Philippians 2:3, commentary and pictures

Nothing is to be done from rivalry for supremacy or from empty pride and selfish ambition for honor and praise, but in lowliness of mind each is to count others better than self. That lowliness is humility that hides self in Christ, distrusts personal ability and depends on divine grace, and it shows itself in being severe on one's own faults while seeking the success and advantage of others as earnestly as one's own. It is the mind that was in Christ Jesus, who though in the form of God claimed nothing for Himself but took the form of a servant and humbled Himself unto the death of the cross, and therefore was highly exalted by God. Kept strictly by each person and by all together, it ends contention, crucifies self and evil suspicion, and gives unity that brings strength, victory and a living witness to the world, while strife and vainglory come from the evil one and bring weakness, confusion and defeat. In daily life this rules out seeking first place, exalting self, depreciating or criticizing fellow workers, and controlling or wounding others in marriage and the home, requiring instead to respect and honor one another, counsel together in humility, forgive as Christ forgave, and practice kindness, courtesy and self-denying care for the poor and lowly.

Meaning of the Prohibition

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, for strife means rivalry, contention, opposition, contradiction, and striving for supremacy and mastery, while vainglory means empty pride, selfish ambition, and desire for honor, praise, and self-exaltation. Christian conduct must not be driven by rivalry or desire for empty praise and personal honor, but in humility of mind each is to regard others as more important than self. This humility fosters unity and the same loving purpose and shared love, belonging to having the mind shown by Christ who took the place of a servant and humbled Himself in obedience. It excludes malice, faultfinding, bitterness, and evil speaking, and means helping an erring person without pride, harsh accusation, or rejection, recognizing one's own vulnerability to temptation and need of help.

Strife and vainglory come from Satan, oppose God's work, and must be rejected. Disunion, variance, schism, and division are not the fruit of righteousness but are from the evil one, the great enemy determined to introduce them among God's people, and selfishness preventing true fellowship and unity of action is the great hindrance to advancement. Selfish ambition can ruin people and leave churches powerless, while simple humble efforts advance Christ's kingdom and worldly policy and worldly ambition bring confusion and defeat. Esteeming others better than self removes strife and discord and makes the work easier and more fruitful than strife does, and humility and self-denying love are learned by looking to Jesus and copying His example. Pride, ambition, deceit, hatred, and selfishness must be cleansed from the heart, for sins only partly subdued can return and lead to rebellion, so sparing any sin cherishes a danger that can bring ruin.

The prohibition forbids striving for supremacy and mastery, seeking first place, human praise, human exaltation, deference and respect, pride of talent or intellect, self-importance, self-sufficiency, independence, and letting self stand forth conspicuous. It forbids all haughtiness, self-exaltation, self-conceit, envy, jealousy, contention, evil surmising and defilement, boasting about qualifications and accomplishments, self-admiration, self-inflation, seeking compliments, secret extolling of self while running down a fellow worker, and working to uproot another in order to be head. It forbids unsanctified carnal human sinful ambition, prejudice, jealousy, emulation, discord, and rivalry among workers for God, including seeking to be first because of burdens borne, depreciating fellow workers, communicating suspicion and doubt by hints, plain words, looks, mean smiles, or suppressed feelings, and building barriers between workmen. Such ambition is always abhorrent to God, an offense displeasing Him and dishonoring His name where it should be magnified, making work unpleasant and giving Satan ready access to delude minds into thinking their own convictions beyond question, and among physicians sharing the faith rivalry weakens work and hinders service. Vainglory is death to spirituality and to Christian love and unity of action, and the safeguard is having truth as in Jesus planted in the heart not merely in theory but by the Spirit felt in its power and known by experience in its sanctifying and elevating influence, with humility cultivating required unity in harmony and speech trained for right service.

Humbly regarding others as more important without rivalry or desire for praise keeps believers from grasping for the highest place. Self-exaltation makes a person untrustworthy and unfit for great responsibility.

