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what was paul's experience with rivalry and conceit in his own ministry or the early church?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Philippians 2:3-4

“Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Don’t look each of you to your own interests, but each of you also to the interests of others.”

Paul wrote this letter to the church in Philippi, a Roman colony, likely from prison in Rome around 60-62 CE. He was encouraging unity and humility among the believers, using Christ's example as the ultimate model for selfless service.

How might cultivating genuine humility reframe our approach to our own ambitions and interactions with others?

Then — the setting

Paul wrote Philippians to a fledgling church in Philippi, a Roman colony. This community, while generally affectionate towards Paul, was not immune to the internal stresses common in early Christian groups, including potential status rivalries or personal ambition among leaders or members. The Greco-Roman world prized honor, status, and competitive excellence, values that could easily infiltrate a new community, causing friction. Paul's exhortation here directly counters these societal norms, urging them towards a counter-cultural humility modeled on Jesus. His own ministry was often plagued by those who preached from 'rivalry and conceit' (Philippians 1:15), aiming to undermine his authority or message, and he frequently had to defend his apostolic legitimacy against such challenges.

Across the Testaments

This passage is in the New Testament, and it directly builds on Old Testament wisdom concerning pride and humility. Proverbs, for instance, frequently warns against pride (e.g., Proverbs 16:18, 'Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall') and extols humility. However, the New Testament, especially through Jesus's life and teaching, elevates humility to a new paradigm. Jesus's incarnation, his willingness to 'empty himself,' and his suffering are presented as the ultimate acts of self-sacrificial love and humility (Philippians 2:5-8). While the Old Testament values humility, the New Testament frames it through the radical example of God becoming human and serving to the point of death.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Romans 12:3
Paul cautions against thinking too highly of oneself, emphasizing sober judgment.
Galatians 5:26
Paul warns against becoming conceited, provoking one another, and envying one another.
James 4:1-3
James links quarrels and conflicts among believers to desires and selfish motives.

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