CONTEXT: To understand the beginning of chapter 2, we need to look first at chapter 1. In 1:12-26, Paul describes his own situation. He is in prison, but assures the Philippian Christians that his imprisonment has actually served to spread the Gospel, because it has given him opportunity to witness to the imperial guard (1:12-13). He emphasizes this reassurance to counter any inclination on the part of the Philippian Christians to interpret Paul's imprisonment as evidence that God has abandoned him. Also in chapter 1, Paul used phrases that spell out the problem that he is addressing in this letter: "Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will. The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains" (1:15-16). This kind of envy, rivalry, and selfish ambition plagues the Philippian church. In 1:27-30, Paul gives his prescription for this problem. He calls Philippian Christians to live their lives "worthy of the Good News of Christ" (1:27a) so they can stand "firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News" (1:27b).
PHILIPPIANS 2:1-4. MAKE MY JOY FULL
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
"If there is therefore (oun) any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion" (v. 1). The little word Greek oun (therefore) connects this verse to what Paul said in chapter 1 (see "The Context" above).
When someone uses the word "if" to begin a sentence, we must look to the context to determine whether he/she is describing a factual condition or something contrary to fact. The context of this verse makes it clear that Paul is talking about something that is true. There IS "exhortation in Christ." There IS "consolation of love." There IS "fellowship of the Spirit." There ARE "tender mercies and compassion." Most Christians have experienced at least some of these things and know that they are the case. When Paul says "if," he intends these Philippian Christians to nod their heads "Yes" and say, "Well, of course there is encouragement in Christ-of course there is consolation in love."
Paul is just setting the stage with this verse. See verse 2 to see his where he takes this.
"make my joy full" (v. 2a). An "if" clause is often followed by a "then" clause. "If A is true, then B naturally follows"-or "If X is true, then do Y." In this verse, Paul doesn't use the word "then," but the structure of these verses implies the "if...then" format.
"by being like-minded (phronete hina ho auto-thinking the same way), having the same love (echontes ten auten agape), being of one accord (sympsychos) of one mind" (phronountes to hen-focusing on one thing) (v. 2b). The Philippian Christians need to do these four things to make Paul's joy complete. They need to be like- minded. They need to have the same love. They need to be of one accord. They need a unity of minds.
These four phrases are just four ways of saying the same thing. Paul is calling these Philippian Christians to be fully united with each other so that they can gain strength from one another.
"being like-minded" (v. 2b-1) (phronete hina ho auto). The Greek word phroneo has a variety of meanings. It can mean "think" or "feel" or "focus your thoughts" or "be mindful of." A literal translation of phronete hina ho auto would be "thinking the same way."
"having the same love" (v. 2b-2) (echontes ten auten agape). Agape is one of the two words used in the New Testament for love-the other being philos. Agape (and its related verb, agapao) is used five times as often as philos. The classic distinction between agape and philos is that agape has to do with a concern for the well-being of the other person while philos has to do with brotherly love-friendship love-companionate love-the kind of love where a person receives as well as gives. While there is some question about the sharpness of that distinction, scholars tend to agree that "philos does contain an element of mutuality not found in agape" (Melick). In other words, philos has to do both with giving and getting, while agape has to do only with giving-with an unalloyed concern for the welfare of the other person.
Agape love is more a "doing" than a "feeling" word. It doesn't require that we approve of the actions of the person whom we love-or even that we enjoy their company. It does require us to act in behalf of that person-to demonstrate our love in some practical fashion. An agape person will do what is possible to feed the hungry-and to give drink to the thirsty-and to welcome the stranger-and to clothe the naked-and to visit the sick and the person in prison (Matthew 25:31-46). The agape person has little or nothing to gain by helping these marginal people. The thrust of his/her agape love is giving, not getting.
"being of one accord" (v. 2b-3) (sympsychos). The Greek word sympsychos is a combination of two Greek words-sun or syn, which means "with" and psyche, which means "breath" or "life" or "the breath of life" or "soul." Paul is calling these Philippian Christians to live in such unity that they share life and soul with each other.
"of one mind" (v. 2b-4) (phronountes to hen). As noted above, phroneo can mean "focus your thoughts."
The little Greek word hen (derived from the word heis) indicates some sort of singularity or unity. For instance, it can indicate the cardinal numeral "one"-a cardinal number being a number that specifies quantity rather than order. In other words, in this verse hen means "one," as in "one thing"-not "one" as in "the first among many." Therefore, a valid translation of this phrase could be "focusing on one hen"-"focusing on one thing or one goal"-being "single-minded"-or even "looking together in one direction."
One image that comes to my mind is a congregation looking at a screen at the front of the sanctuary on which the words of the scripture or hymn have been projected-their eyes and attention all directed in one place-on one thing.
But that isn't where Paul is calling these people to focus. He wants them to focus on loving and serving one another-just as Christ lived to serve others (see verse 5ff.)
"doing nothing through rivalry" (eritheia) (v. 3a). The word eritheia was used to speak of partisan, unprincipled electioneering. The person who is guilty of eritheia is not only selfish, but probably doesn't care who he/she hurts on the way to his/her goal. The eritheia person wouldn't hesitate to break a few kneecaps or a few heads. Eritheia describes an ugliness of spirit that is likely to produce strife and injury. Of course, the person who is trying to model his/her life after Christ will want to avoid eritheia.
"or through conceit" (kenodoxian) (v. 3b). The Greek word kenodoxian comes from two words: Kenos means empty or vain or devoid of truth. Doxa means glory or splendor. Doxa is most often used to speak of the glory of the Lord, but it can be used for the glory of human achievement or the honors that accompany such achievement. The word kenodoxian, then, means empty glory-vain glory-glory that has no basis in fact.
"but in humility" (tapeinophrosyne) (v. 3c). The Greek word tapeinophrosyne is derived from the word tapeinos, which means lowly or humble or of low degree. Paul is calling the Philippian Christians to adopt a humble opinion of themselves-to willingly accept a lowly place.
High and low are relative words-they depend on our standard of measurement. Seven feet is high for a high jump, but is a short distance for a runner. In like manner, we might seem quite competitive if we measure our conduct and accomplishments against the standard set by other people in our community. However, if we measure ourselves against the standard that Christ set, our conduct and accomplishments will fall far short.
