King's Business - 1916-02

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THE KING ’S BUSINESS

be ye like minded” (R. V. “be o f the same mind” ) do not refer to mere unity of opinion, but unity o f purpose and affection as well. The words further down, “ being o f one accord,” translated literally would be “being souled together.” Paul multi­ plies expressions in his description o f true Christian unity. There should be the most complete unity among believers, o f thought, purpose, affection, love, and soul. vs. 3, 4. “Let nothing be done ( doing nothing) through strife ( faction) or (add, through) vainglory, but in lowliness of min/l let each esteem other better than themselves ( each counting other better than, himself). Look not every man on his own things ( not looking each o f you to his own things), but look*every man also on ( but each o f you also to) the things of others.” The word “nothing” is very emphatic in the original .by its position and also by its exact meaning, “ not one thing.” We should not do one single thing through faction or through vainglory. W e should do, everything out o f love and do nothing that love does not permit and prompt. If these words o f Paul had been followed in the church how many church quarrels and divisions would have been avoided. So far from doing one single thing in party- spirit or vainglory, in “lowliness o f mind,” each one o f us should count others as hold­ ing over, or having superior rights to, ours; i. e., each one o f us should put the rights o f other people before our own. Further­ more, each one o f us should not “look to,” (i. e., regard with interest and favor) our own things alone, but we should look equally to the things o f others, i. e., we should have the same regard for the inter­ ests o f others as we have for our own interests. In forming our plans and in carrying out our purposes we should never forget that “ there are others.” vs. 5-8. "Let this mind be in you (Have this mind in you), which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God ( counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,) but made Himself of no reputation (omit,

Himself) and took upon Him ( taking upon Him) the form of a servant, and was made ( being made) in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He hum­ bled Himself, and became ( becoming ) obedient (add, even) unto death, even (yea), the death of the. cross.” These are among the most wonderful words to be found in the Bible, They contain on the one side a statement o f the profoundest truth about the mystery o f our Saviour’s Person, His eternal Deity, and on the other hand a statement most amazing o f the depths o f , His self-humiliation. Yet Paul brings these stupendous truths in simply to enforce the homeliest duties o f' every­ day life. The “mind which was in Christ Jesus” was not some theoretical opinion, but a purpose, an all-governing purpose, a purpose to choose the lowest depths o f humiliation rather than equality with God. While it is important that we hold the same opinions that Jesus did, it is even more important that we have' the same purpose that He had—the purpose that is set forth so wonderfully here. Paul here speaks o f Him as “ Christ Jesus,” even though he is about to speak o f Him in His pre-existent Divine glory, and he thus teaches that the person who chose to give up His Divine glory is identically the same person who by His incarnation became the historical Jesus and who was the “anointed” o f God—the Messiah. Two choices were before Jesus as' He existed in the'eternal glory: the one choice was Divine glory, full equality with God. The other choice was death, death not on ly .as a man, but death as one under a curse, death on the cross (Gal. 3:13)—and He chose the latter. This is the one sublime illustration o f self- sacrifice, and this is the mind that we should have in us. The word translated “form” in verse 6 means ‘‘the outward form by which anything strikes the eye, and which thus reveals the inward reality or fact.” The thought then is that our Lord Jesus in His pre-existent state (cf. John 1:1, 2 ; Micah 5 :2 ; John 8:58) existed in such an outward, visible form that the angelic world b y ‘His very appearance saw

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