Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.
Parallel Translations
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Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits.
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Be of lyke affeccion one towardes another. Be not hye mided: but make youreselves equall to the of the lower sorte. Be not wyse in youre awne opinions.
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Be of like affection one towardes another: be not hie minded: but make your selues equall to them of the lower sort: be not wise in your selues.
Cross-references (45)
Passages linked to Romans 12:16 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tenderhearted, courteous,
- Proverbs 3:7 Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
- James 3:13-17 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
- Philippians 2:2-3 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself;
- Romans 12:3 For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.
- Hebrews 13:5 Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool, that he may become wise.
- Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
- Romans 15:5 Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
- 1 Corinthians 8:2 But if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he doesn’t yet know as he ought to know.
- Matthew 18:1-4 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the middle of them, and said, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn, and become as little children, you will in no way enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Luke 14:13 But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind;
- Psalms 131:1-2 Yahweh, my heart isn’t arrogant, nor my eyes lofty; nor do I concern myself with great matters, or things too wonderful for me. Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
- Matthew 6:25-26 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?
- Luke 6:20 He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.
- Luke 22:24-27 A dispute also arose among them, which of them was considered to be greatest. He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves. For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
- 2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
- Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak because of lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
- Job 31:13-16 “If I have despised the cause of my male servant or of my female servant, when they contended with me, what then will I do when God rises up? When he visits, what will I answer him? Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him? Didn’t one fashion us in the womb? “If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
- Proverbs 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- Romans 11:25 For I don’t desire you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you won’t be wise in your own conceits, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in,
- 1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You have honor, but we have dishonor.
- 1 Corinthians 6:5 I say this to move you to shame. Isn’t there even one wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers?
- 1 Timothy 6:6-9 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.
- Job 36:5 “Behold, God is mighty, and doesn’t despise anyone. He is mighty in strength of understanding.
- Proverbs 19:17 He who has pity on the poor lends to Yahweh; he will reward him.
- Jeremiah 45:5 Do you seek great things for yourself? Don’t seek them; for, behold, I will bring evil on all flesh,’ says Yahweh; ‘but I will let you escape with your life wherever you go.’ ”
- Matthew 11:5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.
- Matthew 20:21-28 He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers. But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant, even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Luke 4:6-11 The devil said to him, “I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want. If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’ ” He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
- Philippians 3:16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.
- 1 Peter 5:3 not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.
- Proverbs 17:5 Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.
- Proverbs 19:7 All the relatives of the poor shun him: how much more do his friends avoid him! He pursues them with pleas, but they are gone.
- Proverbs 19:22 That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than a liar.
- Matthew 26:11 For you always have the poor with you; but you don’t always have me.
- Philippians 4:2 I exhort Euodia, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same way in the Lord.
- James 2:5-6 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?
- Acts 4:32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
- 3 John 1:9 I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
- 2 Chronicles 30:12 Also the hand of God came on Judah to give them one heart, to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by Yahweh’s word.
- Jeremiah 32:39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their good, and the good of their children after them.
- Romans 6:2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?
- 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beg you, brothers, through the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
- Philippians 1:27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (20 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 16. Not thinking arrogantly of yourselves, etc. The Apostle…
16. Not thinking arrogantly of yourselves, etc. The Apostle employs words in Greek more significant, and more suitable to the antithesis, “Not thinking,” he says, “of high things:” by which he means, that it is not the part of a Christian ambitiously to aspire to those things by which he may excel others, nor to assume a lofty appearance, but on the contrary to exercise humility and meekness: for by these we excel before the Lord, and not by pride and contempt of the brethren. A precept is fitly added to the preceding; for nothing tends more to break that unity which has been mentioned, than when we elevate ourselves, and aspire to something higher, so that we may rise to a higher situation. I take the term humble in the neuter gender, to complete the antithesis.
Here then is condemned all ambition and that elation of mind which insinuates itself under the name of magnanimity; for the chief virtue of the faithful is moderation, or rather lowliness of mind, which ever prefers to give honor to others, rather than to take it away from them.
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Closely allied to this is what is subjoined: for nothing swells the minds of men so much as a high notion of their own wisdom. His desire then was, that we should lay this aside, hear others, and regard their counsels. Erasmus has rendered φρονίμους, arrogantes — arrogant; but the rendering is strained and frigid; for Paul would in this case repeat the same word without any meaning. However, the most appropriate remedy for curing arrogance is, that man should not be over-wise in his own esteem.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Be not puffed up, with opinion of your own…
Be not puffed up, with opinion of your own wisdom.
There is nothing that doth so much break concord as ambition, when as every man loatheth a base estate, and seeketh ambitiously to be aloft.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 16 Be of the same mind one toward another.…
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Ver. 16. Be of the same] This verse had been easy had not interpreters obscured it, as Origen observeth.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Be of the same mind one toward another: this…
Be of the same mind one toward another: this exhortation respects not so much unity in judgment, as in affection: q.d. Bear the same good respect to others, as others bear to thee; let there be a mutual agreement in your desires and good wishes one for another: see Rom 15:5; Phi 2:2; 1Pe 3:8.
