According to the Bible it was out of envy that Cain murdered his younger brother Abel. Cain was jealous of the favour shown to Abel by Almighty God and he was too proud to accept that God should favour Abel more than himself. Even John, the beloved of the Lord, at times was intolerant. In Mark 9:38, we read that John was trying to stop a man "who was driving out demons in the name of Jesus, because the man did not belong to his group" (the group of the apostles). Jesus had to rebuke John.

Paul grew out of his earlier intolerance as he came into a personal relationship with Jesus. Paul is happy that Christ is being preached "whether from right or wrong motives" he knows that some preach Christ from wrong motives - to show that they are better apostles than Paul. Even then Paul is happy, because what matters to him is that Christ be preached. This text in Philippians is an invitation to us to be broad-minded, tolerant and as humble as Paul was.