Meaning of the Command

In lowliness of mind each is to esteem others better than self, and lowliness is humility, meekness, simplicity, self-denial, and economy, hiding self in Christ and cherishing the simplicity of Christ. It is humble trust clinging to God's hand without fear or distrust, recognizing personal weakness and dependence on divine grace rather than personal ability, humbling oneself as a little child and taking the lowly position Christ commanded instead of seeking to be first, which gives evidence of being a true child of God. Meekness of this kind is not servility or humiliation, but a Christlike spirit that turns from self-interest, resentment, and pride to thoughtful care for others, forgetting self, seeking others' happiness, and finding contentment in serving them. Such character is fitness for God's great work to be prayed for day and night, and it is power and great strength that conquers hearts, while self-love, self-exaltation, pride, self-importance, and constantly seeking to elevate self apart from God in pride and darkness are great weakness, as shown by Christ's gentleness and plain unassuming manners. It rejects pride, love of display, self-indulgence, prodigality, and idleness, whose worldly spirit excites thousands to poverty and keeps thousands from rising out of degradation and wretchedness, so Christians are to encourage even the poor to resist them with simplicity, self-denial, and economy even when the lesson seems difficult and unwelcome. No one has anything to boast of, because every ability, grace, good thought, and right action is received from Christ, so lowliness means bowing at the foot of the cross and speaking and acting to draw others to Christ rather than push them farther away, including reaching out to those others regard as hopeless.

Esteeming others better than self means being severe upon one's own defects of character, quick to discern one's own errors and mistakes, and making less of the faults of others than of one's own. It means not dwelling on their faults, not comparing oneself favorably with them, and not regarding oneself as more righteous than others, so the proud claim "I am not like him" is ruled out and another's weakness should lead to prayer and greater care to honor God in one's own life. It means doing strict justice to brethren and to all in dealings, taking a fair and sincere interest in their welfare, seeking their success and advantage as earnestly as one's own, caring for their interests and things, and not coveting them, finding fault with them, remarking upon them, presenting them in a false light, criticizing or misrepresenting them. This requires self-control, courtesy, and true Christian politeness in words and deportment rather than anything done from contention and war, rebukes esteeming one's own views and opinions above others and exulting in opposition, and is learned through earnest humble prayer in felt helplessness for special grace and a thorough reformation in which truth takes deeper hold of the life. There is no spiritual advancement until the disposition to find fault is overcome and others are valued above self, for dwelling on brethren's faults, criticizing their words and actions, sitting on the judgment seat to condemn them, and cherishing envy and evil surmising are among the greatest evils in a church and leave practitioners self-deceived. Obeying it requires self-examination and self-criticism that will find far graver faults to condemn and indulged traits offensive to God, and keeping it brings victory, love for one another, sweet peace in Christ, vivid personal accountability to God, utter dependence on Christ for every beauty of character, freedom from low standards and critical faultfinding, and the oneness of disciples as Christ is one with the Father that testifies God sent His Son, with self, wrath, bitterness, malice, contention, and evil speaking put away through humbling under God. Believers are thus to give others full esteem rather than glorifying themselves, excluding envy, evil suspicion, and contention through kindness and mercy as part of learning Christ's meekness and lowliness, since a selfish spirit that lays plans for selfish interest, grasps for little gain, or labors to show superiority or rivalry is an offense to God and creates differences, alienations, and want of love and harmony.

This humble mind is genuine modesty humbled in the dust before God's glory and majesty while trusting His condescension, compassion, tenderness, and love. It values sincerity and purity of principle above houses, lands, carriages, expensive furniture, outward display, and supposed smartness, for high standing with God and ministering angels does not come from possessions but from the heart, the purposes of the mind, and the motives prompting action, which God reads and seals when deeds are done in humility and contrition of heart. It is power and great strength that conquers hearts and is precious in God's sight as a meek and quiet spirit, belonging with thorough conversion and a renewed mind in which pride and self-esteem are overcome. It belongs with being truthful in thought, word, and deed and putting away pretense and self-importance, while dwelling on one's own sacrifices and difficulties and indulging self-pity endangers trust in God. It refuses rivalry and self-glory, evil surmisings, boasting about qualifications and accomplishments, self-admiration, self-inflation, and seeking compliments, and it cures the impatience, fretfulness, and pride that keep the soul from good. It produces Christlike patience and forbearance in the home and in the church, including among those connected with schools, publishing houses, and sanitariums, and a steady, evenly balanced life of obedience that looks to the interests of others and not only to self. So lived, it leads from religious dwarfhood to growing unto the full stature of men and women complete in Christ by walking in the path He Himself walked, with even the lowest place in His service counted an honor.

