3 nothing in rivalry or vain-glory, but in humility of mind one another counting more excellent than yourselves --
in the love of brethren, to one another kindly affectioned: in the honour going before one another;
with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love,
let us not become vain-glorious -- one another provoking, one another envying!
In like manner, ye younger, be subject to elders, and all to one another subjecting yourselves; with humble-mindedness clothe yourselves, because God the proud doth resist, but to the humble He doth give grace;
and if bitter zeal ye have, and rivalry in your heart, glory not, nor lie against the truth; this wisdom is not descending from above, but earthly, physical, demon-like, for where zeal and rivalry `are', there is insurrection and every evil matter;
and if one another ye do bite and devour, see -- that ye may not by one another be consumed.
A vain man through pride causeth debate, And with the counselled `is' wisdom.
Do ye think that emptily the Writing saith, `To envy earnestly desireth the spirit that did dwell in us,' and greater grace he doth give, wherefore he saith, `God against proud ones doth set Himself up, and to lowly ones He doth give grace?'
for yet ye are fleshly, for where `there is' among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk?
Having put aside, then, all evil, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envyings, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,
Certain, indeed, even through envy and contention, and certain also through good-will, do preach the Christ; the one, indeed, of rivalry the Christ do proclaim, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds, and the other out of love, having known that for defence of the good news I am set:
for I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I did persecute the assembly of God,
And he spake a simile unto those called, marking how they were choosing out the first couches, saying unto them, `When thou mayest be called by any one to marriage-feasts, thou mayest not recline on the first couch, lest a more honourable than thou may have been called by him, and he who did call thee and him having come shall say to thee, Give to this one place, and then thou mayest begin with shame to occupy the last place. `But, when thou mayest be called, having gone on, recline in the last place, that when he who called thee may come, he may say to thee, Friend, come up higher; then thou shalt have glory before those reclining with thee; because every one who is exalting himself shall be humbled, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.'
as in day-time, let us walk becomingly; not in revellings and drunkennesses, not in chamberings and lasciviousnesses, not in strife and emulation;
idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, strifes, emulations, wraths, rivalries, dissensions, sects, envyings, murders, drunkennesses, revellings, and such like, of which I tell you before, as I also said before, that those doing such things the reign of God shall not inherit.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Philippians 2
Commentary on Philippians 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
The apostle proceeds to further exhortations to several duties, to be like-minded, and lowly-minded, which he presses from the example of Christ (v. 1-11), to be diligent and serious in the Christian course (v. 12, 13), and to adorn their Christian profession by several suitable graces (v. 14-18). He then concludes with particular notice and commendation of two good ministers, Timothy and Epaphroditus, whom he designed to send to them (v. 19-30).
Phl 2:1-11
The apostle proceeds in this chapter where he left off in the last, with further exhortations to Christian duties. He presses them largely to like-mindedness and lowly-mindedness, in conformity to the example of the Lord Jesus, the great pattern of humility and love. Here we may observe,
Phl 2:12-13
Phl 2:14-18
The apostle exhorts them in these verses to adorn their Christian profession by a suitable temper and behaviour, in several instances.
Phl 2:19-30
Paul takes particular notice of two good ministers; for though he was himself a great apostle, and laboured more abundantly than they all, yet he took all occasions to speak with respect of those who were far his inferiors.