SPECIAL TOPIC: BOASTING

These Greek terms, kauchaomai, kauchēma, and kauchēsis, are used thirty five times by Paul and only twice in the rest of the NT (both in James). Its predominate usage is in 1 and 2 Corinthians.

There are two main truths connected to boasting.

A. no flesh shall glory/boast before God (cf. 1 Cor. 1:29; Eph. 2:9)

B. believers should glory in the Lord (cf. 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17, which is an allusion to Jer. 9:23-24)

Therefore, there is appropriate and inappropriate boasting/glorying (i.e., pride).

A. appropriate

1. in the hope of glory (cf. Rom. 4:2)

2. in God through the Lord Jesus (cf. Rom. 5:11)

3. in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e., Paul's main theme, cf. 1 Cor. 1:17-18; Gal. 6:14)

4. Paul boasts in

a. his ministry without compensation (cf. 1 Cor. 9:15,16)

b. his authority from Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 10:8,12)

c. his not boasting in other men's labor (as some at Corinth were, cf. 2 Cor. 10:15)

d. his racial heritage (as others were doing at Corinth, cf. 2 Cor. 11:17; 12:1,5,6)

e. his churches

(1) Corinth (2 Cor. 7:4,14; 8:24; 9:2; 11:10)

(2) Thessalonika (cf. 2 Thess. 1:4)

(3) his confidence in God's comfort and deliverance (cf. 2 Cor. 1:12)

B. inappropriate

1. in relation to Jewish heritage (cf. Rom. 2:17-23; 3:27; Gal. 6:13)

2. some in the Corinthian church were boasting

a. in men (cf. 1 Cor. 3:21)

b. in wisdom (cf. 1 Cor. 4:7)

c. in freedom (cf. 1 Cor. 5:6)

3. false teachers tried to boast in the church at Corinth (cf. 2 Cor. 11:12)