Self-Righteousness
85 passages listed in Nave’s Topical Bible and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook. Verse text: Berean Standard Bible; links open in your translation.
25 sections
- Church of Laodicea
- Denunciation Against
- Folly of
- General Scriptures Concerning
- Hateful to God
- Illustrated
- Israel
- Lawyer
- Man is Prone To
- Pharisees
- Saints Renounce
- Saul
- The Laodicean Congregation
- They Who are Given to are Abominable Before God
- They Who are Given to are Pure in Their own Eyes
- They Who are Given to Audaciously Approach God
- They Who are Given to Condemn Others
- They Who are Given to Consider Their own Way Right
- They Who are Given to Despise Others
- They Who are Given to Proclaim Their own Goodness
- They Who are Given to Reject the Righteousness of God
- They Who are Given to Seek to Justify Themselves
- They Who are Given to Seek to Justify Themselves Before Men
- Warning Against
- Young Man
Church of Laodicea
- Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
Denunciation Against
- Matthew 23:27–28 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. …
Folly of
- Job 9:20 Even if I were righteous, my mouth would condemn me; if I were blameless, it would declare me guilty.
General Scriptures Concerning
- Numbers 16:3 They came together against Moses and Aaron and told them, “You have taken too much upon yourselves! For everyone in the entire congregation is holy, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the …
- Deuteronomy 9:4–6 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of …
- 1 Samuel 2:9 He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
- Job 6:13 Is there any help within me now that success is driven from me?
- Job 11:4–6 You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’ …
- Job 12:2 “Truly then you are the people with whom wisdom itself will die!
- Job 13:3 Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.
- Job 13:13 Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.
- Job 13:15 Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
- Job 13:18–19 See now, I have prepared my case; I know that I will be vindicated. …
- Job 16:17–18 yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure. …
- Job 18:2–4 “How long until you end these speeches? Show some sense, and then we can talk. …
- Job 21:27–29 Behold, I know your thoughts full well, the schemes by which you would wrong me. …
- Job 22:2–3 “Can a man be of use to God? Can even a wise man benefit Him? …
- Job 32:1–2 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. …
- Job 33:8–9 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: …
- Job 35:2 “Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I am more righteous than God.’
- Job 35:7–8 If you are righteous, what do you give Him, or what does He receive from your hand? …
- Psalm 10:5–6 He is secure in his ways at all times; Your lofty judgments are far from him; he sneers at all his foes. …
- Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
- Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
- Proverbs 16:2 All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.
- Proverbs 20:6 Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man?
- Proverbs 21:2 All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
- Proverbs 25:14 Like clouds and wind without rain is the man who boasts of gifts never given.
- Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat too much honey or to search out one’s own glory.
- Proverbs 26:12 Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Proverbs 27:2 Let another praise you, and not your own mouth— a stranger, and not your own lips.
- Proverbs 27:21 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but a man is tested by the praise accorded him.
- Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
- Proverbs 28:26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.
- Proverbs 30:12–13 There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. …
- Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.
- Isaiah 28:17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.
- Isaiah 28:20 Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you.
- Isaiah 47:7 You said, ‘I will be queen forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or consider their outcome.
- Isaiah 50:11 Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who array yourselves with firebrands, walk in the light of your fire and of the firebrands you have lit! This is what you will receive from My hand: You will lie down in a place of torment.
- Isaiah 64:6 Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
- Isaiah 65:3–5 to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick, …
- Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns — broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
- Jeremiah 2:22–23 Although you wash with lye and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before Me,” declares the Lord GOD. …
- Jeremiah 2:34–35 Moreover, your skirts are stained with the blood of the innocent poor, though you did not find them breaking in. But in spite of all these things …
- Jeremiah 7:4 Do not trust in deceptive words, saying: ‘This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD.’
- Jeremiah 8:8 How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the Law of the LORD is with us,’ when in fact the lying pen of the scribes has produced a deception?
- Jeremiah 17:5 This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes mere flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
- Jeremiah 49:4 Why do you boast of your valleys— your valleys so fruitful, O faithless daughter? You trust in your riches and say, ‘Who can come against me?’
