B. The Appeal Renewed — Unity Through Humility (2:1-4)
B. THE APPEAL RENEWED — UNITY
THROUGH HUMILITY (2:1-4)
lIf you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any1 tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.2 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or3 vain conceit, but in humility consider4 others5 betterthan yourselves. 4Each6 of you should look7 not only to your own interests, but also8 to the interests of others.
Both the "therefore" (omitted in the NIV) and the content of this paragraph — and those that follow — attest that the main issue in the preceding paragraph (1:27-30) is the exhortation with which it began (to live as "citizens" worthy of the gospel by standing firm in one Spirit against the opposition), not the theological explanation of suffering9 with which it concluded.10 To be sure, he begins the renewed exhortation by appealing to the encouragement and comfort that is theirs in Christ, which flows directly out of the context of suffering in vv. 29-30. But the present urgency is spelled out in the multiplication of synonymous phrases in v. 2, which together urge one thing — "that you have the same 'mindset,' " that is, that they get along together in their "struggle" for the gospel, especially in the face of the opposition.
At the same time the paragraph points forward in a variety of ways, both linguistic and conceptual, to the Christ narrative that follows (vv. 5-11). Both paragraphs begin by urging on them the "same mindset";11 the two sentences in vv. 6-8 (how Christ acted as God [6-7a] and man [7b-8]) respond directly to the vices singled out in v. 3 ("selfish ambition" and "vain conceit"); finally the verb in the second sentence (v. 8, "he humbled himself") picks up on the "humility" that in v. 3 is offered as the opposite of those vices.12
As with 1:27-30, this too is a single (even more) complex sentence.13 As before, the way into — and out of — its complexities is through a visual display of the whole (again following Paul's wording very literally): Inform this is a "conditional" sentence, with a fourfold protasis (the "if" clauses) and elaborated apodosis (the "then" clause). The overall result is a sentence in four parts: a compound protasis (v. 1); the apodosis (2a); a result (or noun) clause explaining how the apodosis will be "fulfilled" (2b); and a series of modifying participles and nouns (2c-4) offering the means to fulfillment in contrast to some negatives ("selfish ambition/empty conceit"), which undoubtedly give content to the problem in Philippi. The "conditional" nuance, however, disappears as the sentence evolves. The "if" clauses turn out not to express supposition, but presupposition,14 and should therefore be translated something closer to "since there is . . ."; and the apodosis, instead of expressing the "then" side of a supposition, takes the form of an imperative based on the presuppositions.
This, at least, is how the sentence "works,"15 and for the most part (vv. 2-4) its sense is plain enough — perhaps too plain for most of us. The major difficulty in interpretation lies with v. 1, partly due to the meaning of some of the words and phrases and partly to the nature of the relationships presupposed by these phrases.
1 By the "therefore"16 with which this sentence begins, Paul ties what he is about to say to the preceding paragraph. The conjunction is inferential (= "in consequence of what I've just said") and is probably intended to pick up on the whole of vv. 27-30.17 Thus with this word he first of all signals a resumption of the appeal to unity that began in vv. 27-28a; but he does so now in light of the Philippians' suffering, in a straggle they have in common with Paul. "Therefore," he says in light of that — and to return to the matter at hand — "if there be any 'comfort' in Christ, as indeed there is, . . . then complete my joy."
But what Paul does next is not quite that simple. He begins by appealing to their common experience of Christ's comfort, as a direct response to their common experience of suffering for Christ in the preceding clause (1:29-30). But right at that point, before dictating an apodosis, he adds three more "if" clauses, whose studied accumulation is part of the rhetorical effect18 — but which turns out to be part of our difficulty, since what precisely Paul is appealing to in each case is less than clear. There are basically three options, depending on whether one sees the context as emphasizing (1) Christ and the Spirit's prior work of grace in their midst,19 (2) the Philippians' common life in Christ that they have experienced together heretofore,20 or (3) the relationship that they and Paul have together in the bonds of Christ and the fellowship of the Spirit.21
But part of our difficulty may also be related to the nature of dictation, in that what is written from dictation sometimes carries with it the rhetorical effects of oral speech.22 In this kind of rhetoric precision is a lesser concern than is the persuasive effect created by the accumulation of phrases.23 It is possible, therefore — probable, I would venture — that the emphasis shifts as Paul warms up to his rhetoric, even though each of the phrases undoubtedly has a primary direction to it, and very likely a secondary as well.24
Thus, at the beginning the focus is on Christ — and what is theirs by being "in Christ." But as the preceding clause makes clear, and the "therefore" implies, "Christ's comfort" is shared by him and them together. As Paul moves to the next two clauses, the primary focus again seems to be on the Philippians' experience of God's love and their participation in the Spirit; but again, he and they share these together as well. When he reaches the fourth clause, however, which noticeably lacks a genitive modifier, the direction seems to shift toward their relationship with him, thus leading directly to the imperative, "complete my joy."25
A final note about the first three clauses. In light of their linguistic similarities to 2 Cor 13:13(14) and conceptual parallels with Rom 5:1-5, these three clauses very likely also reflect an intentional Trinitarian substructure.26 If so, as with the benediction in 2 Corinthians, having begun with Christ, Paul proceeds with phrases expressing the primary qualities of the Father and the Spirit as to their relationship to the believing community. This, at least, seems to make good overall sense of the four clauses,27 to which we now turn individually.
