1 Corinthians 4:7 Meaning and Explanation
“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Paul dismantles pride with three questions: every advantage a person has was received as a gift, so there is no ground for boasting as if it were self-made.
What Does 1 Corinthians 4:7 Mean?
Paul drives at the root of the Corinthians' rivalry with three pointed questions. Whatever sets one person above another, gifts, knowledge, status, did not arise from within them. It was given.
The logic is simple and humbling. If everything we have is received, then boasting makes no sense, for we are praising ourselves for what was a gift. This single verse undercuts all spiritual pride at its source. Every talent, every insight, every grace comes from God's hand, which turns boasting into gratitude. The believer holds gifts as a trust to be used, not a trophy to be flaunted.
1 Corinthians 4:7 in the Original Language
diakrino (διακρίνω), 'to differ' -- to distinguish or set apart, to make one stand out from another.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Corinthians 4:7
What does 1 Corinthians 4:7 mean?
Paul dismantles pride with three questions: every advantage a person has was received as a gift, so there is no ground for boasting as if it were self-made.