He that glories must glory in the Lord, giving God rather than self the credit for wisdom, ability, increase and blessing, with no room for self-glory, self-righteousness, personal achievement, human ability or outward appearance. It forbids measuring self by self, comparing self with others, commending self, and boasting beyond measure by claiming credit for work made ready by other men's labors. Self-commendation and human praise do not make anyone approved, but he whom the Lord commends is approved, for Christ accomplishes the work while human beings act only as His instruments and co-workers. It calls for humility toward fellow believers, for genuine conversion in which self dies daily and submits to be molded by the Holy Spirit, so that imperfect, broken-hearted people become vessels unto honor with solidity of character and power for good. In practice this rebukes self-seeking over wages, status and favor, warns against praising and exalting finite, fallible people, and requires that all glory for conversions and success be given to God while abilities and good works are used to bless others.
Meaning and Scriptural Setting
Anyone who glories or boasts must glory and boast in the Lord, in God, in the Lord our God, giving Him rather than self the credit, with no room for self-glory, self-righteousness, self-doing, self-commendation, personal achievement, human ability, inherited qualities, status, or outward appearance. Right glorying is glorying in the Lord and not in self, not in personal achievements or self-commendation, not in human ability or achievement, and not in praising and exalting people, since human beings are finite and fallible. When people are converted through gospel work, all glory for the conversions belongs to God, not to the workers or to those who commend themselves. Connection with God is essential to this glorying, with inward heart religion and not outward show, for true praise is not of men but of God.
Measuring self by self, comparing self with others, commending self, and prideful comparisons are forbidden, and humility toward fellow believers is required instead. Boasting beyond measure, boasting of things without measure, boasting in another man's line of things made ready to hand, and claiming credit for work prepared by other men's labors are forbidden. A worker's grounds for boasting belong in the Lord, not in self-praise or in claiming credit for work prepared by others or for other men's labors. Only those who stay within God's appointed measure, the measure of the rule God has distributed, keep right glorying.
The test of approval is given in the next verse: self-commendation and human approval do not make a person approved, and approval that matters comes from the Lord and not from self-commendation or the praise of others. Only he whom the Lord commends is approved, when the Lord commends him for being true and faithful, and the Lord's commendation, not one's own, establishes approval. All wisdom, ability, talents, increase, power, and temporal and spiritual blessings come from God, so taking credit for good results, praising self, and exalting self dishonors God and fosters pride. Christ is the source of all power and giver of all temporal and spiritual blessings, and He accomplishes the work while human beings act only as His instruments, co-workers, and receivers to impart to others what they receive from Him.
In its chapter setting, Paul defends his ministry while explaining that he humbled himself by doing manual work and that his authority came from the Lord for the church's edification, not its destruction, so a person's glory belongs in the Lord, not in personal status or outward appearance. Contemplating Christ and His righteousness leaves no room for self-glory and for the glorifying of self, and the testimony of prophets and apostles is in full accord that glory belongs in the Lord. The verse looks in hope, when faith is increased, to being enlarged abundantly and to preaching the gospel in regions beyond. Solomon's purpose in building the temple and his prayer at its dedication show how honor is directed to God: the temple bears God's name, and its witness is meant to lead people of every nation to know and reverence Him, for a person's boasting belongs in the Lord, not in self-commendation.
The disciples in feeding the five thousand illustrate the verse, for they merely distributed the bread Christ supplied and were not to be glorified for feeding the multitude, so those who work for Christ must give all the glory to God and take none to themselves. No worker is ever to think the credit for success belongs to himself.
Approved Service in Practice
For those engaged in publishing work, connection with God is essential, for glory belongs in the Lord and not in self. Such workers serve as ministers of Christ and stewards of God who are found faithful, with inward heart religion and not outward show. True praise is not of men but of God, and a man is approved not when he commends himself but when the Lord commends him for being true and faithful. Success in ministry does not come from inherited qualities or natural ability but from submission to the Holy Spirit, which is given to all who exercise living faith in God so that imperfect people link themselves with God through Jesus Christ. This calls for humbling self before God so the Spirit works through the life with transforming power, and when self is crucified the Spirit takes the broken-hearted and makes them vessels unto honor as clay in the hands of the potter.
