Philippians 2:1-30 NIV
Imitating Christ’s Humility
1Therefore
if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort
from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion, 2then
make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in
spirit and of one mind. 3Do
nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, 4not
looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
did not
consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage;
7rather, He
made Himself nothing
by taking
the very natureb of a servant,
being made
in human likeness.
8And being
found in appearance as a man,
He humbled
Himself
by becoming
obedient to death—
even death
on a cross!
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 acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the
glory of God the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12Therefore,
my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now
much more in my absence—continue to
work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
13 for it is God Who works in you to will and to
act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
14Do
everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that
you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped
and crooked generation.”c Then you will shine among them like stars
in the sky 16as you
hold firmly to the Word of Life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of
Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17But
even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and
service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you
too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19I hope
in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when
I receive news about you. 20I have
no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21For
everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.22But you
know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has
served with me in the work of the gospel. 23I hope,
therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24And I
am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
25But I
think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker
and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of
my needs. 26For he
longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27Indeed
he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but
also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28Therefore
I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be
glad and I may have less anxiety. 29So
then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30because
he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the
help you yourselves could not give me.
Who, being in the form
of God - There is scarcely
any passage in the New Testament which has given rise to more discussion than
this. The importance of the passage on the question of the Divinity of the
Savior will be perceived at once because Paul regarded the Redeemer (Whom he
dramatically met on the road to Damascus) as equal with God. If he was truly
divine, then His consenting to become a man was the most remarkable of all
possible acts of humiliation of Him.
The word rendered “form” - μορφή morphē - occurs only
in three places in the New Testament, and in each place is rendered “form.” Mark 16:12; Philippians 2:6-7.
In Mark it is applied to the form which Jesus assumed after His resurrection,
and in which He appeared to two of His disciples on their way to Emmaus. “After
that He appeared in another form unto two of them.” This
"form" was so unlike His usual appearance, that they did not know Him.
The word properly means, form, shape, bodily shape, especially a beautiful
form, a beautiful bodily appearance - Passow. In Philippians 2:7,
it is applied to the appearance of a servant - and took upon Him the form of a
servant;" that is, He was in the condition of a servant - or of the lowest
condition.
The word occurs often
in the Septuagint:
(1) as the translation
of the word ציי - Ziv - "splendour," Daniel 4:33; Daniel 5:6, Daniel 5:9-10; Daniel 7:28;
(2) as the translation
of the word תּבנית tabniyth, structure, model, pattern - as in
building, Isaiah 44:13;
(3) as the translation
of תּמונה temuwnah, appearance, form, shape, image,
likeness, Job 4:16; see also
Wisdom Job 18:1.
The word can have here
only one or two meanings, either:
(1) splendor, majesty,
glory - referring to the honor which the Redeemer had, His power to work
miracles, etc. - or.
(2) nature, or essence
- meaning the same as φύσις phusis, "nature," or ουσία ousia, "being."
The first is the
opinion adopted substantially by Calvin. He says, "The form of God here
denotes majesty. For as a man is known from the appearance of His form, so the
majesty which shines in God, is His figure. Therefore Christ before the
foundation of the world was in the form of God, because He had Glory with the
Father before the world was; John 17:5.
For in the Wisdom of God, before He put on our nature, there was nothing but
there was magnificence worthy of God."
(1) The "form" here referred to must
have been something before He became a man, or before He took upon Him the form
of a servant. It was something from which He humbled Himself by making "Himself
of no reputation;" by taking upon Himself "the form of a
servant;" and by being made "in the likeness of men." Of course,
it must have been something which existed when He had not the likeness of
people; that is, before He became incarnate. He must therefore have had an
existence before He appeared on earth as a man, and in that previous state of
existence there must have been something which rendered it proper to say that He
was "in the form of God."
(2) that it does not
refer to any Divine qualities, or to His power of working miracles on earth, is
apparent from the fact that these were not laid aside. When did He divest
Himself of these in order that He might humble Himself? There was something
which He possessed which made it proper to say of him that He was "in the
form of God," which He laid aside when He appeared in the form of a
servant and in the likeness of human beings.
But assuredly that
could not have been His moral qualities, nor is there any conceivable sense in
which it can be said that He divested Himself of the power of working miracles
in order that He might take upon Himself the "form of a servant." All
the miracles which He ever did were performed when He took the form of a
servant, in His lowly and humble condition. These considerations make it
certain that the apostle refers to a period before the incarnation. It may be
added:
(3) that the phrase
"form of God" is one that naturally conveys the idea that He was God.
