Grammatical Dissection: A Prohibition and Its Antidote

Μηδὲν κατὰ ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν, ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν (Philippians 2:3)

Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but in humility considering one another as surpassing yourselves.

Negative Exhortation: μηδὲν κατὰ ἐριθείαν ἢ κενοδοξίαν

  • μηδὲν: Accusative singular neuter of μηδείς, functioning adverbially — “nothing.” This modifies the understood verb (from v.2), likely “do” or “think.”
  • κατὰ: Preposition with accusative — “according to,” expressing motivation or manner.
  • ἐριθείαν: Accusative singular feminine — “selfish ambition,” “factiousness,” often connoting rivalry or party spirit.
  • : Disjunctive conjunction — “or.”
  • κενοδοξίαν: Accusative singular feminine — “vain glory,” “empty pride,” combining κενός (“empty”) and δόξα (“glory”).

Translation: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory…”

Positive Exhortation: ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ

  • ἀλλὰ: Strong contrastive conjunction — “but.”
  • τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ: Dative singular feminine — “with humility,” or “in humility of mind.” Instrumental dative, indicating the attitude or means by which the action should occur.

Translation: “but with humility…”

Participial Clause: ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν

  • ἀλλήλους: Accusative plural reciprocal pronoun — “one another.”
  • ἡγούμενοι: Present middle participle, nominative plural masculine of ἡγέομαι — “considering,” “regarding,” “esteeming.”
  • ὑπερέχοντας: Present active participle, accusative plural masculine of ὑπερέχω — “being superior,” “excelling,” “having advantage.”
  • ἑαυτῶν: Genitive plural reflexive pronoun — “than yourselves.” Used here after a comparative participle.

Translation: “regarding one another as more important than yourselves.”

The Grammar of Gospel-Formed Humility

Paul’s appeal here forms the heart of Christian community ethics. He begins with a dual prohibition: don’t operate out of ἐριθεία (“rivalry”) or κενοδοξία (“vain pride”). Both terms imply a self-first orientation — one driven by comparison, the other by illusion. Greek philosophers also used these terms, but Paul reframes them with a Christ-centered antidote.

The contrastive clause, marked by ἀλλὰ, is grammatically elegant and theologically profound: humility (ταπεινοφροσύνη) is not self-hate but the estimation of others as weightier. The participle ἡγούμενοι implies a mental process — to count or deem something. This estimation isn’t based on social status, merit, or worth, but on a radical internal reorientation. It anticipates the Christ hymn that follows in verses 6–11, where Christ himself models this path.

Thus, the syntax of this verse reflects a kind of paradoxical math: by counting others as greater, the body becomes whole. The grammar here serves the theology — participles shape attitude, and dative case frames the spirit in which everything must be done: humility, not ego.

Grammar That Bows

The syntax of Philippians 2:3 isn’t just a linguistic structure—it’s a discipleship map. No rivalry. No self-glory. A mindset shaped by the humility of Christ. In this one sentence, Paul’s Greek conveys a heart posture that builds up the community by lowering the self. And as Philippians 2 will soon show, this humility is not a human invention—it is the very mindset of the crucified and exalted Messiah.

About Advanced Greek Grammar

Mastering Advanced New Testament Greek Grammar – A comprehensive guide for serious students. Beyond basic vocabulary and morphology, advanced grammar provides the tools to discern nuanced syntactic constructions, rhetorical techniques, and stylistic variations that shape theological meaning and authorial intent. It enables readers to appreciate textual subtleties such as aspectual force, discourse structuring, and pragmatic emphases—insights often obscured in translation. For those engaging in exegesis, theology, or textual criticism, advanced Greek grammar is indispensable for navigating the complex interplay between language, context, and interpretation in the New Testament.
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