What does the Bible say about egotism / egoism? What is an egoist / egotist?
Answered from the commentary of Hamilton Smith, A. J. Pollock, F. B. Hole and 6 others
Egotism and egoism mean being occupied with self and seeking one’s own interests, honour, pleasure, or advancement. An egotist makes much of himself, boasting in self and wanting to be thought great; an egoist seeks his own advantage and is self-centred. The first and outstanding evil is love of self, from which covetousness, pride, vainglory, and other evils follow. Self-seeking may appear even in religious profession and service, when a person uses gifts, work, or the name of Christ to exalt himself.
The authors speak of this as contrary to Christianity: love does not seek its own, but serves and seeks the good of others, and Christ is the pattern of a life without self-seeking. They also warn that self-occupation and self-exaltation bring strife and division, and urge the lowly mind that considers others and their good. The passages do not give a distinct technical meaning for “egoist” apart from this description of self-seeking and self-centredness.
Verses: Philippians 2:3, Romans 12:3, Galatians 5:26, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 18:12, Proverbs 27:2, Luke 18:9, Luke 18:10, Luke 18:11, Luke 18:12, Luke 18:13, Luke 18:14, Matthew 23:12, James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5, 1 Peter 5:6, 2 Timothy 3:1, 2 Timothy 3:2, 2 Timothy 3:3, 2 Timothy 3:4, 2 Timothy 3:5, Philippians 2:4, Romans 12:10, 1 Corinthians 13:4, 1 Corinthians 13:5, James 3:14, James 3:15, James 3:16, James 4:1, James 4:2, James 4:3
The above is AI generated summary based on the writers below.
What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Selfishness is shown in many and various ways. As one of the signs of the days it is said, “Men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim.3:2), or in other words, “selfish.” This is the root from which every variety springs. The selfish man seeks his own things, not the things which are others, still less that are Jesus Christ's (Phil. 2:21), as the Apostle so touchingly writes to the Philippians, complaining that this sin was a great and crying evil in his day.
Love does not seek what is its own (love is not egoistic)
Love does not seek what is its own (love is not egoistic)
Then Divine love does not blow its own trumpet. It looks upon the affairs of others. Divine love is no egotist, but its very breath is to express itself in relation to others.
(6) Love “does not behave in an unseemly manner”. The flesh, even when high in the social scale, can be rude and unmannerly. Love will lead the highest by birth, as well as the lowest, to be courteous.
(7) Love “does not seek what is its own”. The flesh is ever selfish and seeks its own interest. Love is unselfish and disinterested, seeking the good of others.
"For men shall be lovers of self." Such is the opening characteristic, so grievous to the Lord and His own in those bearing His name. Justly does it hold the first place in this list of Christ-dishonouring professors; for it is a very mother of evils, as it directly contravenes the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning His children. Christ died for all indeed; but the moral end was that those who live (whatever others do who remain dead) "should henceforth not live unto themselves, but unto Him Who for them died and rose again" (2 Cor. 5:15). "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). For "every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:1-3).
First (Vv. 1-4); we are warned that in the last days the mass who compose the great Christian profession will be marked by uncontrolled selfishness, leading to every form of evil and self-indulgence. The solemn description commences with the statement that "men shall be lovers of their own selves." Hence they covet for self, boast in self, are proud of themselves, and are impatient of every form of restraint upon self, human or divine. They indulge self according to their own evil lusts and are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
It will be noticed that the first and outstanding evil in this terrible picture is the uncontrollable selfishness of men that leads to every other evil. Men, being lovers of self, will covet for self and boast in self. Boasting in self, they will be impatient of all restraint upon self, whether human or divine. The love of self and gratification of self will make men unthankful, unholy and lead them to over-ride natural affection, and make them unrelenting and slanderers. The love of self will lead men to give free rein to their passions, leading to savagery in the presence of all that thwarts their will. It will lead men to despise what is good, to betray confidences, and, with headlong vanity, to be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
(1) “Men shall be lovers of their own selves.” The first and outstanding characteristic of Christendom in these last days is the love of self. This is in direct contrast with true Christianity which teaches us that Christ “died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves, but to Him which died for them, and rose again.”
(2) “Covetous” or “lovers of money”. Loving self will lead to loving money, for therewith men can purchase that which will minister to the gratification of self. Christianity teaches us that the love of money is the root of all evil, and that those who covet it will wander from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).
(3) “Boasters”. The love of money will turn men into boasters. We read in Scripture of those “that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches” (Psalm 49:6); and again, “The wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and blesses the covetous, whom the Lord abhors” (Psalm 10:3). Not only do men boast in their skill in acquiring wealth, but, having accumulated riches, they often take occasion to blazon forth their deeds of charity, in contrast with the lowly grace of Christianity which teaches us so to give that the left hand knows not what the right hand does.
"The love of many shall wax cold," and no wonder when self-love waxeth so hot. It was foretold also by the apostle (2 Tim. 3:1-2), "In the last days … men shall be lovers of their own selves"; and what a black regiment follows this captain, sin! If once a man makes self the whole of his aim, farewell loving of, or praying for others: charity cannot dwell in so narrow a house as the self-lover's heart; yea, it is opposed to it: "Love seeketh not her own" (1 Cor. 13:5).
Verses
- Philippians 2:3–43[let] nothing [be] in the spirit of strife or vain glory, but, in lowliness of mind, each esteeming the other as more excellent than themselves; 4regarding not each his own [qualities], but each those of others also.
- Romans 12:3For I say, through the grace which has been given to me, to every one that is among you, not to have high thoughts above what he should think; but to think so as to be wise, as God has dealt to each a measure of faith.
- Galatians 5:26Let us not become vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another.
- Proverbs 16:18Pride [goeth] before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
- Proverbs 18:12Before destruction the heart of man is haughty; and before honour [goeth] humility.
- Proverbs 27:2Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
- Luke 18:9–149And he spoke also to some, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and made nothing of all the rest [of men], this parable 10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer. 11The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus to himself God, I thank thee that I am not as the rest of men, rapacious, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax-gatherer. 12I fast twice in the week, I tithe everything I gain. 13And the tax-gatherer, standing afar off, would not lift up even his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, O God, have compassion on me, the sinner. 14I say unto you, This [man] went down to his house justified rather than that [other]. For every one who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.