It is difficult to tell whether Paul is here making a parenthetical statement as to the general state of the world around him, or is making a harsh and sweeping indictment of his associates. It is, of course, clear that apart from Timothy there was no one he could count on at the moment. Everyone else is concerned only with his own affairs is literally “that all seek after their own thing.” The verb rendered is concerned is literally “seek” or “look after”; the meaning is that everyone is pursuing his own interests. In some languages one may translate this statement as “everyone else thinks only about helping himself,” “… thinks just about how he can make everything turn out to his own advantage,” or “… thinks only about how he can advance himself.”

The cause of Jesus Christ (literally, “the things of Jesus Christ”), refers probably to the work that is to be done for Jesus Christ in restoring the harmony of the Christian community at Philippi. Not with the cause of Jesus Christ may be expressed by “not thinking about how he can help Jesus Christ,” or “not concerned about how he can do what Jesus Christ would want.”

Quoted with permission from Luo, I-Jin. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .