BIG IDEA:
THE CHURCH COMMUNITY MUST PURSUE UNITY AND HUMILITY TO ENJOY FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL
INTRODUCTION:
Most valuable secrets involve something people long to know and try their hardest to discover. Unless someone carefully conceals such a secret it reproduces rapidly until it cannot be labelled a secret any longer. Here we have two secrets that God is trying to reveal, but no one seems to want to discover or put it into practice.
Gordon Zerbe: Is it possible to console and to confront at the same time? Amazingly, Paul attempts to do exactly that in one long Greek sentence (2:1–4). He first draws attention to the givens of divine and communal consolation, love, compassion, and partnership, thereby continuing to support and encourage his friends in their distress (2:1). Paul draws attention to both the resources that support a community in struggle and the virtues they exhibit in that solidarity. But where one might expect Paul to continue with words of consolation, he redirects, coming back to the issue of maintaining unity within the ordeal, thereby resisting fracture and even defeat (2:2–3a).
In Greek, 2:1–4 is one long sentence with an “if-then” structure, grammatically a “true-to-fact” conditional sentence construction, such that the if here has the sense of “because.”
Ben Witherington: It is clear enough that 2:1-4 is very carefully composed, having a definite three-part structure. Four conditional clauses, each beginning with “if,” speak to the grounds of Philippian unity. They are followed by a chiastic structure (ABBA) in v. 2 in which the first and last clauses focus on the same subject from slightly different angles (being of one mind and having the same aim) as do the two middle clauses (maintaining the same love, sharing a harmonious common life). Thus Paul has dealt with the root causes or attitudes that produce unity. Then in vv. 3-4 an ABAB pattern contrasts what the Philippians are and are not to do. Selfishness is contrasted with self-sacrificial behavior, and focus on one’s own interests is contrasted with concern for the interests of others. Thus in this verse the appropriate outward behavior that manifests the commitment and disposition to unity and harmony is broached. . .
2:1-4 is a fine example of rhetorical amplification and accumulation, repetition of the same thought in various similar ways for the sake of emphasis. Therefore, attempts to find small shades of difference in meaning between “being of one mind” and “being soulmates” and “thinking the one thing” are probably misguided. The point is to hammer home the need for internal unity in the community (cf. 1:7; 2:5; 3:15, 19; 4:20). Fee rightly stresses that “in this kind of rhetoric, precision is a lesser concern than is the persuasive effect created by the accumulation of phrases.”
Charles Swindoll: “What’s the secret to a great life?” People have pondered this question for millennia —since long before there was a self-help section at a bookstore . . . or twinkle-eyed preachers trading in shallow “believe in yourself” platitudes . . . or cabinets full of supplements and drugs to increase our energy or enhance our effectiveness.
The Bible’s answer to that question isn’t long, convoluted, or complex. As already indicated, we can sum it up in two words: selfless humility. Not the kind we conjure through mantras or summon through meditation or instill through methods of behavior modification. This is a supernatural kind of selfless humility that has its source in our identification with and imitation of Christ. It results in love, fellowship, affection, compassion, unity, service, and joy. Of all the virtues Christ embodied, selfless humility seems to sum up well His overall character. Jesus Himself said as much to His disciples: “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:26-28). . .
John MacArthur: Paul’s concern here is not about doctrines, ideas, or practices that are clearly unbiblical. It is about interpretations, standards, interests, preferences, and the like that are largely matters of personal choice. Such issues should never be allowed to foment controversy within the body of Christ. To insist on one’s own way in such things is sinful, because it senselessly divides believers. It reflects a prideful desire to promote one’s personal views, style, or agenda. Believers must never, of course, compromise doctrines or principles that are clearly biblical. But to humbly defer to one another on secondary issues is a mark of spiritual strength, not weakness (cf. Rom. 14:1 – 15:7). It is a mark of maturity and love that God highly honors, because it promotes and preserves harmony in His church.
This unity that the Word so highly exalts is inward, not outward; it is internally desired, not externally compelled. It is spiritual, not ecclesiastical; more heartfelt than creedal. It is not grounded in sentimentalism but in careful, thoughtful, and determined obedience to God’s will. It is the Spirit-motivated and Spirit-empowered bonding of the hearts, minds, and souls of God’s children to each other. And preserving unity in the church is not an option (cf. Eph. 4:3).
