With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Paul has said that we should walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called. In verse 2, he goes on to explain what the characteristics of that walk, or life-style, should be.
First, with all humility. Other words could have been meekness or lowliness. We are to live in a way that esteems others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). We shouldn’t be trying to make ourselves the center of attention. We shouldn’t assume that what we have to say is more important than what others have to say. Humility
Next we have the word gentleness. Gentleness means, well, gentleness. Being kind, tender, mild-mannered, with a soft touch. Humility and gentleness go together, don’t they?
Next, patience. Another word for patience would be long-suffering. The Greek word means stretched out. A person who is patient is one who is able to handle being stretched. On a trivial scale, you know how it is to wait for someone who is late arriving. Five minutes of waiting isn’t bad, but as time goes on and it becomes a half hour or longer, you begin to wonder how much longer you are going to have to wait for the person to arrive for the appointment. Sometimes you feel stretched to some kind of breaking point. Being able to endure that stretching is the idea behind patience.
Next, bearing with one another in love. Notice, it’s not just bearing with one another. You could do that with impatience and anger. This is bearing with in love. Bearing means forbearing, putting up with, enduring. Being like this is quite the challenge isn’t it?
All of these are speaking about all our relationships, but especially in the family and the church. God puts people together who are very different. There are attitudes and reactions and idiosyncrasies in other people that are difficult to be patient with and to put up with. But God says that the characteristics mentioned in this verse are necessary if we are to live in a manner that is befitting the calling that we have received from God.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:37 AM January 11, 2021.