Paul points to the eccentric, kenotic identity of Jesus as the solution to the problems of love in the Philippian church. The Christians in Philippi were operating out of an identity of possession, an identity characterized by grasping and clinging. They were motivated by “selfish ambition” and “vain conceit.” Note their desire to possess—their impulse to hold onto status, influence, esteem, reputation, and power—and how it became their route toward self-definition, self-esteem, personhood, and identity.
