📖 Biblical Definition
Scripture distinguishes between godly ambition and selfish ambition. Paul writes, "I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named" (Romans 15:20) — this is holy zeal directed toward God's glory. But James warns against the other kind: "Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice" (James 3:16). The Greek eritheia (selfish ambition, factious rivalry) is listed among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20). The test of ambition is its object: does it seek the glory of God or the advancement of self?
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
An eager desire of honor, distinction, or superiority; a desire of preferment or power.
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AMBI'TION, n. [L. ambitio.] 1. An eager and sometimes an inordinate desire of preferment, honor, superiority, or power. 2. The desire or passion for anything great or beyond one's present attainments. Note: Webster recognized the dual nature of ambition — it can drive noble achievement or corrupt the soul through self-aggrandizement. The key distinction is whether it serves God or self.
📖 Key Scripture
• Romans 15:20 — "I make it my ambition to preach the gospel."
• James 3:14-16 — "Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice."
• Galatians 5:20 — "Rivalries, dissensions, divisions" — listed among the works of the flesh.
• Philippians 2:3 — "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern culture celebrates ambition without distinction between godly zeal and selfish self-promotion.
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Modern culture treats ambition as an unqualified virtue. "Ambitious" is a compliment. Hustle culture, personal branding, and the relentless pursuit of status are celebrated as marks of strength and character. But Scripture does not celebrate ambition in the abstract — it interrogates its object and motive. Selfish ambition is a work of the flesh. It produces rivalry, division, and disorder. The sons of Zebedee wanted to sit at Christ's right and left — that was ambition. Christ's answer was: "Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all" (Mark 10:44). The question is never whether you are ambitious but what you are ambitious for and whom it serves.
Usage
• "Paul was ambitious — but his ambition was to preach Christ where He had not been named, not to build his own platform."
• "Scripture does not condemn ambition itself — it condemns selfish ambition, the kind that seeks personal glory at the expense of God's purposes."
• "The modern worship of ambition is just the ancient sin of vainglory wearing a business suit."