COMMENTS
Paul exhorts that all shall cultivate the grace of humility, and that in every affair each shall take heed that "nothing be done through strife or vainglory," that self-laudation and strivings for pre-eminence be thoroughly put away as the greatest enemies to the Spirit of the Lord and the blessing of the Church. On the contrary, each should have that lowliness of mind which can see the good qualities of fellow-brethren and appreciate some of these qualities at least as superior to his own. All the talents, and all the abilities, need never be expected in any one person in any congregation. So, then, each may, if he be of lowly mind, see in others certain good qualities or graces superior to his own, and should delight to recognize these and to esteem their possessor accordingly.
By lowliness of mind we understand humility to be meant. Humility is a proper self-estimate, and a self-estimate to be proper for us must be lowly; because whether considering ourselves from the standpoint of our physical, mental, moral or religious qualities, we must judge ourselves as not amounting to much. Such a self-estimate naturally esteems others better than ourselves, because it looks upon their qualities with more appreciation than upon one's own qualities.
REPRINTS
Rom. 12:3, 10, 16; 1 Pet. 5:5; Phil. 2:5-11; Psa. 138:6; Prov. 15:33; 16:19; 25:6, 7; Isa. 57:15; Jer. 45:5; Mic. 6:8; Matt. 11:29; 20:26, 27; 23:12; Luke 14:10; John 13:14-16.
