the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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Bible Dictionaries
Humility (2)
Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament
or (ταπεινοφροσύνη)
1. In the OT.-The word is common in the NT, but, according to Lightfoot (Phillippians4, 1878, p. 109], does not occur earlier. ‘Even the adjective ταπεινόφρων and the verb ταπεινοφρονεῖν, though occurring once each in the Septuagint (Proverbs 29:23, Psalms 130:2), appear not to be found in classical Greek before the Christian era.’ Moreover, in heathen writers ταπεινός has almost invariably a bad meaning: it signifies ‘grovelling,’ ‘abject.’
‘It was one great result of the life of Christ,’ says Lightfoot (loc. cit.), ‘to raise “humility” to its proper level; and, if not fresh coined for this purpose, the word ταπεινοφροσύνη now first became current through the influence of Christian ethics.’
All the same, it is to be recognized that the virtue of humility is greatly commended in the OT, and its place in the Christian ethic can only be properly understood when we remember this. Especially in the Psalms and Proverbs and some of the Prophets is the value of humility recognized, and the NT writers sometimes enforce what they have to say on the subject by a quotation from the OT (cf., for instance, Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6).
2. In the NT.-The value of humility was a chief point in the teaching of Jesus Himself, and the apostolic writers follow Him in their estimate of it. The root of humility, as it is described in the NT, is a true estimate of oneself as in the sight of God. It presupposes, therefore, a knowledge of our weakness. ‘Recognizing this, man ceases to hold himself of great account, and therefore easily believes that others are more excellent than himself, nor takes it amiss that they are preferred before him’ (J. F. Buddeus, Institutiones Theologiœ Moralis, Leipzig, ed. 1727, p. 141).
Above all, however, the recognition of one’s position in the sight of God leads to humility towards Him. Before Him no one can boast (1 Corinthians 4:6); whatever merit one possesses rests upon the Divine grace (1 Corinthians 4:7). ‘He is humble before God, who attributes nothing to himself, or to his own strength, and regards himself as simply unworthy of all Divine benefits’ (Buddeus, loc. cit.; cf. 1 Peter 5:6, James 4:16, Acts 2:20).
But, as has been already indicated, humility is also to be exercised towards our fellow-men. St. Paul and St. Peter alike enforce the need of such humility (Philippians 2:3-5, Colossians 3:12; cf. 1 Corinthians 13:4, 1 Peter 5:5). St. Paul, moreover, adduces as the great example of such humility the humility of Christ in the Incarnation, in that He laid aside the form of God, and took upon Him that of a servant, becoming obedient to death, even the Death of the Cross (Philippians 2:5-8). It is not necessary here, in simply treating of the virtue of humility in the apostolic writings, to go on to discuss the Kenosis, on which so much has been said and written; but it may perhaps fitly be pointed out how this instance of the Lord’s humility in the Incarnation has been made use of in Catholic Christianity from Augustine onwards. Pride, according to St. Augustine, is the root of all sins; therefore to cure it God wrought in the Incarnation by introducing into humanity the antidote of humility. The humility of Christ is the cure of man’s pride. By St. Francis of Assisi this humility of Jesus was connected closely with the thought of His earthly privations; and thus was struck the key-note of the peculiar mediaeval piety of the imitation of the lowly Jesus.
