Selfishness and conceit can prevent us from doing God’s will.

自私和自负阻止我们遵行神的旨意。

Selfishness and conceit are all too common among people today. It seems there is hardly aprominent entertainer or sports figure who doesn’t portray those characteristics to excess. Yet those traits are the very opposite of what should characterize the humble follower of Christ.

自私和自负在当今的时代中如此的普遍。尤其是杰出的艺人或是体育健将对此表现的更是淋漓尽致。但这些特质却与基督徒的谦卑截然相反。

“Selfishness” in today’s passage refers to pursuing an enterprise in a factional way. It involves an egotistical, personal desire to push your own agenda in a destructive and disruptive way. “Empty conceit” describes the force behind such overbearing behavior—personal glory. A person driven by such motivation thinks he is always right.

“自私”在这节经文中特指的是以派系的方式追求成就。它是指自私的个人愿望，以破坏和毁灭性的方式推动自己的议程。“空虚的自负”指的是在霸道行为背后的动机--自己的荣耀。一个有如此动机的人总认为自己是正确的。

Paul’s opening phrase in Philippians 2:3 has the force of a negative command: believers are never to act out of selfish ambition with the goal of heaping praise upon themselves. To do so inevitably leads to one of the common sin problems in our churches: factionalism, accompanied by jealousy, strife, disharmony, and partisanship. Paul knew what harm factionalism could do within a church. It was the primary problem he addressed in his letter of 1 Corinthians. The apostle summarized the Corinthian church’s condition this way: “For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?” (1 Cor. 3:3). It is spiritually immature to be jealous of and to cause strife among fellow Christians, and it reveals a fleshly perspective.

保罗在腓利比书2：3中以否定式的命令开头：基督徒不可以出于自己的野心，追求自己得荣耀而行事。因为若是这样做，不可避免地会引起教会中一个普遍的罪性问题：派别主义，伴随着嫉妒，纷争，不和谐，和党派偏见。保罗知道分帮别派在教会中带来的危害。那是在哥林多前书中提到的最主要的问题。使徒总结哥林多教会的状况是如此：“你们仍是属肉体的，因为在你们中间有嫉妒、纷争，这岂不是属乎肉体、照着世人的样子行吗？”（林前3：3）。基督徒之间发生嫉妒和纷争是属灵上的不成熟，揭示了属肉体的现象。

Because our flesh (sinfulness) produces selfishness and conceit, it is vitally important to keep it under control (Gal. 5:16). Plans and agendas by themselves are valid, and they are not necessarily incompatible with humility in the Christian life. But if our goals and objectives are driven by selfishness, they become competitive and harmful. One key of dealing with selfishness is realizing that others also have goals and desires. Such a realization will help you go a long way toward killing the monster of selfishness in your life.

因为我们的肉体（罪性）产生了自私和自负，非常重要的是要控制住（加拉太书5：16）。计划和行程本身是有效的，也不一定与基督徒的谦卑生活相抵触。但如果我们的目标是被自私驱动，那就有竞争和有害。处理自私的关键是要意识到别人也有目标和愿望。这种认识可以长久有效地帮助我们消除生命中的自私。

Pray that God’s Spirit would rid your heart and mind of any attitudes of selfishness and conceit.

祷告求圣灵掌管我们的心思意念，夺去我们所有的自私和自负。

• The beginning of 1 Corinthians deals with the subject of factionalism. Read chapter 1. What perspective does Paul have regarding church divisions?

哥林多前书的开头讲的是宗派主义的主题。阅读第一章。保罗对教会分裂的看法是什么？

• What does the second half of the chapter offer as a prime reason for divisions within the church?