Nijay Gupta: The point seems to be that Paul wanted to bring them back to the very cornerstone of their being and identity—the love of God in Christ Jesus and the Spirit. They were given a great and gracious gift, but the gift expects the living out of a new life; or, to put it into the language of the first chapter, a new body politic. He expresses that his own joy would find its deepest fulfillment if he could witness their unity and cohesion, as if they acted together as members of one body (2:2). But what prevents a community from such cohesion and cooperation? One could easily guess the answer—selfishness, jealousy, pride, the unusual suspects. Specifically Paul mentions eritheia, which means “rivalry.” Why would fellow Christians get caught up in rivalry? We have to remember that in the Roman world, everyone was constantly engaged in the act of seeking honor, and this often came at the cost of competing with each other. (Again, think about the common practice of “mudslinging” in politics.) But Paul would have none of that. A “whatever-the-cost” pursuit of honor hurts the body of Christ, and therefore it hurts Christ. So also kenodoxia, what I translate as “self-glorification empty of substance.” This empty glory is the hunt for status without any substance. Trophies without effort, grades without achievement, titles without experience. Empty glory might look good on the outside, but, just like an idol, is useless. Instead, Paul writes, Christians should be guided by humility (2:3b). Humility (tapeinophrosynē) does not involve “door-mat” self-esteem. In a context where rank and reputation are everything, Paul turns it upside-down by telling them to treat each other as “superior” in status. This might seem unfair, but if everyone defers to the other, it subverts a stratified system where everyone pushes to be “first.” In 2:4, Paul makes the issue clear: Christians should never say “not my problem” to someone else. Humans naturally protect their own interests, but the whole nature of the gospel defies this thinking—the self-giving God made it a priority to care for sinners, and we are called to carry out a ministry of care for others (as if they were our family members or our own selves).
Richard Melick: In 1:27 he exhorted them to unity, and here he continued that thought. The passage unfolds in three parts: the basis of Paul’s appeal to unity (2:1); the essence of unity (2:2a); and the expression of unity (2:3–4). In actuality, these three are part of another long sentence in the Greek text, and there is one basic command: “Make my joy complete.”
I. (:1-2) THE PURSUIT OF UNITY
David Garland: The terms “encouragement,” “comfort,” “fellowship,” “tenderness,” and “compassion” relate to “the corporate life of the church,” not to the life of the individual (Bockmuehl, 105). For Paul, life in Christ is life in a Christian community, and believers will have experienced these things in the Christian community because they distinguish it from any other association.
A. (:1) The Encouragement for Unity
R. Kent Hughes: Paul is so emotionally compelling here. He has taken the Philippians back to the graced memories of the supernatural work of Christ in their souls at salvation. He has activated their spiritual camcorders. They all had experienced encouragement and comfort in Christ. They remembered the consolation of Christ’s love when they became his. They, through Christ, had found fellowship in the Spirit. And the compassion and sympathy of Christ had not only graced their souls but had flowed from them to others. Thus, with all of this freshly replaying on their inner screens, the Philippians must heed the exhortation through their beloved apostle to maintain unity and mutual care in the church. And so must we. This is necessary if we are to live a life worthy of the gospel of Christ.
- Encouragement from Being United with Christ
“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ,”
Called alongside to aid; comfort and strengthening especially needed in context of suffering;
It is part of the prophet’s task to bring comfort (Is.40:1);
Ben Witherington: The word paraklēsis can mean “encouragement” or “comfort,” but also “exhortation.” One could render the clause “if there is any exhortation in Christ …,” which would prepare us for what follows in vv. 5-11. In fact Lightfoot argues cogently that both paraklēsis and paramythion should be understood in their rhetorical sense here: “if then your experiences in Christ appeal to you with persuasive eloquence, if love exerts any persuasive power on you.…” He points to 1 Thess. 2:11-12, where we find these words in tandem with such a sense (but cf. 1 Cor. 14:3; 1 Thess. 5:14).
Kenneth Wuest: Translation of 2:1
“In view of the fact that there is a certain ground of appeal in Christ which exhorts, since there is a certain tender persuasion that comes from divine love, in view of the fact that there is a certain joint-participation with the Spirit in a common interest and activity, since there are certain tenderheartednesses and compassionate yearnings and actions.”
Gordon Fee: Just as they are presently suffering on behalf of Christ, in the midst of their struggle there is also “encouragement in Christ,” in the sense of “comfort.” As the preceding clause makes clear, and the “therefore” implies, that “comfort in Christ” is shared by him and them together. Thus, while the focus is primarily on what Christ has done—or in this case, will continue to do—for them, the appeal presupposes that he and they share this comfort just as they do the struggle and the suffering.
