An Expert Breakdown of Philippians 2:5: Think Like Christ

The Mindset That Holds a Community Together

Paul wrote these words to believers in Philippi who were struggling with unity, even within their church leadership, and he called them to reflect Christ’s humility as the solution.

In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul urges them to be united through love, humility, and putting others first - clear signs that some were acting selfishly or pridefully. Then comes verse 5: 'Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus' - a direct call to adopt the attitude Jesus lived out. That mindset is spelled out in the next verses: though Jesus was truly God, He didn’t cling to His status but became a servant, even to the point of dying on a cross.

This is not merely a nice idea. It is the pattern followers of Jesus should use to treat one another, especially during tension.

The Mind of Christ in Everyday Life

The call to 'have this mind among yourselves' is not about developing a private, spiritual feeling, but about sharing a way of life shaped by Jesus’ own actions and choices.

The Greek word *phroneō* means more than thinking. It refers to how we set our hearts and direct our actions toward others. Paul highlights Christ by quoting: 'Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.' This is the mindset we’re to share - not grasping for status, but letting go to serve. Jesus did not merely teach humility. He lived it to the cross, showing that true greatness is found in giving yourself away.

When we follow this example, we stop treating others as rivals and begin seeing them as brothers and sisters worth serving, as Christ served us.

Living Like Christ Changes Everything

The mindset Paul calls us to is the same one that led Jesus to lay down His life - not because He had to, but because He loved us.

To the first readers, this was radical: a divine being choosing to serve, even die, for others flipped the world’s idea of power upside down. And that’s the heart of the good news: God didn’t come to be served, but to serve and give His life for us, as Jesus said in Mark 10:45 - 'For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

Following Jesus Means Living Like Him Every Day

This call to have the mind of Christ isn’t unique to Philippians - it’s a consistent thread through the New Testament, showing that following Jesus means actually living like Him.

Paul tells the Corinthians, 'Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ' (1 Corinthians 11:1), and John writes, 'Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus lived' (1 John 2:6). These verses make it clear: being a Christian is not merely about believing the right things; it is about shaping daily choices - how we speak, serve, and handle conflict - according to Jesus' pattern.

When we do this together, our churches become places where pride gives way to patience, and competition turns into care, reflecting the very heart of God to the world around us.

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