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.
- ἢ: 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.