Paul's call to humility runs counter to the advice that we hear so often today. "Be proud!" they say. "Be assertive!" "Don't be a doormat!"
While there is sense in which that kind of advice belongs to the kingdom of this world rather than the kingdom of God, there is another sense in which it is valid. Part of our problem is defining our terms. If by "pride" we mean arrogance or conceit, then pride is a kingdom-of-this-world value-sinful. But if we define "pride" as self-respect, that's another matter. The scriptures say that we were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)-a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:5). They tell us that God loves us (Luke 15:11 ff.; John 3:16; Hebrews 12:6; 1 John 4:8, 16b; Revelation 1:5), which gives us reason to regard ourselves with great respect. Where arrogance is a kingdom-of-this-world value, self-respect can be very much a kingdom-of-God value. The Apostle Paul, the author of the book of Philippians, certainly manifested self-respect. He was no one's doormat. He was assertive in his preaching and his witness to Christ-behavior that often offended people and sometimes resulted in Paul's imprisonment.
But, as we will see when we get to verses 5-8, Paul is calling on the Philippians (and us) to emulate the humility of Christ, who held the ultimate power card (being "in the form of God," v. 6), but who emptied himself-taking upon himself the form of a slave "being made in the likeness of men" (v. 7)-even dying on a cross (v. 8). Was that masochism? No, definitely not! Christ died in obedience to the Father's call (v. 8) for the purpose of saving the world and its people (John 3:16-17). That kind of self-sacrificial service is anything but masochistic.
When Paul calls us to be humble, he is calling us to emulate Christ, who had every reason to be prideful, but who instead pursued humility-humility with a purpose.
"each counting others better (hyperechontas) than himself" (v. 3d). The Greek word hyperechontascombines hyper (above) and echo (to be), and means excellent or superior-something or someone that stands above the rest-a prize winner.
I must confess that I sometimes categorize people as "winners" or "losers." It isn't especially difficult to get into my "winners" column, but I think of drug addicts as "losers"-as well as people who sit all day at the shopping center entrance with a sign that reads, "Homeless. Will work." Sure they will.
But Paul tells me not to do that. The people whom I might consider to be "bums" or "losers" were also created in the image of God, and God loves them as much as God loves me. Christ teaches me to call people "neighbors" instead of "losers"-and to love them as I love myself (Matthew 5:43; 19:19; Luke 10:27).
But the real driving force behind this verse, as we will see when we get to verses 5-8, is that we should emulate Christ, who though in the form of God was willing to empty himself and to come to Earth to bring salvation to people like you and me-people unworthy of his sacrifice. We didn't deserve it, but Christ put us and our condition above his own. Now Paul calls us to obedience to God's will in our relationships with our neighbors.
Just stop to consider what the world would look like if everyone were to treat other people as if they were equal to or better than themselves. It would certainly defuse lots of hostility, wouldn't it!
"each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others" (v. 4). We didn't deserve it, but Christ put us and our condition above his own welfare. Now Paul calls us to do the same in our relationships with other people.
Whenever we see this virtue practiced, we find our hearts gladdened and call the virtuous person heroic. An example would be a fire fighter who risks his/her life to enter a burning building to rescue a child. Another example would be a missionary-someone who could have had a comfortable position as pastor of a church, but who instead answered a call to serve in an uncomfortable foreign land.
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-8. HAVE IN YOUR MIND WHAT WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.
* Many scholars have pronounced verses 5-11 an ancient Christian hymn. We have no way to know if the early Christians used it as a hymn, but we can see the loveliness of expression that would make it usable in that way.
"Have this in your mind (Greek: phroneite-from phroneo), which was also in Christ Jesus" (v. 5). This verse serves as a bridge between verses 1-4 and verses 6-8-between what we think and what Christ thought.
Phroneo has to do with our understanding-our attitudes-our mindset.
This is the point toward which Paul has been moving through verses 1-4. He is calling us to emulate Christ Jesus, who committed himself to serving undeserving people at great personal cost. Without adopting Christ's attitude, we could never accomplish what Christ wants us to do-to be united in mind, love, and accord (v. 2). We could never repeal the law of self-interest to put the other person's interest first (vv. 3-4).
But it becomes possible for us to do these things once we have an example-once we see it done. That is what Christ Jesus has done for us. He has given us a visible example of a life of pure love-of pure service. He has shown us what it looks like-when someone puts aside his/her self-interest to do something for others. Even with his example always before us, we will never do these things perfectly well-but with God's help we can get better and better at bringing our lives into congruence with Christ's life-our attitudes into congruence with his.
"who, existing in the form of God" (v. 6a). This introduces the idea of the pre-existence of Christ. The clearest reference to Christ's pre-existence is found in the Prologue to the Gospel of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.... The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-3, 14; see also 1 John 4:6).
Christ was in the form of God from the very beginning-before the creation of the world. Paul's purpose in mentioning Christ's pre-existence is to show us how much Christ had to give up to dwell among us. He gave up being God so that he might become a human baby. He gave up heaven to be born in a stable.
Consider that for a moment. Aren't there moments when you would give your eye-teeth to possess God-like power! Well, Jesus had Godly power and splendor. He gave those up to come to Earth to die on a cross for our salvation.
"didn't consider equality (isos) with God a thing to be grasped" (harpagmos) (v. 6b). This Greek word isos is also found in John 5:18, where the Jews were seeking to kill Jesus because he was calling God his father-and thereby "making himself equal (ison) with God"-i.e., claiming for himself Godly status and authority. Their error, of course, was their assumption that Jesus' claim of Godly status and authority was false.
Christ did not count his Godly status and authority something to be exploited (harpagmos). The Greeks used the word harpagmos to speak of seizing a prize-or seizing booty-or grabbing and holding onto anything of value.
The point of this verse is that Christ did not consider his Godly status and authority something to be grasped for his own personal benefit. He understood their value, but was willing to sacrifice them in the service of a higher value-the salvation of humankind.
"but emptied (ekenosen from kenoo) himself" (v.7a). The Greek word kenoo means to empty-or to make void in the sense of rendering a thing harmless or powerless.
