What is given in answer to prayer, should be received with great thankfulness and joy. Christ came to humble us, let there not be among us a spirit of pride. (5-11) Diligence in the affairs of salvation, and to be examples to the world. It is now of his self-humiliation Paul introduced an illustration of what he meant, namely, the example of Jesus Christ.
It is not his intention to dwell on His manhood, with a demonstration of its reality; or to adduce His death with evidence of its expiatory worth; or to dilate on His royal glories, with a summons that every one should look up and worship.
Running, denotes earnestness and vigour, continual pressing forward; labouring, denotes constancy, and close application. It is doubly pleasant to have our mercies restored by God, after great danger of their removal; and this should make them more valued.
Exhortations to a kind, humble spirit and behaviour.
Notice the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature. The working of God's grace in us, is to quicken and engage our endeavours.
“Mind”: “Keep on thinking this in you” (Robertson p. 444).
For the opinion which we have defended are Chrysostom and the Greek expositors; of the Reformation period and subsequently, Beza, Vatablus, Zanchius, Clarius, Calixtus, Cocceius, Crocius, Aretius; among the Catholics, Estius and a-Lapide; and among others of later date, Semler, Storr, Keil, Usteri, Kraussold, Hufnagel, Seiler, Lünemann, Müller, Hoelemann, Rilliet, Pye Smith, Neander, Meyer, Ellicott, Alford, Lechler, Beelen, and Bisping. To isolate Christian morality from Christian theology is to rend asunder the teaching of the New Testament as to its deepest and most vital elements. (1-4) The example of Christ.
Do it, and do not find fault with it. Notice the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature.
Is it of the man Jesus, as He was among men, that this is predicated, or does the apostle take a backward step, and point to the previous impulse which had brought Him down to earth to be one of ourselves? 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! The thought here is not simply that they were to see what Jesus Christ did as an example which they were to follow, although it included that, but that they were to see it as something into which they were to actually enter by experience. Many regard Philippians 2:5-11 as a hymn of the early church that Paul incorporated into his letter.
I. In the great passage which follows we have a suggestive example of Christian moral teaching.
The apostle's text is—“Look not every man at his own things, but every man also at the things of others;” and his argument is, Not only is this your duty, because there is precept for it; but it is your duty, because there is the noblest of all models for it. What the apostle means by the mind which was in Christ Jesus, he proceeds to explain. Surely we cannot fail if we wish to keep Him before our eyes to find even in the busiest life some still time for thought, for looking backwards and forwards, for withdrawing ourselves for a moment from the throng of common cares and pleasures to some peaceful hillside, from amidst the swarming and noisy flats of life, where we may snatch short times of insight and resolution which may be worked out in days of hurry or perhaps of gloom.
Greek: touto ph roneite en humin o kai en Christo Iesou, Amplified: Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: (Amplified Bible - Lockman) Barclay: Have within yourselves the same disposition of mind as was in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2 Commentary) the secret of Christian joy is found in the way the believer thinks-his attitudes.
Not only does it exhibit every virtue, but it also enjoins it. How, then, shall we describe the humble ChristianII. It is the will of God that believers should be much in rejoicing; and those who are so happy as to have good ministers, have great reason to rejoice with them.It is best with us, when our duty becomes natural to us.
Remember, too, another point in which we need the mind of Christ. The consciousness of this infinite condescension of God for us must transfigure life to us, break down once and for all our pride, show us the true proportions of things, open our hearts to Him who has done so much for us.That is, this humble mind. It was truly exemplified by Him —“Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant.” The “form of God” on the one hand, and obedience to the death on the other, are the two termini; or the extent of our Lord's self-denying grace is measured by the distance between equality with God, and a public execution on a gibbet.