What Does the Bible Say About Emulation?

“When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;”

“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.”

“They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.”

“My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:”

“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.”

“But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.”

“I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid : but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.”

“If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.”

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. blindness: or, hardness”

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;”

“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. honestly: or, decently”

“Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;”

“How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. liberality: Gr. simplicity”

“For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;”

“Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

“And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.”

“Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. grace: or, gift”

“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.”

“I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.”

“For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:”

“For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.”

“Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:”

“Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.”

“Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness. bounty: Gr. blessing whereof: or, which hath been so much spoken of before”

“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,”

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”

“But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.”

“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. confusion: Gr. tumult or unquietness”