Context in Philippians Two

The verse belongs to consolation in Christ, comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and tender mercy fulfilled in being likeminded with the same love, being of one accord and of one mind. It joins doing nothing through strife or vainglory but in lowliness of mind esteeming others better than self to looking not only on one's own things but also on the things of others, and to having the mind that was in Christ Jesus. Meeting the mind of the Spirit in all things means this likeminded unity, where love is power expressed in humble regard for others as above self. It also belongs with doing all things without murmurings and disputings so as to be blameless lights in the world, and with being strong in the Lord. The humble-minded who live this way are precious in the sight of God.

It sets a high standard given in plain words through the inspired apostles that must not be passed over indifferently but guarded strictly individually and collectively. It is the best instruction for the present time, especially for leading brethren to earnestly heed, so clear that there is no excuse for walking contrary to the will of God, to be thankfully obeyed as of great importance now, and to be studied with the whole of Philippians 2 and also Philippians 3. It is the sweet voice of mercy pleading for the sinner to hear and repent in order to obtain the crown of life and enter into the joy of the Lord. It means universal humility and benevolence with self-denial and self-sacrifice in good works must appear in every converted man and in every converted woman. This includes fathers and mothers doing parental work intelligently, aroused from sleep to honor the Redeemer, counseling and reproving in fear, seeking a commendable spirit in prayer, setting an example that leaves children no excuse, forming correct habits, and working out salvation with fear and trembling as God works to will and to do of His good pleasure so as not to stand condemned but to meet the record in judgment without shame.

Obeying it fulfills joy and ends contention among brethren, for walking in the self-denying, sacrificial, cross-bearing footsteps of Christ subdues proud hearts by grace so that in humility others are put above self and love is shown in tender words and acts that melt cold hard-heartedness. Esteeming others better than self makes the work easier and more fruitful than strife and discord do, because strife and vainglory come from Satan and oppose God's work and must be rejected. This humble regard promotes unity, which brings strength and victory, while discord and division bring weakness and defeat. Unity expressed by esteeming others above self gives the world a living testimony and united witness to the power of truth, since Christians are not to seek first place or contend for supremacy and true greatness does not strive to be first. It requires putting self aside, crucifying self, and overcoming selfishness and evil suspicion to give clear evidence of being God's children.

The chapter calls church members to have the mind of Jesus and to conduct themselves rightly in God's church, and their characters must be thoroughly changed before God can acknowledge them as His children. Its call to humility and right conduct bears on wrongs done among fellow believers, which call for repentance and confession.

Christ's Humble Example

The humility commanded is shown in Christ, who though in the form of God and with all things His by right claimed none of them for Himself but made Himself of no reputation and took the form of a servant in the likeness of men. He humbled Himself in obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, and therefore was highly exalted by God with a name above every name that every knee should bow to. Doing nothing through rivalry or desire for empty praise but in lowliness regarding others as more important than self fosters unity and the same loving purpose and belongs to consolation in Christ, comfort of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and tender mercy fulfilled in being likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, and looking also on the things of others. This humility is part of putting on Christ, for the Holy Spirit works grace in the heart, teaching self-denial and willingness to follow Him whose own humility and service are the example.

Instead of quarreling for honor or position, each is to regard others as more important than himself and to serve one another after His example, putting self aside and giving up personal plans and desires to help and encourage others in unselfish service. The disciples' dispute over who would be most honored showed failure to grasp this, for at the Passover supper they contended about who should be most honored in His kingdom because they still clung to the idea of a temporal kingdom at Jerusalem. He checked their aspirations for honor and then strengthened the lesson by girding Himself like a servant and washing their feet in solemn tenderness as a last token of love, showing that obligation to one another is fulfilled in humble, loving service done after His example.

Knowing His teachings is not the same as knowing Him, for looking to Jesus reveals His self-denying love, gentleness, humility, and plain unassuming manners, which believers are to copy. Believers learn humility, patience, and self-denying love by copying Him and walking in the path He Himself walked, with self hidden wholly in Christ and Christ directing every plan, effort, and council, laying self-esteem in the dust and overcoming love for supremacy and powerful hereditary and cultivated tendencies. That mind refuses rivalry and self-glory, evil surmisings, boasting about qualifications and accomplishments, self-admiration, self-inflation, and seeking compliments, and instead lives in genuine modesty humbled in the dust while trusting His condescension, compassion, tenderness and love, curing impatience, fretfulness and pride and producing steady obedience that looks to the interests of others and grows unto the full stature of completeness in Christ. Workers must therefore trust far less in human agencies and human counselors and depend on the working of the Infinite, stepping aside so the sinner looks to the cross of Calvary and to Christ as propitiation for sin and as compassionate High Priest, pressing truth home in humility and love so God speaks through the human instrument, the Holy Spirit changes the heart, and the believer becomes one with Christ, hungers after righteousness, is changed from glory to glory, and has Christ formed within, the hope of glory.

