G K Chesterton "Orthodoxy" - quotes about humility

2 amazing quotes from G K Chesterton's book "Orthodoxy" - these are about humility; and the freedom that comes from it.

G K Chesterton “Orthodoxy”

“It is impossible without humility to enjoy anything – even pride. But what we suffer from today is humility in the wrong place. Modesty has moved from the organ of ambition. Modesty has settled upon the organ of conviction; where it was never meant to be. A man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth; this has been exactly reversed. Nowadays the part of a man that the man does assert is exactly the part he ought not to assert – himself. The part he doubts is exactly the part he ought not to doubt – the Divine Reason. Huxley preached a humility content to learn from nature. But the new skeptic is so humble that he doubts if he can ever learn… The old humility was a spur that prevented a man from stopping; not a nail in his boot that prevented him from going on. For the old humility made a man doubtful about his efforts, which might make him work harder. But the new humility makes him doubtful about his aims, which will make him stop working altogether… We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table.” Pp.27-28

“How much happier you would be if you only knew that these people cared nothing about you! How much larger your life would be if your self could become smaller in it; if you could really look at other men with curiosity and pleasure; if you could see them walking as they are in their sunny selfishness and their virile indifference! You would begin to be interested in them, because they were not interested in you. You would break out of this tiny and tawdry theater in which your own little plot is always being played, and you would find yourself under a freer sky, in a street full of splendid strangers…How much happier you would be, how much more of you there would be, if the hammer of a higher God could smash your small cosmos, scattering the stars like spangles, and leave you in the open, free like other men to look up as well as down.” P.15

Phillips translation of the Bible

I've read a bit of the "Phillips Modern English" translation of the Bible today. Jill Briscoe quotes from it sometimes, which is what sparked my curiosity.

In some spots, I really dislike the license they take in their translation. For example, in all the current favorite translations 1 Corinthians 15:58 is translated as: "Therefore my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your toil is not in vain." But, in the Phillips translation - the meaning is changed a bit. It reads: "And so, brothers of mine, stand firm! Let nothing move you as you busy yourselves in the Lord's work. Be sure that nothing you do for Him is ever lost or wasted." In the first version, the theology being taught is that we should work hard for the Lord (command), knowing that nothing we ever do in the Lord is wasted (promise)- but in the Phillips it implies that we need to make sure that our work is not wasted (command only). So, it's not about a promise - it's more about works.

However, reading this version can be jarring in a good way. In certain places it made me think about things in a new way. Even in spots where I disagreed with the liberties the translator took; it made me think about "what is truly true?" Here is a section from James that I liked:

"Don't ever attempt to combine snobbery with faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ! Suppose one man comes into your meeting well dressed and with a gold ring on his finger, and another man, obviously poor, arrives in shabby clothes. If you pay special attention to the well dressed man by saying, "Please sit here-it's an excellent seat," and say to the poor man, "You stand over there, please, or if you must sit, sit on the floor," doesn't that prove that you are making class distinctions in your mind, and setting yourselves up to assess a man's quality? - a very bad thing. For do notice that God chose poor men, whose only wealth was their faith, and made them heirs to the kingdom promised to those who love Him. And if you behave as I have suggested, it is the poor man you are insulting...Anyway, you should speak and act as men who will be judged by the law of freedom. The man who makes no allowances for others will have none made for him. It is still true that, "mercy smiles in the face of judgment"." (James 2:1-13, one section skipped)

So, I don't think that the Phillips translation is a favorite (in my opinion); in fact, I would probably recommend against it. But, I do think it's interesting to read different translations from time to time - especially for those who have made it through the whole Bible in one specific version. It can cause new light to fall on something.