Mind not high things; i.e. things above your capacities and callings. Take heed of ambitious aspirings: remember what David said (one every way above you) in Psa 131:1.
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Condescend to men of low estate: the word low only is in the Greek; the other words are put in by our translators: and it may be referred, either to things, and so it answers to high things, in the foregoing clause; or it may be referred to persons, according to our translation; and then the sense is, that we should not despise our poor brethren, but stoop to the lowest offices of Christian kindness.
Be not wise in your own conceits; this seems to be taken from Pro 3:7; see Rom 12:3.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
William Burkitt 1703 · Public Domain These words, be ye of the same mind one…
These words, be ye of the same mind one towards another, are an exhortation to unity among Christians. This is threefold; an unity of the head, or an unity of judgment and opinion; an unity of the heart, or an unity in love and affection; and an unity of the tongue, which is an unity of expression.
Happy we! when in all these respects we are of the same mind one towards another.
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Observe next, The hindrances of mutual concord and unity among Christians: and they are two,
1. Price, Mind not high things. 2. Arrogancy, Be not wise in your own conceits.
Mind not high things; that is, mind not preferment, nor riches, nor vain-glory, but be content with and thankful for a middle state and condition in the world; which is far more eligible and desirable than a state of riches, plenty, and abundance, as being less liable to temptations.
And be not wise in your own conceits; that is, entertain humble thoughts of your own knowledge, think it not greater than it is; take heed of an over-weening opinion of your own wisdom, as if you wanted neither divine assistance and guidance, nor yet the advice and counsel of your brethren. Man is naturally a proud creature; but more proud of the endowments of his mind, than of those that adorn his body.
William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Be of the same mind one towards another,.... Which…
Be of the same mind one towards another,.... Which is not to be understood of the sameness of their judgment, or of their agreement in sentiments, espousing the same doctrines, observing the same ordinances, and in the same manner, and attending to the same form of discipline; but of their having the same love, and being of the same accord and affection to one another, entertaining the same good opinion, or a better, of others than of themselves; and so the Syriac version renders the passage, "what ye think of yourselves, think also of your brethren": think of one another, as equally interested in the love of God, redeemed by the blood of Christ, blessed with the same spiritual blessings in him, and called in the same hope of your calling; and do not think of one another, as being one richer or wiser than another, do not value yourselves upon that:
mind not high things; be not highminded, do not think too highly of yourselves, and despise others; meddle not with, nor grasp at things too high for you, that are out of your reach, and beyond your capacity; nor seek great things for yourselves, as riches, honours, &c. nor covet great company:
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but condescend to men of low estate; or "to low things"; be content with mean and low things in life, and disdain not to take notice of and converse with, men in a low condition, whether in things temporal or spiritual; who may be poor in this world, be very ignorant and illiterate, as to general knowledge and learning; be men of mean parts and abilities, of very small gifts, and be weak in faith and experience; condescend to their weaknesses, bear their infirmities, and become all things to them for their good, and God's glory: consider the apostle is writing to citizens of Rome, who might be tempted to look upon themselves above others, and to look disdainfully upon others, as citizens too often do on country people, as if they were below them, as persons of low life to them:
be not wise in your own conceits; see Pro 3:7. This is attended with bad consequences, spoils a man's usefulness, prevents his improvement in knowledge, tempts him to reject all counsel and advice given him, and to treat his fellow creatures and Christians with haughtiness and insolence, and exposes him to the scorn and contempt of men: or "be not wise by or with yourselves"; imagining you have all the wisdom, and others have none; or keeping it to yourselves, what wisdom you have communicate it to others; the Ethiopic version reads, "say not, we are wise"; see Job 12:2.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Mind not high things - Desire not riches, honour,…
Mind not high things - Desire not riches, honour, or the company of the great.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 16. Be of the same mind] Live in…
Verse 16. Be of the same mind] Live in a state of continual harmony and concord, and pray for the same good for all which you desire for yourselves.
Mind not high things] Be not ambitious; affect nothing above your station; do not court the rich nor the powerful; do not pass by the poor man to pay your court to the great man; do not affect titles or worldly distinctions; much less sacrifice your conscience for them. The attachment to high things and high men is the vice of little, shallow minds. However, it argues one important fact, that such persons are conscious that they are of no worth and of no consequence in THEMSELVES, and they seek to render themselves observable and to gain a little credit by their endeavours to associate themselves with men of rank and fortune, and if possible to get into honourable employments; and, if this cannot be attained, they affect honourable TITLES.
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But condescend to men of low estate.] Be a companion of the humble, and pass through life with as little noise and show as possible. Let the poor, godly man be your chief companion; and learn from his humility and piety to be humble and godly. The term συναπαγομενοι, which we translate condescend, from συν, together, and απαγω, to lead, signifies to be led, carried, or dragged away to prison with another; and points out the state in which the primitive Christians were despised and rejected of men, and often led forth to prison and death. False or man-pleasing professors would endeavour to escape all this disgrace and danger by getting into the favour of the great, the worldly, and the irreligious. There have not been wanting, in all ages of the Church, persons who, losing the savour of Divine things from their own souls by drinking into a worldly spirit, have endeavoured to shun the reproach of the cross by renouncing the company of the godly, speaking evil of the way of life, and perhaps sitting down in the chair of the scorner with apostates like themselves. And yet, strange to tell, these men will keep up a form of godliness! for a decent outside is often necessary to enable them to secure the ends of their ambition.
