The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 65

·ver. 2.-FuUll yo my joy. St. Pnul line nmcllishnrss and humility, the Lord ,Jesns nlre11dy (eh. i. '!) eµokon of his joy derived Christ. Ho hi,!,, us min,l (comp. Rom. viii. from tho lifo 11nd conduct of the Philippirm 5) the things which tho Lord .Jesus rnin<led, Christians; now ho nsks them to completo to love what he loved, to hate what ho his joy by living in unity. There were clis- huted; the tl.ioug-hts, desires, motives, of the 11greemcnts nmong thom (eh. iv. 2). That ye Uhristian shou],l be the thon,,.hts, desires, be like-minded, having the same love, being mofr,es, which filled tile sac~ecl heart of of one aooord, of one mind. The apostle's Jesus Christ onr Lord. Wo must strive to c11rneatness lends him to cl well on the idea imitate him, to reproduce his image, not of unity, clothing the one thought ng11in o.nd only in the outward, but even in the innei a.go.in in clitforent words. Ba~u/, says Chry- life. Especially here we are bidden to follow sostom, 1rorrcucis -rb a~-ril Al-,,. il1ril o,aOeuer,ri his unselfishness and humility. ,ro.\>.,jr, "Having the same love: 11 loving Ver. 6.-Who, being in the form ot God. and beloved; oµolwi ,cul </".\e7v ""l ,P1.\iirr8ai The wor~ render~d "b~ing" ( /nr&px_wv) means, (Chrysostom). "Being of one nccord ( uoµ• as R.V. Jn margin, bemg originally. It looks ,j,uxo1),11 Bishop Ellicott renders moro lite- back to the time befo;e the Incarnation, when rally, "With accordant souls minding the the Worcl, the A/ryoi liuuprcoi, was with God one thing." (comp. John viii. 58 ; xviL 5, 2! ). What Ver. 3.-Let nothing be clone through strife does the word µop,pfi, form, mean here? It or vain-glory. Not" strife," but" faction," as occurs twice in this passage-ver. 6, "form R.V. The word is the same as that rendered of God ; " ancl ver. 7, "form of a servant; 11 it "contention" in eh. i. 16, where see note. is contrasted with rrx:;,µa., fashion, in ver. 8. Party spirit is one of the greatest dangers In the Aristotelian philosophy (mde 'De in running the Christian race. Love is the Anima,' ii. I, 2) µoptpf, is used almost in the cho.ra.cteristic Ch1·istian grace; party spirit sense of eloos or -ro -rl ilu elva,, as that which and vain-glory too often lead professiIJg makes o thing to be what it is, the sum of Christians to breo.kthe law of love. But in its essential attributes: it is the form, as lowliness of mind let each esteem other the expression of those essential attributes, better than themselves. In your lowliness; the the permanent, constant form; not the fleet- article seems to have a possessive sense, the ing, ontward rrx:;,µa, or fashion .. St. Panl lowliness characteristio of Christians, which seems to make a somewhat similar distinc- you as Christians possess. Ta,r•wo,pporr6"'1 is tion between the two words. Thns in Rom. an exclusively New Testament word: the viii. 29; Gal. h. 19 ; 2 Cor. ill. 18 ; eh. iii. grace was new, and the word was new. The 10, µop,pfi (or its derivatives) is need of the adjective -ra1rew&r in classical Greek is used deep inner change of heart, the change as a term ofreproaoh-abject, mean. The life which is described in Holy Scriptnre as a of Christ (" I am meek and lowly in heart") new creation; while <TX11/J" is nsed of the and the teaching of Christ (" Blessed are the changefnl fashion of the world o.ncl agree- poor in spirit") have raised lowliness too. new ment with it (I Cor. vii. 31; Rom. xii. 2). position, as one of the chief features in the Then, when St. Paul tells ns that Christ true Christian character. Here St. Paul bids Jeans, being first in the form of God, took us, 11s a discipline of hnmility, to look at our the form of a serl"ant, the meaning must be own fo.ults and o.t the good points in the th,lt he possessed originally the essential character of others (comp. Rom. xii. 10). attributes of Deity, and assumed in addition Ver. 4,-Look not every man on his own the essential attributes of humanity. He things, but every man also on the things of was perfect God; he became perfect Man others. '.l'mnslo.te, "looking," as R.V., not (comp. Col. i. 15; Heh. i. 3; 2 Cor. iv. 4). making one's own interest the one only For a fuller discussion of the meanings of object of life, but regurding also the intel'ests, µop,Pf/ o.nd ux:;,µa, see Bishop Lightfoot's feelings, wishes, of others. Each mun must detached note (' Philippians,' p. 127), and in o. measure look nt his own things,-tbe Archbishop Trench,' Synonyms of the New ,cal implies tho.t; but he must consider others Testament,' sect. l:s:x. Thought it not robbery if ho is u Cl.iristiun indeed. to be equal with God; R.V. "counte<l it not Ver. 5.-Let this mind be in you, whioh a prize [margin, 'e. thing to be grasped'] to was also in Christ Jesus; literolly, accord- be on an equality witll God." These two ing to the reucling of tho best monuscl'ipts, renderings represent two conflicting inter- mind this in you which was also (minded) in pretntions of this difficult passt\ge. Do the Christ Jesus. Muny manuscripts take the words menu that Christ asserte<l his essential words" every man" (<Kau-ro,) of var. 4 with Godhead ("thought it not robbery to be equal ver. 5: "AU of you mind this." The words, with God," as A.V.), or that he did not cling "iu Christ Jesus," show that the correspond- to the glory of the Divine majesty(" counted ing words, " in you,'' cannot mean " uwong it not a prize,'' as R. V.)? Both statements you," but !n yomsel ves, in your heart. 'rhe are true in fact. 'l'he grawmuticul form of 11postle refers us to tho supremo ornmple of the word ;,.p,..,.-,µ&s, which properly implic-11  r,o 'l'HE EPISTLE TO THF. PHILIPJ>lANS. [cH. II. 1-30,