Philippians 2:3 - Exposition

Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory . Not "strife," but "faction," as R.V. The word is the same as that rendered "contention" in Philippians 1:10 , where see note. Party spirit is one of the greatest dangers in running the Christian race. Love is the characteristic Christian grace; party spirit and vain-glory too often lead professing Christians to break the law of love. But in lowiness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves . In your lowliness; the article seems to have a possessive sense, the lowliness characteristic of Christians, which you as Christians possess. ταπεινοφροσύνη an exclusively New Testament word: the grace was new, and the word was new. The adjective ταπεινός in classical Greek is used as a term of reproach—abject, mean. The life of Christ ("I am meek and lowly in heart") and the teaching of Christ ("Blessed are the poor in spirit") have raised lowliness to a new position, as one of the chief features in the true Christian character. Here St. Paul bids us, as a discipline of humility, to look at our own faults and at the good points in the character of others (comp. Romans 12:10 ).