1. "If there is any encouragement (comfort)28 in Christ." This first clause is best understood as closely tied to vv. 29-30 and thus predicated on the three-way bond noted throughout. As one would expect in this letter, Paul first grounds his appeal in Christ. What he says about Christ responds directly to the motif of suffering just mentioned. Just as they are presently suffering on behalf of Christ, in the midst of their struggle there is also "encouragement in Christ," in the sense of "comfort." As the preceding clause makes clear, and the "therefore" implies, that "comfort in Christ" is shared by him and them together. Thus, while the focus is primarily on what Christ has done — or in this case, will continue to do — for them, the appeal presupposes that he and they share this comfort just as they do the struggle and the suffering.29
Very often, however, this clause has been understood otherwise, as stressing either "exhortation or appeal" or "encouragement," but the latter quite apart from vv. 29-30. That is, the Philippians' being "in Christ" is seen as the grounds for the following exhortations (vv. 2-16),30 or for encouragement per se.31 While either of these is possible, it seems more likely in context that Paul's usage here reflects that of 2 Cor 1:5 ("just as the 'sufferings'32 of Christ have overflowed unto us, so through Christ our comfort [paraklēsis] likewise overflows").33
2. "If there is any solace34 of love." What Paul intends by this phrase seems easy enough, namely, that the further basis of his appeal is the "solace afforded by love" (BAGD). Thus he continues the motif of comfort in light of their common struggle. But based on whose love for whom? On this there is no certainty.35 If our observations on the possible Trinitarian substructure of the passage are correct, then Paul is referring to the experience of God's love, lavished on the Philippians — and him — in Christ and "shed abroad in their hearts" by the Spirit (Rom 5:5). Two things make one think so: that this clause falls between the mention of Christ and the Spirit, and with the same language (in the case of the Father and the Spirit), as in 2 Cor 13:13(14);36 and that "love," in keeping with Paul's OT roots, is most often expressed as from God, whose "love" for his people is the ultimate predicate of everything that God has done on their behalf. It is that "same kind of love" to which he will appeal in the apodosis that follows.
Again, given the context and flow of the argument, there is every good reason to believe Paul also includes himself with them as a recipient of "love's consolation." Thus, the appeal in this context probably means something like, "if our common experience of comfort from God's love has anything going for it at all, then express that same love toward me, by completing my joy by having the same love toward one another."
3. "If there is any sharing37 in the Spirit."38 With this phrase Paul returns specifically to the "one Spirit" in whom, and thus by whom, they are to stand united in contending for the gospel in Philippi (1:27). This clause readily follows the first two. It is the Spirit who put them "in Christ"; so also it is by the Spirit that God's love, the ground of their being, has been shed abroad in their hearts (Rom 5:5). As in the benediction in 2 Cor 13:13(14),39 the "fellowship with the Spirit" most likely refers to the "sharing in the Spirit" (NRSV) that believers have first with God, but by that very fact, secondly, with one another because they live and breathe by the same Spirit.40
By the Spirit, therefore, they are united to Christ, and in Christ to one another — and thus to Paul. Indeed, the Spirit is the empowering agent of all that God is currently doing among them, "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" (2:13). Thus, just as the comfort from being "in Christ" and the solace of experiencing God's love serves as the ground for his appeal to their unity in Christ, so too (especially) with their common "participation in the Spirit."
4. This (apparently) Trinitarian basis of appeal is followed by, "if any compassions and mercies,"41 which in some ways is the most difficult of all,42 since it appears tacked on as a final, passionate appeal based on deep feelings, and since there is no genitive qualifier. But that may also be the clue to what Paul intends. In 1:8 he has already based his longing for them on the "compassion of Christ"; and the word "mercies"43 is expressly said to belong to God in 2 Cor 1:3 and Rom 12:1. Nonetheless, in Col 3:12, probably written at an earlier stage of the present imprisonment, he had urged those believers to put on, among other Christian virtues, "bowels of mercy,"44 where the context is clearly that of community life. In light of the imperative that comes next, that is very likely the direction of this final appeal, but not simply toward one another; rather, as before, he is appealing to "compassion and pity" that he and they have toward one another,45 which leads directly to the imperative that follows. Paul thus concludes, "if God's compassion and mercy have produced those same qualities in you toward me, as you know I have toward you, then complete my joy by having a single mindset among yourselves."
Thus, from this view, the appeal is for their unity and love toward one another (vv. 2-4), based on their shared comfort and love that has its origins in God and found historical expression in Christ and the Spirit, and has been shared mutually by them and for one another. With that he turns to the appeal itself.
2 Just as part of the power of the appeal in the protasis lay in the compounding of "if" clauses, so in the apodosis there is an equally striking compounding of synonymous phrases46 of such nature that the "wayfaring person though a fool" could not possibly miss the point. Three (or four)47 times he says it:
that you set your minds on the same thing;
having the same love,
together in soul having your minds set on the one thing.
But to get there, in a way similar to the grammar of 1:27, he expresses the apodosis in terms of their relationship to him, in this case by way of an imperative, "complete48 my joy." For the ultimate urgency of the appeal — their unity — this imperative seems unnecessary,49 since he could easily have gone directly from the fourfold ground of the appeal to its actual content (as he will in 4:2); this, after all, is his concern. But instead, in keeping with the tenor of the whole letter, he interjects this strong personal appeal. While on the surface this may sound self-serving,50 in reality it speaks volumes about Paul's pastoral heart.51 His own life and apostleship are deeply bound up with his converts' well-being, and especially with their perseverance so that they themselves will experience God's eschatological joy (cf. vv. 16-18). Such perseverance calls for their standing firm in the one Spirit. Only so will his own joy be filled to the full; and in any case the entire letter presupposes the secure nature of his and their mutual affection and joy. Thus, he appeals, "If these various realities of life in Christ and the Spirit mean anything to you at all — indeed, if we share these together in Christ — and if there is any compassion and mercy as you think of me in this prison, then make my joy52 full by being of one mind," that is, by responding to the exhortation of 1:27.
As the Philippians were hearing the letter read aloud, they could hardly have missed associating this imperative with the preceding expressions of joy: first in 1:4, where he makes his prayer and thanksgiving for them with joy — "complete that joy," he now urges; and second in 1:18, where his twofold rejoicing served as the "center of gravity" for his "reflections on imprisonment."53 Both in his present circumstances, trying as they are, and in anticipation of his trial, he has rejoiced and will continue to do so, since the gospel is being furthered and Christ is about to receive even greater glory. Now he urges them to bring that joy to its full completion, by advancing the gospel still more in Philippi (2:14-16). But to do so they must get their act together; the murmuring and bickering must cease, they must come to a common mind about life together in Christ and must show the same by their mutual love for one another (in fulfillment of his prayer for them in 1:9). If they who are already his "joy and crown" (4:1) are to remain so at the coming of Christ, they must give heed to the imperatives of this sentence (and to the similar ones in 4:1-3).
