What does Paul mean when saying, “which is yours in Christ Jesus”?

Explanation:

Paul calls the Philippians to consider the needs of others, and then explains that they ought to have this mind, which is in Christ Jesus. What is interesting about Philippians 2:5b is that it is an elliptical phrase, which means that it is missing the verb. Of course, we can determine which verb ought to be supplied by looking at the overall grammar of Philippians 2:5.

The verse comprises two clauses. The first clause begins with the demonstrative this. That the clause begins with this suggests that this refers back to what Paul wrote previously (Philippians 2:3–4).⁴ The demonstrative is followed by the imperative form of to reason. Thus, Paul is saying, Think this, which harkens back to Philippians 2:2 where he uses the same verb to reason. So, Paul is saying, This mindset (that I have just described), have among yourselves.⁵ He then qualifies the first clause with the follow-up clause, which also in Christ Jesus. This subordinate clause opens with a relative pronoun (which), pointing back to this, which we have already seen points back to Philippians 2:2–4. Thus, what Paul is saying is that this mindset is also in Christ Jesus.⁶

Counterargument:

Unfortunately, this grammatical argument allows for some ambiguity that implies a different interpretation. For this argument contends that the subordinate clause, which also in Christ Jesus, opens with a relative pronoun that has as its antecedent this mind. This is fine as far as it goes, except what Paul might be saying is not, This mindset which I have just described was also Christ’s mindset. Rather, he may be saying, This mindset that I have just described is a mindset you have in Christ Jesus.⁷ In other words, that the relative pronoun points back to this mindset does not favour the above interpretation, for it leaves open this alternative interpretation. What is important here is how to understand the elliptical phrase by identifying the right verb that Paul omits. And in fact, it is more likely that the omitted verb is to reason than to be.⁸ For the verb to reason is used in the main clause, so we should expect that it is the verb that is supplied to the subordinate clause.⁹

Response to counterargument:

There are two problems with this counterargument. First, while the antecedent of the relative pronoun (have this mindset) may leave some ambiguity, the conjunction and favours the notion that Paul has in mind that Jesus has the same mindset. That is, Paul points to this mindset that he wrote about previously, he then writes which καὶ in Christ Jesus. This counterargument asks us to take it that καὶ (and) should be translated is yours, but the word is not a possessive pronoun; it is a conjunction, so we should take it as such. Second, elliptical phrases do not need to carry the verb from the main clause. Rather, we determine the omitted verb based not on the verb of the main clause but on the context.

Explanation:

The verses that follow Philippians 2:5 strongly suggest that when Paul says the Philippians ought to have this mind which also in Christ Jesus, he means which is also in Christ Jesus. We can deduce this because after saying this, Paul describes how Jesus was in the form of God but humbled himself by taking the form of a servant and becoming obedient even unto death (Philippians 2:6–8). In other words, Paul explains how Jesus embodied the humble mindset he encourages the Philippians to take on in Philippians 2:2–4. That is, he explains that this mindset…which is also in Christ Jesus, who embodied this mindset by becoming a servant, etc.

Counterargument:

In fact, Paul may be explaining that since the Philippians are empowered by Christ Jesus, who although in the form of God humbled himself as a servant, so the Philippians have the capacity from Christ to be humble toward each other. In other words, the subordinate clause which also in Christ Jesus likely means that the Philippians have this mindset as those who are in Christ Jesus, who emptied himself as a servant. Thus, Paul uses the example of Christ to convince them that by being in the power of Christ, they have the capacity to serve each other.

Response to counterargument:

The problem with this counterargument is that it does not make the most sense of Paul’s train of thought. If Paul is saying that Philippians should have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, then it makes good sense for him to follow up this comment with an example of how Jesus embodies the mindset of humbleness. On the other hand, if Paul is telling the Philippians that they have this mindset in Christ Jesus, we would expect him to follow this up with an explanation of Christ’s power so that when the Philippians are in the sphere of Christ, they are enabled to live humbly. In other words, if the counterargument is right, we do not expect Paul to offer Jesus as an example but as a source of spiritual recreation.

It is hard to see what the weakness of this view might be. One plausible weakness is that in Christ is often used as a term for Paul to refer to being a member of of Christ. Still, that Paul often uses in Christ as a technical term does not mean that he always does.

Explanation:

Paul says the Philippians ought to consider the needs of others. He then says they ought to think this way which also in Christ Jesus. This phrase from Paul is elliptical, which means that it is missing a verb. So what verb has Paul omitted that we should infer based on the context? The first important aspect to notice is the phrase in Christ Jesus is a technical phrase in Paul’s thinking that denotes being in the sphere of Christ, or a member of the body of Christ.¹⁵ Second, we notice in Philippians 4:2 that Paul uses the same verb to reason that Paul uses in the main clause to entreat Euodia and Syntyche to agree. And more importantly he calls them to agree in the Lord. Putting together the fact that in Christ is a technical phrase having to do with being joined to Christ, and the fact that Paul calls Euodia and Syntyche to agree in the Lord, we can deduce which verb ought to be supplied in the elliptical phrase. Specifically, the verb to reason ought to be supplied so that Paul means the following: Think this way…the way you think in Christ Jesus.

Counterargument:

While it is true that the phrase in Christ Jesus can be a technical term referring to being a member of the body of Christ, it can also be used in other ways. One author notes that the preposition ἐν (in) is the workhorse of prepositions in the New Testament, occurring more frequently and in more varied situations than any other.¹⁶ For example, the preposition could refer to the fact that this mindset, that is, the mindset laid out in Philippians 2:2–4, was in Christ Jesus. So the preposition could be used in a technical or non-technical sense by Paul. Added to this, the above interpretation does not adequately deal with the conjunction καί (and). For Paul says that this mindset, which καί (and) ἐν Christ Jesus. Καί is normally used as a connector, which we translate and or also.¹⁷ Thus, it is not clear what role the term plays in the sentence if we take Paul to mean this mindset, which is the mindset you have in Christ Jesus.

Explanation:

When Paul calls the Philippians to have this mindset, which also in Christ Jesus, he likely means they ought to have the mindset they have in Jesus Christ, toward one another. We should take Paul to mean this because Philippians 2:5 is about moral behaviour, motivated by the fact that believers are empowered by Christ, not by the fact that they follow Christ’s example.¹⁸ In other words, believers can treat others as more significant than themselves when they are empowered by Christ to live correctly.

Counterargument:

In fact, while believers are motivated by Christ’s empowerment, it is also the case that believers are motivated by Christ’s example. For instance, in 2 Corinthians 8:7–8, Paul calls the Corinthians to excel in love for each other in acts of grace. He then uses the example of Christ, who, although rich, became poor so that believers might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).¹⁹ Thus, Paul uses the example of Christ to motivate his readers. He does the same in Ephesians 5:1–2 where he calls the Ephesians to be imitators of God, and to walk in love, as Christ gave himself up as a fragrant offering to God.

The one weakness of this view is that it cannot account for the conjunction καί (and). Without the conjunction, this interpretation is plausible. As it stands, there is a conjunction, and this interpretation is not able to make sense of it.