We know what it means to empty something. To empty a pitcher, we must first have a pitcher that is full-or one that at least contains something. Then we must pour out the contents until the pitcher contains nothing.
Of course, scientists would protest that the pitcher would still contain air, and in most cases they would be correct. On first thought, I considered this to be an academic point having no application to Christ emptying himself. However, on second thought, it occurred to me that Christ-although in human form and fully human-continued to carry within him divine power. He was able to stop a storm in its tracks (Mark 4:39). He was able to heal people-and even to raise them from the dead (Luke 8:40-41, 49-56; John 11:1-44). That is why we speak of Christ as fully human and fully divine. So there is a sense in which Christ emptied himself, but retained something of Godly power.
To understand the full import of "emptied himself," we must first start with what Christ was prior to his emptying-he was "in the form of God" (v. 6a)-equal with God (v. 6b). We must then look at what he became as a result of his emptying-he took on the form of a slave-took on the appearance of an ordinary man (v. 7b)-was born of an ordinary woman in an ordinary place in rather sub-ordinary circumstances. Who would expect the Son of God to be born in a stable and cradled in a manger? For that matter, who would expect the Son of God to die on a cross?
"taking the form (morphe) of a servant" (doulos) (v.7b). To take the form (morphe) of a servant means to take on the essential nature of a servant. He who was in the form of God took on the form of a servant.
The Greek word doulos means servant or slave. A gentler Greek word, diakonos, means servant but not slave. Diakonos is the word from which we get the English word deacon. Paul described himself and Apollos as diakonoi-"servants through whom you believed" (1 Corinthians 3:5). The point is that adiakonos (servant) enjoyed a considerably higher status than a doulos (servant or slave).
Christ did not divest himself of his Godliness to become a diakonos (servant) but a doulos (slave). He came from the highest of the high to the lowest of the low. This was not a demotion forced on him from on high. He took it on himself voluntarily to serve the needs of humankind.
"being made in the likeness of man" (homoiomati anthropon-the likeness of men or humankind) (v.7b). The idea conveyed by homoiomati is that Christ was born looking like an ordinary baby-resembling an ordinary person. But as the church would later determine, Christ was both fully human and fully divine-God in human form. His resemblance to an ordinary man did not mean that he was, strictly speaking, ordinary.
Paul uses this word, homoiomati, in Romans 8:3, where he says that God sent "his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh." In that verse, Paul did not intend to say that Christ was a sinful man-but that he looked like an ordinary sinful man.
"And being found in human form, he humbled (etapeinosen-from tapeinoo) himself" (v. 7c-8a). See the comments in verse 3c above on the noun "humility." Now in verse 8a, we have the verb "humbled" (tapeinoo). In this context, it means that Christ brought himself low-reduced himself to lowly circumstances-took a lower place than he could rightly have occupied.
"becoming obedient to (mechri-unto) death, yes, the death of the cross" (v. 8b). Christ went to his death willingly, but it was in obedience-the text doesn't specify to whom. While it could have been obedience to his highest impulses, it was surely obedience to God the Father (Matthew 26:39; John 5:19; 8:28; Romans 5:19; Hebrews 5:8; 10:7).
This is the "stumbling block (Greek: scandalon) of the cross" (Galatians 5:11; see also Romans 9:30-33; 11:9)-that God would come into the world in human form and take upon himself the consequences for the sins of the world-that Christ would redeem us "from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'" (Galatians 3:13, a reference to Deuteronomy 21:22-23).
That was difficult for many people, Jew and Gentile alike, to believe in the days of the early church, and it is still difficult for many people to accept. It became the stumbling block over which many people stumbled on the way to the cross.
This would be especially difficult for the Philippian Christians. They were Roman citizens, and were therefore exempt from crucifixion-a punishment that could be exacted only on non-citizens.
PHILIPPIANS 2:9-11. THEREFORE GOD HAS HIGHLY EXALTED JESUS
9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
"Therefore God also highly exalted (hyperupsosen-from hyperupsoo) him" (v. 9a). The word hyperupsoo combines two Greek words, hyper (high) and hupsoo (exalt). Therefore the two English words "highly exalted" translate one Greek word, hyperupsosen. To be exalted is to be lifted up-raised high-praised.
Christ's exaltation began with his resurrection, which attested to his power over death. That was followed by his ascension (his return to heaven) and his heavenly enthronement. His exaltation will culminate with his Second Coming, at which he will sit on his throne judging all the peoples of the world-separating sheep (those who are fit for God's kingdom) from goats (those who are not) (Matthew 25:31-46; see also 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:11-15).
"and gave to him the name which is above every name" (v. 9b). In that culture, people considered a person's name to be more than a simple label to identify that person. They believed that something of the person's identity was tied up in the name-that the name expressed something of the person's essential character. As is obvious from this verse, they also assumed that a name-at least some names-possessed something of the power of the one who wore that name.
While that might sound foreign to us today, it is not. When we talk about a person's reputation, we are talking about something that expresses the essence of that person. A person's reputation also conveys a certain power or lack of it. Scholars debate whether the name above every name is Jesus or Lord:
In that debate, the preponderance of scholarship seems to favor Lord. One reason is that Paul, in verses 10-11, uses wording from Isaiah 45:23, "to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath," wording that was meant to describe the response to Yahweh, who was also known as Lord. By applying this Yahweh language to Jesus Christ, Paul is placing Jesus on a plain with Yahweh.
But there is no reason why we must choose between Jesus and Lord. Consider how hymns of praise to Jesus are sung all over the world today. Consider the many other tributes made to Jesus-and to Jesus Christ-and to the Lord Jesus. All three of those expressions, as well as others, point to the one man whose earthly name was Jesus-and whose messianic title was Messiah or Christ-and who was known in his own day as Lord (Mark 1:3; 2:28; 11:3; 12:36-37; 16:19-20), and is still known as Lord today.
"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (v. 10a). As noted above, the wording of verses 10-11 is taken from Isaiah 45:23, which says, "to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath," Paul also refers to this Isaiah 45 text in Romans 14:11.
