Boasting
Boasting
This term is employed by Authorized Version with considerable frequency to render the group of words , , . They are found about 40 times in Septuagint , and about 60 times in the NT (exclusively in St. Pauls Epistles, except Heb 3:6, Jam 1:9; Jam 4:16). The forms (2Th 1:4) and (Rom 11:18, Jam 3:14) are also found. The group belongs to what Lightfoot (Com. on Php 3:5) calls the tumultuous eagerness of the Apostles earlier style; the words appear most frequently in 2 Cor., where personal feeling is deeply stirred. Whereas in Authorized Version they are rendered by boasting and glorying in about equal proportions, in Revised Version boasting has almost completely disappeared, and glorying is found instead. The only place where boast is now found is in Jam 3:5 -the tongue also is a little member and boasteth great things; but here the verb is not but , and the idea is properly to stretch the neck and hold up the head in pride, and hence to speak with proud confidence (Hort, ad loc.). Boastful still appears twice in Revised Version (Rom 1:30, 2Ti 3:2, taking the place of Authorized Version boasters, and is the equivalent of , the abstract noun being rendered in Jam 4:16 vaunting and in 1Jn 2:16 vainglory, the only two places where it occurs. The (boastful) has evil associations in both passages-in Rom 1:30 with those who have been given over to a reprobate mind, and in 2Ti 3:2 with the proud, blasphemers, and such like. Similarly is found in Patristic literature in lists of vices and corrupt practices-in Didache (v. 1) along with self-will, covetousness, and others; in 1 Clem. xxxv. 5 bracketed with , pride, in such a list; and in Ep. to Diognetus (iv. 6) in conjunction with , meddlesomeness. Aristotle saw in the , not merely one making unseemly display of things which he actually possesses, but vaunting himself in those which he does not possess (quoted in Trench, Synonyms of NT8, Lond. 1876, p. 96). In no such category could St. Paul be placed when he speaks of himself, using or its cognates, as boasting (2Co 7:14; 2Co 8:24; 2Co 9:4), The Revised Version , however, has replaced the word by glorying, except in some cases where it uses rejoicing (Rom 5:2; Rom 5:11, but in Jam 4:16 rejoice of Authorized Version has also given place to glory). Glorying (or boasting) in the law, or in works as a ground of acceptance with God, or in men as watchwords of sects or parties, is condemned by St Paul (Rom 3:27, Eph 2:9, 1Co 3:21). But the word expresses well the high level at which he lived, exulting in Christ Jesus. He gloried in the Cress (Gal 6:14), in free grace (Rom 5:11), in an approving conscience (2Co 1:12), in his independence as an apostle (2Co 11:10), in his convert (2Th 1:4), and above all in Christ Jesus (Rom 15:17) and in God (1Co 1:31), in the spirit of the Psalmist (Psa 44:8), and of the Prophet (Jer 9:23) who said in the name of God, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth me, that I am the Lord.
T. Nicol.
Fuente: Dictionary of the Apostolic Church
BOASTING
One result of pride and self-sufficiency is that people boast of their achievements instead of giving honour to God (Deu 8:11-14; Jer 9:23; Dan 4:30; 1Co 4:7; Jam 4:13-16). Such boasting is hateful to God and will bring from him a humiliating judgment (Isa 10:15-16; Isa 37:23-29; Luk 18:10-14; cf. Mat 6:1-4; Joh 12:43).
Confidence in self is one of the things that prevent people from coming to God and receiving Gods salvation. People cannot earn salvation as a reward for any good deeds they might do. They can only receive it as a gift that God gives freely to those who trust in his grace. They therefore have nothing of themselves that they can boast about (Rom 3:27-28; Rom 4:1-5; Rom 9:30-32; Eph 2:8-9). If they boast at all, they boast in what God has done, not in what they have done (Jer 9:24; 1Co 1:31; Gal 6:14; see also PRIDE).
The Bible records one occasion on which the apostle Paul boasted, even though he knew it was not the sort of thing a Christian should do. But his purpose was to answer certain people in Corinth who opposed him. These people too easily believed the boasting of men who set themselves up as super apostles (2Co 10:8; 2Co 10:13; 2Co 11:1-5; 2Co 11:16-21; 2Co 12:1-11). By contrast, most of the things that Paul boasted of were things that the normally boastful person would be ashamed to speak about, namely, his personal humiliations (2Co 11:23-30).
Fuente: Bridgeway Bible Dictionary
Boasting
General references
Pro 20:14; Pro 25:14; Pro 27:1; Isa 10:15; Jer 9:23; Rom 1:30; Jas 3:5; Jas 4:16
Of evil
Psa 52:1
Instances of:
– Goliath
1Sa 17
– Ben-Hadad
1Ki 20:10
– Sennacherib
2Ki 18:19; Isa 10:8-15
– The disciples
Luk 10:17; Luk 10:20
Spiritual
Psa 49:6-9; Psa 52:1; Psa 94:4; Rom 3:1-31; Rom 11:17-21; 1Co 1:17-31; 1Co 4:6-7; 2Co 10:12-17; Eph 2:8-10