Harry Ironside was a well-known preacher and author in the twentieth century who struggled with pride. He asked a friend what he could to become less prideful and humbler. His friend suggested he make a sandwich board with the plan of salvation in Scripture on it and to wear it as he walked throughout downtown Chicago. Ironside followed through and wore the sandwich board for an entire day. As he was taking the sandwich board off, however, he caught himself thinking: “There’s not another person in Chicago who would be willing to do a thing like that!”[1] Humility is a character trait that once we think we have it, we probably have lost it.
Paul writes about humility in his letter to the Philippians, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:3–4, NASB).[2]
In Philippians 2:3 Paul says to think about others with our minds. Why this emphasis on humility to the Philippians?
The city of Philippi was old and historic when Paul wrote to the people living there. The Roman Emperor Augustus had established Philippi as a military outpost, populated the city with veterans of his wars, made it a Roman colony, and gave it what was called, ius italicum, which was one of the highest privileges for a city.[3] The Philippians were “proud of their city, proud of their ties with Rome, and proud to observe Roman customs and obey Roman laws, proud to be a Roman citizens.”[4]
Pride was not just a problem for the Philippians, it’s something everyone struggles against. I think that’s why Paul places such a strong emphasis on humility this in his letter.[5]
Paul uses a rare Greek word[6] to describe “humility” here. It’s the word, tateinophrosune, that means “humility” or “modesty.”[7]This word uses “humility” in contrast to “pride” or “arrogance.”[8] The term signifies the grace of “lowliness” or “humility.”[9] In Philippians 2:3 humility is used as the manner in which the Philippians were to live and look at others.
While in Philippians 2:3 Paul says to think about others with our minds, in Philippians 2:4 Paul says to focus on others with our actions.[10] Does this mean that we only focus on others and ignore ourselves? Of course not. I think Paul wants us to think about ourselves less and to think about others more.
Pay careful attention to the different translations, the emphasis I’ve added, and how we learn it’s okay to attend to our basic needs while also focusing on the needs of others. “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (NASB).[11] “Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too” (NLT). “Be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well” (NET). “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (ESV).
It is okay to have a slight concern for ourselves. The issue Paul was hoping to combat is when we become infatuated with ourselves. Paul knew humans have a sinful nature that tries to satisfy ourselves first, and others later.
While we might not need to wear a sandwich board to make us humble, I am sure we all could do something to humble ourselves. We can (and should) look out for our own interests, but to follow Paul’s admonitions as Christians means we look out for the needs and interests of others above our own.
[1] Max Anders, “Galatians-Colossians,” vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 223.
[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
[3] Gerald F. Hawthorne, “Philippians, Letter to the” in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, ed. by Gerald Hawthrone, Ralph Martin, and Daniel Reid(Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993),707
[4] Ibid.
[5] I agree with Warren Wiersbe who has said, “There can be no joy in the life of the Christian who puts himself above others” (Warren Wiersbe, Be Joyful [Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2008], 62).
[6] While this term is rare (as has been shown already) the word ταπεινος (“lowly”, “humble”) and its cognates occur more than 270 times in Greek version of the Old Testament. Often this word was used when describing the Lord’s acting in history to bring down the proud and arrogant while bringing up the lowly. This can be seen in four ways: 1) the process expressed in warning judgements in the prophets (Amos 2:6, 7, 13; 8:6, 7; Isa 2:9, 11, 17; 5:15; Zeph 2:3; 3:12), 2) the historical books describe the bringing down of proud and exalting of lowly with reference to events (Judg 4:23; 6:15; 1 Sam 1:11, 16; 7:13; 2 Sam 22:28), 3) the psalmists express it in their prayers (Pss 10:17, 18; 25:18; 31:7), 4) humility is spoken as the rule for life in proverbs and wisdom literature (Job 5:11; Prov 3:34; 11:2; 15:33) (See O’Brien, Philippians, 180-181).
[7] In the Greek and Hellenistic world, the word seemed to imply some type of “weakness.” The word is found only once outside of the Bible used by a man named Epictetus, a Phrygian slave of Hierapolis in the days of Nero (50-130 AD). Epictetus was freed of the imperial palace and was a Stoic of the younger school and preacher of ethics tinged with religion. His lectures were collected into eight books. In his Disserationes, he said, “He also is not tied by things man cannot control but despises them, and judges aright, and keeps his impulses and desires in reign, is incapable of flatteries and a mean and petty disposition ταπεινοφροσυνη” (Walter Grundmann, “ταπεινοφροσυνη” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing, 1962], 8:5).
[8] “Humility” in Douglas Mangum, Derek Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, et al., eds. Lexham Theological Wordbook (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
[9] Peter O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991), 180.
[10] The idea of Paul telling his readers to look out for the interests of others was not a new idea for the Philippians. He provided similar commands in 1 Cor 10:24, 33; 11:1; 13:5 (cf. Phil 2:21).
[11] O’Brien notes that Paul’s inclusion of the Greek “and” or “also” “does not prohibit any interest in one’s own affairs. It is the selfish preoccupation with them that he condemns (Peter O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, New International Greek Testament Commentary [Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991], 185).