Unity in Church Labor

In the work of God nothing is to be done through rivalry or empty desire for praise, for humility that values others above self is the remedy for dissension and the way to effective missionary work that displays the soul-converting power of God's law. Workers must not seek to outdo one another, claim credit for their own work while overlooking the faithful contributions of fellow workers, exalt self or make self prominent, but must respect, love, encourage and honor one another and reveal Jesus rather than self. Depreciating fellow workers by hints, looks, smiles or suppressed suspicion, speaking words that wound and destroy, building barriers, treating anyone as inferior, criticizing and opposing others instead of serving together in love and unity must be put away through a change of thoughts and attitude. Each is to guard another's reputation as his own and to give room and opportunity to labor, serving with a meek and lowly spirit in place of pride and ambition.

Esteeming others better than self rules out criticizing, belittling, accusing, or self-righteously comparing one's work with another's, and forbids each worker insisting that his own course, words, reasoning, judgment, opinions, plans and methods are right and without need of modification or pressing personal opinions upon other minds to make them travel in the same lines. No one is free to carry out his own ideas and plans without interruption, for every movement must pass under strict self-examination and every principle of action be compared with God's Word, with likemindedness, the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, looking also on the interests of others with the mind that was in Christ Jesus. God's servants must counsel together with prayer and humility, be willing to be entreated and advised, yield personal ways and strong opinions when others are equally devoted to the cause of truth, put confidence in ministers and officers, draw nigh to brethren, love them fervently and encourage them to bear responsibilities faithfully as examples in word, conduct, charity, spirit, faith and purity. Judgment is to be submitted to collective counsel and appointed authority rather than deferred without question to any one worker, with decisions affecting God's work considered by a council of experienced persons, and with councils and business meetings avoiding petty criticism and debate over small matters in mutual regard and harmony of effort.

The same lowliness requires honest, considerate labor with sharp, critical self-examination, refusing to weave selfishness and worldly principles into character and work, especially in business transactions connected with God's cause and in dealing with brethren. There is to be no oppression or use of supposed power to oppress, no binding about another's work to advance one's own interests, no unfair overreaching in buying and selling, no taking advantage of brethren needing to settle near the school, no gathering about the school chiefly to advantage self, no spirit of speculation and ambition for gain, and no demands for high wages that obstruct a call to serve, for the work is to be driven by saving souls and seeking to excel in spiritual things until ambition is changed to unselfishness. No member of God's family is to be treated in an arbitrary or unkind manner, for God will call such to account, and those in responsible positions in institutions especially must represent truth in every transaction. Instead workers must regard others as better in all dealings in word and deed and spirit, come down from self-bestowed exaltation to live as brethren on the same level, stop pushing others aside to make room for self, keep hearts wholly under Christ's Spirit with self subdued and softened, keep God's glory in view, and unite thought and interest so every branch prospers rather than making one's own part the one thing alone.

In Sabbath-school work this means crucifying selfish ambition and serving unselfishly rather than from rivalry or desire for praise. In tract-society work it means serving with meekness, each recognizing his distinct work under the coming Judgment. Those connected with schools, publishing houses, sanitariums and health work are to learn Christlike patience and forbearance in home and church, cooperating and living in harmony, for high standing with God and ministering angels comes not from houses, lands, carriages, expensive furniture or outward display but from the heart, its purposes, motives, humility, contrition, sincerity and purity of principle which God reads and seals. Physicians must avoid disputes that weaken service, and councils must preserve unity rather than create separate interests, ridding the heart of selfishness so Christ is revealed, showing appreciation, valuing others above self, and speaking words of hope and cheer that make hearts glad through the transforming grace of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Those who carry the gospel into new places where it has not been proclaimed, and missionaries in foreign lands, must work as Christ worked, looking also on the things of others with His mind who, being in the form of God, made Himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant, humbled Himself unto death, even the death of the cross, and was therefore highly exalted with a name above every name, exercising true influence by kindness rather than by assimilating dress and customs.

