Topical Bible: Pride: A Characteristic: False Teachers

◄ Pride: A Characteristic: False Teachers ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

Pride is a recurring theme in the Bible, often depicted as a destructive force that leads individuals away from God. In the context of false teachers, pride is a defining characteristic that not only corrupts their own hearts but also misleads those who follow them. The Bible provides numerous warnings against the dangers of pride, particularly in those who assume positions of spiritual authority without true submission to God.

Biblical Warnings Against Pride

The Bible consistently warns against pride, emphasizing its role in leading individuals astray. Proverbs 16:18 states, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." This verse highlights the inevitable downfall that accompanies pride, a warning that is particularly relevant for those who teach or lead others in spiritual matters.

False Teachers and Pride

False teachers are often characterized by their prideful nature, which manifests in various ways. They may seek personal glory, distort the truth for their own gain, or refuse to submit to the authority of Scripture. The Apostle Paul, in his letters, frequently addresses the issue of false teachers and their prideful tendencies.

In 1 Timothy 6:3-4, Paul warns, "If anyone teaches another doctrine and disagrees with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions." Here, Paul identifies conceit, or pride, as a root cause of false teaching, leading to division and discord within the church.

The Example of the Pharisees

The Pharisees serve as a prominent example of religious leaders whose pride led them to oppose Jesus. In Matthew 23, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and pride, saying, "They do all their deeds to be seen by men. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels" (Matthew 23:5). Their desire for recognition and status blinded them to the truth of Christ's message, illustrating how pride can corrupt spiritual leadership.

The Danger of Pride in Leadership

James 3:1 cautions, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." This warning underscores the responsibility of those who teach to remain humble and faithful to the truth of God's Word. Pride in leadership can lead to a distortion of the gospel, as false teachers prioritize their own interpretations and desires over the clear teachings of Scripture.

The Call to Humility

In contrast to pride, the Bible calls for humility, especially among those who lead and teach. 1 Peter 5:5-6 exhorts, "Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you." This passage highlights the importance of humility as a safeguard against the pitfalls of pride, ensuring that leaders remain aligned with God's will.

Conclusion

Pride is a dangerous characteristic that can lead to the downfall of false teachers and those who follow them. The Bible's warnings against pride serve as a reminder of the importance of humility and submission to God's truth in all aspects of spiritual leadership.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Timothy 6:3,4
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Good Shepherd.
... houses," and these also in their pride turned away ... Thus true and false shepherds
are distinguished ... The great characteristic of the Good Shepherd is indicated in ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the good shepherd.htm

The First Epistle to the Corinthians
... with the first is a second characteristic, viz, that this ... party, were filled with
spiritual pride, and thus ... when the hostility of the false teachers has become ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the first epistle to the.htm

V. ...
... So that they are mere liars, who pride themselves on ... Thus, it is characteristic of
a christian life that it ... For many false teachers shall come in and set up ...
/.../the epistles of st peter and st jude preached and explained/chapter i v .htm

Moral Characteristics.
... Eutropius says: "But the pride of prosperity caused Constantine ... he was put to death
on false but, at ... In estimating the characteristic value of the acts it must ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 5 moral characteristics.htm

The Fourth vision "On Earth"
... raising him to the pinnacle of earthly pride and power. ... Pleonasm, or redundancy;
a Hebrew figure characteristic of this ... The False Prophet reduces it to a system ...
/.../bullinger/commentary on revelation/the fourth vision on earth.htm

On his Sister Gorgonia.
... yet my praise will not be false, because it ... be so unjust as to praise every
characteristic of other ... the other, thus becoming modest without pride, blending the ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration viii on his sister.htm

The Paradoxes of Christianity
... not conclude hastily that the accusations were false or the ... of Cromwell and Alva
were characteristic Christian crimes ... of the balance between mere pride and mere ...
/.../chesterton/orthodoxy/vi the paradoxes of christianity.htm

Translator's Preface
... the writer from his low estate of pride and sin ... this episode in his life with his
characteristic delicacy and ... on such matters as Baptism, False Miracles, and ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/translators preface.htm

Of the True Church. Duty of Cultivating Unity with Her, as the ...
... the true, and submitting to a false Church ... long before given this as the characteristic
of the ... Pride, or fastidiousness, or emulation, induces many to persuade ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 1 of the true.htm

The Abrogation of the Saybrook Platform
... fifty-four-paged pamphlet entitled "False and Seducing ... These characteristic doctrines,
both of Bellamy and Hopkins ... in which every American took pride as marking ...
/.../chapter xi the abrogation of.htm