The Isaiah oracle contrasts Yahweh, "who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it" (Isaiah 45:18)-with Babylonian idols, gods of wood who could not save (Isaiah 45:20). Yahweh said, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear'" (Isaiah 45:22-23).
As noted above, by applying this Yahweh ascription to Jesus, Paul is placing Jesus on the same plane as Yahweh. That interpretation is supported by the Prologue to the Gospel of John, which says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.... And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-14, 14; see also 1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
The bowing of the knee, of course, is a sign of obeisance-deference-homage. It is the lesser person acknowledging the greater-the human acknowledging the divine-the creation acknowledging the creator. It shows submission to a higher power.
"of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth" (v. 10b). Bowed knees shall acknowledge Christ's divinity throughout the created order-in the heavens, on earth, and under the earth.
"and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (kyrios) (v. 11a). In the Old Testament, God's name was YHWH-Yahweh. The Jewish people, to avoid violating the commandment against using God's name wrongfully (Exodus 20:7), used instead the word Adonai (Hebrew: adonay), which means "the Lord." When the Jewish people translated their Hebrew Scriptures into the Greek language (the translation known as the Septuagint or LXX), they translated the Hebrew word, adonay, into the Greek word, kyrios-so Jewish people were accustomed to using this Greek word, kyrios, to speak of God even though kyrios can also be used for human authorities.
The New Testament frequently uses kyrios to speak of Yahweh (Matthew 1:20, 22, 24; 2:13, 15; Mark 13:20; Luke 1:6; Romans 11:34, etc.). It also uses kyrios to apply to Jesus various Old Testament references to Yahweh (Mark 1:2-3; Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:15-18). Paul links the lordship of Yahweh and Jesus with his words, "Jesus Christ is Lord."
Early Christians lived in an environment where people were expected to say, "Caesar is Lord." While this was intended to designate Caesar as ruler over the Roman realm, it also tended to take on spiritual connotations-that Caesar was Lord in some sort of spiritual sense. Believing that Jesus is the one and only Lord, early Christians often refused to say, "Caesar is Lord"-and often died violently at the hands of the Romans as a result. In that time and place, to say, "Jesus Christ is Lord," required faith and courage. Keep in mind that, as he writes these words, Paul is sitting in a Roman prison, awaiting the opportunity to stand before the emperor to defend the charges that led to his imprisonment. Nevertheless, he writes words that could be interpreted as subversive-that Jesus Christ is Lord.
"to the glory of God the Father" (v. 11b). The word "glory" is used in the Bible to speak of various things-but is used especially to speak of God's glory-an aura associated with God's appearance that reveals God's majesty to humans.
Paul says here that confessing Christ's lordship gives honor to God the Father. Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God. God the Father and God the Son are so inextricably linked that we can say that they (along with the Holy Spirit) are one. So to honor Jesus Christ is one way of honoring God the Father.
Phil. 2:1-11 - JW Commentary
An Appeal to Christ's Blessings and Benefits (2:1)
Paul pleads with the Philippian Christians to listen to what he has to say, to open their spiritual ears.
"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded...." (2:1-2a)
Paul is saying, if Christ has benefited you in any way, I beg you to listen to me. Let's look at the benefits that Paul piles one on top of another in verses 1-2 as inducements to unity.
"Encouragement" (NIV, NRSV) or "consolation" (KJV, Greek paraklēsis) here means "the act of emboldening another in belief or course of action" and "lifting of another's spirits."[66] Paul is saying, if Christ has encouraged you by being united to him, listen!
"United with Christ" (NIV) is the phrase en Christō that we see throughout Philippians and all of Paul's writings. (See the Introduction for a study of the phrase in Philippians.) Any internal unity the church is going to experience must be preceded by an individual unity with Christ by each of the members of the church.
"Comfort" (NIV, KJV) or "consolation" (NRSV, Greek paramythion) means "pertaining to that which offers encouragement, especially as consolation, means of consolation, alleviation ... solace."[67] Here Paul is particularly referring to the comfort derived from realizing that you are intensely loved by God.
"Fellowship" (NIV, KJV) or "sharing" (NRSV) is the Greek word we've see a number of times in Philippians, the noun koinōnia, "sharing, partnership, fellowship." (See a more complete word study in the Introduction.) Paul is reminding them of their participation in the Holy Spirit as an inducement to listen.
"Tenderness" (NIV), "compassion" (NRSV), "bowels" (KJV) is the Greek noun splanchnon, "of the seat of the emotions, heart ... the seat and source of love, sympathy, and mercy."[68] (We also saw this word in 1:8).
"Compassion" (NIV), "mercies" (KJV), "sympathy" (NRSV) is the Greek noun oiktirmos, "display of concern over another's misfortune, pity, mercy, compassion."[69] Here, paired with splanchnon, the words together mean "tender compassion."[70] Paul is pleading: If you have any tenderness in you, any compassion, then listen to me!
If your blessings from being a Christian mean anything to you, Paul implores, listen to me: You must have the attitude of humility within you that Jesus Christ himself has.
A Call to Unity (2:2)
Having made his appeal to what they have in Christ, now Paul gets to the point -- a command:
"Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose." (2:2)
"Like-minded" uses the Greek verb phroneō, "to think," which occurs three times in our passage, twice in verse 2 and again in verse 5. "Like-minded" (NIV, KJV) or "of the same mind" (NRSV) translates a combination of two words autos, "same" and phroneō. Here the verb means "to have an opinion with regard to something, think, form or hold an opinion, judge." Later in this verse it is used with the numeral "one" (heis) and translated, "being one in ... purpose" (NIV), "of one mind" (KJV, NRSV)."[71]
Think the same, Paul commands us. Is he appealing to some kind of politically correct "group think"? I don't believe so. Paul recognizes and applauds differences in people (1 Corinthians 12). But he calls them to the same attitude of mind, the same humility, the same way of thinking about life and others, the same kind of selflessness. Think the same when it comes to selfless humility, he tells us.
