Philippians 2:1-30
Imitating Christ's Humilty
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
Paul's epistle to the Philippians, particularly chapter two, is overwhelmingly and profoundly about humility...Paul not only presents the ultimate example of humility in Jesus Christ but also directly applies this concept to the daily lives and relationships of believers, illustrating it with practical examples...
C. S. Lewis said these things about the harmfulness of pride...A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.”...“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man...It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest...Once the element of competition is gone, pride is gone.”...“Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact?...All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility.”...“For pride is spiritual cancer: it eats up the very possibility of love, or contentment, or even common sense.”...“The Christians are right: it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery in every nation and every family since the world began.”...“That raises a terrible question...How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious?...I am afraid it means they are worshipping an imaginary God.”...
Lewis said this about humilty in Mere Christianity...The famous quote, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less," is widely attributed to C.S. Lewis, particularly in relation to his book Mere Christianity...He writes about how a truly humble person isn't obsessed with their own self-importance and doesn't constantly need to affirm their own worth...Instead, they are more interested in listening to and understanding others, and are less concerned with their own opinions and feelings...He discusses the difference between true humility and a superficial form of humility that can actually be a manifestation of pride...He also emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's own pride as the first step towards humility...
Jesus is the Ultimate Example of Divine Humility...Paul's letter to the Philippians, particularly chapter 2, gives us the most profound insight into Jesus' Own Humility...From Philippians 2:5-8, often referred to as the "Christ Hymn," Paul urges believers to: "Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men...And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."...
This passage describes an unfathomable act of Divine Humility...Jesus, existing eternally in the very form of God and coming from Heaven, possessing all the Glory and prerogatives of the Creator, did not cling to His Divine status or exploit it for His own advantage...Instead, He "made Himself nothing," a process known as kenosis or self-emptying...This involved willingly laying aside His External Glory and privileges, taking the form of a servant, and entering human existence as a baby, utterly dependent...Beyond simply becoming human, He further humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of the most humiliating and agonizing death imaginable: death on a cross...This entire journey, from Heaven's Glory to the cross's shame, demonstrates a Divine LOVE so immense that it chose humility and servanthood for our salvation...Throughout His earthly life, Jesus profoundly demonstrated this Spirit, declaring that He came "not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28)...His act of washing His disciples' dirty feet on His last night with them (John 13:1-11) was a tangible embodiment of this servanthood, instructing them to follow His Ultimate Example (John 13:12-17)...
The consequences of such Divine Humility might seem counterintuitive from a worldly perspective, where humbling oneself is sometimes seen as weakness, and could appear costly in the workplace, community, or other areas...However, Paul immediately reveals the Divine response to Jesus' self-abasement, a Truth that serves as the guiding principle for our lives: "Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every Name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the Glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11)...This is the Ultimate Example: those who truly humble themselves will be exalted!...If we will diligently care for humbling ourselves, we can fully trust God to take care of exalting us in His perfect timing and way...
Let us strive to be humble in our daily lives and actively work on improving our grumbling and deepening our obedience...Beyond Jesus' Own example, Paul applies the concept of humility directly to the believers in Philippi...In Philippians 2:14, he urges them to "Do everything without grumbling or arguing."...This instruction directly refers to humility...Grumbling and arguing often stem from pride—a heart that believes it knows better than God, feels entitled to different circumstances, or is dissatisfied with Divine Providence...A truly humble heart, on the other hand, accepts God's sovereignty, trusts in His Good Plan, and expresses gratitude rather than complaint...Humility fosters a spirit of acceptance and obedience, even when circumstances are difficult, recognizing that God is at work in all things...
Paul further gives us living examples of humility through Timothy and Epaphroditus...To further illustrate practical humility, Paul points to Timothy and Epaphroditus in Philippians 2:19-30 as living embodiments of the "mind of Christ"...Timothy (Phil 2:19-24): Paul praises Timothy because he has "no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare...For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."...Timothy epitomizes humility by genuinely prioritizing the interests of others and the cause of Christ above his own, unlike many who are self-serving...Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25-30): Paul highlights Epaphroditus, who "risked his life to bring me your help" and "nearly died for the work of Christ." His willingness to put his own well-being at risk for the sake of serving Paul and the Philippian church is a powerful demonstration of sacrificial humility and servanthood, embodying the self-emptying spirit of Christ...