A few further words about the compounding of words and phrases by which they are thus to complete Paul's joy:
a. The initial clause, "that54 you set your minds on55 the same thing," has been rightly captured by the NIV, "that you be like-minded." This verb, which he used in 1:7 to refer to his disposition toward them, is also used at the end of the letter of theirs toward him (4:10 [2x]). In between it dominates the imperatival moments in this letter.56 As noted before, the word does not mean "to think" in the sense of "cogitate"; rather it carries the nuance of "setting one's mind on," thus having a certain disposition toward something (e.g., life, values, people) or a certain way of looking at things, thus "mindset."57 What he means by the "same" mindset will be explained in vv. 6-11, where Paul points them to that of Christ (v. 5). The emphasis is thus on the Philippians' unity of purpose and disposition, unity with regard to the gospel and their heavenly citizenship58 — exactly as in 4:2, where he qualifies it, "have the same mindset in the Lord" —not on their all having the same opinions about everything.59
b. The "same love" that he wants them to have points back to the second clause in the protasis, "if any solace from (God's) love." The phrase "the same" carries some ambiguity, perhaps purposefully so in this case. The context demands that he is first of all urging them to have "the same love for one another" that they already have experienced in God's love for them — and in theirs and his for one another. But at the same time, he wants them to have shared love, each having "the same love" for the other. In 1:9 Paul told them he prays that their love might abound "still more and more," Love, therefore, is not lacking in this community. At issue is the danger of its being eroded by internal friction, by their not "having the same disposition" about what it means to be God's people in Philippi. Thus, they will fill his cup of joy to the full as they return to full and complete love for one another, which by definition means to care for another for her or his own sake. As someone well said: "Love begins when someone else's needs are more important than my own," which is precisely what Paul will urge in the elaboration that follows.
c. But before that he adds yet another participial phrase. With the rare compound adjective, "together in soul,"60 joined to a near repetition of the first clause,61 he now joins soul and mind together (feeling and thinking). Not only does he want their minds set on the same thing, but he wants them to do so with their whole being. This adjective harks back to "as one soul/person," which modifies "contending side by side for the faith of the gospel" in 1:27,62 just as the third line in the protasis ("if there is any sharing in the Spirit") harks back to the call in that same verse to "stand firm in the one Spirit."63 Again, as in 1:27, the accent is on unity within the community of faith.
3 Paul's sentence now begins to get away from him, as he piles modifiers upon modifiers.64 But even that has its own rhetorical effect. With a typical "not/but" contrast the phrases and clauses that make up our v. 3 give "shoe leather" to the appeal in v. 2. The contrasts are stark, which the NIV has rightly turned into yet another imperative: "Do nothing out of65 selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." With these words Paul specifies what he knows — or suspects — is going on among them. The first item, "selfish ambition" or "rivalry,"66 was used in 1:17 to describe those in the Roman community who are preaching Christ out of envy, supposing thereby to give Paul grief. Significantly, the "selfish ambition" of the envious was explicitly contrasted to those who preach Christ out of "love" (1:16).67 "Selfish ambition" stands at the heart of human fallenness, where self-interest and self-aggrandizement at the expense of others primarily dictate values and behavior. People with such a "mindset" not only stand over against the apostle, their dear friend, but also over against God, whose Son fully displayed God's character when he took on a servant's role (cf. 2:7).
The second item, "vain conceit" (lit., "empty glory"68 ), denotes that kind of "empty glory" that only the self-blessed can bestow on themselves. This word occurs throughout the Greco-Roman world to describe those who think too highly of themselves, not those who might appear to have grounds for "glory," but those whose "glory" is altogether baseless. It occurs elsewhere in Paul in Gal 5:26, also in the context of a church where people are "eating and devouring one another."69 One does not wish to be too harsh on the sisters (Euodia and Syntyche) who are singled out in 4:2 as not getting along — and the two further words in 2:14 ("grumbling and disputing") must also come into the picture — but Paul well understands that if these attitudes are allowed to continue unchecked, the believing community in Philippi is headed for serious trouble, far more serious than is probably currently present.70
At the same time these words point forward as the opposites of the "mindset" of Christ: who as God did the antithesis of "selfish ambition" by pouring himself out and becoming a servant, and as man the antithesis of "vain conceit," by humbling himself unto death on a cross.71
In further anticipation of vv. 6-11, especially v. 8, Paul here contrasts "selfish ambition and rivalry" with, "in72 humility consider others better than yourselves." "Humility"73 is a uniquely Christian virtue,74 which, as with the message of a crucified Messiah, stands in utter contradiction to the values of the Greco-Roman world, who generally considered humility not a virtue, but a shortcoming.75 Here Paul's roots are in the OT — and in Christ. In the OT the term indicates "lowliness" in the sense of "creatureliness," and the truly humble show themselves so by resting their case with God rather than trusting their own strength and machinations.
Humility is thus not to be confused with false modesty, or with that kind of abject servility that only repulses, wherein the "humble one" by obsequiousness gains more self-serving attention than he or she could do otherwise. Rather, it has to do with a proper estimation of oneself, the stance of the creature before the Creator, utterly dependent and trusting. Here one is well aware both of one's weaknesses and of one's glory (we are in his image, after all) but makes neither too much nor too little of either. True humility is therefore not self-focused at all, but rather, as further defined by Paul in v. 4, "looks not to one's own concerns but to those of others."
For Paul this perspective comes from Jesus, where "humility" explains both his own self-understanding and his opposition to pharisaism. Not only so, but in Jesus something essential about God's character is revealed. Jesus' invitation to the heavily laden to come and "learn of him" (Matt 11:29) is thus placed in a context where the Son alone knows the Father and so is revealed as "gentle and humble (tapeinos) in heart" — to "babes," it should be noted, not to the "wise and learned" (11:25). Thus the main verb in the second sentence in the ensuing narrative about Christ (vv. 7b-8), describing his Incarnation ("he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death"), comes from the same root.