Be not wise in your own conceits.] Be not puffed up with an opinion of your own consequence; for this will prove that the consequence itself is imaginary. Be not wise, παρ εαυτοις, by yourselves-do not suppose that wisdom and discernment dwell alone with you. Believe that you stand in need both of help and instruction from others.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Be of the same mind ... - This passage…
Be of the same mind ... - This passage has been variously interpreted. “Enter into each other’s circumstances, in order to see how you would yourself feel.” Chrysostom. “Be agreed in your opinions and views.” Stuart. “Be united or agreed with each other.” Flatt; compare Phi 2:2; 2Co 13:11. A literal translation of the Greek will give somewhat a different sense, but one evidently correct. “Think of, that is, regard, or seek after the same thing for each other; that is, what you regard or seek for yourself, seek also for your brethren. Do not have divided interests; do not be pursuing different ends and aims; do not indulge counter plans and purposes; and do not seek honors, offices, for yourself which you do not seek for your brethren, so that you may still regard yourselves as brethren on a level, and aim at the same object.” The Syriac has well rendered the passage: “And what you think concerning yourselves, the same also think concerning your brethren; neither think with an elevated or ambitious mind, but accommodate yourselves to those who are of humbler condition;” compare 1Pe 3:8.
Mind not high things - Greek, Not thinking of high things. That is, not seeking them, or aspiring after them. The connection shows that the apostle had in view those things which pertained to worldly offices and honors; wealth, and state, and grandeur. They were not to seek them for themselves; nor were they to court the society or the honors of the people in an elevated rank in life. Christians were commonly of the poorer ranks, and they were to seek their companions and joys there, and not to aspire to the society of the great and the rich; compare Jer 45:5, “And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not;” Luk 12:15.
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Condescend - συναπαγομενοι sunapagomenoi. Literally, “being led away by, or being conducted by.” It does not properly mean to condescend, but denotes a yielding, or being guided and led in the thoughts, feelings, plans, by humble objects. Margin, “Be contented with mean things.”
To men of low estate - In the Greek text, the word here is an adjective ταπεινοις tapeinois, and may refer either to “people” or to “things,” either in the masculine or neuter gender. The sentiment is not materially changed whichever interpretation is adopted. It means that Christians should seek the objects of interest and companionship, not among the great, the rich, and the noble, but among the humble and the obscure. They should do it because their Master did it before them; because his friends are most commonly found among those in humble life; because Christianity prompts to benevolence rather than to a fondness for pride and display; and because of the influence on the mind produced by an attempt to imitate the great, to seek the society of the rich, and to mingle with the scenes of gaiety, folly, and ambition.
Be not wise ... - Compare Isa 5:21, “Wo unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight.” See the note at Rom 11:25. The meaning is, do not trust in the conceit of your own superior skill and understanding, and refuse to hearken to the counsel of others.
In your own conceits - Greek, “Among yourselves.” Syriac, “In your own opinion.” The direction here accords with that just given, and means that they should not be elated with pride above their brethren; or be headstrong and self-confident. The tendency of religion is to produce a low estimate of our own importance and attainments.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Condescending to the humble, in the spirit of charity…
Condescending to the humble, in the spirit of charity and sweetness. See Luke ii. 48. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain of the same mind one toward another--The feeling of…
Be--"Being"
of the same mind one toward another--The feeling of the common bond which binds all Christians to each other, whatever diversity of station, cultivation, temperament, or gifts may obtain among them, is the thing here enjoined. This is next taken up in detail.
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Mind not--"not minding"
high things--that is, Cherish not ambitious or aspiring purposes and desires. As this springs from selfish severance of our own interests and objects from those of our brethren, so it is quite incompatible with the spirit inculcated in the preceding clause.
but condescend--"condescending"
to men of low estate--or (as some render the words), "inclining unto the things that be lowly." But we prefer the former.
Be not wise in your own conceits--This is just the application of the caution against high-mindedness to the estimate we form of our own mental character.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 16. Same mind—Same spirit or common feeling.
16. Same mind—Same spirit or common feeling.
High things—Literally: Not the lofty things, thinking, but to the humble things, condescending.
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Conceits—Thereby becoming opinionated and contentious.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 16. Be of the same mind] Cp. Rom_15:5; 1Pe_3:8.—Lit.…
16. Be of the same mind] Cp. Rom_15:5; 1Pe_3:8.—Lit. Thinking the same thing towards one another; “actuated by a common and well-understood feeling of mutual allowance and kindness.” (Alford.)
Mind not] The verb (on which see on Rom_8:5) is the same as that just rendered “Be of the … mind;” and doubtless refers to it: “Think kindly toward one another; and thereto think not high things.”—The “high things” would be thoughts of personal vanity, or of social, or perhaps also spiritual, pride.
