It is a pleasure (not to mention less work) when I come across another’s writing which helps add to the understanding I am seeking through this blog. I just came across a good profile of King Saul, called “Saul a Portrait of Pride and Insecurity“, by a writer pen-named Tamarajo.
“Saul’s whole life is an example of how his low opinion of himself and his lack of Faith in God led him to pride and his own demise. Continue reading →
39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”40 Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?”41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
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The narcissistic Pharisees were in fact blind, even though they claimed that they could see. They were blind to the true condition of their hearts, thinking themselves to be righteous teachers and spiritual leaders, when in fact their hearts were full of evil thoughts, desires, and motives. Jesus later was very direct in pointing out to the Pharisees their blindness. Continue reading →
13 No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him.15 And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.
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[Please see here and here for more on how we know the Pharisees were narcissists].
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This is one of the clearer examples of how narcissists work. In their hearts, the Pharisees were focused on money and the “finer things of life” that it would bring. But in their pride, they also wanted to be highly thought of by men for their piety (including the all-sufficiency of God). Jesus called out their hypocrisy and created a dilemma for them with His statement that they could not make both God and money number one in their lives – with the clear implication that they had chosen money over God.
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The narcissistic Pharisees had two ways of dealing with this.
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First was to mock (or scoff at) the One telling them they could not have it both ways. Their intent was to tear down, from a position of “superiority”, and discredit the one getting in way of their greed and pride.
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Proverbs 9:7-8
7 He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
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Amos 5:10
10 They hate him who reproves in the gate,And they abhor him who speaks with integrity.
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Second was to make justification (in modern terms – making excuses), or to construct a clever series of reasons, for what they were doing for the purpose of making people around them agree with them and continue to think highly of them.
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But Jesus made it clear to them that even though they may get away with fooling men, they were not fooling God. God could clearly see what was in their hearts, and would judge them based on that – and not based on what the Pharisees had gotten men to believe.
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They might get short term kudos from men for how wonderful they are, but they would ultimately have to answer to God for the evil in their hearts.
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Putting “Biblical Perspectives On Narcissism” Into Perspective
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
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See here and here on how we know that the scribes and Pharisees are a case study in narcissism
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Legalism is a focus on technical, outward conformance to a standard without regard for the spirit of the standard. Legalistic people may adjust to comply with the external standard, while neglecting, ignoring, or outright rejecting any changes needed to their core heart attitutde. The Pharisees were “legalistic” – they were focused on outward compliance with the rules (God’s law plus the ones they made up) rather than on being righteous on the inside. But God had made it clear from the early days of their people that the focus should be on their hearts:
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Deuteronomy 6:4-6
4 “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart…….
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The scribes and Pharisees knew that commandment, as shown by the lawyer’s response to Jesus’ question….. Continue reading →
5 The Pharisees and the scribes *asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”
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Luke 5:30
30 The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”
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As we said here, scoffers (those with insolent pride, aka narcissists) set themselves up as judge. Unless they can somehow get in an official position where they can judge others, they will unofficially compare themselves with others in a judgmental way. They may not do this consciously, but their instinct for moral superiority makes it natural for them to frequently compare themselves with others, with an eye toward what the others are doing wrong and how they themselves are “better”. In the verses, above, the Pharisees were comparing what Jesus and His disciples did with what they did. In both cases, what Jesus did was not wrong – but the Pharisees set their own actions up as the standard to live by, and then judged Jesus and His disciples for not matching up to their standard. Of course, they did not come right out and say, “you’re wrong”, but expressed their judgmental spirit through questions. Continue reading →
Since the Pharisees are one of the key Biblical case studies on Narcissists and how to deal with them (see How We Know The Pharisees Were Narcissists), it is important that we understand the entire picture. For some additional background:
Isaiah 28:14-1614 Therefore, hear the word of the Lord, O scoffers, Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem, 15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death, And with Sheol we have made a pact. The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by, For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.”
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.
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The “cornerstone” reference is clearly is clearly referring to Jesus:
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Matthew 21:42 – Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected,This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?Mark 12:10 – Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone;Luke 20:17 – But Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone’?Acts 4:11 – He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.Ephesians 2:20 – having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,1 Peter 2:6 – For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
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Therefore, God says in Isaiah 28 that He was sending Jesus in response to the rulers in Jerusalem, whom He called scoffers. The rulers in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus’ arrival were the religious leaders (Scribes, Pharisees, Chief Priest, etc.) – so God was clearly calling them “scoffers”. And according to Proverbs 21:24, scoffers is one of the names for those filled with insolent pride.