Thus, over against doing anything on the basis of "selfish ambition" or "vain conceit," the Philippians are to have the same love for one another as God in Christ has for them, which will find its ultimate expression when "in humility" you "consider76 each other77 better78 than yourselves." As with humility, this does not mean that one should falsely consider others "better." As v. 4 will clarify, we are so to consider others, not in our estimation of them79 — which would only lead to the very vices Paul has just spoken against — but in our caring for them, in our putting them and their needs ahead of our own. After all, this is precisely how Christ's humility expressed itself, as Paul narrates in v. 8. Thus, it is not so much that others in the community are to be thought of as "better than I am," but as those whose needs and concerns "surpass" my own. Here, of course, is the sure cure for "selfish ambition and vain conceit," not to mention "grumbling and bickering" (v. 14).
It needs only to be noted, finally, that in Paul's sentence this final participle modifies the main clause in v. 2, "that you have the same mindset."80 Here is the road to true unity among believers; as the use of "one another" demonstrates (see n. 77), this passage deals with attitudes within the believing community. If "selfish ambition and vain glory" are sure bets to erode relationships within the church, then the surest safeguard to a healthy church is when "considering each other as more important than oneself" characterizes its people, especially those in positions of leadership.81
4 This final set of clauses, which again for the sake of readability have been made into a separate sentence in the NIV, is in fact a further participial modifier of the participle "considering" in v. 3. Which in turn means that this clause is not another in a series of exhortations; rather, it clarifies the preceding clause.82 Here is how one considers the others within the believing community to "surpass oneself," by "looking [out]83 not for oneself, but especially for the needs of others." Here is how he elsewhere describes those whose behavior is genuinely Christian; they "do not seek their own good, but that of others."84 This is the way, Paul says in Gal 6:2, that we "fill to the full the law of Christ,"85 by "bearing each other's burdens."
The emphasis is on "each" and "others." Here one finds a kind of tension between the individual and the community that occurs throughout Paul. As always in such passages, the accent rests on the community; it is only as a people of God together that God's people fulfill his divine purposes. But in contrast to ancient Israel, where entrance into the community came through birth within the covenant community, in the people of God newly constituted by Christ and the Spirit, people enter one at a time. Therefore, the emphasis in Pauline paraenesis (exhortation) is primarily on the community, but obedience must begin with the individual (see v. 13 below). Thus, "each one" among them must have this care for the "others" among them.86 This emphasis is probably to remind some within the community who seem to be out of step with some others.
One must also be careful not to push this clause beyond Paul's own intent, which is not concerned with whether one ever "looks out for oneself" — the "also" in the final line assumes that one will do that under any circumstances — but with the basic orientation of one's life, a life touched by the grace of God that has been lavished on us through Christ and made an experienced reality through the Spirit. All such terms as "enlightened self-interest" belong to modern psychology, not to the basic orientation of life in Christ. While this language may serve as a corrective to the kind of obsequiousness noted on v. 3, all of that lies outside Paul's concerns, that the basic orientation of Christian life regarding relationships with others is to be like that which he will describe in the Christ narrative that follows.
Here, then, is Paul's basic response to the (apparently) petty grumbling and bickering going on among some within the believing community in Philippi, a kind of unrest that not only dulls their witness within that city but at the same times erodes their ability to "contend side by side" for the sake of the gospel in the face of strong opposition.
The basis of the appeal is twofold: (a) to their relationship with God as that has been manifest even in the face of suffering by Christ's comfort and God's love, as well as from their common participation in the Holy Spirit; and (b) to their longstanding relationship with Paul, who has not only experienced these same graces with them, but whose joy will now be filled to the full as they allow these realities to inform their present life together in Philippi.
The concern of the appeal is with their being a united people in Christ by the Spirit. Only so can they hope to "advance" in the faith themselves (1:25) and to advance the cause of the gospel (1:27).
The content of the appeal describes, first, those expressions of our human fallenness that altogether militate against unity within the household of faith, "selfish ambition" and "empty glory"; and, second, those virtues necessary for it to happen, "love" and "humility," which find concrete expression as God's people learn to live as Christ, to consider and care for the needs of others as the matter of first priority.
As Barth rightly pointed out, here is a vivid, miniature expression of the heart of Pauline ethics, not simply because its predicate is grace, but because it is grounded in the character of God as that has been revealed in Christ Jesus, which is the point to be taken up next. As with so much else in this letter, here, too, is a word for all seasons. One can only imagine what might happen if we were to rethink — and re-experience — the love and encouragement that is ours through the Trinity, and on that basis also rethink — and thus reorient — our life in Christ in terms of our relationships to one another. If we ourselves were more truly characterized by the content of this appeal, we might become a more effective people in the world.
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1 . MSS variously try to alleviate Paul's ungrammatical τις by changing it into a neuter (singular or plural). Various explanations have been forthcoming as to the grammatical breakdown, usually in terms of an early error by a copyist (Lightfoot; Kennedy). Very likely the "error" is Paul's own, related to the nature of his rhetoric.
2 . For the sake of better English, the NIV has chosen here to obscure some of Paul's repetitiveness in this set of appeals. Lying behind "and purpose" is yet another participial construction, τό εν φρονοϋντες ("thinking the one thing"), which nearly repeats the purpose/result clause, ϊ να το αύτο φρονήτε ("that you think the same thing"), which all of the following participles and words modify. Understandably, several MSS (N* AC I Ψ 33 81 1241s 2464 pc f vg) conform this final phrase to the main clause by substituting αύτό for εν. The latter, which is surely original, is in keeping with Paul's habits elsewhere, where in a series such as this he interchanges "same" and "one" (see esp. 1 Cor 12:8-10).
3 . Paul's Greek (as reflected in NA26), though clear, is awkwardly expressed (lit. "nothing according to selfish ambition, nor according to vain glory"). This engendered a considerable amount of tinkering in the transmissional process, so that the MajT ended up substituting an ή ("or") for Paul's μηδέ κατά ("nor according to"), which is the same route taken by the NIV, even though translated from the NA2 6 text.