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condescend] Lit. being led away with; drawn into sympathy with them.
men of low estate] So probably, better than “low things,” as some render. To sympathize with the humble was the antithesis to the having “the heart haughty and the eyes lofty.” (Psa_131:1)—The “low estate” in view was no doubt specially that of social inferiority; e.g. that of the slave. Wonderful was the work of the Gospel in bringing home this great and sacred duty, and yet without one note of revolutionary bitterness. See 1Ti_6:1-2. It is the Gospel alone which knows the full meaning of Liberté, Fraternité, Égalité.
Be not wise, &c.] Same words as Rom_11:25. Obedience to this precept would be a great help to the fulfilment of those just before and after.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (16) Be of the same mind . . .—In…
(16) Be of the same mind . . .—In every Christian community there should be that harmony which proceeds from a common object, common hopes, common desires.
Condescend to men of low estate.—Probably, on the whole, rightly translated in our version; “Let yourselves be carried on in the stream with those who are beneath yourselves in rank and station; mix with them freely; be ready to lend them a helping hand if ever they need, and do this in a simple and kindly way; do not let any social assumptions keep you at a distance.” “Accommodate yourselves,” or “condescend”—of course without any conscious idea or appearance of condescension. Another rendering would be “condescend to lowly things,” in which case the sense would be nearly equivalent to that of Keble’s well-known and beautiful lines—
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“The trivial round, the common task,
Will furnish all we ought to ask;
Room to deny ourselves, a road
To bring us daily nearer God.”
The scholar will observe that in this way of taking the passage, the Greek word for “condescend” (sunapagomenoi) has to be a little forced, or at least is not so expressive and natural as in the other. On the other hand, in the Epistles of a writer like St. Paul, it does not by any means follow that because the word for “high” is neuter that for “low estate” must be neuter too.
Be not wise in your own conceits.—Comp. Rom_11:25, and Pro_3:7. Humility is necessary to the Christian not only in his dealings with others, but also to keep his mind open and teachable. He sees his errors, and learns from them.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain Be of the same mind one towards another.
Rom_12:16
Be of the same mind one towards another.
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Unity
I. What it implies.
1. One spirit.
2. One aim.
3. One way.
II. How to secure it.
1. Suppress ambition.
2. Be condescending to inferiors.
3. Be modest in the expression of your own opinion. (J. Lyth, D.D.)
Mind not high things
I. What high things?
1. Negatively--not the highest or heavenly things (Col_3:1-2; Mat_6:33).
2. Positively--of this world (Jer_45:5). Great--
(1) Riches (Timothy 6:19);
(2) Honours;
(3) Power and place (Act_5:36);
(4) Employments;
(5) Pleasures.
II. How not mind them? Not so as--
1. To think of them (Psa_1:2).
2. To desire them (Col_3:2; Psa_73:25).
3. To hope for them.
4. To admire them (Luk_21:5-6).
5. To labour after them (Joh_6:27; Mat_6:33).
III. Why not mind them?
1. They are below you.
(1) As ye are rational creatures.
(2) As believing Christians.
2. You have higher things to mind (Php_3:20).
3. Minding of earth and heaven both is inconsistent (Mat_6:24; 1Jn_2:15). Conclusion: Mind not high things.
Consider they are--
1. Uncertain.
2. Inconstant (Pro_23:5).
3. Unsatisfying (Ecc_1:8; Ecc_4:8).
4. Dangerous (1Ti_6:10).
5. Momentary (Luk_12:20). (Bp. Beveridge.)
Mind not high things
I. The import of this prohibition. It forbids--
1. Pride.
2. Assumption.
3. Foolish ambition.
II. Its importance. These evils are--
1. Very offensive to God.
2. A source of misery to ourselves.
3. A cause of serious evil both in the Church and the world. (J. Lyth, D.D.)
Condescend to men of low estate.
Condescension
I. The conduct enjoined. A behaviour--
1. Humble.
2. Affable.
3. Condescending.
II. Its excellencies. It is--
1. Magnanimous.
2. Christlike.
III. Its importance. It is essential to the Christian character.
IV. Its motives. Differences of condition are accidental, temporal, designed to afford opportunity for the development of this spirit. (J. Lyth, D.D.)
Considerateness towards inferiors
Knowing how anxious the troops in Cabul would look for their letters, Captain (afterwards Sir Henry) Lawrence and his wife--because the Government could not afford a post-clerk!--would sit up half the night sorting them, after the multiform duties of revenue collector, engineer, commissariat officer, and paymaster, had been discharged. But this was only one instance out of many of Lawrences exquisite regard for others. (H. A. Page.)
Be not wise in your own conceits.--
I. As to rational wisdom or knowledge.
1. Of natural causes.
(1) You know not the first constitution of them (Job_38:4-6).
(2) Nor Gods present disposal of them (Act_17:28).
(3) Nor their own working and nature.
2. Future events (Jam_4:13-14.)
(1) You know not the causes that must concur to produce them.
(2) Nor whether God will set them on work or no, or hinder them (Jam_4:15; 1Co_4:19).