That transforming work makes men and women superior in mental, physical, and moral power, giving solidity to character and an influence for good because Christ abides in the soul. The verse requires genuine conversion of heart, mind, soul, and body, in which self dies daily and submits to be worked, molded, and refined by the Holy Spirit. As seen in the ministry of Elijah, this submission enables imperfect man to stand amid the perils of the last days. When people are converted through gospel work, all glory for the conversions belongs to God, not to the workers nor to those who commend themselves, for approval comes from the Lord. Applied to workers in schools, institutions, and churches, right glorying in the Lord forbids measuring self by self and comparing self with others, commending self, boasting beyond the measure of the rule God has distributed, and boasting in other men's labors.
Such self-seeking appears in thinking one should be greatly favored, growing dissatisfied over wages, comparing what others receive and demanding as much, selling oneself to the highest bidder, becoming wise above what is written, and appropriating means for one's own use. This is the leaven of selfishness and covetousness, double-dealing surrounded by unbelief, robbing the treasury, which God regards as the sin of Achan and will judge. Only he whom the Lord commends is approved, and only those who stay within God's appointed measure can give the right mold to the work and supply the needs of laborers in hard fields. Anyone who boasts must boast in the Lord and not in human ability or achievement, for human beings are finite and fallible, so praising and exalting people is warned against and prideful comparisons are ruled out in favor of humility toward fellow believers. The Lord's commendation, not self-commendation or the praise of others, is what makes a person approved.
Applied to self-control and overcoming harmful appetite, the lesson is to depend on Christ's grace rather than boast in one's own effort, since self-commendation does not make a person approved but approval comes from the Lord. Applied to overcoming addiction, a person must not boast in himself but trust in Jesus' grace rather than his own strength and use his abilities in God's service, for only the Lord's approval makes a person approved. God's people fulfill the call to make their boast in the Lord as they use their abilities and do good works to bless others, as in sanitariums as centers of influence and training.
He that glories must glory in the Lord, giving God rather than self the credit for wisdom, ability, increase and blessing, with no room for self-glory, self-righteousness, personal achievement, human ability or outward appearance. It forbids measuring self by self, comparing self with others, commending self, and boasting beyond measure by claiming credit for work made ready by other men's labors. Self-commendation and human praise do not make anyone approved, but he whom the Lord commends is approved, for Christ accomplishes the work while human beings act only as His instruments and co-workers. It calls for humility toward fellow believers, for genuine conversion in which self dies daily and submits to be molded by the Holy Spirit, so that imperfect, broken-hearted people become vessels unto honor with solidity of character and power for good. In practice this rebukes self-seeking over wages, status and favor, warns against praising and exalting finite, fallible people, and requires that all glory for conversions and success be given to God while abilities and good works are used to bless others.
Meaning and Scriptural Setting
Anyone who glories or boasts must glory and boast in the Lord, in God, in the Lord our God, giving Him rather than self the credit, with no room for self-glory, self-righteousness, self-doing, self-commendation, personal achievement, human ability, inherited qualities, status, or outward appearance. Right glorying is glorying in the Lord and not in self, not in personal achievements or self-commendation, not in human ability or achievement, and not in praising and exalting people, since human beings are finite and fallible. When people are converted through gospel work, all glory for the conversions belongs to God, not to the workers or to those who commend themselves. Connection with God is essential to this glorying, with inward heart religion and not outward show, for true praise is not of men but of God.
Measuring self by self, comparing self with others, commending self, and prideful comparisons are forbidden, and humility toward fellow believers is required instead. Boasting beyond measure, boasting of things without measure, boasting in another man's line of things made ready to hand, and claiming credit for work prepared by other men's labors are forbidden. A worker's grounds for boasting belong in the Lord, not in self-praise or in claiming credit for work prepared by others or for other men's labors. Only those who stay within God's appointed measure, the measure of the rule God has distributed, keep right glorying.