3. In the Apostolic Fathers.-Among the sub-apostolic writings outside the NT, 1 Clem. stands out because of its particular emphasis on humility. It may indeed almost be regarded as a sermon on humility, with many instances, examples, and exhortations. The emphasis on this particular virtue follows naturally from the situation at Corinth, which the Epistle of the Roman Church through Clement is intended to deal with. A contention has taken place in the Church, in which two parties are involved. The majority of the community are on the one side, led by a few headstrong and self-willed persons (1:1). On the other side are the officers of the Church, the presbyters, with very little support in the Church. During the conflict some presbyters have actually been deposed by the Church (44:6). The Epistle of the Roman Church, indited by Clement, is intended to bring about the submission of the Church to its presbyters, and so restore unity. No wonder then that such stress is laid on the virtue of humility. What is aimed at is to produce a proper submission to constituted authority in place of the present sedition against it. To quote the passages on humility would occupy too much space. ταπεινός occurs in xxx. 2, Leviticus 6, lix. 3; ταπεινοφρονέω in ii. 1, xiii. 1, 3, xvi. 1f., 17, xvii. 2, xxx. 3, xxxviii. 2, lxii. 2; ταπεινοφροσύνη in xxi. 8, xxx. 8, xxxi. 4, xliv. 3, lvi. 1, lviii. 2; ταπεινόφρων in xix. 1; ταπεινόω in xviii. 8, 17, lix. 3; and ταπείνωσις in xvi. 7, liii. 2, Leviticus 6. Two passages will give an idea of the general drift of the exhortation and argument on the point of humility. ‘Let us therefore be lowly-minded, brethren, laying aside all arrogance and conceit and folly and anger, and let us do that which is written. For the Holy Ghost saith, Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, nor the strong in his strength, neither the rich in his riches; but he that boasteth, let him boast in the Lord, that he may seek Him out, and do judgment and righteousness’ (xiii. 1 [Lightfoot’s translation ]). ‘For Christ is with them that are lowly of mind, not with them that exalt themselves over the flock. The scepter [of the majesty] of God, even our Lord Jesus Christ, came not in the pomp of arrogance or of pride, though He might have done so, but in lowliness of mind, according as the Holy Spirit spake concerning Him [here are quoted Isaiah 53:1-12 and Psalms 22:6-8]. Ye see, dearly beloved, what is the pattern that hath been given unto us; for if the Lord was thus lowly of mind, what should we do, who through Him have been brought under the yoke of His grace’ (ib. xvi. 1, 2, 17).
The Epistle of Barnabas also commends humility: it is a point in the way of light (xix. 3). Cf. also Ign. Smyrn. vi. 1, ‘Let no one’s position puff him up; for faith and love are everything, of which things nothing takes precedence.’ Cf. yet again Hermas, Mand. xi. 3, where humility appears as the mark of the true prophet, by which he may be surely known from all false prophets.
4. St. Paul and false humility.-In conclusion, mention must be made of St. Paul’s condemnation of a false humility in Colossians 2:18; Colossians 2:23. Certain false teachers had appeared at Colossae, who maintained that a perfection beyond that attainable by ordinary Christians could be realized only by a γνῶσις, which paid special worship to the angelic powers, and reverenced the particular ordinances enjoined by them. ‘Amongst these ordinances were Jewish circumcision and the observance of Jewish feast-days, new moons and sabbaths. We may remember that Paul himself in Gal. (Galatians 3:19; Galatians 4:3; Galatians 4:8-10) regards the Jewish ceremonies as ordinances of the angels of the Jewish law. But it was not merely the Jewish law which was observed by the Colossian teachers; they added other precepts of their own of an ascetic character by the observance of which especially communion with the angels might be attained. The idea is that, as the angels are above this world, so the ascetic, by cutting himself off from the things of the world, draws near to the angels, and becomes fit to associate with them’ (R. S. Franks, Bible Notes on the Writings of St. Paul, 1910, p. 76).
St. Paul declares all such subservience to the angels to be a false humility, inasmuch as it detracts from the true reverence due to Christ alone, who is the Head of the angels, whose power over the world, moreover, He has broken by His Cross, by dying on which He annulled the bond they held against men in the Law (Colossians 2:14-15).
Literature.-A. Ritschl, The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation, Eng. translation , 1900, p. 632; W. Herrmann, The Communion of the Christian with God, Eng. translation , 1906, p. 267; E. Hatch, Memorials, 1890, pp. 137, 213; H. P. Liddon, Sermons preached before the University of Oxford, 1st ser., 1869, p. 139, 2nd ser., 1879, p. 18; W. R. Inge, Faith and Knowledge, 1904, p. 107; J. Warschauer, The Way of Understanding, 1913, p. 140.
R. S. Franks.
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Hastings, James. Entry for 'Humility (2)'. Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hdn/h/humility-2.html. 1906-1918.