3. The providences of God (Psa_139:5-6).
(1) To the evil (Psa_73:3; Psa_73:22).
(2) To the good.
4. The intrigues of state (Pro_20:3).
5. The spiritual estate of others (Mat_7:1).
(1) You know not your own condition (1Co_2:11).
(2) There is no way in the world whereby to know others.
6. The interpretation of Scripture (Mar_12:24).
(1) Prophecies (Act_8:30-31).
(2) Mysteries (Rom_11:33).
(3) Difficult places (2Pe_3:15-16).
7. Determination of theological controversies.
8. Be not then wise in your own conceits.
(1) It is a sin (Isa_5:21; Pro_3:7).
(2) You are not wise (Job_11:12).
(3) This will hinder you from true wisdom (Pro_26:12).
But--
(1) Have low thoughts of your own knowledge.
(2) Labour each day to know more--
(a) Of God;
(b) Of Christ (1Co_2:2).
II. As to practical wisdom.
1. Wherein?
(1) We must not conceit ourselves to be saints (1Ti_1:15; Isa_65:5; Luk_18:11).
(2) Nor that we are holier than others.
(3) Nor that we perform duties aright.
(a) Beading the Scripture.
(b) Praying (Jam_4:3).
(c) Hearing (Act_2:37).
(d) Mediation (Php_3:20).
(4) Nor that we exercise graces aright.
(a) Repentance (2Co_7:10). We may repent of some sins, not of all: and our repentance in proportional to none of our sins.
(b) Faith. It may be only historical, or partial (Joh_1:12), or upon wrong grounds--education, not Divine testimony (1Jn_5:10), or, not on Christ only (Php_3:8-9).
(c) Love. We do not love God with all our hearts (Mat_22:37), nor constantly.
(d) Trust. It may be only for spirituals (1Pe_5:7), and not with all our heart (Pro_3:5).
(e) Thankful-nest. Not proportional to our mercies, or not for all things (1Th_5:18).
(f) Charity. It may be from wrong principles (Mat_6:1-34.), or in a wrong manner (Rom_12:8).
2. Why not thus conceited of ourselves?
(1) We know not our own hearts (Jer_17:9).
(2) We are too apt to have too high thoughts of ourselves.
(3) This will keep us from looking after true holiness.
3. Uses: Be not wise in your own conceits.
(1) Many have been mistaken (Mat_7:22).
(2) The less holy you are, the more you are apt to conceit yourselves to be so.
(3) These conceits of holiness are not consistent with true grace (Jam_4:6).
(4) Therefore, so long as you conceit yourselves to be holy, you may conclude yourselves to be sinful.
(5) You shall not be judged by your own conceits, but by the law of God.
4. Directions.
(1) Oft consult your own hearts (Psa_4:4).
(2) Compare your actions with Gods laws.
(3) Still remember what a fearful thing it is to be mistaken in a thing of this weight. (Bp. Beveridge.)
Be not wise in your own conceits
I. The conduct condemned
1. An undue estimate of ones own opinion.
2. The immodest expression of it.
II. Its prevalence. Even among Christian professors.
III. Its origin.
1. Ignorance.
2. Pride.
IV. Its impropriety.
1. It is offensive to others.
2. It destroys unity.
3. It is utterly opposed to the Spirit of Christ.
4. It exposes a man to merited humiliation. (J. Lyth, D.D.)
Be not wise in your own conceits
I. The temper described. The persistent assertions of your own--
1. Opinions.
2. Judgment.
3. Plans.
II. Its folly. It assumes--
1. That you have nothing to learn.
2. That you are incapable of error.
3. That you are wiser than everybody else.
III. Its evil.
1. It offends others.
2. Generates strife.
3. Is inconsistent with the Christian spirit. (J. Lyth, D.D.)
Self wisdom v. Divine wisdom
The text repeats the warning of 11:25, and recalls Pro_3:7. But it is not to be understood of speculative opinion. It refers to the practical prudence which guides men in business and in the ventures and contingencies of life. It might be rendered--Become not prudent by yourselves. The accepted translation is unfortunate, suggesting a sense the word never bears. Note--
I. The special danger Christians are in with respect to this prudence.
1. It is the result of a natural instinct. The general source of it is the tendency to make self the measure and end of everything. The selfish man is short-sighted and self-opiniated; or he gives undue weight to the maxims of earthly prudence.
2. It is confirmed by the general opinion and practice of men. The proverbs of the world are for the most part mercenary; the moralities of heathen philosophy, so far as practical, are but a refined selfishness.
3. The nobler life of man is thereby prevented. In modern times the recognition of the independence of all nations in regard to the highest interests has been wondrously fruitful. For a man or a nation, therefore, to shut out wilfully the consideration of others, and to become prudent, merely for or by itself, is for it to lose its place in the commonwealth of knowledge, civilisation, and true progress.