“Proud”, “Haughty”, “Scoffer” are his names, who acts with insolent pride. Proverbs 21:24
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
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The Pharisees are one of the prime examples of Insolent Pride / Narcissism in the Bible (see here and here). They were described as “scoffers” in Isaiah 28. And “Scoffers” are one of the “names” given to those with insolent pride – [“‘Proud’, ‘haughty’, ‘scoffer’ are his names who acts with insolent pride” – Proverbs 21:24]. And insolent pride = narcissism (see here).
A prime characteristic of a scoffer is that they set themselves up as judge over others, based on an arbitrary standard of their own creation. They will not try to keep their own standard, as they see themselves as above the rules. And they will change the standard as necessary to suit their primary objective of being “above” others (that’s one of the reasons its an “arbitrary” standard). The imperative of scoffers / insolent pride / narcissists is to maintain their superiority over others.
Here are some examples of the Pharisees acting as judge:
Matthew 9:11 – When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?”
The Pharisees set an implied arbitrary rule as to who “righteous” people should eat with, and then judged Jesus against that rule]
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Matthew 9:14 – Then the disciples of John *came to Him, asking, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
The Pharisees took something they were doing (fasting), and turned it into a standard they could use with which to judge others]
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Matthew 9:34 – But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
Rather than carefully exploring how Jesus was able to cast out demons, the Pharisees jumped to the conclusion that since Jesus’ power could not be from God (based on the Pharisees’ own pre-determined view), it had to come from Satan. Since linking Jesus’ miracles as being sourced from Satan would clearly undermine His ministry, the Pharisees were quick to take the opportunity to do this.]
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Matthew 12:2 – But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples do what is not lawful to do on a Sabbath.”
The Pharisees were interpreting the law according to their own opinion, and using their interpretation as the basis for judging Jesus]
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Matthew 12:24 – But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”
Once again, rather than honestly exploring the true source Jesus’ ability to cast out demons, the Pharisees were quick to judge and condemn Him, based on an interpretation that would most fully demean and undermine Jesus.]
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* Narcissism is the colloquial secular term for what the Bible refers to as “insolent pride”.
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
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Even though Haman (see here on how we know he was a narcissist*) had achieved “everything”, he was obsessed with the one thing he didn’t have – Mordecai’s recognition of Haman’s “glory”. That is typical of narcissists* – they can have everything going “right” in their world, but in the middle of that will obsess about one little slight that they think they have received from someone.
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Esther 3:1-5
3 After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him.2 All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage……….5 When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, Haman was filled with rage.
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Esther 5:9-13
9 Then Haman went out that day glad and pleased of heart; but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up or[tremble before him, Haman was filled with anger against Mordecai.10 Haman controlled himself, however, went to his house and sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.11 Then Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instancewhere the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king.12 Haman also said, “Even Esther the queen let no one but me come with the king to the banquet which she had prepared; and tomorrow also I am invited by her with the king.13 Yet all of this does not satisfy me every time I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”
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* Narcissist is the modern colloquial term for what the Bible calls “insolent pride” please see here for an explanation
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
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How do we know that Pharisees and especially their leaders the Chief Priests were full of insolent pride (Narcissists)? There are three ways:
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Verses that directly refer to their insolent pride
Compare the traits and tactics of the Pharisees with what the Bible says about Narcissist traits and tactics
Compare the traits and tactics of the Pharisees with what the secular literature says about Narcissist traits and tactics
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Number 1 above is by far the best – direct statements and linkages from the Bible. Number 2 above lends itself to circular reasoning – so it can be used, but best in conjunction with number 1. Number 3 would be similar to seeing someone in the news – lets say Kim Kardashian and Chris Jenner, and say “they’re obviously a narcissist” – but in this case the narcissist’s behavior is being reported “in print” by the Bible instead of today’s news.
