If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Parallel translations
- WEB For if a man thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
- KJV For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
- NKJV For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
- NASB For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
- NLT If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Anyone who thinks he is something when he is nothing deceives himself. Self-importance blinds a person to his own need and the call to serve others.
Overview
Paul warns against the pride that keeps people from humbly bearing others' burdens. Overestimating oneself is self-deception, since all stand in need of grace. This humbling reminder undercuts the conceit of verse 26 and prepares for honest self-examination, fostering the humility that genuine love requires.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Prov 26:12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- 1 Cor 8:2The one who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
- 1 Cor 3:18Let no one deceive himself. If any of you thinks he is wise in this age, he should become a fool, so that he may become wise.
- Rom 12:3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.
- 2 Cor 3:5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- 1 Cor 13:2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
- Luke 18:11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
- Rom 12:16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited.
- Jas 1:22Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- 1 Jn 1:8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Prov 25:14Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.
- Jas 1:26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.
- 2 Tim 3:13while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
- 2 Cor 12:11I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
- Gal 2:6But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—those leaders added nothing to me.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 6:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.