"Being one in spirit" (NIV), "being of one accord" (KJV), "being in full accord" (NRSV) translates the Greek noun sympsychos, literally, "united in spirit," "harmonious."[72] This is a compound word from syn, "together, united with" and psychē, "soul." Put together, the compound word means, "harmonious in soul, souls that beat together, in tune with Christ and with each other."[73]
A Warning against Selfishness (2:3a)
Paul has called them to unity with positive exhortations. Now he calls them by warning them against the negatives, the destroyers of unity.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit." (2:3a)
What are the false motives that can destroy unity? Selfishness and vanity.
"Selfish ambition" (NIV, NRSV) and "strife" (KJV) we saw already. In explaining the false motives of his opponents in Rome (1:17), he has set them up to consider their motives within their own congregation. The Greek noun is eritheia, "selfishness, selfish ambition." The word is a rare one, found prior to New Testament times only in Aristotle as "a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means."[74]
"Vain conceit" (NIV), "vain glory" (KJV), and "conceit" (NRSV) is the Greek noun kenodoxia, "a vain or exaggerated self-evaluation, vanity, conceit, excessive ambition."[75]
If you've been around the church very long you've seen these: Powerbrokers who keep a lock hold on the church because it is their way to retain power. And those who are puffed up in their opinion of themselves and their importance. These attitudes are death to unity within the church.
A Call to Humility and Selfless Love (2:3b-4)
Paul has considered the opposites. Now he expounds on the virtues of humility.
"... But in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (2:3b-4)
In the Greek world of Paul's day, humility was looked down upon, considered a sign of weakness. But Christians know that it is their hallmark, the way of life of their Master. Far from being weak, humility takes the strength of the Holy Spirit since, it goes against our human nature.
"Humility" (NIV, NRSV) and "lowliness of mind" (KJV) is the Greek noun tapeinophrosynē, "humility, modesty."[76] This is not an emotionally-needy, false humility that fishes for compliments in order to feel good about oneself. Nor is it a Uriah Heep slimy humility that is all show in order to manipulate others. This is genuine humility that will actually "consider[77] others better than yourselves." Wow! How do we do that with authenticity?
Some resort to a negative humility of self-deprecation, inability to take a compliment. There is a sort of Christian piety that runs itself down obsessively. We see the mild form of this in Paul's statement: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" (1 Timothy 1:15). Paul realizes his unworthiness to be an apostle (1 Timothy 1:13; 1 Corinthians 5:19; Ephesians 3:8), but he isn't obsessed with it. That isn't the source of his humility. The famous hymn "Amazing Grace" begins "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound / that saved a wretch like me." But the focus of the song is not groveling, but amazement and wonderment in the grace of God that has always been with us and always will be. The focus is God. Real Christian humility isn't found in self-deprecation.
A positive, winsome humility, on the other hand, has its focus on God and on others, rather than self. This is the sort of humility that Paul is urging. This is the way to understand Paul's phrase in our passage: "In humility consider others better than yourselves." "Better than" is the Greek participle of hyperechō means here, "to surpass in quality or value, be better than, surpass, excel."[78] It is an attention on others, on their strengths and virtues that is Christian humility at its finest. In a word, this humility has at its root love! Negative humility focuses on self and one's inadequacies. But positive Christian humility is motivated by love and a focus on others. See the next verse:
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (2:4)
"Look to" (NIV, NRSV) is the Greek verb skopeō, "pay careful attention to, look (out) for, notice."[79] Paul isn't encouraging us to be busybodies, always prying into others' affairs (2 Thessalonians 3:11; 1 Timothy 5:13). But rather to care about others' needs over our own. Paul's example in this brief letter is his assistant Timothy: "I have no one else like him," writes Paul, "who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ" (2:20-21).
Q1. (2:1-4). To achieve unity in your congregation, why is humility necessary? Can you give an example of how lack of humility caused a division in your church? What are you doing to bring unity in your church? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=75&t=313
The Ultimate Example of Selfless Humility Displayed in Christ (2:5-11)
Now having talked about the importance of humility and defined it positively and negatively, Paul gives us the supreme example.
"Your attitude[80] should be the same as that of Christ Jesus." (2:5)
What follows seems to be an early Christological hymn that Paul inserts. It focuses on Christ's humility that is based on love for the Father. Paul may have drawn on a Christian hymn that was circulating among the churches or penned it himself for the occasion of this letter. Ralph Martin outlines the arguments for the hymn structure:
"The evidence for this is found in the stately and solemn ring of the words and the way in which the sentences are constructed. The words are obviously carefully chosen, with the result that, when the verses are read aloud [in Greek], the stress falls in such a way as to give a rhythmical cadence to the lines.... We must also take into account the presence of extremely rare words."[81]
Important Christology
Christology, or the study of Christ, owes a great deal to these few verses, for the hymn focuses on Christ's relationship to God the Father -- his humiliation, his crucifixion, and his exaltation.
These verses also provide important underpinnings to our understanding of the Trinity, especially as formulated in the Nicene Creed. Let me explain about the Nicene Creed so you'll know the importance of what you are seeing in 2:6-11.
In the fourth century church there was a lot of disagreement about the nature of Christ's divinity.
Back in the fourth century, bishops of the various cities began to take sides with a great deal of acrimony. In order to bring peace in his empire, Emperor Constantine (the first so-called "Christian" emperor) called for the Council of Nicea which took place at Nicea (present day Iznik in northern Turkey) in 325 AD.
Here 250 to 300 bishops of the church gathered to better understand what the church believed about Christ's nature and what the Scriptures taught. Of course, there were politics and, unfortunately, lots of acrimony.
Their conclusions are stated succinctly in the Nicene Creed. Contrary to what some anti-trinitarians claim, the content of the Nicene Creed was not imposed by Constantine. He only forced the bishops to get together and come to unity over the issue. The result came from the Scriptures and the Spirit of God working in the churches and the bishops to understand the truth.[82] (You may read the Nicene Creed in Appendix 1.)
Let's examine this Christian hymn found in 2:6-11 in some detail. The meaning of these verses has been vigorously debated by scholars, but I'll try to simplify the issues for you. Hang in here with me. The issues are a bit technical, but are vitally important to how we understand who Christ is!
In Very Nature God (2:6a)
Paul begins by describing the state of the preexistent Christ. Paul shares with other New Testament writers the conviction that Christ existed from before time began (John 1:1-2; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 7:3; 13:8; Revelation 22:13, cf. Proverbs 8:22-31). The Nicene Creed states it this way: "begotten of the Father before all worlds."
