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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
2:1-30 Exhortation to Humble Service. Paul calls the Philippians to unite in love and humility (vv. 1-4), as exemplified by Christ's humble service (vv. 5-11). They are to live as lights in the world (vv. 12-18), just like Christ's faithful servants Timothy (vv. 19-24) and Epaphroditus (vv. 25-30).
2:1-4 Encouragement to Unity in the Faith and Service of One Another. The Philippians are encouraged to live out their life in Christ and in the Spirit by living in unity.
2:1-2 Paul is not doubting that encouragement, participation in the Spirit, affection, and sympathy are realities in Christ and are present in the congregation at Philippi. He uses a conditional sentence (if) to provoke the Philippians so that they will reflect on whether these qualities are evident in their lives. The Philippian believers must make sure they continue to progress in the absolutely critical area of love for one another. As Paul emphasizes, they must be of the same mind. This does not imply a drab intellectual uniformity; rather, the Philippians are to use their diverse gifts (cf. 1 Corinthians 12) in an agreeable, cooperative spirit, with a focus on the glory of God.
2:3-4 There is always a temptation to be like Paul's opponents in 1:17 and operate in a spirit of rivalry, looking to advance one's own agenda. Such conceit (lit., "vainglory") is countered by counting others more significant than yourselves. Paul realizes that everyone naturally looks out for his or her own interests. The key is to take that same level of concern and apply it also to the interests of others. Such radical love is rare, so Paul proceeds to show its supreme reality in the life of Christ (2:5-11).
