Philippians 2:5 tells believers to take on the same attitude that Jesus had, a mindset marked by humility, selflessness and willing service. The verse is an invitation rather than a command to feel a particular way: Paul asks his readers to think and live the way Christ thought and lived. He wrote it to the church at Philippi, a congregation he had founded and loved, as part of a larger appeal for unity and gentle regard for one another.
Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus…
Philippians 2:5 (WEB)
What Philippians 2:5 Means
The phrase “have this in your mind” points to a way of thinking that shapes decisions, reactions and priorities. Paul is not asking for a passing emotion. He is asking believers to let a settled outlook guide how they treat others, how they handle disagreement and what they are willing to give up. The Greek word behind “mind” carries the sense of an attitude or a habit of thought that runs through a whole life.
The words “which was also in Christ Jesus” tie that outlook to a specific example. Paul does not leave the idea abstract. In the verses that follow, he describes Christ setting aside his rightful glory to serve and to die. The verse therefore gives a pattern to imitate, not a vague ideal. It does not promise that imitating Christ will make life easy or bring rewards on demand. It promises that the believer is being shaped toward the character of the one they follow.
The Context of Philippians 2:5
Paul wrote Philippians from prison, probably in the 60s AD, and the letter is warm, personal and full of thanks. Traditionally it is attributed to Paul, and the church at Philippi was the first congregation on European soil that he is known to have founded. Right before this verse, Paul pleads for the church to be “of one mind” and to stop acting out of rivalry or pride. Two believers in particular, Euodia and Syntyche, seem to have been in conflict, which gives the appeal a very practical edge.
The verses after 2:5 are often read as an early Christian hymn about Christ, who though he was in the form of God did not cling to equality with God, but emptied himself and took the form of a servant. Reading the verse alongside that passage shows that Paul’s command is anchored in the story of Jesus. The attitude Paul asks for is not a self-help technique but a reflection of what God did in Christ. That changes the verse from a demand into a grounded invitation.
Key Phrases in Philippians 2:5
Romans 12:10
In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another…
(WEB)
This verse calls believers to honor one another above themselves, which echoes the humble regard for others that Paul urges in Philippians. Reading the two together shows that the mind of Christ is worked out in ordinary relationships within the church and beyond it.
Matthew 20:28
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
(WEB)
Jesus describes his own mission as coming to serve and to give his life, which is the pattern Paul points to when he speaks of Christ taking the form of a servant. This verse helps readers see the Gospel account behind the attitude Paul commends.
A Short Prayer From Philippians 2:5
Lord Jesus, you set aside your rightful glory and gave yourself for others, and I confess how often my own interests crowd out the people you have placed around me. Shape the way I think. Help me to look past my own concerns and see the needs of those beside me, especially when it costs me something to do so. Let your humility become familiar to me, so that my words and choices begin to echo the life you lived. Hold me when I fall short and draw me back to your way. Amen.