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped...." (2:6)
"Nature" (NIV) or "form" (KJV, NRSV) in both verses 6 and 7 is the Greek noun morphē, "form, outward appearance, shape."[84] In the Greek papyri, morphē refers to that "form which truly and fully expresses the being which underlies it."[85] (Paul uses the same word morphē in verse 7, "taking the very nature of a servant.") Does this mean that the preexistent Christ only had the shape of God? Or that he was God? I believe that it is saying that he was God. Jesus was and is divine -- pure and simple.[86]
In order to make this unambiguous, the framers of the Nicene Creed introduced a Greek word that doesn't appear in the actual New Testament, homoousios, "of the same substance, consubstantial." The Nicene Creed states this relationship of the preexistent Christ to the Father in this way:
"God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance (homoousios) with the Father."
In other words, to put it rather crudely, Jesus is made of the very same divine "stuff" that the Father is made of.
Clinging to Equality with God (2:6b)
To clarify this further, this Christian hymn considers "equality with God":
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped...." (2:6)
"Equality" (Greek isos) means "pertaining to being equivalent in number, size, quality; equal."[87] But did the preexistent Christ have this equality with God? It all hinges on the meaning of a very rare Greek word, used only here in the New Testament, the Greek noun harpagmos. It is translated variously: "Something to be grasped" (NIV, RSV), "something to be exploited" (NRSV), and "robbery" (KJV). The basic meaning, "a violent seizure of property, robbery," can move to, "something to which one can claim or assert title by gripping or grasping, something claimed."[88] Whatever, the exact meaning of harpagmos, it seems clear that the preexistent Christ already possessed equality with God, and determined not to clutch at it or cling to it, but rather to obey his Father and humble himself.[89]
Q2. (2:6) In your own words, what does it mean that Christ didn't cling to his equality with God? How specifically does this passage teach that Jesus is divine? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=75&t=314
Emptied Himself (2:7-8a)
The hymn has discussed Christ's preexistent state. Now it turns to his human state.
"... But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man...." (2:7-8a)
The meaning of the Greek words themselves are clear enough. "Made himself nothing" (NIV), "made himself of no reputation" (KJV), and "emptied himself" (NRSV) is the Greek verb kenaō, literally, "to make empty, to empty,"[90] and figuratively or metaphorically, "to make of no effect." Used with the emphatic "himself" makes it clear that this was a voluntary action by the preexistent Christ.[91] We may see echoes here from the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah 53:12 where, "he poured out himself to death."
But just what did this kenosis ("emptying") entail? The Danker says that kenaō is used of "divestiture of position or prestige." When used in Philippians of Christ, "he emptied himself, divested himself of his prestige or privileges."[92]
Did he give up the form or nature of God, that is, his actual divinity? Or did he give up some of the "relative attributes" of deity -- omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence -- while retaining the "essential attributes" -- holiness, love, and righteousness, as some exponents of the Kenotic view have taught? Frankly, this text in Philippians doesn't really tell us exactly of what he emptied himself. But we know from the text that he:
"He took on the form (morphē) of a slave," an expression of servility. This is in contrast to expression of divinity in the preexistent Christ, "although he was in the form (morphē) of God."[93]
The hymn says he was "made in human likeness." "Likeness" is the Greek noun homoiōma, "state of being similar in appearance, image, form," used thus both here and in Romans 8:3. Danker comments, "In the light of what Paul says about Jesus in general it is probable that he uses our word to bring out both that Jesus in his earthly career was similar to sinful humans and yet not totally like them."[94]
According to our text he was human in two ways:
The Greek noun schēma means "the generally recognized state or form in which something appears, outward appearance, form, shape of a person."[95]
Was Jesus really human or just pretending to be? A second century Christian heresy, Docetism, held a Hellenistic dualistic view that spirit is good and flesh is evil, thus Jesus could not have become flesh and thus partaken in human evil. Ergo, Jesus must have been merely pretending to be human.
But from its earliest days, the apostles insisted that Jesus indeed had become human. The Apostle John made this confession a test of a genuine Christian:
"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God" (1 John 4:2-3a).
The Council of Nicaea affirmed that Christ had not only become human, but in human form was both fully God and fully human, not half divine and half human. As John's Gospel declares:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father." (John 1:1, 14, RSV)
The Nicene Creed states this truth thus:
"Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end."
Obedient to Death (2:8b)
The humiliation of the transcendent Almighty God to become a human being might be compared to a human taking the form of a slug or a mosquito. But this voluntary humiliation was not enough. In addition, he took on the humiliation of death, and a very painful and shameful death at that:
"He humbled[96] himself and became obedient[97] to death -- even death on a cross!" (2:8b)
Jesus' death on the cross is comparable to being executed as a criminal by the electric chair or a slow public death by hanging -- a shameful and tortured death, nothing as painless or private as lethal injection.
Paul's point all along is that Jesus set the ultimate example of humbling oneself rather than insisting on one's own way with selfish ambition and vain glory. Jesus did this twice over -- first in his humbling by becoming a human being and whatever loss of divine power and prestige that required. Then again by voluntarily assenting to the most shameful and painful death imaginable in his day. Jesus humbled himself, Paul insists, and we must, too.
Exalted to the Highest Place (2:9-11)
Christ -- one equal with God -- emptied himself, humbled himself, and gave himself up to a tortured death for us. Now the hymn builds to its glorious conclusion:
"9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (2:9-11)
Why does this stanza of the hymn begin with "therefore"? Is it a reward for Christ's obedient humiliation or an assertion of his victory over the principalities and powers? Neither. It is best understood as God's vindication of Christ's humiliation unto a shameful death. It is God's "yes" to Christ's equality with God.[98]
"Exalted ... to the highest place" (NIV) or "highly exalted" (KJV, NRSV) is the Greek verb hyperypsoō, "to raise to a high point of honor, raise, exalt." Here, "to raise someone to the loftiest height."[99] Paul is referring to Christ's resurrection from the dead, of course, but even more to his ascension into heaven, where "God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior" (Acts 5:31; cf. 2:33). This passage has strong echoes from of Isaiah 53:
"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12)
Humility, followed by being exalted by God, is a theme that runs through the New Testament, especially in Jesus' own teaching:
"Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 18:4)
Concerning seeking to be called exalted titles by men: "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." (Matthew 23:12)
Take the lowest place when you are a guest at a banquet: "For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 14:11)
On the Pharisee and tax collector praying in the temple: "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." (Luke 18:14)
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (James 4:10)
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." (1 Peter 5:6)
It is no accident that genuine, self-imposed humility is the only way that love and unity can flourish in the Church, the Body of Christ. And Jesus himself leads the way.