- Encouragement Derived from Love
“if there is any consolation of love,”
(these first 2 are synonyms)
Christ is spoken of as “the consolation of Israel” (Lk. 2:25 — fulfillment of Messianic hope with all that involved)
- 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:1; Rom. 15:4-5; 2 Cor. 1
Grant Osborne: The primary question is whose love is meant—Christ’s, Paul’s, or the church’s? I agree with those who see all three sources at work here. It would appear that Paul deliberately avoided using a qualifying term, intending this to be construed in the broadest possible way. Christ’s love was the basis, and out of his love stemmed the believers’ experience of Paul’s love, as well as of their love for each other. The point here is that the church’s experience of love, on all three levels, was being threatened by dissension and false teaching.
Gordon Zerbe: They have the same love (2:2) with each other, a love without rivalry and hierarchy, a love not constrained by social position (2:3–4). Recall that love is the chief virtue in Paul’s intercessory prayer for them (1:9).
- Encouragement from the Fellowship Generated and Maintained by the Holy Spirit
“if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,”
- Subjective Genitive = fellowship produced by the Spirit
- Objective Genitive = fellowship with the Spirit — an actual participation in the Spirit and in all of His benefits (which would have to be produced by the Spirit as well)
Gordon Fee: Thus, just as the comfort from being “in Christ” and the solace of experiencing God’s love serves as the ground for his appeal to their unity in Christ, so too (especially) with their common “participation in the Spirit.”
Grant Osborne: Paul is stressing our sharing in the Spirit, but it is a common sharing (as the NIV indicates); we are heirs together of the Spirit (Eph 1:13, 14; 4:30) and thereby share the Spirit with each other. The result of our sharing with one another is a Spirit-fellowship in which the Spirit dwells within us and enables us to overcome our differences and experience a common bond in Christ. This is the answer to the problem of dissension that underlies this section of Philippians. The Spirit brings us together in oneness and removes the very basis for conflicts and power struggles among us.
- Encouragement from Affection and Compassion
“if any affection and compassion,”
2 Cor. 1:3; Col. 3:12
Grant Osborne: The Greek terms (splanchna kai oiktirmos) look to the body’s inner parts, particularly the intestines, which were thought to contain the emotions of a person (hence the KJV’s “bowels and mercies”). Once again, by not adding “of God” or “of Christ,” Paul suggests a general experience of tenderness and compassion. Still, it seems likely that he was thinking primarily of divine sympathy, as in the many Old Testament passages that speak of God’s mercy and compassion (for example, Neh 9:19, 28; Pss 24:6; 145:9). Paul’s first three “if” statements in Philippians 2:1 center on the actions of the Triune Godhead, and it is probable that this last one does as well. As before, the church’s experience of divine blessing also is connoted. Christ’s compassion sustains the cares and mercies of the church for its members.
B. (:2a) The Plea for Unity
“make my joy complete”
John MacArthur: To so reward a faithful servant of the Lord is a legitimate goal for believers to have. The New Testament makes it clear that churches are to love, honor, respect, and appreciate their human leaders. Paul admonished the Thessalonians, “We request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1 Thess. 5:12–13). The writer of Hebrews commands: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). To love, honor, and appreciate pastors and other church leaders is perfectly consonant with loving, honoring, and being grateful to the Lord. Because both are divinely commanded, the former is one way of expressing the latter.
George Hunsinger: The Philippians, already worried about Paul’s well-being in prison, are reminded of how much a spirit of unity in their common life would mean to him. News of dissension could only add to his burdens, while unity, concord, and peace would serve to “complete [his] joy” (plērōsate mou tēn charan).
C. (:2b) The Secret to Pursuing Unity
John MacArthur: The spiritual blessings Paul has enumerated demand a proper response. In this single verse Paul gives four essential marks of spiritual unity. . .
In this one verse the apostle presents a full circle of unity—from one mind, to one love, to one spirit, to one purpose, which, as just noted, basically refers again to the mind. These four principles are complementary, overlapping, and inseparable. The same basic idea is expressed in four ways, each with a somewhat different but important emphasis.
Dennis Johnson: These four descriptions focus on two dimensions of unity:
- unity of conviction and
- unity of affection.
- Like-Mindedness
“by being of the same mind,”
Grant Osborne: The call here in 2:2 is for every member of the church to set aside any quarrels and center their minds on Christ. Certainly this does not mean they have had to agree on everything or become carbon copies of one another. Rather, they were to have the same mindset regarding the essentials, primarily the things of Christ.
