Greek *Eritheia* and Aristotle’s Political Ambition in James

The Greek term often translated as selfish ambition, *eritheia*, originates from a political context described by Aristotle. It refers to a form of craven political maneuvering aimed at advancing oneself at the expense of others, driven by personal gain and power rather than the common good. This concept captures a pursuit motivated by factionalism and self-interest, highlighting a dangerous and corrupting form of ambition.

In biblical times, this understanding of ambition as political scheming and personal advantage was well recognized. Ambition was frequently linked to power struggles, social status, and selfish gain, rather than to humility or righteousness. The biblical critique of ambition directly addresses this worldly form of ambition, which is marked by envy, selfishness, and disorder. Such ambition leads to chaos and evil practices, undermining community and peace.

Contrasting this, the wisdom that comes from heaven is described as *anathan*, meaning "from above." This divine wisdom is characterized by humility, peace, sincerity, and righteousness. It stands in stark opposition to the self-serving ambition rooted in political scheming. The biblical call is to reject the pursuit of personal advantage at the expense of others and instead embrace a higher ambition grounded in humility and peace.

Understanding the historical and cultural background of *eritheia* reveals that biblical ambition is not a neutral or inherently positive trait. Rather, it is a call to reject the corrupt, power-driven ambitions that Aristotle identified and that were prevalent in biblical society. Instead, believers are urged to pursue a divine ambition that fosters peace, righteousness, and communal well-being.

This perspective shows that ambition, as critiqued in the Bible, is deeply connected to a universal human tendency to seek personal advantage through manipulation and factionalism. The biblical teaching calls for a transformative reorientation toward humility and wisdom from above, which counters the destructive patterns of worldly ambition ([09:37]; [22:00]; [22:46]).

This article was written by an AI tool for churches, based on a sermon from Hope Church NYC, one of 380 churches in New York, NY