12 Bible Verses about Rivalry

A dispute arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. Jesus knew the dispute that occupied their minds, so he took hold of a little child and set it by his side; then he said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For it is the lowliest of you all who is great."

At that hour the disciples came and asked Jesus, "Who is greatest in the Realm of heaven?" So he called a child, set it among them, and said, "I tell you truly, unless you turn and become like children, you will never get into the Realm of heaven at all.read more.
Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Realm of heaven;

They said nothing, for on the road they had been disputing about which of them was the greatest. So he sat down and called the twelve. "If anyone wants to be first," he said to them, "he must be last of all and the servant of all." Then he took a little child, set it among them, and putting his arms round it said to them,read more.
"Whoever receives one of these little ones in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me."

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedaeus came up to him with her sons, praying him for a favour. He said to her, "What do you want?" She said, "Give orders that my two sons are to sit at your right hand and at your left in your Realm." Jesus replied, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can."read more.
"You shall drink my cup," said Jesus, "but it is not for me to grant seats at my right hand and at my left; these belong to the men for whom they have been destined by my Father." When the ten heard of this, they were angry at the two brothers,

James and John, the sons of Zebedaeus, came up to him saying, "Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you." So he said, "What do you want me to do for you?" They said to him, "Give us seats, one at your right hand and one at your left hand, in your glory."read more.
Jesus said, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I have to drink, or undergo the baptism I have to undergo?" They said to him, "We can." Jesus said, "You shall drink the cup I have to drink and undergo the baptism I have to undergo; but it is not for me to grant seats at my right or my left hand ??these belong to the men for whom they have been destined." Now when the ten heard of this, they burst into anger at James and John;

But you are not to be called 'rabbi,' for One is your teacher, and you are all brothers; you are not to call anyone 'father' on earth, for One is your heavenly Father; nor must you be called 'leaders,' for One is your leader, even the Christ.read more.
He who is greatest among you must be your servant.

you are still worldly. For with jealousy and quarrels in your midst, are you not worldly, are you not behaving like ordinary men? When one cries, "I belong to Paul," and another, "I belong to Apollos," what are you but men of the world?

By 'quarrelling' I mean that each of you has his party-cry, "I belong to Paul," "And I to Apollos," "And I to Cephas," "And I to Christ." Has Christ been parcelled out? Was it Paul who was crucified for you? Was it in Paul's name that you were baptized?

you are all sons of God by your faith in Christ Jesus (for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus.

so Jesus called them and said, "You know the so-called rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men overbear them: not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever of you wants to be first must be your slave;read more.
for the Son of man himself has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

but Jesus called them and said, "You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men overbear them: not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;read more.
just as the Son of man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Some of them, it is true, are actually preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, others from goodwill; the latter do it from love to me, knowing that I am set here to defend the gospel, but the former proclaim Christ for their own ends, with mixed motives, intending to annoy me as I lie in prison.read more.
What does it matter? Anyhow, for ulterior ends or honestly, Christ is being proclaimed, and I rejoice over that; yes and I will rejoice over it.