Session 3: The Mind of Christ

3.1 The Grounding for Unity: The “Ifs” of Christian Experience

Paul kicks off this section with a series of four “if” clauses that aren’t really “ifs” at all. It’s a bit like saying, “If the sky is blue and water is wet...” He’s not wondering if these things are true; he’s reminding them of what they already possess: “If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion...”.

His point is simple: “Since you have all these amazing spiritual realities in common, then live like it!” His plea is that they “make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind”. He’s arguing that their outward unity should just be a reflection of their inward, spiritual union. They already have all the resources they need for a deep, healthy community.

3.2 The Enemy of Unity: Rivalry and Conceit

If they have the resources, what’s getting in the way? Paul puts his finger on the two things that kill community faster than anything else: “rivalry” and “conceit”. “Rivalry” is that selfish ambition that’s always trying to get ahead. “Conceit” is what the Greeks called “vainglory” or “empty glory”—it’s being addicted to the approval and praise of others. Both of these attitudes put the self at the center, and they are poison to real fellowship.

The antidote? A radical re-shuffling of the deck. “In humility,” he commands, “each counting others better than himself”. This doesn’t mean having low self-esteem or pretending you don’t have any gifts. It’s the active, conscious choice to consider the needs of others as more important than your own. It’s a mindset that asks, “How can I serve you?” before it asks, “What’s in it for me?”

3.3 The Paradigm of Humility: The Christ Hymn

What Paul does next is brilliant. To fix their very practical problem of disunity, he doesn’t give them a five-step plan for conflict resolution. He gives them a song. He lifts their eyes from their own squabbles to the most stunning story of humility the universe has ever known. This section is widely believed to be an early Christian hymn, and it’s presented as the ultimate model for their lives: “Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus”.

The hymn tells the story of Jesus in two movements: down, and then up.
First, the Humiliation: The story starts in eternity. Christ was “existing in the form of God,” meaning He shared the very essence of God’s nature. He had full equality with God. But unlike Adam, who grasped for equality with God in the Garden, Jesus “didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.” He didn’t cling to his divine rights and privileges.

Instead, he “emptied himself”. This is the famous idea of kenosis. So what did he empty himself of? Not his divinity. He never stopped being God. It’s more like a king who willingly sets aside his crown and royal robes to live as a humble peasant, all without ceasing to be the king. He veiled his glory and accepted the genuine limitations of being human. And he didn’t stop there. He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death—yes, the death of the cross, the most shameful, agonizing death imaginable.
Then, the Exaltation: Because of this radical, willing humiliation, “Therefore God also highly exalted him”. The path down led to the highest place of honor. God the Father lifts the Son to the supreme place of glory and gives him “the name which is above every name.”

This has a cosmic result: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow... and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. The final destiny of the universe is the universal worship of the humbled-and-exalted Jesus.

This incredible hymn isn’t a theological detour; it’s Paul’s master plan for fixing the church. The problem was rivalry and conceit. His solution is to show them Jesus. The logic is overwhelming: if the eternally glorious Son of God was willing to do all that for others, how can we possibly cling to our petty pride and personal agendas? The story of Jesus is both the model for us to follow and the motivation that makes it possible.

Reflection & Discussion

• In what practical, everyday situations can you “count others better than” yourself this week—at home, at work, or at church?
• How does the story of Christ’s self-emptying (kenosis) challenge our culture’s ideas about success, power, and getting ahead?
• The hymn ends with the future reality that every knee will bow to Jesus. How does remembering this ultimate outcome change how we should handle conflicts today?

Lyrics