My Bride, Pride

Have you yoked yourself to Pride?

1 Corinthians 4:6–7 KJV 1900

6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. 7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Spurgeon says,

Suppose a man, who is a great pedestrian, has been over the Alps and traversed Europe. Here is his walking stick, and it boasts, “I am the most traveled walking stick in creation! I have smitten the craggy brows of the Alps and bathed myself in the Nile.”

“Well,” says one, “but wherever you have gone you have been carried by a power beyond yourself.” So let the man who boasts in experience remember that in the paths of peace he has gone nowhere except as the Lord’s hand has borne him onward. He has been nothing but a staff in God’s hands, and while he should be grateful he should never be proud.

1 Corinthians ((4) Application: God’s Servants as Paradigms of the Cross (4:6–13))

Paul’s argument regarding human wisdom and the exaltation of church leaders, which began in 1 Corinthians 1:10, reaches a climactic point in this passage, which is then followed immediately by warning and exhortation (4:17–21).

I. Paul urges the Corinthians here to look at himself and Apollos to learn not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another

Why would Paul point to himself and Apollos? In 3:5–17, Paul described himself and Apollos as servants and co-workers belonging to God, a ministry team with one purpose. In 4:1–5 Paul explained that they should be regarded as assistants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries. It now becomes clear in 4:6 that everything Paul has said regarding himself and Apollos has a direct bearing on the Corinthian situation. He wants them to stop exaggerating the importance of human leaders, whether it be Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, or their own local leaders.

The problem the Corinthians were having is that they would exalt people in leadership to a prideful level and they took this to a point in which Paul needed to address them.

Paul questions the source of their pride, reminding them that everything they have is received from God.He challenges them to recognize that their abilities and blessings are gifts, not reasons for boasting.Humility and Grace (Verse 7)

Do you ever feel like you have exalted authority in a prideful way?

Have you ever been prideful for the small amount of authority you have in your life?

have you yoked yourself to the bride of pride daily?

Lets look at some biblical examples of pride and people’s downfall for being prideful

In his pride, Moses lost his temper and was kept out of the Promised Land (Numbers 20:1–13). Numbers 20:1-13

Numbers 20:1–13 KJV 1900

1 Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh; and Miriam died there, and was buried there. 2 And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! 4 And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? 5 And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink. 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. 7 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them. 13 This is the water of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.

Pride kept Joshua from seeking God’s will at Ai, and he lost the battle (Joshua 7)

Joshua 7 “1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. 2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Beth-aven, on the east side of Beth-el, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai. 3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labour thither; for they are but few. 4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. 5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water. 6 And Joshua rent h…”

. King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride turned him into an animal (Daniel 4 “1 Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. 2 I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the high God hath wrought toward me. 3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. 4 I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace: 5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof. 8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is …”

), and Peter’s pride led to his denial of Christ (Luke 22:31–34 “31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. 34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.”

Warren W. Wiersbe

When you receive praise for accomplishments, be sure to not exalt yourself, but to allow God to lift you up in His time.

Taking wisdom from 1 Corinthians 4:6-7, the fundamental reason to avoid pride lies in recognizing that everything we possess—talents, opportunities, even our very existence—is a gift from God. We didn't earn these ourselves, so boasting about them is not only unwarranted but also a form of ingratitude. By embracing humility, we stay grounded, fostering a sense of community and mutual respect, rather than division and arrogance. In essence, pride blinds us to the grace we've received and distances us from the virtues of empathy and gratitude.