How can we be looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4)?

Verse 4 takes us yet a step further: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." This is simply a very real concern for the well-being of others, a happy characteristic of Christianity in a world so entirely selfish. We cannot however suppose that all Christians are characteristically Christian in the practice of this virtue. Indeed, Paul in this very chapter, in commending Timothy, laments, "I have no man like-minded, who will naturally care for your state.

And now we come to two other exhortations that also hit most of us very hard: "Not each having the eye on the interests of themselves, but each on the interests of others also." In our ordinary English Bible we read: "Look not every man on his own things, etc." The word translated "look" does have this meaning: but it is not the ordinary word for "look," but comes from a word meaning a mark on which to fix the eye. In the Third Chapter of our Epistle we get the word itself translated mark. (Verse 14). We find the same word as in Verse 4 also in 2 Cor. 5:18, which Mr. Kelly excellently translates: "While we have the eye, not on the things that are seen, etc." So we have used the same translation here; and I hope it brings home to us more forcibly the urgency of this exhortation.

In the Greek Testament there is no word for "interests" in either place: only the article "the", in the plural; and we have to fill in what the Spirit means us to understand: and that may have a very wide application. The Authorized Version uses "things". Mr. Darby uses "qualities," or, in a note "advantages." I suppose the word "interests" means the things that interest us. We sometimes see "A mind at leisure from itself, To soothe and sympathize." What a lovely sight it is, and how refreshing to find one who is so free from looking at his own interests, that he can regard and care for the interests of others. How it warms the heart and draws us close together. But, sad to say, most of us are too busy with our own affairs to have very much regard for the interests of others. "Each" in both places is plural. May the Lord Himself teach us these blessed truths we have just been pondering. "The more we cleave to Christ, and are taught of the Spirit, the more shall we be of one mind in the Lord, not agreeing after the fashion of men, but taught by the one Book, we shall grow into oneness of mind and judgment in all things. This is the way to bring about true unity, 'and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.'" (Chap. 3:15).

Vainglory lies at the root of a vast proportion of the strife and dissension that is distracting Christians, even those who otherwise are spiritually minded. The opposite of vainglory is that lowliness of mind that leads us to esteem others better than ourselves. Lowliness of mind moreover leads to that largeness of mind which is indicated in verse 4. If I am self-centred, aiming merely at my own interests and glory, I naturally am only considering my own things. If on the other hand I am Christ-centred, aiming at His interests and glory, I look also on the things of others. And if the things of others are really more for Christ's glory than my things are, I shall look more on the things of others than on my own.

But notice what is connected with ‘lowly-mindedness’. ‘In lowly-mindedness esteeming one another more excellent than themselves.’ If we have truly learned ourselves in the presence of our Saviour, then we will be the more ready to obey this injunction. Nor are such thoughts limited to the plural. ‘I am holier than thou’ (Isa. 65:5) is in the singular. Our tongues may not utter such words, but our thoughts may tell us, ‘I am more spiritual than that person.’ ‘I spend more time over the Word and in prayer than Brother Blank.’ And so it goes: for we each know the plague of our own hearts. I think it was Spurgeon who said: ‘There is pride of face, pride of place, and pride of race, but the worst pride of all, is pride of grace.’ But not only are we not to esteem ourselves as better than others: but we are to esteem others as better than ourselves: and we will, if close enough to Christ; and if we see ourselves, the person we know best, in the light of His holiness and love.

And now we come to two other exhortations that also hit most of us very hard: ‘Not each having the eye on the interests of themselves, but each on the interests of others also.’ In our ordinary English Bible we read: ‘Look not every man on his own things’, etc. The word translated ‘look’ does have this meaning, but it is not the ordinary word for ‘look’; it comes from a word meaning a mark on which to fix the eye. In the third chapter of our epistle we get the word itself translated ‘mark’ (v. 14). We find the same word as in verse 4 also in 2 Corinthians 4:18, which Mr Kelly excellently translates: ‘While we have the eye, not on the things that are seen, etc.’ So we have used the same translation here; and I hope it brings home to us more forcibly the urgency of this exhortation.