When it is said that He was "in the form of a servant," the idea is,
that He was actually in a humble and depressed condition, and not merely that He
appeared to be. Still it may be asked, what was the "form" which He
had before His incarnation? What is meant by His having been then "in the
form of God?" To these questions perhaps no satisfactory answer can be
given. He Himself speaks John 17:5 of
"the Glory which He had with the Father before the world was;"
and the language naturally conveys the idea that there was then a manifestation
of the Divine nature through Him, which in some measure ceased when He became
incarnate; that there was some visible splendor and majesty which was then laid
aside.
What manifestation of
His glory God may make in the heavenly world, of course, we cannot now fully
understand. Nothing forbids us, however, to suppose that there is some such
visible manifestation; some splendor and magnificence of God in the view of the
angelic beings such as becomes the Great Sovereign of the universe - for He
"dwells in light which no map can approach unto;" 1 Timothy 6:16. That
glory, visible manifestation, or splendor, indicating the nature of God, it is
here said that the Lord Jesus possessed before His incarnation.
Thought it not robbery
to be equal with God
- This passage, also, has given occasion to much discussion. That is, that
though He was of a divine nature or condition, He did not eagerly seek to
retain His equality with God, but took on Him an humble condition - even that
of a servant. This is the correct rendering of the passage is apparent from the
following considerations:
(1) It accords with
the scope and design of the apostle's reasoning. His object is not to show, as
our common translation would seem to imply, that He aspired to be equal with
God, or that He did not regard it as an improper invasion of the prerogatives
of God to be equal with Him, but that He did not regard it, in the
circumstances of the case, as an object to greatly desired or eagerly sought to
retain His equality with God. Instead of retaining this by an earnest effort,
or by a grasp which He was unwilling to relinquish, He chose to forego the
dignity, and to assume the humble condition of a man.
(2) it accords better
with the Greek than the common version. The word rendered "robbery" -
ἁρπαγμος harpagmos
- is found nowhere else in the New Testament, though the verb from which it is
derived frequently occurs; Matthew 11:12; Matthew 13:19; John 6:15; John 10:12, John 10:28-29; Acts 8:29; Acts 23:10; 2 Corinthians
12:2, 2 Corinthians
12:4; 1 Thessalonians
4:17; Jude 1:23; Revelation 12:5.
The notion of
violence, or seizing, or carrying away, enters into the meaning of the word in
all these places. The word used here does not properly mean an act of robbery,
but the thing robbed - the plunder and hence something to be eagerly seized and
appropriated. According to this, the meaning of the word here is, something to
be seized and eagerly sought, and the sense is, that his being equal with God
was not a thing to be anxiously retained. The phrase "thought it
not," means "did not consider;" it was not judged to be a matter
of such importance that it could not be dispensed with. The sense is, "He
did not eagerly seize and tenaciously hold" as one does who seizes
prey or spoil.
To be equal with God - τὸ εἶναι ἶσα
Θεῷ to einai isa Theō. That is, the being equal with God He did not
consider a thing to be tenaciously retained. Compare John 5:18. "made Himself equal with God."
The phrase means one who sustains the same rank, dignity, nature. Now it could
not be said of an angel that he was in any sense equal with God; much less
could this be said of a mere man.
The natural and
obvious meaning of the language is, that there was equality of nature and of
rank with God, from which He humbled Himself when He became a man. The meaning
of the whole verse, according to the interpretation suggested above, is, that
Christ, before He became a man, was invested with honor, majesty, and glory, such
as was appropriate to God Himself; that there was some manifestation or
splendor in His existence and mode of being then, which showed that He was
equal with God; that He did not consider that that honor, indicating equality
with God, was to be retained at all events, and so as to do violence, as it
were, to other interests, and to rob the universe of the glory of redemption;
and that He was willing, therefore, to forget that, or lay it by for a time, in
order that He might redeem the world. There were a glory and majesty which were
appropriate to God, and which indicated equality with God - such as none but
God could assume. For how could an angel have such glory, or such external
splendor in heaven, as to make it proper to say that he was "equal with
God?" With what glory could he be invested which would be such as became
God only? The "fair" interpretation of this passage, therefore, is,
that Christ before His incarnation
was equal with God.
But made Himself of no reputation - This translation by no means conveys the
sense of the original According to this it would seem that He consented to be
without distinction or honor among people; or that He was willing to be
despised or disregarded. The Greek is ἑαυτον ἐκένωσεν heauton ekenōsen.
The word κενόω kenoō
means literally, to empty, "to make empty, to make vain or void." It
is rendered: "made void" in Romans 4:14; "made of none
effect," 1 Corinthians
1:17; "make void," 1 Corinthians 9:15;
"should be vain," 2 Corinthians
9:3.
The word does not occur elsewhere in the New
Testament, except in the passage before us. The essential idea is that of
bringing to emptiness, vanity, or nothingness; and, hence, it is applied to a
case where one lays aside his rank and dignity, and becomes in respect to that
as nothing; that is, he assumes a more humble rank and station.