Q4. (2:9-11) We know we're supposed to humble ourselves like Jesus did. But how can we know whether or not God will exalt us? Why do we get impatient with this? What does our impatience sometimes lead to? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?act=ST&f=75&t=316
A Name Above Every Name (2:9b-10)
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (2:9-11)
Part of Christ's exaltation is God giving to him "the name that is above every name." What is this name? There are two possibilities.
Probably we should understand the "name" as "Lord." "At the name of Jesus" means "at the name which belongs to Jesus," that is, the divine title of "Lord", which the Father has bestowed on him. Jesus, once identified with humiliation and shameful death is now endued with the highest majesty and power, that of divine Lord. Now is fulfilled Isaiah's ancient prophecy:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
This is the authority that Jesus exercised at the Great Commission when he declared,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18).
O'Brien notes, "In his exalted state, Jesus has a new rank involving the exercise of universal lordship. This gain was in official, not essential, glory since Jesus did not become divine through exaltation."[100]
Every Knee Shall Bow (2:10-11)
As a result of this exaltation all are subject to Jesus:
"that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess[101] that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (2:10-11)
This verse recalls Isaiah 45:23b
"Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear."
Is this submission and confession voluntary? Not by all. Though Jesus is now exalted to this highest place, not all acknowledge him as divine Lord, as the writer of Hebrews observes:
"In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." (Hebrews 2:8-9)
It remains for the Last Day for Christ's exaltation to be made plain to all. The Antichrist will be dethroned,
"whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Revelation 17:14)
In Romans 14:10-11, Paul identifies this time of kneeling and confessing with "God's judgment seat" or "the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10). Judgment will take place "in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead" (2 Timothy 4:1).
In Revelation 20:11-15 we see this awesome courtroom with the great white throne of judgment where all are called to judgment and no longer show any rebellion in the face of his holy righteousness.
Philippians 2:1-11 - Exegesis - Bible.org
I. 2:1-4
I have just written of the struggle we have together in our Gospel partnership, but I also want to write you about the encouragement and comfort that helps us in our partnership.
As Paul continues his exhortation to the kind of life that will make their partnership in Gospel ministry all the more effective, he reminds them of the Gospel blessings they enjoy in Christ.
In the overall structure of Romans and Ephesians, after the blessings of the Gospel are explained, they become the basis for Paul's exhortation to Christian living. The same pattern is apparent within these few verses. Since there is such encouragement, comfort, fellowship, affection, and compassion for us in the Gospel, therefore we are urged to live a life of unity, love, and humility. With a profound understanding of the Gospel, with the humility that flows from that understanding, and with the fellowship of the Spirit we can truly live in loving unity!
2:1: If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort in love, if any fellowship76 of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
There are certainly too many Christians who do not recognize the rich encouragement we have in knowing Christ, who take their comfort from other sources besides the love of God, and who prefer their fellowship outside of what the Spirit produces, but they are not the kind of Christians that make highly effective partners in Gospel ministry.
2:2: complete my joy: be of one mind,
having the same love, united in spirit,78 having the same concern,79
Paul asks them to complete my joy by living in unity, love, and humility. He uses joy and rejoice in two complementary ways in this letter. First, we should rejoice in who the Lord is and in all that He has done for us, that is, we should find our joy (1:25; 3:1; and 4:4) and our boasting (1:26 and 3:3) in the Lord and in the Gospel. Second, that joy (1:18; 2:2, 17-18; and 4:1) and our boasting (2:16 and 4:1) become complete as our partners in Gospel work live their lives in harmony with the implications of the Gospel. We should remember that Paul's letter to the Philippian congregation is not primarily about joy, it is about the Gospel Partnership he has with them, and about making that partnership more effective. So as that partnership prospers there is great joy to be found in the Gospel, and there is a "completed" joy to be found when one's Gospel partners are united in spirit. It should be clear that without joy in the Lord and in the Gospel, any joy in ministry would be without a sufficient foundation, and in danger of collapse.
The basic command to be of one mind is further elaborated upon in the rest of verse 2 and verses 3-4.
2:3: never with selfish ambition or vainglory, but in humility of mind considering one another more important than oneself.
The unity called for in the previous verse, the unity that would make Paul's joy complete, is so easily destroyed whenever we consider ourselves more important than the people we interact with. Ambition to promote ourselves, however well approved it may be in our culture, is nevertheless destructive. Vainglory,80 the pursuit of honor from men, does not build healthy lives. We really grow as we simply decide that others around us are more important than ourselves. This is of course the great irony of the Christian life. As the Lord taught us in Mark 9:35, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all." Paul has already supported this exhortation with the negative example of those that preach out of self-interest (1:15-16), and the positive example of himself (1:12-26). He is about to support that exhortation with the positive examples of the Lord Jesus Christ (2:6-11) and Timothy (2:19-24).
2:4: Do not be watching out for your own interests, but each also watching out for the interests of others.
This verse explains what it means to "consider one another more important than oneself." Doing this is much more difficult than understanding what it means. Our opportunities for applying this verse are endless, and our excuses for not applying it are abundant. This radical call to service and humility is only slightly toned down by the single word also. In using that word Paul acknowledges that we have a basic responsibility to take care of ourselves,81 but the balance of the verse indicates that we will look out for ourselves sufficiently, without any encouragement from him to do so. When the Lord said "Love your neighbor as yourself," He told us that we already love ourselves with sufficient diligence, and simply do not need any encouragement from Him in that direction!82
ll. 2:5-11
In fact, the ultimate example of humility, suffering, and then exaltation is Christ. Follow that example.
