Envy Or Jealousy?

Last updated on: February 9, 2018 at 4:10 am by Scot McKnight

Envy Or Jealousy? 2018-02-08T19:33:19-06:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Our series on the Friday With Our Fathers (FWOF), using Michael Holmes, The Apostolic Fathers.

1 Clement 4:1–6:4 lays out ancient biblical examples of jealousy in the Bible. In 1 Clem 3:4 we encountered “ungodly jealousy” (zelon adikon).

In English, the term “jealous” refers to a person’s response when their status is jeopardized while the term “envy” refers to a person’s desire to have what another has. Envy and covet are friends; jealousy and envy are not synonyms. We are careless on these terms, but the Greek term zelos doesn’t completely map onto our usage of terms in English. On now to 1 Clement.

But, they know the ideas. On Cain and Abel we get this: “You see, brothers, jealousy and envy (phthonos) brought about a brother’s murder” (4:7). Jacob ran from Esau out of jealousy; Joseph was nearly persecuted to death out of jealousy; Moses fled from Egypt out of jealousy; the same caused punishment for Aaron and Miriam; the same for Dathan and Abiram; Saul persecuted David out of jealousy. So 1 Clem 4:8-13.

The apostles, 1 Clement continues, were persecuted out of jealousy and envy (5:2). Peter endured many trials. Much more on Paul here and this is the summary of his life:

Because of jealousy and strife (eris) Paul showed the way to the prize for patient endurance. After he had been seven times in chains, had been driven into exile, had been stoned, and had preached in the east and in the west, he won the genuine glory for his faith, having taught righteousness to the whole world and having reached the farthest limits of the west [sounds like Spain/Gaul]. Finally, when he had given his testimony before the rulers, he thus departed from the world and went to the holy place, having become an outstanding example of patient endurance.

From OT saints to Peter and Paul Clement moves into his own time. Women were persecuted out of jealousy. They too reached the goal (presence of God, ultimate approval, heaven). Some noble women have left their husbands and persecuted out of jealousy. Jealousy and strife have undone “great cities and uprooted great nations” (6:4).

No one contends this explains all of persecution but there is at work here three big terms: jealousy, envy and strife. Zeal, attached as it is to anger and the amygdala, is about protecting one’s status and righteousness and it is this that the author sees at work in persecuting the people of God in history. Not only jealousy (zeal, zelos) but at least that.

If the Christian is right, the other person must be wrong. If the person is wrong, that person’s status is absolved or threatened. Obedience and faithfulness are the opposite of jealousy, envy and strife. The divisions in Corinth (last week’s post on 1 Clement) are shaped by “ungodly jealousy.” Obedience folds before truth and embraces the other.

The persecuted in the list above were humble, were not jealous and envious and full of strife; they were obedient and loving.

One wonders how much this sense of jealousy/zeal/zelos animates political anger in our day.

Fathers

Patristics

Previous Post

February 9, 2018

Our Cosmic (In)Significance

Next Post

February 10, 2018 Weekly Meanderings, 10 February 2018

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the correct order of 'these three' that remain, as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Hope, faith, love Faith, love, hope Love, faith, hope Faith, hope, love