The Pulpit Commentary — Philippians — Section 89

will lake hold of all mirnl~, animate RII hearts, and call forth loud anr! harmonious praise. 2. Humility. ( l) Manife.itations of self-importan(',(!, "Doing nothing through faction or through vain-glory." Faction. It was a. false estimate of them- selves that threnteued to be a dividing element among the Philippians. Controversy may be carried on in a spirit of fairness. Parties may be necessitated by fidelity to principlo. Even separations may be justified under certain circumstances: "Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." But there can be no donbt that self-assertion is the prolific source of controversy, of party, of division. When men are concerned to have their own opinions established rather than the truth, to have their own party advanced rather than the cause of Christ, their own importance added to rather than the peace of the Church preserved, they are factious. And there- fore it is that, in the interest of unity, the apostle warned against self-importance. Vain-glory. The Philippians do not seem to have had external advantages of which to be vain. For the apostle testifies elsewhere that in much proof of ajfiiction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. Nor do we know that their temptation was connected with superior natural endow- ments. It was rather connected with their spiritual excellences. These the apostle fully acknowledges, he says nothing to their disparagement as a Church, only he seems to evince an anxiety lest disunion should creep in among them through their being vain of their excellences and comparing themselves with one another. (2) Oure for self-importance. "But in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others." We are to have a lowly estimate of ourselves. Ifwe have external advantages to think of, we have also to think of responsibilities connected with them. If we have superior natural gifts to think of, we have also to think of the use we have made of them. If we have spiritual excellences, we are to be thankful to God for them; but we are not to be vain of them. Instead of being vain, we must think that we are not what we should have been, considering the grace that has abounded toward us; that we have come far short in the working out of the plan of our life. The more narrowly we look into ourselves and our work, the more shall we see that we are only keeping to t~th, to reality, when we humble ourselves before God as the chief of sinners. But what of our comparing ourselves with others? The apostle teaches that a true looking to the things of others will lead to our counting others better than ourselves. We have to consider this regarding others that, apart from external advantages, from natural gifts, and from _moral character, they are of great price before God as created, planned for, suffered for, loved by, God. We have also this to consider regarding others, that we do not know the disadva1~tageous influences, compared with others, under which they may have been brought up, and it is possible that, when they fail, we should not have done better if we had. been in their position. We have also to consider that, even where we may be more excellent than they in some respects, we are not in a position to know all the excellence that may belong to them. If certainly we compare our- selves with others for the sake of self-exaltation, we are showing our own want of excellence. A true spirit of humility will lead us rathe, to compare ourselves with others, in points in which they are our superiors, and thus all such comparison must be accounting others better than ourselves. "Unto me," says Paul, "who am less than the least of all saints." III. CHRIST THE GREAT EXAMPLE OF HUllllLITY. 1. Humiliation. (1) Humi7iation to humanity. "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men." It is not said of Christ Jesus that he was in fashion as God, i.e. to appearance, God. Nor is it said that he was in the likeness of God, i.e. in nature resembling God. But it is saiLl absolutely that he was in the form of God, i.e. was God. It is more decisive than image of God and impress of God, elsewhere applied to Christ; though these, being used absolutely, testify to his Divinity. Form points to Christ having tho manifestation of Divinity which, as it is II glorious manifestation, is expressed by the word "glory." '"l'he glory which I had with thee before the worl,l was." \Ve are referred to the moment when he contemplated his equality with God, i.e. not in its essence, but in respect of his having the glorious effulgence of Divinity. At that  86 THE EPISTLE TO THE l'HILIPPJA.NS. [en. II. 1-30.