Let us learn and live out the mind of Christ and His True Humility...So, how do we gain the mind of Christ and truly humble ourselves?...To "put on" this mindset, we must make a firm decision to ponder, understand, and adopt Jesus’ way of thinking...His values, His attitudes, and His strong emphasis on meekness and humility must permeate our thoughts, desires and our conduct...We must genuinely admire His humility and deeply desire it for ourselves...For this profound change to occur, we need to earnestly and regularly pray for the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts, as it is truly impossible to achieve in our own strength...True humility is about understanding "what the word means in day-to-day life."...It stems from the Greek word tapeinos, which conveys the idea of having a right, realistic view of ourselves before God and others...If pride is an exalted sense of who we are, humility is having a balanced and honest sense of who and what we are—not thinking too highly or too lowly of ourselves...
True humility exalts Jesus Christ, not self...John the Baptist, the messenger for Jesus, was a humble man who understood his role...He told others that there was One to come that was far more Divine than him and who would baptize with the Holy Spirit, not merely water (John 3:26-36)...John consistently pointed away from himself and towards Jesus, recognizing that he was merely a forerunner whose light would dim in the dawn of Christ’s arrival...He truly exemplified the goal of humility: we are not the light but the lanterns that point others to the LORD...Only as we decrease will those around us be able to see the Savior, who can give them Eternal Life...And when Jesus washed His disciples' feet, even approaching Judas, someone He did LOVE who would soon betray Him, this is a Perfect Example of Divine Humility, demonstrating LOVE and service even to an adversary...
Jesus' teaching on the Parable of the Sower profoundly illustrates the kind of heart necessary for God's Word to take root and bear fruit, a heart characterized by humility...In Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:1-15, Jesus describes how the seed (the Word of God) falls on different types of soil, representing various responses of the human heart...Some seed fell on the path and was devoured by birds...This represents a hard, unreceptive heart, often hardened by pride or indifference, where the Word cannot penetrate and is quickly snatched away by the evil one...Other seed fell on rocky ground, sprouting quickly but with no deep root, withering when the sun came up...This portrays a shallow heart of faith that receives the Word with momentary joy but lacks the humble depth and perseverance to endure tribulation or persecution, falling away when difficulties arise...Still other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants...This illustrates a heart distracted and choked by the worries of this world, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things...A heart not grounded in humility can easily be pulled away by worldly ambitions, preventing the Word from maturing...Finally, some seed fell on good soil and produced a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown...This good soil represents the humble heart—one that hears the Word, welcomes it, understands it, and allows it to take deep root...This heart is receptive, open, and yields itself to God's Truth, enabling the Word to transform life and grow abundant spiritual fruit...It is the heart that truly "thinks of itself less" and God more, creating the ideal conditions for Divine growth and Presence...The humble one wants to help others grow their faith in Jesus on this fertile ground...
A humble mindset is far more than just a healthy view of ourselves; it is a servant’s attitude that acknowledges our total dependence on the LORD...Philippians 2:3 says, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves."...This emphasizes that in God's priority, Jesus comes first, others are second, and we are last...Ultimately, while we speak emphatically about loving others, forgiving them unconditionally, and treating them with kindness, the true root of these virtues is humility...A humble mindset allows us to recognize our own limitations and shortcomings, making us more open to understanding and accepting others...To genuinely LOVE and forgive others requires a willingness to recognize their inherent worth and acknowledge the possibility of their own mistakes...This deep recognition stems directly from humility...Furthermore, when humility is our guiding principle, it fosters an environment of empathy and compassion, which naturally leads to acts of kindness towards others...For instance, a humble person is more likely to listen intently, offer help without seeking recognition, and show sincere appreciation, even in the face of difficulties...Thus, humility truly acts as the fertile ground from which LOVE, forgiveness, and kindness can richly blossom, as the Sower Teaches us.