English 
Chinese 
Dutch 
Arabic 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
Russian 
French 
Italian 
German 
Japanese 
Continue reading with a subscription
Get unlimited access to all our premium content and exclusive features.
Enjoy unlimited access, cancel anytime.
Summary
- The Bible condemns selfishness under names such as selfish ambition (Greek eritheia), covetousness and love of self (philautos, 2 Timothy 3:2).
- Paul lists selfish ambition among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20) and tells Christians to “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit” (Philippians 2:3).
- Augustine, Aquinas and the Catechism of the Catholic Church describe sin itself as love of self set against God. Selfishness is not one of the seven capital sins by name.
- Scripture does not condemn all self-love (Leviticus 19:18; Ephesians 5:29). Aquinas called well-ordered self-love natural; Calvin rejected giving self-love the first place.
- Biblical examples include Nabal (1 Samuel 25), the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21), James and John (Mark 10:35–45) and Diotrephes (3 John 9).
- The New Testament’s answer is self-denial after the pattern of Christ (Luke 9:23; Philippians 2:5–8) and service through love (Galatians 5:13).
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations from the English Standard Version (Exodus 20:17; Leviticus 19:18; 1 Samuel 25:3, 11, 15–16, 38; Psalm 119:36; Proverbs 11:24; 15:27; 18:1; Haggai 1:9; Matthew 22:37–40; Mark 10:21–22, 37, 41, 44–45; Luke 9:23; 12:16–21; 16:19–21; Acts 20:35; Romans 2:8; 15:1, 3; 1 Corinthians 10:24; 11:1; 13:5; Galatians 5:13, 16, 19–22; Ephesians 5:29; Philippians 1:17; 2:3–7; Colossians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:2–4; James 3:16; 4:1; 1 John 3:17; 3 John 9), the New International Version (Galatians 5:20; Philippians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 13:5) and the King James Version (Galatians 5:20; 1 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Timothy 3:2).
- Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon, entries 2052 (eritheia) and 5367 (philautos), Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/greek/2052.htm and https://biblehub.com/greek/5367.htm
- Augustine, The City of God, book 14, chapter 28, translated by Marcus Dods, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, vol. 2, New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/120114.htm
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I–II, question 77, article 4, Fathers of the English Dominican Province translation, New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/summa/2077.htm
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II–II, question 26, article 4, New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/summa/3026.htm
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1850. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6A.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1866. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6D.HTM
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, book 2, chapter 8, section 54, translated by Henry Beveridge (1845), Christian Classics Ethereal Library. https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes.iv.ix.html
- John Chrysostom, Homily 25 on First Corinthians, translated by Talbot W. Chambers, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, vol. 12, New Advent. https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/220125.htm
Leave a Reply