4 . For Paul's simple participle ήγούμενοι, a few scribes (P46 D* I Κ 1175 pc) preferred the compound προηγούμενοι, most likely under the influence of the similar exhortation in Rom 12:10, τη τιμη αλλήλους προηγούμενοι ("with honor preferring/more highly esteeming one another").
5 . In a rare moment of singular agreement on a patently secondary reading, P46 and Β insert a τούς before the participle υπερέχοντας, thus particularizing ("others who are better") what Paul leaves open-ended so as to include all others.
6 . Because of his proclivities toward the distributive, or collective, singular, Paul's Greek at times creates some uncertainties for scribes. The editors of NA2 6 (and UBS4) have opted for the singular έκαστος here (with Ρ4 6 Κ C D Maj pc; against A B F G Ψ 33 81 104 1175 pc lat), but for the plural at the end (with Ρ4 6 N A Β D Ρ Ψ 33 81 104 365 1175 1739 1881 2464 pc; against the Maj Τ). This is an especially difficult textual choice, the second instance also involving punctuation, whether the (apparently original) έκαστοι belongs with the imperative that follows (thus, έκαστοι τοΰτο φρονείτε, "each of you has this mindset") or with the present participial construction (almost certainly the latter, since it so nicely balances the two halves of v. 4). The more difficult plural should probably prevail as original in both cases, with scribes changing them to the singular in keeping with ordinary style, and with Paul's own usage elsewhere.
7 . Whether intentional or not, but surely in the interest of rescuing Paul's impossibly cumbersome sentence and awkward Greek (see the structural display below), scribes variously changed Paul's participle, σκοποϋντες, into a form of imperative (either third singular or second plural). The meaning is not affected, as is evidenced by the imperative in the NIV, where the (clearly original) participle was so translated.
8 . The Western tradition (D* F G it Tert), joined by Κ pc, omits this xαί, probably for the very reason that the NIV translators have added an "only" to the preceding clause, namely, to make the two clauses more balanced. The xαί is put in brackets in NA2 6 ; but omission is surely the secondary process here, since the addition of a xαί would create the very difficulty that (in Paul's original) the NIV translators have tried to get around.
9 . Thus the theme of suffering, as with its counterpoint "joy," serves as a kind of "leitmotif" in the letter, not as its primary theme.
10 . Some see Paul as here "turning from the menace of a hostile world to deal with the equally threatening problem of a divided community" (Martin, 85-86; cf. Bonnard, Gnilka, O'Brien). But that seems to miss by too much the overall connections of the argument, and especially the connection of this paragraph with the preceding. Granted the present paragraph focuses altogether on the issue of their unity; but that is already the point in 1:27, where the issue was deliberately placed within its real life setting in Philippi.
11 . Thus, τό αύτο φρονήτε (v. 2, "have the same mindset"); τούτο φρονείτε (v. 5, "have this mindset").
12 . But rather than, as Collange (77), this paragraph is not the "overture" to the "Christ hymn"; the narrative about Christ exists, on the contrary, to reinforce by ultimate example what is urged here (and in 1:27); cf. Black, "Formal Analysis," 305-6.
13 . So most interpreters, although Lightfoot (108) et al. take vv. 3-4 to be a separate sentence, offering that an imperative is to be supposed. But the passages Lightfoot cites in support are suspect; there is no sure evidence for a presupposed imperative.
14 . Cf. in this regard, J. L. Boyer, "First Class Conditions," 106; and BDF §371 (and most commentators), contra W. Barclay, "Great Themes," 40, who considers the clause to be suppositional.
15 . Contra those who have set out more literary schemes, beginning with Lohmeyer, whose effort in this case was no more successful than in the preceding sentence (n. 19 on 1:27-30). But Gnilka modified Lohmeyer's attempt, and in this he has been followed by others (Black, "Formal Analysis"; Silva, O'Brien). Black says of this threefold strophic scheme, "there is much to commend [it] . . . and little for which to criticize it" (300); to the contrary, such a reconstruction implies a kind of conscious literary production that fails to take seriously either the oral nature of the text (see n. 22 below) or the actual syntax of the sentence. Black carries this still further, suggesting that it may also have had prior existence. But this is an exercise in scholarship that has very little bearing on the meaning of the text, except as Paul's own sentence and emphases are realigned to fit a particular scheme that would undoubtedly surprise him. Cf. Hawthorne (64): "Whether this strophic pattern can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of everyone is doubtful, but unimportant."
16 . Gk. ούν; the NIV in this case renders the reader no service in omitting this connective.
17 . So also Meyer, 69; otherwise Kennedy, Vincent (cf. Motyer), who would take it only with v. 27. The number of commentators who do not so much as notice the conjunction says much about their predisposition toward an interpretation that finds the ούν an unfriendly intrusion.
18 . Cf. Vincent, 53; Hawthorne, 64.
19 . So e.g., Vincent, Jones, Beare, Hendriksen, O'Brien. See esp. O'Brien, 167-76, for a thorough and helpful discussion of the options and their ramifications for understanding — although I differ some with his conclusion and his reason for it.
20 . So Lightfoot, Meyer, Moule, Silva.
21 . So the Greek Fathers, Eadie, Michael, Barth, Hawthorne; cf. NEB, JB.
22 . It is easy to forget that even though sent as written documents, Paul's letters began with orality (Paul dictated their contents to an amanuensis) and were received in the same way (read aloud in the community at worship); on this matter see the Introduction, 16-17. Cf. Lightfoot (108), on the τις/τινα interchange in the fourth clause (see n. 1): "τις . . . can only be explained by the eager impetuosity with which the Apostle dictated the letter." This makes as much sense of the form of this sentence as does the strophic arrangement argued for by Gnilka, Black, et al. (see n. 15).
23 . Cf. Silva (102): "The clauses are deliberately compressed and vague, since the appeal is primarily emotional . . . and impassioned pleading."
24 . On this whole question, see the admonition by Barth (51): "Must everything be clear to us here, unless we prefer to confess that everything here is obscure to us? At all events, one would almost like to say: why tear it all to pieces in explanation?"
