The “alleylon” (one another) passages in the New Testament, Part 2a: The Elusive Virtue of Humility (Rom 12:10, Phil. 2:3)
Humility must be one of the most important characteristics of the Christian life. How do I know? Because Scripture mentions it dozens and dozens of times; because it is a complex concept that people regularly misunderstand or misrepresent; and because there are countless jokes about it – most of them corny – and an equal number of quotations (sample: “You don’t need to be humble; you’re not that great”*).
In many ways, humility shares much with its fellow biblical virtues. For example, it is a.) a gift from God that is b.) naturally rather unevenly distributed. Some people carry an innate sense of modesty, gracious deference, and unselfconscious self-deprecation. And, as is obvious, humility is most fully exemplified by Jesus, the incarnate Son of God who became the ultimate servant for creatures who were undeserving and unappreciative of his sacrifice. Last, although it is naturally present in different people to varying degrees, humility is equally attainable by anyone through divine grace working in the hearts of Jesus’ disciples.
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