The test of approval is given in the next verse: self-commendation and human approval do not make a person approved, and approval that matters comes from the Lord and not from self-commendation or the praise of others. Only he whom the Lord commends is approved, when the Lord commends him for being true and faithful, and the Lord's commendation, not one's own, establishes approval. All wisdom, ability, talents, increase, power, and temporal and spiritual blessings come from God, so taking credit for good results, praising self, and exalting self dishonors God and fosters pride. Christ is the source of all power and giver of all temporal and spiritual blessings, and He accomplishes the work while human beings act only as His instruments, co-workers, and receivers to impart to others what they receive from Him.
In its chapter setting, Paul defends his ministry while explaining that he humbled himself by doing manual work and that his authority came from the Lord for the church's edification, not its destruction, so a person's glory belongs in the Lord, not in personal status or outward appearance. Contemplating Christ and His righteousness leaves no room for self-glory and for the glorifying of self, and the testimony of prophets and apostles is in full accord that glory belongs in the Lord. The verse looks in hope, when faith is increased, to being enlarged abundantly and to preaching the gospel in regions beyond. Solomon's purpose in building the temple and his prayer at its dedication show how honor is directed to God: the temple bears God's name, and its witness is meant to lead people of every nation to know and reverence Him, for a person's boasting belongs in the Lord, not in self-commendation.
The disciples in feeding the five thousand illustrate the verse, for they merely distributed the bread Christ supplied and were not to be glorified for feeding the multitude, so those who work for Christ must give all the glory to God and take none to themselves. No worker is ever to think the credit for success belongs to himself.
Approved Service in Practice
For those engaged in publishing work, connection with God is essential, for glory belongs in the Lord and not in self. Such workers serve as ministers of Christ and stewards of God who are found faithful, with inward heart religion and not outward show. True praise is not of men but of God, and a man is approved not when he commends himself but when the Lord commends him for being true and faithful. Success in ministry does not come from inherited qualities or natural ability but from submission to the Holy Spirit, which is given to all who exercise living faith in God so that imperfect people link themselves with God through Jesus Christ. This calls for humbling self before God so the Spirit works through the life with transforming power, and when self is crucified the Spirit takes the broken-hearted and makes them vessels unto honor as clay in the hands of the potter.
That transforming work makes men and women superior in mental, physical, and moral power, giving solidity to character and an influence for good because Christ abides in the soul. The verse requires genuine conversion of heart, mind, soul, and body, in which self dies daily and submits to be worked, molded, and refined by the Holy Spirit. As seen in the ministry of Elijah, this submission enables imperfect man to stand amid the perils of the last days. When people are converted through gospel work, all glory for the conversions belongs to God, not to the workers nor to those who commend themselves, for approval comes from the Lord. Applied to workers in schools, institutions, and churches, right glorying in the Lord forbids measuring self by self and comparing self with others, commending self, boasting beyond the measure of the rule God has distributed, and boasting in other men's labors.
Such self-seeking appears in thinking one should be greatly favored, growing dissatisfied over wages, comparing what others receive and demanding as much, selling oneself to the highest bidder, becoming wise above what is written, and appropriating means for one's own use. This is the leaven of selfishness and covetousness, double-dealing surrounded by unbelief, robbing the treasury, which God regards as the sin of Achan and will judge. Only he whom the Lord commends is approved, and only those who stay within God's appointed measure can give the right mold to the work and supply the needs of laborers in hard fields. Anyone who boasts must boast in the Lord and not in human ability or achievement, for human beings are finite and fallible, so praising and exalting people is warned against and prideful comparisons are ruled out in favor of humility toward fellow believers. The Lord's commendation, not self-commendation or the praise of others, is what makes a person approved.
Applied to self-control and overcoming harmful appetite, the lesson is to depend on Christ's grace rather than boast in one's own effort, since self-commendation does not make a person approved but approval comes from the Lord. Applied to overcoming addiction, a person must not boast in himself but trust in Jesus' grace rather than his own strength and use his abilities in God's service, for only the Lord's approval makes a person approved. God's people fulfill the call to make their boast in the Lord as they use their abilities and do good works to bless others, as in sanitariums as centers of influence and training.