Ministry of Grace Church

that no flesh should glory in His presence.

Truth to Learn

God deserves the praise for who we are and what we have.

Behind the Words

“That” is translated from the Greek word hopōs, which is an adverb of manner. The basic meaning of this word is, “in what manner, how, or so that.”

The Greek word translated “flesh” is sarx. This word specifically refers to the “flesh of a living being,” as opposed to the word kreas, which refers to “the flesh of a dead animal” or “meat.” Metaphorically, sarx refers to the physical being of a man as opposed to the immaterial soul or spirit.

Kauchaomai is the verb translated “glory.” Some sources claim that it is derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which some self-righteous people hold in a proud manner. Kauchaomai means “to boast, brag, or have pride.” In the New Testament, it is used both in a good sense and in a bad sense.

The words “in … presence” are from enōpion. It is made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of ōps, which refers to “the eyes.” Whereas this word literally means “in the eyes of,” it is most often translated as “in the presence of.”

Meaning Explained

In this first chapter of his letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul is specifically addressing the problem of divisions within the church, which he first introduced in verse ten:

Now I plead with you, brethren … that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together …

The divisions within the church were caused by people claiming to follow certain gifted and respected leaders within the church. The Corinthians even boasted about who they followed. As a result, Paul spent most of the previous nineteen verses showing that worldly wisdom, education, and social rank have no influence with God. He then went on to show that not only does God not show any special favor to the rich, powerful, and famous, He actually focuses his grace primarily on those of us who are nobodies in the eyes of the world.

People who have made a name for themselves through hard work, education, political maneuvering, or social standing, all have one thing in common: they take pride in their attainment. They believe that they have risen to their position of importance because of who they are or what they have done. This self-pride, in return, takes the credit away from God. However, the Prophet Jeremiah said this:

Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23-24)

What we have to recognize is that everything that we are and everything that we have comes from God. Therefore, He deserves to get the credit for it all.

Application

Let us give humble thanks to God for everything that we are and everything that we have. He doesn’t make mistakes, so no matter what our position in life, God deserves all the credit for who we are and what we have accomplished.