4. The gravest dangers threaten within the sphere of religion. How common is the error Save yourself as a religious duty. Let us beware lest we have but exchanged the honest competition of the marketplace for a consecrated selfishness baptized with the name of Christ! The Gentile converts were in danger of despising the cast off Jews, and of thinking the grace of God was henceforth to be their own monopoly. Paul warned them against the error (Rom_11:33-36). Because of similar prejudices, missions to the heathen have been obstructed. Only when we rise to the height of this conception of Christianity can it be a perfect salvation for ourselves as individual Christians.
II. How this danger is to be averted.
1. By constant and prayerful study of the Word of God.
2. By considering the examples of holy men, especially of Christ Himself.
3. By remembering that we are all members of the body of Christ, which is His Church. The good of all men is to be sought. Each must labour towards the universal ends of Christs kingdom as a member in particular.
4. By giving heed to the voice of Gods Spirit within us. It led Peter and Paul to wider fields of usefulness. The mind of Christ will ever lead us to deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow Him. But in so doing we shall discover a Diviner wisdom. In losing our life we shall find it. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, etc. (St. John A. Frere, M.A.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 16. Be of the same mind, etc. Let there…
16. Be of the same mind, etc. Let there be harmony; a spirit of concord. Mind not high things. Do not seek for official or social distinction. Obedience to this would eliminate caste from the church. Condescend to things that are lowly. So reads the Revision. Instead of seeking pre-eminence, we are to walk in lowly spirit like our Savior. Be not wise in your own conceits. Conceited and opinionated as the result.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
William B. Godbey 1900 · Public Domain 16. “Thinking the same thing toward one another,” which…
16. “Thinking the same thing toward one another,” which only obtains when we all alike have the mind of Christ, carnality having been exterminated by the cleansing blood and the refining fire.” Thinking not high things, but condescending to the humble.” The safe place is down on the bottom, from which there is no falling. Lord, save us from the inflations of pride, vanity and egotism. “Be not wise along with yourselves,” i. e., do not be puffed up and exalted in your own estimation.
William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Alexander MacLaren 1905 · Public Domain
Romans
STILL ANOTHER TRIPLET
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Rom 12:16.
We have here again the same triple arrangement which has prevailed through a considerable portion of the context. These three exhortations are linked together by a verbal resemblance which can scarcely be preserved in translation. In the two former the same verb is employed: and in the third the word for ‘wise’ is cognate with the verb found in the other two clauses. If we are to seek for any closer connection of thought we may find it first in this-that all the three clauses deal with mental attitudes, whilst the preceding ones dealt with the expression of such; and second in this-that the first of the three is a general precept, and the second and third are warnings against faults which are most likely to interfere with it.
I. We note, the bond of peace.
‘Be of the same mind one toward another.’ It is interesting to notice how frequently the Apostle in many of his letters exhorts to mutual harmonious relations. For instance, in this very Epistle he invokes ‘the God of patience and of comfort’ to grant to the Roman Christians ‘to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,’ and to the Corinthians, who had their full share of Greek divisiveness, he writes, ‘Be of the same mind, live in peace,’ and assures them that, if so, ‘the God of love and peace will be with them’; to his beloved Philippians he pours out his heart in beseeching them by ‘the consolation that is in Christ Jesus, and the comfort of love, and the fellowship of the Spirit-’ that they would ‘fulfil his joy, that they be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind’; whilst to the two women in that Church who were at variance with one another he sends the earnest exhortation ‘to be of the same mind in the Lord,’ and prays one whom we only know by his loving designation of ‘a true yokefellow,’ to help them in what would apparently put a strain upon their Christian principle. For communities and for individuals the cherishing of the spirit of amity and concord is a condition without which there will be little progress in the Christian life.
But it is to be carefully noted that such a spirit may co-exist with great differences about other matters. It is not opposed to wide divergence of opinion, though in our imperfect sanctification it is hard for us to differ and yet to be in concord. We all know the hopelessness of attempting to make half a dozen good men think alike on any of the greater themes of the Christian religion; and if we could succeed in such a vain attempt, there would still be many an unguarded door through which could come the spirit of discord, and the half-dozen might have divergence of heart even whilst they profess identity of opinion. The true hindrances to our having ‘the same mind one toward another’ lie very much deeper in our nature than the region in which we keep our creeds. The self-regard and self-absorption, petulant dislike of fellow-Christians’ peculiarities, the indifference which comes from lack of imaginative sympathy, and which ministers to the ignorance which causes it, and a thousand other weaknesses in Christian character bring about the deplorable alienation which but too plainly marks the relation of Christian communities and of individual Christians to one another in this day. When one thinks of the actual facts in every corner of Christendom, and probes one’s own feelings, the contrast between the apostolic ideal and the Church’s realisation of it presents a contradiction so glaring that one wonders if Christian people at all believe that it is their duty ‘to be of the same mind one toward another.’
The attainment of this spirit of amity and concord ought to be a distinct object of effort, and especially in times like ours, when there is no hostile pressure driving Christian people together, but when our great social differences are free to produce a certain inevitable divergence and to check the flow of our sympathy, and when there are deep clefts of opinion, growing deeper every day, and seeming to part off Christians into camps which have little understanding of, and less sympathy with, one another. Even the strong individualism, which it is the glory of true Christian faith to foster in character, and which some forms of Christian fellowship do distinctly promote, works harm in this matter; and those who pride themselves on belonging to ‘Free churches,’ and standing apart from creed-bound and clergy-led communities, are specially called upon to see to it that they keep this exhortation, and cultivate ‘the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.’
