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Philippians 2:5

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2:5, ESV)
The word that is translated as "mind" comes form the word for the diaphragm or the midriff. If you think about this from the perspective of this time period and from a consideration of your own body, then you will understand this word. You might say, "Have your center be this way..."

Thayer's Greek dictionary defines this word this way, "...to have understanding, be wise ...to feel, to think ...to direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for."  It is easy to understand that the translators chose to use the word "mind," while other translators have used the word "attitude."  Thayer's goes on to add this to its definition, "...to be of the same mind i.e. agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious."

The point here is that a church ought to be, each looking out for each other. Bearing one another's burdens, loving one another, caring for one another, forgiving one another, and comforting one another. The key to having this mind or attitude is that it is our in Christ Jesus. We will look to Him and see this demonstrated to perfection.

In D.A. Carson's commentary on Philippians, he uses the following quote to exemplify the difficulty of putting others before oneself:

"It takes more grace than I can tell, to play the second fiddle well."



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