- Jeremiah 49:16 The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, O occupiers of the mountain summit. Though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down,” …
- Ezekiel 33:24–26 “Son of man, those living in the ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as a possession.’ …
- Hosea 12:8 And Ephraim boasts: “How rich I have become! I have found wealth for myself. In all my labors, they can find in me no iniquity that is sinful.”
- Amos 6:13 you who rejoice in Lo-debar and say, ‘Did we not take Karnaim by our own strength?’
- Habakkuk 2:4 Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright — but the righteous will live by faith —
- Zephaniah 3:11 On that day you will not be put to shame for any of the deeds by which you have transgressed against Me. For then I will remove from among you those who rejoice in their pride, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.
- Matthew 7:22–23 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ …
- Matthew 9:10–13 Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples. …
- Matthew 16:6 “Watch out!” Jesus told them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
- Matthew 19:16–22 Just then a man came up to Jesus and inquired, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to obtain eternal life?” …
- Matthew 22:12–13 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But the man was speechless. …
- Matthew 23:29–31 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. …
- Mark 2:16 When the scribes who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with these people, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Mark 8:15 “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
- Mark 10:17–22 As Jesus started on His way, a man ran up and knelt before Him. “Good Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” …
- Luke 5:30 But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
- Luke 7:36–50 Then one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to eat with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. …
- Luke 10:25–37 One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” …
- Luke 15:2 So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
- Luke 15:25–32 Meanwhile the older son was in the field, and as he approached the house, he heard music and dancing. …
- Luke 16:14–15 The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus. …
- Luke 18:9–14 To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable: …
- Luke 18:18–23 Then a certain ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” …
- John 9:34 They replied, “You were born in utter sin, and you are instructing us?” And they threw him out.
- John 9:39–41 Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.” …
- Romans 2:17–20 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; …
- Romans 3:27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of works? No, but on that of faith.
- Romans 10:3 Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
- Romans 11:19–21 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” …
- 2 Corinthians 1:9 Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.
- 2 Corinthians 10:17–18 Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” …
- Galatians 6:3 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
- Revelation 3:17–18 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. …
Hateful to God
- Luke 16:15 So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
Illustrated
- Luke 18:10–12 “Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. …
Israel
- Romans 10:3 Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
Lawyer
- Luke 10:25 One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
- Luke 10:29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Man is Prone To
- Proverbs 20:6 Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man?
- Proverbs 30:12 There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
Pharisees
- Luke 11:33–54 No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light. …
- John 8:33–59 “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?” …
- John 9:28–34 Then they heaped insults on him and said, “You are His disciple; we are disciples of Moses. …
Saints Renounce
- Philippians 3:7–10 But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ. …
Saul
- 1 Samuel 15:13–31 When Samuel reached him, Saul said to him, “May the LORD bless you. I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” …
The Laodicean Congregation
- Revelation 3:17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.
They Who are Given to are Abominable Before God
- Isaiah 65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
They Who are Given to are Pure in Their own Eyes
- Proverbs 30:12 There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
They Who are Given to Audaciously Approach God
- Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men — swindlers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector.
They Who are Given to Condemn Others
- Matthew 9:11–13 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” …
- Luke 7:39 When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman is touching Him — for she is a sinner!”
They Who are Given to Consider Their own Way Right
- Proverbs 21:2 All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
They Who are Given to Despise Others
- Isaiah 65:5 They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.
- Luke 18:9 To some who trusted in their own righteousness and viewed others with contempt, He also told this parable:
They Who are Given to Proclaim Their own Goodness
- Proverbs 20:6 Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man?
They Who are Given to Reject the Righteousness of God
- Romans 10:3 Because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
They Who are Given to Seek to Justify Themselves
- Luke 10:29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
They Who are Given to Seek to Justify Themselves Before Men
- Luke 16:15 So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
Warning Against
- Deuteronomy 9:4 When the LORD your God has driven them out before you, do not say in your heart, “Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land.” Rather, the LORD is driving out these nations before you because of …
Young Man
- Matthew 19:20 “All these I have kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”
Related topics
Self-Righteousness is Vain Because Our Righteousness IsSelf-Righteousness is BoastfulLawyer
Topics: Nave’s Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey’s New Topical Textbook (1897), public domain, via the Berean Bible topical index.