It should not be necessary to insist that the closest mutual concord amongst all believers is but an imperfect manifestation, as all manifestations in life of the deepest principles must be, of the true oneness which binds together in the most sacred unity, and should bind together in closest friendship, all partakers of the one life. And assuredly the more that one life flows into our spirits, the less power will all the enemies of Christian concord have over us. It is the Christ in us which makes us kindred with all others in whom He is. It is self, in some form or other, that separates us from the possessors of like precious faith. When the tide is out, the little rock-pools on the shore lie separated by stretches of slimy weeds, but the great sea, when it rushes up, buries the divisions, and unites them all. Our Christian unity is unity in Christ, and the only sure way ‘to be of the same mind one toward another’ is, that ‘the mind which was in Christ Jesus be in us also.’
II. The divisive power of selfish ambition.
‘Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly.’ The contrast here drawn between the high and the lowly makes it probable that the latter as well as the former is to be taken as referring to ‘things’ rather than persons. The margin of the Revised Version gives the literal rendering of the word translated ‘condescend.’ ‘To be carried away with,’ is metaphorically equivalent to surrendering one’s self to; and the two clauses present two sides of one disposition, which seeks not for personal advancement or conspicuous work which may minister to self-gratulation, but contentedly fills the lowly sphere, and ‘the humblest duties on herself doth lay.’ We need not pause to point out that such an ideal is dead against the fashionable maxims of this generation. Personal ambition is glorified as an element in progress, and to a world which believes in such a proverb as ‘devil take the hindmost,’ these two exhortations can only seem fanatical absurdity. And yet, perhaps, if we fairly take into account how the seeking after personal advancement and conspicuous work festers the soul, and how the flower of heart’s-ease grows, as Bunyan’s shepherd-boy found out, in the lowly valley, these exhortations to a quiet performance of lowly duties and a contented filling of lowly spheres, may seem touched with a higher wisdom than is to be found in the arenas where men trample over each other in their pursuit of a fame ‘which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.’ What a peaceful world it would be, and what peaceful souls they would have, if Christian people really adopted as their own these two simple maxims. They are easy to understand, but how hard they are to follow.
It needs scarcely be noted that the temper condemned here destroys all the concord and amity which the Apostle has been urging in the previous clause. Where every man is eagerly seeking to force himself in front of his neighbour, any community will become a struggling mob; and they who are trying to outrun one another and who grasp at ‘high things,’ will never be ‘of the same mind one toward another.’ But, we may observe that the surest way to keep in check the natural selfish tendency to desire conspicuous things for ourselves is honestly, and with rigid self-control, to let ourselves be carried away by enthusiasm for humble tasks. If we would not disturb our lives and fret our hearts by ambitions that, even when gratified, bring no satisfaction, we must yield ourselves to the impulse of the continuous stream of lowly duties which runs through every life.
But, plainly as this exhortation is needful, it is too heavy a strain to be ever carried out except by the power of Christ formed in the heart. It is in His earthly life that we find the great example of the highest stooping to the lowest duties, and elevating them by taking them upon Himself. He did not ‘strive nor cry, nor cause His voice to be heard in the streets.’ Thirty years of that perfect life were spent in a little village folded away in the Galilean hills, with rude peasants for the only spectators, and the narrow sphere of a carpenter’s shop for its theatre. For the rest, the publicity possible would have been obscurity to an ambitious soul. To speak comforting words to a few weeping hearts; to lay His hands on a few sick folk and heal them; to go about in a despised land doing good, loved indeed by outcasts and sinners, unknown by all the dispensers of renown, and consciously despised by all whom the world honoured-that was the perfect life of the Incarnate God. And that is an example which His followers seem with one consent to set aside in their eager race after distinction and work that may glorify their names. The difficulty of a faithful following of these precepts, and the only means by which that difficulty can be overcome, are touchingly taught us in another of Paul’s Epistles by the accumulation of motives which he brings to bear upon his commandment, when he exhorts by the tender motives of ‘comfort in Christ, consolation of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and tender mercies and compassions, that ye fulfil my joy, being of the same mind, of one accord; doing nothing through faction or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself.’ As the pattern for each of us in our narrow sphere, he holds forth the mind that was in Christ Jesus, and the great self-emptying which he shrank not from, ‘but being in the form of God counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God, but, being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death.’