- Mutual Love
“maintaining the same love,”
Ben Witherington: The phrase “having the same love” means more than having the same interests. Rather it is another way of expressing the idea of sharing a singular life orientation, a common life. What would really bring joy to Paul is for his converts not only to be intentionally united in heart and mind, but out of that unity to present a united front of good witness to the world, living lives worthy of the gospel, which is to say worthy of the story of Christ and the pattern of his life. What these first two verses suggest is that even the Philippians must give their full attention and orientation to the unity Paul has in mind. It does not happen by accident or osmosis.
- Shared Attitudes
“united in spirit,”
Grant Osborne: This concept is expressed in Greek with a single word, sympsychoi, which means to experience harmony, to be united in spirit, to be “soul brothers.” Consequently, it points not to the Holy Spirit but to the human spirit. This spiritual oneness removes any discord or conflict within the church.
John MacArthur: Sumpsuchos (united) literally means “one-souled” and is used only here in the New Testament. It has the same emphasis as the “one spirit” spoken of in 1:27. To be united in spirit is to live in selfless harmony with fellow believers. By definition, it excludes personal ambition, selfishness, hatred, envy, jealously, and the countless other evils that are the fruit of self-love.
- Common Focus
“intent on one purpose.”
Max Anders: The power of love and humility is the message of Philippians 2. Here we learn that whenever people love humbly and unselfishly, especially in the midst of strained relationships, they promote unity and spread joy.
II. (:3-4) THE PURSUIT OF HUMILITY
Gerald Hawthorne: But unity is impossible if Christians are out for themselves, promoting their own cause, and seeking their own advantage. Thus in vv 3–4 Paul emphasizes certain attitudes and actions that must stop as well as those that must continue.
A. (:3a) The Enemy of Humility to Avoid = Self-Centered Mindset
- Selfish Ambition
“Do nothing from selfishness“
John MacArthur: Selfishness is a consuming and destructive sin. The first and inevitable casualty is the person who manifests it, even if no one else is harmed. Because this sin, like every other, begins in a sinful heart, anyone can commit it—regardless of whether there is an opportunity for it to be outwardly expressed. Even when not outwardly manifested, selfishness breeds anger, resentment, and jealousy. No church, even the most doctrinally sound and spiritually mature, is immune from the threat of this sin, and nothing can more quickly divide and weaken a church. Selfish ambition is often clothed in pious rhetoric by those who are convinced of their own superior abilities in promoting the cause of Christ.
- Vanity, Empty Conceit
“or empty conceit“
Robert Gromacki: Someone has said that vainglory is the disease whereas strife is the symptom. The former is inward and the latter is outward.
Moises Silva: The true obstacle to unity is not the presence of legitimate differences of opinion but self-centeredness. Shifting attention away from ourselves becomes the challenge: “regard one another as better than yourselves, look out for the interests of others” (the verbs hēgeomai and skopeō continue to emphasize the mental disposition; Schenk [1984: 183] views skopeō as a contextual synonym for phroneō). Not surprisingly, Paul expresses similar concerns when writing to the most blatantly schismatic of his churches, Corinth. As a capstone to his discussion of Christian liberty Paul says, “Let no one seek his own good, but that of others” (1 Cor. 10:24). And the love referred to in Phil. 2:2 is described in 1 Cor. 13:5 as one that “does not seek its own.”
Grant Osborne: “Vain conceit” is the flipside of “selfish ambition.” The Greek term, kenodoxia, describes a worthless or empty desire for glory—a mindset that cares only to enhance an inflated view of self. Such vanity is self-promoting and ends up with a meaningless self-glorification that ends up helping no one and accomplishing nothing beyond satisfying the ego. Such people often become famous and quite wealthy, but when their lives are examined closely, no one but themselves have emerged better off through their efforts. We have all met people like this—attention-seekers who cannot get enough of the limelight and who are willing to ride roughshod over anyone who threatens to get in their way. Nothing good ever comes from such a motivation.
George Hunsinger: Rivalry meant arrogating esteem to oneself at the expense of others. It meant overstepping one’s limits. Mutual respect is enjoined as the solution. One should avoid looking solely to one’s own interests, Paul urges, but each should take seriously the views of others, and each one should be ready to put others above oneself.
Markus Bockmuehl: Instead of pursuing their own prestige, that strangely addictive and debasing cocktail of vanity and public opinion, the Philippians are called to humility (tapeinophrosune), the ‘lowliness of heart’ which agrees to treat and think of others preferentially. . . . The biblical view of humility is precisely not feigned or groveling, nor a sanctimonious or pathetic lack of self-esteem, but rather a mark of moral strength and integrity. It involves an unadorned acknowledgement of one’s own creaturely inadequacies, and entrusting one’s fortunes to God rather than to one’s own abilities or resources.