In the Greek New Testament there is no word for ‘interests’ in either place: only the article ‘the’, in the plural; and we have to fill in what the Spirit means us to understand: and that may have a very wide application. The Authorised Version uses ‘things’. Mr Darby uses ‘qualities’ or, in a note, ‘advantages’. I suppose the word ‘interests’ means the things that interest us. We sometimes see: ‘A mind at leisure from itself, to soothe and sympathise’. What a lovely sight it is, and how refreshing to find one who is so free from looking at his own interests, that he can regard and care for the interests of others. How it warms the heart and draws us close together. But, sad to say, most of us are too busy with our own affairs to have very much regard for the interests of others. ‘Each’ in both places is plural. May the Lord Himself teach us these blessed truths we have just been pondering. ‘The more we cleave to Christ, and are taught of the Spirit, the more shall we be of one mind in the Lord, not agreeing after the fashion of men, but taught by the one Book, we shall grow into oneness of mind and judgment in all things. This is the way to bring about true unity, ‘and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you’ (3:15)’.

The next statement in verse 4 does mean that, "Look not every man on his own qualities", as it could be rendered, "but every man also on the qualities of others". If we fixed our eyes on the spiritual qualities of a person, Christ shining out in that vessel, it would then become comparatively easy to esteem another as better than oneself.

(Vv. 3, 4). Having exposed the root of all discord, the Apostle sets before us the true Christian spirit whereby unity can alone be preserved among the people of God. He says, “In lowliness of mind each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man upon his own things (qualities), but every man also on the things (qualities) of others.” The Apostle does not speak simply of the “lowly word,” which can be uttered even to magnify self. He speaks of the lowly mind, which forgets self altogether, and thinks only of others and their good.

Then the apostle shows that the true way to promote unity is through self-effacement. He says, "In lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own qualities, but every man also on those of others" (Phil. 2: 3, 4). The lowly mind does not think of self at all, but only of the good of others. Naturally we find it difficult to lose sight of ourselves and think only of others in love, for the tendency with us all is to attach a certain importance to ourselves. It is easy to assume a lowly manner and to use lowly words; the real difficulty is to have the lowly mind.

To escape this danger, how needful the exhortation that, "in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." We can only carry out this exhortation as we look away from ourselves and our own good qualities to those of others. The passage is not speaking of gifts, but the moral qualities that should mark all saints. Moreover, it contemplates saints living in a right moral condition. If a brother is going on with evil, I am not exhorted to esteem him more highly than myself if I am living rightly. But amongst saints living a right, normal Christian life it is easy for each of us to esteem others better than ourselves, if we are near to the Lord; for in His presence, however correct the outward life before others, we discover the hidden evils of the flesh, and see how many are our defects, and what poor things we are before Him, and in comparison with Him. Looking at our brother, we cannot see the hidden defects, but rather the good qualities that the grace of Christ has given him. This surely would keep us humble and enable us each to "esteem other better than themselves"; and we should be delivered from a spirit of vainglory that leads to strife and breaks up the unity of the saints. It is evident, then, that true unity amongst the Lord's people is not brought about by any compromise at the expense of truth, but by each one being in a right moral condition before the Lord, set forth by the lowly mind.

We all feel at once how desirable a thing this is. If we have any knowledge of ourselves and of the state of affairs generally among the people of God, we know that it is to all appearance an impossible thing. Yet there is a way by which it may be achieved, and verses 3 and 4 of chapter 2 show us that way. Nothing is to be done in the spirit of contention or vainglory, but everything in that lowliness of mind which leads one to esteem others above themselves and consider the things of others and not only the things of self. The ‘one mind’ of verse 2 is certainly to be achieved if the lowly mind of verse 3 is produced in us all. A difficulty, however, would still be felt if the lowly mind were to us only an abstract conception. We want it to be a living reality before our eyes, and we have it thus in Christ Jesus. If there is to be only one mind, whose mind is that one mind to be? — ‘Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus’ (v. 5).

It is one thing to indulge a fleshly dependence upon an instrument of God, quite another to have the same interests with him, so as to be knit more closely than ever in the time of sorrow. This was fellowship indeed, as far as it went; and it did go far, but not so far as the Apostle desired for them. He thought of their things, not of his merely; and accordingly, he now gives them another word: "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." If they loved him so much, why not love each other more than they did? Why so occupied with their own thoughts?

This egotism was another fertile source of evil. We all know that we are apt to value qualities which we possess ourselves and to slight those of others. This is unjudged nature; for, where there is power of love, it works in a direction quite the contrary. There would be the consciousness of how weak and unworthy we are, and the little use we make of what God gives us; there would be the valuing of what we see in another, that we have not got ourselves. How good for the Church to have all this and far more!