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Greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt
No.3.
The only ground of boasting (I Cor. 1: 31; 3: 21 - 23).
pp. 58 - 60
In the preceding article we were concerned largely with the faction and division that
raised the party cries "I am of Paul, I am of Apollos" etc., and realized that this party
spirit is in mind right through the section, Paul, Apollos and Cephas being mentioned by
name in the closing verses of chapter 3:
`Glorying' or `boasting' falls into two main groups, namely, those things in which the
believer can boast, and those things in which he cannot or must not boast. Those
references which do not fall under one or other of these categories will need to be
considered separately.
(1) Legitimate grounds of boasting for the believer.
This list can be headed with the words of I Cor. 1: 31:
"He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
The only true ground of boasting or glorying for a sinner saved by grace is expressed
in the words of Gal. 6: 14:
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
It is the characteristic of the true believer that he is one that:
"Worships God in spirit, boasts or glories in Christ Jesus, and has no confidence in the
flesh" (Phil. 3: 13).
This boasting, while it may be expressed in faltering tones here and now, will be fully
expressed in the day of redemption,
"that I may rejoice, boast or glory, in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither
laboured in vain" (Phil. 2: 16).
This relation of the apostle's "boasting" in that day, with the faithfulness of those
believers who came under his care, is more fully announced when he said:
"For what is our hope, or joy, or crown or rejoicing (or glorying)? Are not ever ye in
the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?" (I Thess. 2: 19).
When the Apostle would bring the first great section of Romans to a conclusion,
which he does in Rom. 5: 1-11, he writes his exultant praise around three occurrences of
kauchaomai thus: