A Short Study on Pride, Part 1—NT Concepts

How does the Bible define pride? 

No, that's a calzone.
One of the Greek words Scripture uses is alazon, a person who makes claims of himself he cannot substantiate.*

This maverick may not make it through life without hearing “son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash” (to borrow the immortal line from “Top Gun”).

Consider the alazon in 1 John 4:16–17 who believes he has what he needs in his worldly goods, only to find everything come to nothing.

He may have “the appearance of godliness,” but is a lover of pleasure rather than lover of God (2 Tim 3:5, 4). Though he may be knowledgeable of the things of the faith, he never seems to arrive at the truth (v. 7). He may go as far as to oppose the truth, and his corrupt mind is evidence of disqualification (v. 8). Thus, we should avoid the alazon (v. 5), as he is so proud that he probably does not recognize his true condition before Christ (cf. Matt 7:21–23).

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*Gerhard Delling in suggests 1 Corinthians 4:20 as a possible contrast to the concept of alazoneia, which says, “For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” (Gerhard Delling. “ἀλαζών, ἀλαζονεία.” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, eds. Electronic ed. [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans], 1964-c1976.)

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