B. (:3b-4) The Secret to Pursuing Humility
Max Anders: Biblical love is selfless. The opposite of this kind of love is selfishness. Humility does not mean putting ourselves down but rather lifting others up.
Looking out for our own interests comes naturally. We need, and receive, no instruction for that. We are instructed to look out for the interests of others. We are to keep an eye out to discover ways we can help others even when they do not see they need such help.
- (:3b) Make Others Great in Our Perspective by Valuing Them More Highly than Ourselves
“but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”
R. P. Martin: This consideration of the excellencies in another’s character, and especially the picture of One who was ‘meek and lowly (tapeinos) in heart’ (Mt. xi. 29) will check any tendency to ‘vainglory‘, i.e. pride in our own moral attainments, on the one hand, and merciless fault-finding with someone else’s failings, on the other hand.
Dennis Johnson: So what must replace selfish ambition and vain conceit as the driving force of our desire? The alternative is the most unnatural attitude imaginable: “in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The Greek word rendered “humility” is, literally, a “lowly mind-set” (tapeinophrosynē). It is not an unrealistically dour inferiority complex, which at bottom is as self-centered as glib pride is. It is, rather, a readiness to forget oneself and to exalt others both with respect and with concern. It is to have the grace of the Holy Spirit so turn our hearts inside out that we eagerly honor and care for others, as we instinctively do for ourselves. . .
The others-embracing, others-serving mind-set of Christ is so unnatural to our self-preserving instincts. Yet when God’s grace grasps us deeply, it begins to develop into our deepest, strongest desire. We begin to care for all our brothers and sisters in Christ with the same passionate intensity that we so automatically and easily lavish on our own comforts and concerns. We learn to give as much weight to their opinions as we do to our own. We start feeling their disappointments and pains and grief as intensely as we do our own. We put their needs before our own.
Such counterintuitive humility is the prerequisite to a profound Christian unity that can weather the storms of external opposition and internal disagreements. It is the fountain from which flows a oneness of conviction and affection that gives joy to Paul’s heart and gives glory to Jesus. But how can our hearts be turned inside out, to love selflessly like this? It is not a matter of teeth-gritted discipline, ruthlessly suppressing our every selfish thought. That only breeds further resentment against those whom we are called to love, and resentment toward the God who demands such unnatural affection. The only solution is to have our hearts overwhelmed with wonder at the fact that we have received such unnatural, supernatural, selfless love from the Creator of the universe, the triune God who pours out his manifold grace on us in encouragement, love, comfort, partnership, and tender compassion. Therefore, Paul opens his summons to unity through humility with this irresistible, irrefutable rationale (Phil. 2:1).
- (:4) Make Others Great in Our Pursuits by Making the Prosperity of Others a Higher Priority than Our Own Prosperity
“do not merely look out for your own personal interests,
but also for the interests of others.”
Steven Lawson: To “look out for” others means to keep an eye out for their needs. We must be on the alert for the welfare of others. We should be sharp in our focus upon the needs of others. We must not live without regard for others. If we as believers are primarily focused upon God and his glory, we will automatically be concerned for serving the needs of others, especially those in his family.
John MacArthur: Among other things, looking out for the interests of others requires believers to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15), to continually “pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another,” to not “eat meat or . . . drink wine, or . . . do anything by which [a] brother stumbles” (14:19, 21), and to “bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves” (15:1). It is to “bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2).
G. Walter Hansen: The Greek text does not contain the word interests. That word has been added twice to make some sense of the text: not looking each one to the … of your own, but also each one to the … of the others. Martin suggests that the object of looking is not the interests of others, but the “good points and qualities in one’s fellow-Christians.” The clue to this interpretation, according to Martin, is that the verb look is used by Paul to mean “regard as your aim.” The same verb is employed by Paul when he urges his friends to follow his example and to keep your eyes on those who live as we do (3:17). And Paul uses the cognate noun with the sense of goal when he expresses his commitment to press on toward the goal (3:14). According to Martin’s interpretation, 2:4 calls us to regard the good example of others as our aim. When we fix our sight on others, we will “not be so preoccupied with our own concerns and the cultivation of our own spiritual life that we miss the noble traits to be seen in others.” Since the Christ-like qualities in others reflect the glory of Christ himself, our high regard for the good example of others who follow Christ leads us to follow the supreme example of Christ himself. Paul’s advice to regard others (2:4) prepares the way for the portrayal of the supreme example of Christ (2:5-11). Humility gained by looking up to the good example of others must always look past others to worship on bended knee before the Lord, who humbled himself to die on the cross and whom God exalted to the highest place.