“they who are called to preach the gospel, to teach the flock of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to lead them, cannot do their duty, unless they lay all ambition aside and seek not to please men, not to be seen, nor to be in reputation. They must account all this as vanity, and content [...]
Archive of posts tagged pride
Pride, A Disqualifier for Ministry
Years ago, when I was a teenager, a seasoned, well-intentioned Baptist deacon gave me an explanation. I was bothered by the apparent arrogance of a pastor, directed towards this deacon and not me. The deacon explained, “Well, you have to expect a certain amount of arrogance from preachers. That’s just the way they are.â€Â Without [...]
Pride: The Source of Heresy
“this is the beginning and root of all heresy, which has been in all times: even this, that those who understood the Gospel would show themselves as men full of ambition and pride, and instead of dedicating themselves to God.†-         John Calvin, Sermon on 1 Timothy 1:18-19
Conan Doyle on Pride
I have often commented here on the value of broad reading in literature. One value is that good stories tend to include keen insight into human nature. Currently I am listening to the audio of one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s lesser known novels, The White Company. The story is set in 14th century Europe [...]
A Note to Reformers
“I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the greatest pope” – Martin LutherIn our work of reforming the church in our day, this statement from a great Reformer is a good reminder to us. There are errors within our churches which grieve [...]
