Historic pastoral reading
Honesty matters. Self as the measure of truth does not.
Philippians 2:3-4
To thine own self be true.
The text
WEB
3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
KJV
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
What kind of text
- Letter
- From prison
- Humility
Paul points the church toward humility, not self-loyalty as the highest rule.
How Christians have read this
Common misuse
Quoted in churches as if it were Solomon or Paul.
What the next verse does
Verse 5: have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
Older commentary
Matthew Henry
Henry on Philippians 2:3-4: in lowliness count others better than yourselves.
Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon would have named Shakespeare, then pointed to the mind of Christ.