Paul's command to not be looking out for our own interests, to not be selfish, is certainly not a concept foreign to our faith. It lies at the very core of our faith, at the cross. Paul insists that all who have believed in Christ, who have been saved by His work on the cross, should likewise adopt the attitude that took Him to the cross. We should do this, not to be saved, or to prove we are saved, but in gratitude, because we are saved, thus becoming more effective partners in Gospel ministry for others.
Because of their style and content, verses 6-11 are sometimes presented as poetry or as a hymn. Unlike for instance in Ephesians 5:14, where Paul writes, "Therefore it is said: 'Awake, O sleeper, get up from among the dead, and Christ will shine on you,'" here there are no clues for us in the text as to whether this was an early Christian hymn or poem, well known to the congregation, which Paul then quotes, or something that he himself wrote particularly for this letter. However, if these words were written by someone else and then adopted by Paul, he must have done so because he approved of how they expressed what needed to be said. Verses 6-11, whatever their source, help us understand what our Savior did, so that we can more fully adopt the attitude of selflessness we need to have.
The parallels between Philippians 2:6-11 and the "Servant Songs" of Isaiah 43:13-53:12 are striking. Both speak so powerfully of humiliation all the way to death, and of the exaltation that results from that humiliation. This relationship between these two passages is strengthened by the fact that Philippians 2:10-11 clearly draws from Isaiah 45:23. The substitutionary atonement so obvious in Isaiah 53 is not mentioned in Philippians 2:6-11, but that might simply be because the atonement is outside our humble service, so it would be inappropriate for Paul to write that we should follow Christ's example in that.83
2:5: For you should let this same attitude be in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
The distilled theological truths that follow are abused if their use is limited to building our understanding of the incarnation, death and exaltation of Christ Jesus. These truths are written here as a guide to the attitude of selflessness that we are called upon to have in 2:1-4.
The word order of the following translation of verses 6-11 may seem somewhat stilted in English because some of the Greek word order is preserved, carrying over some of the poetic feel of the original.
2:6: Who in the form of God existing, did not regard being equal with God as something to be grasped,
This verse assumes that Christ was and is the eternal God. Who else could have been existing in the glorious and shining form or outward appearance of God?86
The passage is saying that even though Christ had all the glory of divinity up to the time of the incarnation, He was willing to exchange that for the form of a slave. Thus this is the perfect illustration for the kind of selflessness we are called upon to manifest. We need to imitate the attitude of the glorious Lord of Lords, who was willing to somehow shed all that glory and take on the outward form of a slave, for us.
He did not think that such glory, that outward form of God, was something precious that had to be clung to even at the cost of disobeying "the One who sent Him," to use the expression so common in the Gospel of John. He was willing to let go of that outward glory for the task set before Him by the Father.
2:7: but Himself He emptied, the form of a slave taking on, in the likeness of men coming.
The question of precisely what Christ emptied Himself of has occupied theologians for many centuries. The most straightforward answer might simply be that He emptied Himself of the "form of God" mentioned in the previous verse. That is, He somehow let go of the outward manifestation of the glory of God, and took on the outward form of a slave, the least glorious human status.89
In His incarnation He took on the likeness of men. This expression emphasizes the similarity He had with all men, but does not require a complete match with all mankind. This may be to allow for the fact the Jesus Christ, although He became truly human, was not exactly like everybody else in that He never sinned.
The expression taking on contrasts sharply with existing in verse 6.90 While He eternally exists as God, at one point in time He took on His humanity.
2:8: And in appearance being found as man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Here the word appearance91 refers simply to the outward visible appearance. What people saw was a man.
The expression "humility of mind" in verse 3 and the expression He humbled Himself here use the same root word. He did this out of obedience, likewise we need to obey this calling to unity, humility, and love.
When we read verses 1-4 we are likely to ask, "Yes, but to what extent are we to look out for others rather than ourselves? Should not we be looking out for ourselves to some extent?" However, in the example set before us, the example that we are to follow, He was obedient to death, even death on a cross. He was sent to take upon Himself the form of the lowest status of humanity, a slave. He also was sent to the most cruel and shameful form of death known in the Roman Empire, death on a cross.
2:9: Therefore also God Him exalted, and gave to Him a Name which is above every name,
The connecting word used, therefore, should not be overlooked here. Jesus Christ obeyed the Father, and because of that obedience, God exalted Him. Likewise we read in passages like Matthew 23:12; James 4:10; and 1 Peter 5:693 that we will be exalted if we humble ourselves. Here too, the Lord Jesus is our example.
God exalted Christ in several stages. The first stage was the resurrection (Romans 1:4). At some time prior to His ascension He received "all authority in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). He was certainly exalted in the ascension (Ephesians 4:8-10). Finally, as the reference to Isaiah 45:23 in 2:10-11 shows, this exaltation will continue until the Second Coming and the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God (Daniel 7:9-27; Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Corinthians 15:22-28; and Revelation 19).94
Before He was obedient to death, He received the name "Jesus," so that is probably not the name intended in this passage, even though it is mentioned in the next verse. Verse 11 suggests that the name given here is "Lord," or the related Hebrew name of God in the Old Testament, and Paul would understand that as the most exalted name. This text seems to be saying that despite the equality of the Son with the Father, the Son did not possess the name "Lord" prior to the cross. At any rate, in the Bible and the cultures around the New and Old Testaments, the term name could carry with it the idea of position, dignity, or office, as in 2 Samuel 7:13; Ephesians 1:21 and Hebrews 1:4. Also, in Jewish culture, the term "The Name" was commonly used as a reference to God, as in Acts 5:41 and 3 John 795.
2:10: so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
The exaltation of verse 9 has already happened, but universal worship in acknowledgment of that exaltation awaits the end of the age.96 Some of those knees will bow with ready thankfulness, and others only by force,97 but all will bow.
2:11: and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
This worship is related to Isaiah 45:23, in which God says, "...every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear by Me." This aspect of Christ's exaltation clearly takes place in an age in which everyone will worship the true God. It awaits the end of the age for fulfillment.
It is to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ be glorified. There is no competition between the Son and the Father. This should remind us of our calling to consider one another more important than ourselves.
