable
... Apparently from mashal in some original sense of superiority in mental action; properly,
a pithy maxim, usually of metaphorical nature; hence, a simile (as an ...
/hebrew/4912.htm - 6k

Library

Superiority of the Scriptures.
... THE SCRIPTURES. 191. " Superiority of the Scriptures. 191. SM Beddome.
Superiority of the Scriptures. 1 O Lord, thy perfect ...
/.../adams/hymns for christian devotion/191 superiority of the.htm

Superiority of the Christian Doctrine Respecting God.
... Chapter VII."Superiority of the Christian Doctrine Respecting God. Since,
therefore, the unity of the Deity is confessed by almost ...
/.../a plea for the christians/chapter vii superiority of the christian.htm

The Stoics; their Superiority in Logic; Fatalists; their Doctrine ...
... Chapter XVIII."The Stoics; Their Superiority in Logic; Fatalists; Their
Doctrine of Conflagrations. The Stoics themselves also ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xviii the stoics their superiority.htm

Superiority of Christian Morality.
... Book VI. Chapter XIII."Superiority of Christian Morality. "But perhaps
some one of you will say, Must we then observe all things ...
/.../recognitions of clement /chapter xiii superiority of christian morality.htm

All Acknowledge the Superiority of Unchangeable Wisdom to that ...
... Book I. Chapter 9."All Acknowledge the Superiority of Unchangeable Wisdom
to that Which is Variable. 9. Now, no one is so egregiously ...
/.../chapter 9 all acknowledge the superiority.htm

Other Capricious Features in the System the ??ons Unequal in ...
... Chapter IX."Other Capricious Features in the System The ??ons Unequal in Attributes.
The Superiority of Nus; The Vagaries of Sophia Restrained by Horos. ...
/.../tertullian/against the valentinians/chapter ix other capricious features in.htm

Hebrews i. 1, 2
... And thirdly, because he rather wished to exalt them, and to show that their superiority
was great. ... First he shows the superiority from the prophets. ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily i hebrews i 1.htm

Question on the Religious State
... And since one thing cannot be said to be superior to another save by reason of the
differences between them, it will follow that the superiority of one ...
/.../on prayer and the contemplative life/question clxxxvi on the religious.htm

'A Greater than Jonas'
... By the second he asserts His superiority not only to one prophet but to them
all. By the third He asserts His superiority to Solomon ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/a greater than jonas.htm

Hebrews v. 3-Jan
... the Patriarch and referred the whole [question] to that time: so now here also he
opens out the other path of the Priesthood, showing its superiority from the ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily viii hebrews v 3-jan.htm

Thesaurus
Superiority (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) The quality, state, or condition of being superior;
as, superiority of rank; superiority in merit. ...Superiority (3 Occurrences). ...
/s/superiority.htm - 7k

Superior (18 Occurrences)
... 1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, having come unto you, brethren, came -- not in superiority
of discourse or wisdom -- declaring to you the testimony of God, (Root in ...
/s/superior.htm - 13k

Mastery (5 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Superior skill; dominion; command; supremacy; superiority. 2. (n.)
Superiority in war or competition; victory; triumph; preeminence. ...
/m/mastery.htm - 9k

Preeminence (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Superiority in ... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. PREEMINENCE.
pre-em'-i-nens: Superiority, especially in noble or excellent qualities. ...
/p/preeminence.htm - 8k

Sodomite (1 Occurrence)
... declaration that He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, and this thought
is handled in Hebrews 7 in such a way as to make plain the superiority of a ...
/s/sodomite.htm - 101k

Vie (2 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vi) To strive for superiority; to contend; to
use emulous effort, as in a race, contest, or competition. ...
/v/vie.htm - 7k

Over (11971 Occurrences)
... 4. (prep.) Above; -- implying superiority in excellence, dignity, condition, or
value; as, the advantages which the Christian world has over the heathen. ...
/o/over.htm - 9k

Excel (12 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To show superiority; to go beyond or surpass in
good qualities or laudable deeds; to outdo or outgo, in a good sense. ...
/e/excel.htm - 10k

Melchizedek (12 Occurrences)
... 7. The apostle there points out the superiority of his priesthood to that of Aaron
in these several respects, (1) Even Abraham paid him tithes; (2) he blessed ...
/m/melchizedek.htm - 19k

Patriarchs (6 Occurrences)
... The general superiority of the Hebrew text of the Pentateuch as a whole to the
Samaritan text and the Septuagint is no longer questioned by Biblical scholars. ...
/p/patriarchs.htm - 37k

Resources
What is Shintoism? | GotQuestions.org

Summary of the Book of Hebrews - Bible Survey | GotQuestions.org

What is the House of Yahweh? | GotQuestions.org

Superiority: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Superiority (3 Occurrences)

Romans 3:1
What then is the superiority of the Jew? or what the profit of circumcision?
(DBY YLT)

1 Corinthians 2:1
And I, having come unto you, brethren, came -- not in superiority of discourse or wisdom -- declaring to you the testimony of God,
(YLT NAS)

1 Corinthians 4:7
Why, who gives you your superiority, my brother? Or what have you that you did not receive? And if you really did receive it, why boast as if this were not so?
(WEY)

Subtopics

Superiority

Related Terms

Uttermost (48 Occurrences)

Johannine

Exceed (14 Occurrences)

Exceedingly (167 Occurrences)

Exceeding (101 Occurrences)

Contrite (5 Occurrences)

Contrition (1 Occurrence)

Compare (22 Occurrences)

Chief (696 Occurrences)

Straiten (4 Occurrences)

Strait (14 Occurrences)

Specially (26 Occurrences)

Straitly (12 Occurrences)

Superiority (3 Occurrences)

Superlatively (2 Occurrences)

Dog (19 Occurrences)

Messenger (235 Occurrences)

Language (112 Occurrences)

Theology

Tabeel (2 Occurrences)

Superior to Angels
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