25 . For a generally similar analysis as to how the clauses unfold in process, see Beare, 71-72.
26 . Especially so, since in Paul's view love flows from God [the Father] through Christ; cf. Rom 5:5-8. On this matter I have changed my mind from the more hesitant noting of this in Presence, 750 n. 68. My hesitation as to whether the Philippians would have caught the Trinitarian nuance still holds; but there is no reason for them not to have caught the specific nuances in each phrase as are suggested here. Thus it comes out Trinitarian, in terms of Pauline presuppositions, whether or not they caught the nuance. So also Lohmeyer, Motyer (and some earlier interpreters noted by Meyer, 70, who himself rejects it).
27 . But see Meyer, 69 (cf. Vincent, 53; Plummer, 37; Martin, 87), who sees them in balanced pairs, lines 1 and 3 "referring to the objective principle of the Christian life," and lines 2 and 4 "the subjective principle," or in Plummer's words, "the one [pair] relating to union with Christ and its benefit, and the other to communion with the Spirit and its benefit." Hawthorne (67) sees the first pair as "focusing on the human side of things" (Paul toward them), the "second on the divine" (God toward them). None of these is compelling and in each case depends on one's interpretation of the parts.
28 . Gk. παράκλησις, one of the more difficult NT words to pin down with precision, since its semantic field ranges from "exhortation/appeal" to "encouragement" to "comfort/consolation." In Paul the difficulty is heightened by the fact that its cognate verb παρακαλεω is one of the primary verbs used by Paul in his paraenesis (cf. Phil 4:2). For some that usage determines everything (see n. 30); but here the context seems to rule in a different direction. For the view taken here, see also Barclay, "Great Themes," 40; Collange, 77 (cf. the Vulgate, consolatia). O'Brien (169-71) favors "comfort" but in the sense of "encouragement" noted below.
29 . This, at least, would seem to be the reason for the choice of this word in connection with Christ.
30 . E.g., BAGD (as their first choice), "Christian exhortation"; cf. Lightfoot, Meyer, Kennedy, Vincent, Plummer, Jones, Hawthorne, Silva. But as Collange rightly points out, this paragraph is noteworthy "as a kind of 'non-exhortation,' . . . ; Paul is taking every precaution to avoid the appearance of giving orders" (77).
31 . So Beare, Hendriksen, Gnilka, Hawthorne, Martin, O'Brien, Melick; this is sometimes based on the combination of παράκλησις with παραμυθία in 1 Cor 14:4, where it seems to carry this nuance; cf. the cognate verbs in 1 Thess 2:12.
32 . Gk. τα παθήματα; cf. πάσχειν in the present argument (1:29).
33 . This seems all the more likely in light of the appellation of God in that passage (2 Cor 1:3) as "the Father of all mercies (οϊκτιρμών)," the word that appears in the fourth line of the present appeal.
34 . Gk. παραμúθιον; the feminine form occurs in 1 Cor 14:4, also in conjunction with παράκλησις; the verb occurs with the cognate verb for παράκλησις in 1 Thess 2:12. Thus of the four occurrences of this word group in the NT (all in Paul) it is used in conjunction with παράκλησις in three. Some (Lightfoot, Kennedy, Müller, Hendriksen; cf. Moffatt, Confraternity) argue on the basis of classical usage for the meaning "incentive, persuasion" here; but that goes against normal koine (see M-M, 488, and esp. NewDocs, 3.79; 4.14 and 166) and Pauline usage, as documented above.
35 . E.g.. Meyer (70), "the brotherly love of Christians"; Kennedy (432; cf. Michael, 76), "[Paul's] love toward them"; Beare (71; Martin, 86; Loh-Nida, 49; cf. NIV), "Christ's love for them."
36 . Thus in 2 Cor 13:13, Paul has the order, Christ-God-Spirit; of God he says ή αγάπη του θεοū, of the Spirit ή κοινωνία τοū αγίου πνεύματος. In our passage it is παραμύθιον άγάπης and κοινωνία πνεύματος.
37 . Gk. κοινωνία; on the meaning of this word see above on 1:5.
38 . In light of the common interpretation of 1:27, and absence of the article, some earlier interpreters took πνεύματος here to refer to the human spirit (noted by Meyer, 70; cf. NAB). But Paul's use of language and the present context disallow such a view altogether. On the irrelevance of the article as signifying the Holy Spirit in Paul, see Fee, Presence, 15-24.
39 . On this question, see Fee, Presence, 362-65.
40 . There has been some debate as to whether "of the Spirit" is an objective or subjective genitive. That is, are we in fellowship with the Spirit, or does he create the fellowship of the saints (as Barclay, "Great Themes," 40; Collange, Hawthorne, Silva)? Since the phrase appears first in 2 Cor 13:13. where the two prior clauses reflect something both of God's character and of his activity on behalf of his people in light of that character, it would seem most likely that something similar is in view with this phrase. Since the word primarily means "participation in," the view presented here (first, "sharing in the Spirit" himself; second, by that fact "sharing in the same Spirit" with one another) seems to capture the essence both of the "direction" of the Spirit's activity and of the meaning of the word itself. This view goes back at least as far as Meyer (2 Corinthians, 514). It received its recent impetus from H. Seesemann, Begriff; cf. the commentaries on the 2 Corinthians passage by Windisch, 428; Lietzmann, 162: Bultmann, 251; Barrett. 344; Furnish, 584; Martin, 505; so also Dunn, Jesus, 261.
41 . Gk. σπλάγχνα και οίκτιρμοί; about which Lightfoot notes (108): "by σπλάγχνα is signified the abode of tender feelings, by οίκτιρμοί the manifestation of these in compassionate yearnings and actions." Thus the two words together express "root and fruit" (Motyer, 104). It is unlikely to be a hendiadys (= "compassions, namely, mercies," thus "affectionate tenderness," Moffatt).
42 . So Hawthorne, 66.
43 . Gk. οίκτιρμοί; found elsewhere in Paul in 2 Cor 1:2; Rom 12:1; Col 3:12. The plural in both cases ("compassions" and "mercies") is a direct reflection of the LXX, which used both of these words to translate the Hebrew Dm.
