But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
But if you have bitter envy in your heart and the desire to get the better of others, have no pride in this, talking falsely against what is true.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth.
If ye have bitter envying and strife - If ye be under the influence of an unkind, fierce, and contemptuous spirit, even while attempting or pretending to defend true religion, do not boast either of your exertions or success in silencing an adversary; ye have no religion, and no true wisdom, and to profess either is to lie against the truth. Let all writers on what is called polemic (fighting, warring) divinity lay this to heart. The pious Mr. Herbert gives excellent advice on this subject: -
"Be calm in arguing, for fierceness makes
Error a fault, and truth discourtesy;
Why should I feel another man's mistakes
More than his sickness or his poverty?
In love I should; but anger is not love,
Nor wisdom neither; therefore g-e-n-t-l-y m-o-v-e."
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts - If that is your characteristic. There is reference here to a fierce and unholy zeal against each other; a spirit of ambition and contention.
Glory not - Do not boast, in such a case, of your qualifications to be public teachers. Nothing would render you more unfit for such an office than such a spirit.
And lie not against the truth - You would lie against what is true by setting up a claim to the requisite qualifications for such an office, if this is your spirit. Men should seek no office or station which they could not properly seek if the whole truth about them were known.
3:14 If ye have bitter zeal - True Christian zeal is only the flame of love. Even in your hearts - Though it went no farther. Do not lie against the truth - As if such zeal could consist with heavenly wisdom.