Topical Encyclopedia
Vainglory, a term often associated with excessive pride or boastfulness, is a concept that is addressed throughout the Bible. It is considered a sin that reflects a person's desire for undue recognition and admiration, often at the expense of humility and truth. The Bible warns against vainglory as it leads individuals away from the virtues of humility and selflessness that are central to Christian teachings.
Biblical References:1.
Philippians 2:3 : "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves." This verse directly addresses the issue of vainglory by urging believers to act out of humility rather than seeking personal glory or recognition.
2.
Galatians 5:26 : "Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another." Here, the Apostle Paul warns against conceit, which is closely related to vainglory, as it can lead to discord and jealousy among believers.
3.
Matthew 6:1 : "Be careful not to perform your righteous acts before men to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Jesus cautions against performing good deeds for the sake of being seen and praised by others, highlighting the emptiness of vainglory.
4.
Proverbs 25:27 : "It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory." This proverb uses the metaphor of honey to illustrate the dangers of seeking one's own glory, suggesting that it is excessive and ultimately harmful.
Theological Insights:Vainglory is often seen as a manifestation of pride, one of the seven deadly sins. It is the pursuit of personal glory and recognition, which can lead to a distorted sense of self-worth and a departure from the teachings of Christ. The Bible consistently emphasizes the importance of humility and the dangers of pride, as seen in
James 4:6 : "But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"
Historical Context:In the early Christian church, vainglory was a significant concern as it could disrupt the unity and fellowship among believers. The early church fathers, such as Augustine and Gregory the Great, wrote extensively on the dangers of vainglory, often linking it to the fall of Satan, who sought glory for himself rather than giving glory to God.
Practical Application:Christians are encouraged to cultivate humility and to seek the glory of God rather than their own. This involves recognizing the gifts and talents given by God and using them to serve others, as instructed in
1 Peter 4:10 : "As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another." By focusing on serving others and glorifying God, believers can avoid the pitfalls of vainglory and live in accordance with the teachings of Christ.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) Excessive vanity; empty pride; vain show; boastfulness.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
VAINGLORYvan-glo'-ri (kenodoxia): "Vainglory" is the translation of kenodoxia, "empty glory" or "pride," nearly akin to vanity in the modern sense (Philippians 2:3). Kenodoxos is "vainglorious" (Galatians 5:26, "Let us not be desirous of vainglory," the Revised Version (British and American) "Let us not become vainglorious"). In 1John 2:16 the Revised Version (British and American) has "the vainglory of life" (alazoneia tou biou) for "the pride of life"; compareJames 4:16, "Ye glory in your vauntings" (alazoneia). Kenodoxia is translated "vainglory" (The Wisdom of Solomon 14:14, "For by the vain glory of men they (idols) entered into the world," the Revised Version (British and American) "vaingloriousless"); alazoneia occurs in The Wisdom of Solomon 5:8, translated "vaunting." "Pride is applicable to every object, good or bad, high or low, small or great; vanity is applicable only to small objects; pride is therefore good or bad; vanity is always bad; it is always emptiness or nothingness" (Crabb, English Synonymes).
W. L. Walker
Greek
2754. kenodoxia --vainglory...vainglory. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: kenodoxia Phonetic Spelling:
(ken-od-ox-ee'-ah) Short Definition:
vainglory, empty pride Definition
...Library
WhetherVainglory is a Mortal Sin?
... OFVAINGLORY (FIVE ARTICLES) Whethervainglory is a mortal sin? Objection
1: It seems thatvainglory is a mortal sin. For nothing...
WhetherVainglory is Opposed to Magnanimity?
... OFVAINGLORY (FIVE ARTICLES) Whethervainglory is opposed to magnanimity? Objection
1: It seems thatvainglory is not opposed to magnanimity....
WhetherVainglory is a Capital vice?
... OFVAINGLORY (FIVE ARTICLES) Whethervainglory is a capital vice? Objection
1: It seems thatvainglory is not a capital vice. For...
Whether Discord is a Daughter ofVainglory?
... OF DISCORD, WHICH IS CONTRARY TO PEACE (TWO ARTICLES) Whether discord is a daughter
ofvainglory?... For anger is a vice distinct fromvainglory....
Whether Contention is a Daughter ofVainglory?
... OF CONTENTION (TWO ARTICLES) Whether contention is a daughter ofvainglory? Objection
1: It would seem that contention is not a daughter ofvainglory....
Whether the Daughters ofVainglory are Suitably Reckoned to be...
... OFVAINGLORY (FIVE ARTICLES) Whether the daughters ofvainglory are suitably reckoned
to be disobedience, boastfulness, hypocrisy, contention, obstinacy...
OfVainglory (Five Articles)
... OFVAINGLORY (FIVE ARTICLES). We must now considervainglory: under which head there
are five points of inquiry: (1) Whether desire of glory is a sin?...
Whether Presumption Arises fromVainglory?
... OF PRESUMPTION (FOUR ARTICLES) Whether presumption arises fromvainglory? Objection
1: It would seem that presumption does not arise fromvainglory....
Whether Presumption is Caused byVainglory
... Article Four Whether Presumption is Caused byVainglory. Whether Presumption is
Caused byVainglory... 1. It seems that presumption is not caused byvainglory....
HowVainglory May be Useful to Us.
... II. Second Conference of Abbot Moses. Chapter XII. Howvainglory may be useful to
us. But in one mattervainglory is found to be a useful thing for beginners....
Thesaurus
Vainglory (2 Occurrences)... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) Excessive vanity; empty pride; vain show;
boastfulness. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
VAINGLORY.
...Vanity (100 Occurrences)
... See Morality, n., 5. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. VANITY, VANITIES. "Vanity"
does not often occur in the New Testament; but see VAIN,VAINGLORY....
Vainglorious (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (a.) Feeling or indicatingvainglory; elated by vanity;
boastful. Multi-Version Concordance Vainglorious (1 Occurrence)....
Vain-glorious (2 Occurrences)
Vain-glorious. Vainglorious, Vain-glorious.Vainglory . Multi-Version Concordance...
(DBY). Vainglorious, Vain-glorious.Vainglory . Reference Bible.
Vanities (14 Occurrences)
... (n.) Plural of Vanity. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. VANITY, VANITIES. "Vanity"
does not often occur in the New Testament; but see VAIN,VAINGLORY....
Vain-glory (3 Occurrences)
Vain-glory.Vainglory, Vain-glory. Vainly . Multi-Version Concordance
Vain-glory (3 Occurrences).... (DBY).Vainglory, Vain-glory. Vainly . Reference
Lowliness (9 Occurrences)
... Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife orvainglory; but in lowliness
of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (KJV ASV DBY WBS)....
Factiousness (1 Occurrence)
... Philippians 2:3 Do nothing in a spirit of factiousness or ofvainglory, but, with
true humility, let every one regard the rest as being of more account than...
Faction (4 Occurrences)
... (ASV). Philippians 2:3 doing' nothing through faction or throughvainglory, but
in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; (ASV)....
Esteem (25 Occurrences)
... Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife orvainglory; but in lowliness
of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (KJV DBY WBS)....
Resources
What are capital sins? | GotQuestions.orgVainglory: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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