44 . Gk. σπλάγχνα οίxτιρμοū, which means something like "heart of pity."
45 . As, e.g., Loh-Nida, 49-50; Hawthorne, 66; Motyer, 104 (cf. GNB).
46 . Kennedy, 433, citing Vaughan, calls it "the tautology of earnestness."
47 . Many interpreters (e.g., Vincent, Müller, Hawthorne, Silva, O'Brien; Black, "Formal Analysis"; Fee, Presence; cf. the punctuation of NA26) take the adj. σύμψυχοι to be a separate "line." On this matter 1 have changed my mind, since to read it separately one must supply a further participle ("being"), which Paul himself does not do. The (much-to-be-preferred) alternative is to take the adj. as modifying the final participle (φρονοūντες). Within the ϊνα clause this results in a primary clause ("that you set your minds of the same thing"), modified by two participial phrases (so Meyer, Alford, Ellicott, B. Weiss, Vincent, Beare, Hendriksen, Collange, Kent, Loh-Nida; Silva is open to it). The use τό with εν in the last phrase supports this view, since it then becomes anaphoric, meaning "the one thing already mentioned above [i.e., the same thing]." Thus the adj. σύμψυχοι begins the phrase by describing how ("together in soul") they are to "set their minds on the one thing" mentioned in the primary clause. This works out much more smoothly in Greek, it should be noted, than in my cumbersome English translation: ϊνα τό αύτό φρονήτε, τήν αύτήν άγάπην εχοντες, σύμψυχοι τό εv φρονοϋντες.
48 . Gk. πληρώσατε, which variously means "to fulfill, to fill full, to complete, to bring something to its goal." Here it probably means to "fill to the full," and thus to "complete" what is already at work.
49 . Cf. Meyer, 72.
50 . Indeed, it is taken so by Fortna, "Philippians," who by failing to recognize Philippians as a letter of friendship is quite insensitive both to the formal aspects of the letter and to its character. The result is a caricature of Paul that is based more on Western psychologizing than on the text itself.
51 . Cf. Motyer, 102; this clause is therefore too easily brushed aside by Hawthorne, who correctly sees that it expresses the secondary concern of the sentence, but then treats it as nearly irrelevant.
52 . Gk. μου την χαράν, a rare example of the "vernacular possessive" (language from Abbott's Johannine Grammar) in Paul. In this letter see on 1:28 (possibly); 3:20 ("our citizenship"); 4:14 ("my affliction"); cf. also the enclosed genitives in 1:19 and 2:25. Its very rarity indicates that Paul intends the possessive to be emphasized when it occurs. That is surely so here.
53 . On this matter see n. 3 on 1:12-26; the language comes from Martin.
54 . Gk. ϊνα, probably introducing a result clause here; so also Lightfoot, 108. But perhaps it is an epexegetical noun clause, giving the content of his "fulfilled joy." Either way it comes out at the same place.
55 . Gk. φρονήτε; see on 1:7 above.
56 . Occurring twice here, again in v. 5, twice in 3:15, once in 3:19 (of those who are otherwise-minded) and in the final appeal of 4:2; cf. Rom 12:3 and 16 and 15:5.
57 . Cf. the same use of φρονείν in Rom 8:5 and thrice-repeated use of the cognate noun φρόνημα in Rom 8:6-7, where "the mind of the flesh or Spirit" is "fixed on" like concerns.
58 . So also O'Brien, 179: "the need . . . to be 'gospel-oriented.' "
59 . On this language — and its accumulation in this passage — as that of "ideal friendship" in the Greco-Roman world, see Stowers, "Friends," 112: cf. L. T. Johnson, Writings, 342. Sampley (Partnership, 62-63) sees this language as supporting his view that Paul and the Philippians have entered into a form of "consensual societas" (see n. 4 on 4:14), but this has been critiqued and found wanting by Peterman, "Giving," 144-47, 231.
60 . Gk. σύμψυχοι, formed from σύν (together with) and ψυχή (soul), picking up and by means of the compound reinforcing the μια ψυχή of v. 27. The word here means something close to "harmonious" or "together as one person," putting emphasis on "unity . . . in feeling as well as in thought and action" (EDNT, 3.291, contra A. Fridrichsen, Philologische Wochenschrift 58 [1938] 910-12, who proffered "wholeheartedly").
61 . See n. 47 above.
62 . Cf. Collange, 79 ("obviously"), although this is a point often overlooked in the commentaries.
63 . So also Barth, 51, 54.
64 . Some think not; see n. 12. But Meyer (74) is surely correct here in seeing the modifiers of this verse to go with the preceding participle (φρονοūντες) and thus to describe what is excluded when they all "set their minds on the one thing."
65 . Gk. κατά, which the NIV obscures here, treating it as though it were identical to the έξ έριθείας of 1:17; but κατά indicates the "standard" to which one conforms one's behavior, not its source. Thus, "do nothing in keeping with (= that conforms to) selfish ambition/rivalry. "
66 . Gk. έριθεία; on this word see the discussion on 1:17 above; while "selfish ambition" is probably to be preferred, the use of "ambition" in this translation needs to be understood as implying "over against others."
67 . The repetition of these words here in particular supports the suggestion that a part of the reason for the narrative in 1:15-17 was paradigmatic.
68 . Gk. κενοδοξία; cf. κενόδοξος in Gal 5:26. The word is a compound of κενός ("empty, vain") and δόξα ("glory, honor"); the compound thus denotes "vanity, conceit, excessive ambition" (BAGD), and is most often used to describe those who without cause think too highly of themselves. Although one would not make more of it than the apostle himself intended, it is of some interest that these two words ("empty" and "glory") appear at the beginning and conclusion of the so-called Christ-hymn (2:6-11): the first (έκένωσεν, v. 6) to describe the kind of self-emptying that is the precise opposite of κενοδοξία; and the second (δόξα, v. 11) to express the "glory" that accrues to God as the self-emptying One receives his divine vindication and the worship of all creation.
