Dealing With Argumentativeness and Spiritual Pride
Dealing with Argumentativeness and Spiritual Pride
Argumentativeness and spiritual pride are closely linked vices that can hinder spiritual growth and relationships within Christian communities. According to Proverbs 13:10, "A vain man through pride causeth debate, And with the counselled is wisdom" [1]. This verse highlights the connection between pride and contentious behavior.
Pride is considered a root cause of argumentativeness, as it leads individuals to exalt themselves and despise others (Proverbs 16:18) [5]. The proud are more likely to engage in strife and contention, as they are unwilling to yield or listen to others. This is evident in the biblical account of Korah's rebellion against Moses, where pride and ambition led to division and conflict (Numbers 16:3) [3].
The Bible warns against the dangers of pride and argumentativeness, emphasizing the importance of humility and meekness. In the view of John Calvin, true humility involves recognizing one's own sinfulness and emptiness before God, rather than relying on one's own merits or virtues [9]. This perspective is echoed in the writings of Matthew Henry, who notes that pride exposes individuals to sin and makes them passionate and scornful [6].
The Catholic tradition, as represented by Thomas Aquinas, understands pride as a vice that pertains to the irascible faculty, involving a desire for excellence that can lead to conflict and argumentativeness [4]. In contrast, the Rabbinic tradition, as represented by Maimonides, emphasizes the importance of balancing one's behavior to achieve a mean between extremes, with the "pious" individual being one who carefully examines their behavior to avoid error [10].
Reformed theologians such as Charles Hodge and John Calvin stress the need for self-examination and humility in avoiding the pitfalls of pride and argumentativeness. According to Calvin, the Christian must "sincerely labour to promote the advantages" of others, suppressing natural feelings of self-love and pride [7]. Hodge notes that true holiness involves a renunciation of self and a reliance on God's grace, rather than a reliance on one's own merits or virtues [8].
The biblical wisdom literature provides practical guidance on dealing with argumentativeness and spiritual pride. Proverbs 15:1 advises that "a soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger" [2]. This wisdom is echoed in the New Testament, where James 1:19 exhorts believers to be "quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath".
Sources
- Proverbs “Proverbs 13:10 (YLT) — A vain man through pride causeth debate, And with the counselled <FI>is<Fi> wisdom.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Anger — Forbidden -- Ec 7:9; Mt 5:22; Ro 12:19. A work of the flesh -- Ga 5:20. A characteristic of fools -- Pr 12:16; 14:29; 27:3; Ec 7:9. Connected with Pride. -- Pr 21:24. Cruelty. -- Ge 49:7; Pr 27:3,4. Clamour and evil-speaking. -- Eph 4:31. Malice and blasphemy. -- Col 3:8. Strife and contention. -- Pr 21:19; 29:22; 30:33. Brings its own punishment -- Job 5:2; Pr 19:19; 25:28. Grievous words stir up -- Jdj 12:4; 2Sa 19:43; Pr 15:1. Should not betray us into sin -- Ps 37:8; Eph 4:26. In prayer be free from -- 1Ti 2:8. May be averted by wisdom -- Pr 29:8. Meeknes”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Ambition — God condemns -- Ge 11:7; Isa 5:8. Christ condemns -- Mt 18:1,3,4; 20:25,26; 23:11,12. Saints avoid -- Ps 131:1,2. Vanity of -- Job 20:5-9; 24:24; Ps 49:11-20. Leads to strife and contention -- Jas 4:1,2. Punishment of -- Pr 17:19; Isa 14:12-15; Eze 31:10,11; Ob 1:3,4. Connected with Pride. -- Hab 2:5. Covetousness. -- Hab 2:8,9. Cruelty. -- Hab 2:12. Exemplified Adam and Eve. -- Ge 3:5,6. Builders of Babel. -- Ge 11:4. Miriam and Aaron. -- Nu 12:2. Korah, &c. -- Nu 16:3. Absalom. -- 2Sa 15:4; 18:18. Adonijah. -- 1Ki 1:5. Sennacherib. -- 2Ki 19:23. Shebna. ”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Second Part of the Second Part (Secunda Secundae), Of Pride, Art. 3: Article: Whether the subject of pride is the irascible faculty? I answer that, The subject of any virtue or vice is to be ascertained from its proper object: for the object of a habit or act cannot be other than the object of the power, which is the subject of both. Now the proper object of pride is something difficult, for pride is the desire of one's own excellence, as stated above (Articles [1],2). Wherefore pride must needs pertain in some way to the irascible faculty. Now the irascible may be t”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 16:18: Note, 1. Pride will have a fall. Those that are of a haughty spirit, that think of themselves above what is meet, and look with contempt upon others, that with their pride affront God and disquiet others, will be brought down, either by repentance or by ruin. It is the honour of God to humble the proud, Job 40:11, Job 40:12. It is the act of justice that those who have lifted up themselves should be laid low. Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Nebuchadnezzar, were instances of this. Men cannot punish pride, but either admire it or fear it, and therefore God will take the pu”
- Proverbs (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Proverbs 21:24: See here the mischief of pride and haughtiness. 1. It exposes men to sin; it makes them passionate, and kindles in them the fire of proud wrath. They are continually dealing in it, as if it were their trade to be angry, and they had nothing so much to do as to barter passions and exchange bitter words. Most of the wrath that inflames the spirits and societies of men is proud wrath. Men cannot bear the least slight, nor in any thing to be crossed or contradicted, but they are out of humour, nay, in a heat, immediately. It likewise makes them scornful when they a”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 62: sincerely labour to promote their advantages ( Rom. 12:10 ; Phil. 2:3 ), he gives us commands which our mind is utterly incapable of obeying until its natural feelings are suppressed. For so blindly do we all rush in the direction of self-love, that every one thinks he has a good reason for exalting himself and despising all others in comparison. If God has bestowed on us something not to be repented of, trusting to it, we immediately become elated, and not only swell, but almost burst with pride. The vices with which we abound we ”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 28: his people. In the one case the penalty brings subjective sinfulness, and in the other the reward brings subjective holiness. It is a common objection to the doctrine that holiness can be concreated and sinfulness hereditary, that it makes sin and holiness substances. There is nothing in the soul, it is said, but its substance and its acts. If sin or holiness be predicated of anything but the acts of the soul it must be predicated of its substance; and thus we have the doctrine of physical holiness and physical depravity. The assumption o”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 67: Bernard admirably accords, comparing the proud who presume in the least on their merits, to unfaithful servants, who wickedly take the merit of a favor merely passing through them, just as if a wall were to boast of producing the ray which it receives through the window (Bernard, Serm. 13, in Cant). Not to dwell longer here, let us lay down this short but sure and general rule, That he is prepared to reap the fruits of the divine mercy who has thoroughly emptied himself, I say not of righteousness (he has none), but of a vain and b”
- Mishneh Torah (Maimonides) (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishneh Torah (Maimonides), Mishneh Torah%2C Human Dispositions 1:5: A person who carefully [examines] his [behavior], 1 in an effort to achieve the desired intermediate path and therefore deviates slightly from the mean 2 to compensate for a possible error in calculating that mean. to either side is called pious. 3 In Shemonah Perakim , Chapter 4, the Rambam explains that one can refine and correct his behavior by balancing a tendency for excess in one direction by intentionally forcing oneself to adopt the opposite extreme. (See Chapter 2, Halachah 2.) He continues: Therefore, the pious did ”