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There is no verse that outright says “the Pharisees were filled with insolent pride”. However, this comes close:
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Luke 18:9-14The Pharisee and the Publican
9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing some distance away,was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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The key phrases that infer that this Pharisee had insolent pride:
“Who trusted in themselves”
The essence of pride
“Viewed others with contempt”
The essence of insolence
“Praying this to himself”
He saw himself as the center of his universe, not God
“for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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Jesus linked all of the above with the Pharisee exalting himself in pride.
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Especially through his ending statement in this story, Jesus was confirming that this Pharisee was exalting himself, the essence of pride.
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Jesus began with the phrase “some people” – not all Pharisees were this way. But on the other hand by using a Pharisee as the example, he was making a point about the pride of the Pharisees as a group.
“Proud”, “Haughty”, “Scoffer” are his names, who acts with insolent pride. Proverbs 21:24
Since we can say as a group that the Pharisees were filled with insolent pride, we can now take key elements of the Pharisees’ behavior and look for clues on Narcissists traits and tactics.
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
One of the prime examples of narcissists in the Bible are the Pharisees. Over many, many entries we will not only look at their narcissistic traits, but also how Jesus dealt with them. We’re looking for clues for how to successfully identify and deal with narcissists (insolent pride), but will also gain some heavenly insights in the process.
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But, it would be good to read a key passage in its entirety, before we start parsing it. I have highlighted some key phrases which tip us off that we’re looking at narcissists when we look at the Pharisees. Of course, we should understand that a Pharisee was a type of official position, not a person per se. So, not every Pharisee was a narcissist – and there are examples of Pharisees who came to Jesus as genuine seekers. But many, if not most, were.
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Matthew 23
23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; 3 therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. 4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger.
[This is an example of a scoffer – Psalm 1 “sitting in the seat of scoffers”. Narcissists’ (insolent pride) goal is to lord it over others, to make others jump through hoops in order to prove that the narcissist is King, numero uno. The best way is to be the one to set the rules and then judge others as to whether they follow the rules or not. Secular literature describes the narcissist trait of believing rules are for the “little people”, and not for them. This is a classic example of that.
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But it goes further than that. Narcissists (insolent pride) don’t really care about what rules they’re setting up for others – the more important issue is that they are the King who makes the rules and others are to follow. But this is why dealing with narcissists is so dangerous – their actions are totally arbitrary. Even if you do jump through some hoop (rule) that they set up and get to you to jump through, as soon as you have done that they can easily set up a different, even opposite rule and have you jump through that. Because their main point is getting you to jump through their hoop, whatever they decide it to be at that moment.]
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5 But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. 6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.
[Narcissists’ (insolent pride) whole goal is to be number 1, honored and glorified by others. So, to get there they MUST look good in the eyes of others, and have that rewarded by receiving the honor due them.]
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8 But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
[Jesus tells us God’s way – humility vs. pride, serving vs. being honored. More on this important key to successful living in other posts]
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Eight Woes13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
[Narcissists put on a show. The Pharisees’ long prayers was all about the show, it had nothing to do with actually communicating with God]
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15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
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16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the [i]temple is obligated.’ 17 You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar,that is nothing, but whoever swears by the offering on it, he is obligated.’ 19 You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering? 20 Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
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23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
[One of the secular comments on narcissists is that they lack a sense of proportion – for example, they will work through the night on something that isn’t very useful. Jesus was confirming this about the Pharisees, but the above statement also implies that their focus on the little details was a means of avoiding obligations and escaping responsibility for the larger, more important moral requirements.]
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25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
[Narcissists (insolent pride) make it look good. But what’s going on their hearts is a whole other matter. Ultimately, of course, what’s in their heart will come out. “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart”. (Matt 12:34)]
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29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
[This is a classic narcissist (insolent pride) approach…… with comments like “well, I never would have done that”]
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31 So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell?
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
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Here is a list of Biblical case studies of potential narcissists (insolent pride) which we will be looking into going forward:
King Saul
Nebuchadnezzar
Haman
Pharisees
Diotrophes
….. and more.
How do we know that these are narcissists? There are 2 ways:
Cross-references and linking words or concepts
Proverbs 21:2424 “Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, who acts with insolent pride.
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By clear evidence of their characteristics, traits, actions, fruit……………..
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Matthew 7:16-17
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Go Deeper: The First Will Be Last
What does the Bible say about narcissism, and how should a believer respond? This book walks through Scripture’s case studies, the key words the Bible uses, and practical counsel for those living or working with a narcissist.
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