III. The divisive power of intellectual self-conceit.
In this final clause the Apostle, in some sense, repeats the maxim with which he began the series of special exhortations in this chapter. He there enjoined ‘every one among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think’; here he deals with one especial form of such too lofty thinking, viz. intellectual conceit. He is possibly quoting the Book of Proverbs {Pro 3:7}, where we read, ‘Be not wise in thine own eyes,’ which is preceded by, ‘Lean not to thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge Him’; and is followed by, ‘Fear the Lord and depart from evil’; thus pointing to the acknowledgment and fear of the Lord as the great antagonist of such over-estimate of one’s own wisdom as of all other faults of mind and life. It needs not to point out how such a disposition breaks Christian unity of spirit. There is something especially isolating in that form of self-conceit. There are few greater curses in the Church than little coteries of superior persons who cannot feed on ordinary food, whose enlightened intelligence makes them too fastidious to soil their dainty fingers with rough, vulgar work, and whose supercilious criticism of the unenlightened souls that are content to condescend to lowly Christian duties, is like an iceberg that brings down the temperature wherever it floats. That temper indulged in, breaks the unity, reduces to inactivity the work, and puts an end to the progress, of any Christian community in which it is found; and just as its predominance is harmful, so the obedience to the exhortation against it is inseparable from the fulfilling of its sister precepts. To know ourselves for the foolish creatures that we are, is a mighty help to being ‘of the same mind one toward another.’ Who thinks of himself soberly and according to the measure of faith which God hath dealt to him will not hunger after high things, but rather prefer the lowly ones that are on a level with his lowly self.
The exhortations of our text were preceded with injunctions to distribute material help, and to bestow helpful sympathy. The tempers enjoined in our present text are the inward source and fountain of such external bestowments. The rendering of material help and of sympathetic emotion are right and valuable only as they are the outcome of this unanimity and lowliness. It is possible to ‘distribute to the necessity of saints’ in such a way as that the gift pains more than a blow; it is possible to proffer sympathy so that the sensitive heart shrinks from it. It was ‘when the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and one soul’ that it became natural to have all things common. As in the aurora borealis, quivering beams from different centres stream out and at each throb approach each other till they touch and make an arch of light that glorifies the winter’s night, so, if Christian men were ‘of the same mind toward one another,’ did not ‘set their minds on high things, but condescended to things that were lowly, and were not wise in their own conceits,’ the Church of Christ would shine forth in the darkness of a selfish world and would witness to Him who came down ‘from the highest throne in glory’ to the lowliest place in this lowly world, that He might lift us to His own height of glory everlasting.
Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (1904–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain Be of the same mind one toward another .…
Be of the same mind one toward another . [A general repetition of the special command just given. Enter into the mind or feeling of your brother, whether in joy or sorrow. In the mental and sentimental sphere keep the Golden Rule with him.] Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to things that are lowly . [ Luk_12:15 . This injunction also has loving concord for its object. Class distinctions, high positions, situations, social eminence, etc., are to be avoided as tending to sever your sympathies, interests and desires from your humble brethren. "The greatest enemy to concord is pride" (Tholuck). Christ was meek, and we should be like the Master. Avoid such things as lead one "to flatter the great, to court the rich, and be servile to the mighty" (Plumer). It is a question whether we should here read "lowly things," or "lowly people." Either reading is correct, and commentators are about equally divided on the point. Meyer, who favors the neuter, reads: "Yielding to that which is humble, to the claims and tasks which are presented to you by the humbler relations of life." He illustrates by Paul's following the trade of tentmaker. Against this, Gifford says: "The adjective tapeinos (lowly) is used in the New Testament frequently of persons, never of things. It is better, therefore, to follow the same usage here, and understand it of lowly persons as in the Authorized Version." But Paul doubtless used the adjective in its fullest sense, combining both persons and things, making it, as it were, a double command; for he wished his readers to do all things needful to keep them in brotherly accord. If we keep in touch with the lowly, we must yield ourselves to be interested in their lowly affairs; and if we keep our hearts warm toward humble things, we will find ourselves in sympathy with humble people. So even if the command be made single, it will either way affect the double result of a double command, and without the double result either command would be insufficient. "Honor all your fellow-Christians, and that alike," says Chalmers, "on the ground of their common and exalted prospects. When on this high level, do not plume yourselves on the insignificant distinctions of your superior wealth or superior earthly consideration of whatever sort." Moreover, let your condescension be invisible; let it be so hid in love that no one, not even yourself, is conscious of its presence, for condescension without love is as spittle without healing-- Joh_9:6 ] Be not wise in your own conceits . [ Pro_3:7 . Setting our hearts on high things as our proper sphere, and despising lowly things as unworthy of our lofty notice, begets in us a false idea of our own importance and wisdom, and a conceited spirit full of pride and vanity. This is the besetting sin of those having large mental endowment--those whom the world counts wise. The culmination of this self-conceit is that spirit which even cavils at God's precepts, and lightly criticizes and rejects his revelation. The proper spirit before God is childlike, teachable ( Mat_18:1-4 ; Mar_10:15 ), and it is better to be wise in the sight of the all-wise God than to be a Solomon in your own foolish estimation. As conceit grows, love ebbs, and all loveless life is profitless ( 1Co_13:1-2 ). We now approach a sphere of duties relating to forbearance in persecution, and life-relations outside the church.]
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 12:16 All three exhortations in this verse use the…
12:16 All three exhortations in this verse use the Greek word phroneō (think). Paul addresses the need for right Christian thinking when it comes to our relationships with other Christians. • Live in harmony: Literally Think the same things. • Don’t be too proud: Literally Don’t think arrogant things.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.