69 . It is worth noting that 8 of the 15 "works of the flesh" in that passage (Gal 5:19-21) are sins of discord, one of which is έριθεία. On this passage see Fee, Presence, 440-43.
70 . So Kennedy, 434; both Kennedy and Michael (74) rightly caution about creating a situation in Philippi that looks more like Corinth or Galatia. In Michael's words: "The utter absence of severity of censure in this exhortation shows that the dissensions and disputes at Philippi had not yet reached an acute stage." See the Introduction, 32-33.
71 . Barth (50) observes that this passage reflects "the heart of the Pauline ethic, . . . where seemingly so little, but in fact everything, is demanded by saying that each is to climb down from the throne on which he sits, and to mind and to seek after the one end, which is then also that of the others."
72 . The Greek text has the article, without the preposition (τη ταπεινοφροσύνη). The article points to "the [well-known quality] of humility" (Meyer, O'Brien, et al.) or functions as a possessive "in your humility" (Lightfoot). The dative is most likely "manner," not "means" (as Meyer), although BAGD suggest, "motivating cause."
73 . Gk. ταπεινοφροσύνη, a compound word from "lowly" and "mind" (from the verb φρονεϊν in v. 2), hence the KJV "lowliness of mind." Collange (79) points out the probable assonance with φρονεϊν (φρονεϊν/ταπεινοφροσύνη). This compound is not wellattested outside the NT and early Christian writers; it is found elsewhere in Paul as a Christian virtue in Col 2:23; 3:12; Eph 4:2 (the latter also in the context of promoting unity within the community). The usage in Col 3:12 is telling, where it occurs as one of five virtues (including "bowels of mercy"; cf. 2:1) with which God's beloved are to clothe themselves. It occurs in a negative way in Col 2:18 (of false humility).
74 . Among other discussions, see Jones, 28; TDNT, 9.1-26 (W. Grundmann); NIDNTT, 2.259-64 (H.-H. Esser).
75 . As Esser (NIDNTT, 2.260) points out, "the fundamental difference between the Gk. and biblical use of these words [is that] in the Gk. world, with its anthropocentric view of [humankind], lowliness is looked on as shameful, to be avoided and overcome by act and thought. In the NT. with its theocentric view of [humankind], the words are used to describe those events that bring a [person] into a right relationship with God and [one's fellow-humans]." In fairness to many of the Greek authors, however, it should be pointed out that they use the word very often to describe that kind of servility which we note in the next paragraph is not a part of the NT understanding.
76 . Gk. ήγούμενοι, a verb that means consciously to focus on something or someone, to give it due consideration. The verb recurs in v. 6, regarding Christ, who did not "consider" equality with God a matter of personal advantage; in 2:25, where Paul "determined" to send Epaphroditus back home; and in 3:7-8 [3x], referring to how Paul "considers" his former advantages now that he has come to know Christ.
77 . Gk. αλλήλους, its only occurrence in Philippians, but one of Paul's more significant words in his paraenesis (exhortations), esp. when relationships among believers are in purview. Everything is done αλλήλων. Believers are members of one another (Rom 12:5; Eph 4:25), who are to build up one another (1 Thess 5:11; Rom 14:19), to care for one another (I Cor 12:25), to love one another < 1 Thess 3:12; 4:9; 2 Thess l:3;Rom 13:8), to pursue one another's good (1 Thess 5:15), to bear with one another in love (Eph 4:2); to bear one another's burdens (Gal 6:2); to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another (Eph 4:32; cf. Col 3:13), to submit to one another (Eph 5:21), to be devoted to one another in love (Rom 12:10), to live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:16), and (here) to consider one another more important than themselves (Phil 2:3; cf. Rom 12:10). To translate this "others" as in the NIV is to make it too general and thus to tone down the community significance of this exhortation.
78 . Gk. υπερέχοντας; cf. 3:8 and 4:7. The word can mean "better," but in its two further occurrences in this letter, both adjectival, it has to do with "surpassing," going far beyond anything else. In light of v. 4, this seems to be the sense here as well. Cf. NASB ("regard one another as more important than [one]self") and NJB ("everyone should give preference to others").
79 . This is a common interpretation (e.g., Jones, 28-29, "a high appreciation of all that is good and estimable in others"; cf. Martin, 90; Hawthorne, 69); a view rightly rejected by Barth (56-57). After all. ours is not to "find the good qualities" in others, but to see them from the common perspective of grace, as those like ourselves who above all need "looking after" by those who are gracious toward us, who "care for" us not on the basis of worthiness, but of need.
80 . At least this is the most natural way to understand the grammar. Otherwise Lightfoot (see n. 13), but his divorce of vv. 3-4 grammatically also makes this too paraenetic on its own right and misses the fact that v. 5 is the next sentence after vv. 1-4, a sentence which takes the content of this one a step farther by locating its basis in Christ himself.
81 . This assumes that such is the case with Euodia and Syntyche; see on 4:2-3 below.
82 . For a similar perspective as to how v. 4 functions in this sentence, see Grundmann, TDNT, 9.21-22.
83 . Gk. σκοποϋντες; cf. 3:17. In Paul the verb ordinarily means to "look to" in the sense of "keeping one's eyes on" someone or something (BAGD); but here is a case where it almost certainly means "to look out for" in the sense of watching out for the needs of others. It is this sense that is picked up and emphasized in the compound έπισκοπέω (to care for, oversee), which in its noun form becomes επίσκοπος ("overseer").
84 . 1 Cor 10:24; cf. 10:33; 13:5; Rom 15:2. In our letter see esp. on 2:20-21, where this character trait is illustrated positively by Timothy over against some others, who fail at this very point.
85 . On "the law of Christ" as denoting living as Christ himself, who "loved me and gave himself for me," see Fee, Presence, 463-64.
86 . One would not ordinarily make much of this word at all, since it occurs regularly in Pauline paraenesis (e.g., 1 Thess 4:4; 1 Cor 7:17, 20, 24; Rom 15:2 et passim). The emphasis in this case rests on the plural ("all of you each one") and the repetition (it occurs near the beginning and in the emphatic final position).