Humility in Daily Life

In marriage each is to esteem the other better than self and do nothing from rivalry or empty pride, living in lowliness that gets above and away from self with a changed, softened, refined and elevated spirit. Neither husband nor wife is to try to control or compel the other, for marriage does not destroy identity or the right to one's own opinion and each keeps individual responsibility, so even when one's own course seems right judgment is to be yielded rather than insisted upon with stubborn attachment to one's own way. There is to be no dictatorial, overbearing, arbitrary spirit, no harsh tones, bantering, joking, or censuring that wounds peace, and no putting self first while putting the other's pleasure, taste and happiness second, but kindness, patience, forbearance, consideration, courtesy, tender words and caring deeds, watchful care of feelings, daily courtesies, and taking hindrances out of the other's way in a charitable Christlike spirit. This requires watchfulness and prayer and a decided change of character, even reconversion, with self disciplined steadily and earnestly, the mind taken off self, distasteful domestic duties done instead of laying the weight on others, and responsibility felt to be a comfort and blessing rather than only expecting it, for loving the truth does not sanctify without being melted over and purified from self-love, self-confidence, self-esteem and impressions born of self-confidence and deficient judgment. Failure in affection can starve the heart, leaving a wife emotionally starved and even contributing to premature death, while keeping this humility brings more peace, love and happiness in the house and mutual elevation smooths life's pathway, whereas breaking it brings unhappiness that grows with larger family cares and leaves one weighed and found wanting.

In the home, church and institutions conduct is not to be driven by rivalry or self-glory, but by humility that regards others as more worthy of honor than self. Children are to treat one another as more important than themselves, learning from babyhood to defer to one another even in small matters, with kindness, consideration, gentleness, self-control, and forgetting self in helping one another. Disagreeing, contending, and speaking loudly as if angry are forbidden, for selfishness makes children unhappy while kind mutual love makes them happy under Jesus' constant watch, leading Him to tell His angels to keep watch over them as His lambs so Satan cannot harm them. Learning deference early lessens the later struggle for supremacy in the church, and lowliness with virtue, humility and meekness is the mold for the soul best cultivated in youth when the soul is more easily shaped to it instead of being petted into having its own way through gratification, flattery and indulgence.

True holiness esteems others above self in constant active kindness, mercy, and working for their good, with greater love to God strengthening love and care for family and for duties directly in the path, including provision for temporal needs and fatherly attention, rather than idleness and abstract devotion that claims high holiness while neglecting home responsibilities. Spiritual devotion never excuses neglecting the duties at hand, for claims of holiness are contradicted by indifference to the needs of those entrusted to one's care, and Christ's example of working for others shows holiness is active not idle. This humility puts aside selfish pride and concern for status, appearing in kind words, courteous and gentle behavior, and attention to the comfort of others including people of low social standing as a sign of Christ's spirit within. Lowliness of mind also means simplicity, self-denial and economy instead of pride, love of display, self-indulgence, prodigality and idleness, which the spirit and example of the world constantly excite to bring thousands to poverty and keep thousands from rising out of degradation, so the poor are to be encouraged to resist them even when the lesson seems difficult and unwelcome.

In character the verse requires self-denial shown in meekness and lowliness of heart, with self no longer ruling and nothing done from selfish rivalry or pride, but a changed inner life where selfish thoughts, feelings and motives are put away and others are put ahead in honor with care for their interests as well as one's own. A hasty passionate temper and rushed torrent of speech dishonors God and the believer, awakens the worst passions in others, weakens faith, and gives advantage to satanic agencies led by the prince of the world, while Christ dwelling in the soul brings heaven's calmness and a humble mind necessary for the great work of saving souls, without which there will be terrible failure to worker and to souls who might have been saved. Esteeming others better than self is the fruit of wisdom from above, shown by not consulting feelings, not extolling one's own opinions, not stubbornly carrying out one's own purposes regardless of influence on souls precious to God, and not trusting in man but making God the efficiency through earnest prayer, hating the sins that wounded Jesus, and keeping a contrite heart in view of Him as compassionate High Priest. It means sacrificing pet ideas, preferences, and hereditary and cultivated tendencies for unity and peace while sacrificing no principle of divine truth, forgiving as Christ forgave, emptying the heart of self-love, envy, jealousy, malice, evil surmising and self-esteem, being severe on self rather than sitting on the judgment seat, turning the mind away from scandal and rumors, and practicing present practical consecration today in each word and action with kindness, tenderness, thankfulness and courtesy even toward the disagreeable, giving grace to help every brother with no harsh bitter words.