The term designates something commendable, worthy of admiration, and deserving of a favorable report. It draws the mind toward that which is spoken of with respect—matters that, when named, elicit gratitude rather than censure.

Biblical Occurrence and Immediate Context

Philippians 4:8 employs the word within Paul’s celebrated catalogue of virtues: “whatever is admirable.” Nestled among “true,” “honorable,” “right,” “pure,” and “lovely,” the term directs believers to fill their thoughts with realities that enjoy a good reputation before God and people. Paul addresses a congregation facing external pressures and internal discord; by urging attention to what is admirable, he moves them from anxious fixation (Philippians 4:6) to Christ-centered stability (Philippians 4:9).

Old Testament Parallels

Though the adjective itself appears only in the New Testament, its idea permeates the Hebrew Scriptures:
• Proverbs 22:1 extols “a good name” above riches.
• Psalm 15:3 portrays the righteous as one who “utters no slander.”
• Isaiah 52:7 celebrates those whose very words are “good news,” mirroring the impulse to magnify what is commendable.

Historical and Cultural Background

Classical authors used the cognate noun for hymns of praise that honored gods or heroes. In a Greco-Roman milieu where public honor was prized, Paul reclaims the concept: the “admirable” is not an aesthetic abstraction but a moral reality defined by the character of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11).

Patristic Reflection

• Chrysostom viewed the term as guarding the mind from “the shameful” by filling it with “the tales of the saints and the mercies of God.”
• Augustine saw in it a summons to “rehearse in the heart the triumphs of grace” rather than the “vanities of the theater.”

Theological Significance

1. Sanctification of Thought: The command reveals divine concern not only for deeds but for the mental environment from which deeds spring (Romans 12:2).
2. Witness Before the World: What is admirable aligns the believer’s inner life with the church’s public testimony (2 Corinthians 6:8).
3. Harmony in Community: By esteeming the admirable in one another, factions dissolve into mutual edification (Philippians 2:1-4).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Preaching: Highlight the virtue list of Philippians 4:8 as a diagnostic for redeemed thinking.
• Counseling: Replace anxious ruminations with rehearsals of God’s praiseworthy acts (Psalm 77:11-12).
• Leadership: Encourage congregational storytelling of answered prayer and transformed lives, embodying “good report.”

Contemporary Discipleship

Daily disciplines such as gratitude journals, Scripture memory, and worship playlists train the mind toward the admirable. Social media engagement should be assessed by this metric: does it spread what is of “good report” or merely amplify outrage?

Liturgical and Homiletical Use

The verse has furnished themes for hymnody (“May the Mind of Christ My Savior”) and benedictions that send worshipers into the week resolved to seek what is admirable.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 2163 stands as a single yet luminous gem in the New Testament treasury, calling every generation to celebrate and contemplate whatever bears a favorable witness to the goodness of God.