In regard to its
meaning here, we may remark:
(1) that it cannot mean
that he literally divested Himself of His Divine nature and perfections, for
that was impossible. He could not cease to be omnipotent, and omnipresent, and
most holy, and true, and good.
(2) it is conceivable
that He might have laid aside, for a time, the symbols or the manifestation of
His glory, or that the outward expressions of His majesty in heaven might have
been withdrawn. It is conceivable for a Divine being to intermit the exercise
of His Almighty power, since it cannot be supposed that God is always exerting
His power to the utmost. And in like manner there might be for a time a laying
aside or intermitting of these manifestations, which were expressive of the Divine
glory and perfections. Yet,
(3) this supposes no
change in the Divine nature, or in the essential glory of the Divine
perfections. When the sun is obscured by
a cloud, or in an eclipse, there is no real change of its glory, nor are its beams extinguished, nor is the sun itself in any measure changed. So it
might have been in regard to the manifestation of the Glory of the Son of God.
Of course there is much in regard to this which is obscure, but the language of
the apostle undoubtedly implies more than that He took an humble place, or that
He lowered Himself in an humble manner. In regard to the actual change
respecting His manifestations in heaven, or the withdrawing of the manifestations
of His glory there, the Scriptures are nearly silent, and conjecture is useless
- perhaps improper.
The language before us fairly implies that He
laid aside that which was expressive of His Being Divine - that glory which is
involved in the phrase "being in the form of God" - and took upon himself
another form and manifestation in the condition of a servant.
And took upon him the
form of a servant - The phrase "form of a servant," should be allowed
to explain the phrase "form of God," in Philippians 2:6. The
"form of a servant" is that which indicates the condition of a
servant, in contradistinction from one of higher rank. It means to appear as a
servant, to perform the offices of a servant, and to be regarded as such. He
was made like a servant in the lowly condition which He assumed. The whole
connection and force of the argument here demands this interpretation.
Some interpret this as
meaning that He became the servant or minister of God, and that in doing it, it
was necessary that He should become a man. But the objection to this is
obvious. It greatly weakens the force of the apostle's argument. His object is
to state the depth of humiliation to which He descended, and this was best done
by saying that He descended to the lowest condition of humanity and appeared in
the most humble status. The idea of being a "servant or minister of
God" would not express that, for this is a term which might be applied to
the highest angel in heaven. Though the Lord Jesus was not literally a servant
or slave, yet what is here affirmed was true of Him in the following respects:
(1) He occupied a most
lowly condition in life.
(2) he condescended to
perform such acts as are appropriate only to those who are servants. "I am
among you as He Who serves;" Luke 22:27;
compare John 13:4-15.
And was made in the
likeness of men - The Greek word
means “likeness”, “resemblance.” The meaning is, He was made like unto people
by assuming such a body as theirs; see the notes at Romans 8:3.
And being found - That is, being such, or existing as a man,
He humbled Himself.
In fashion as a man - The word rendered "fashion" - σχῆμα schēma - means
figure, mien, deportment. Here it is the same as state, or condition. The sense
is, that when He was reduced to this condition He humbled Himself, and obeyed
even unto death. He took upon Himself all the attributes of a man. He assumed
all the innocent infirmities of our nature. He appeared as other people do, was
subjected to the necessity of food and clothing, like others, and was made
liable to suffering, as other men are. It was still He who had been in the
"form of God" Who thus appeared; and, though His Divine glory had
been for a time laid aside, yet it was not extinguished or lost. It is
important to remember, in all our meditations on the Savior, that it was the
same Being Who had been invested with so much glory in heaven, that appeared on
earth in the form of a man.
He humbled himself - Even then, when He appeared as a man. He
had not only laid aside the symbols of His glory Philippians 2:7,
and become a man; but when He was a man, He humbled Himself. Humiliation was a
constant characteristic of Him as a man. He did not aspire to high honors; He did
not affect pomp and parade; but He condescended to the lowest conditions of
life; Luke 22:27. The words here
are very carefully chosen. In the former case Philippians 2:7,
when He became a man, He "emptied Himself," or laid aside the symbols
of His glory; now, when a man, He humbled Himself. That is, though He was God
appearing in the form of man - a Divine Person on earth - yet He did not assume
and assert the dignity and prerogatives appropriate to a Divine Being, but put
Himself in a condition of obedience. For such a Being to obey law, implied
voluntary humiliation; and the greatness of His humiliation was shown by His
becoming entirely obedient, even until He died on the cross.
And became obedient - He subjected Himself to the law of God, and
wholly obeyed it; Hebrews 10:7, Hebrews 10:9. It was a characteristic of
the Redeemer that He yielded perfect obedience to the Will of God. Should it be
said that, if He was God himself, He must have been Himself the lawgiver, we
may reply that this rendered His obedience all the more wonderful and all the
more meritorious. If a monarch should for an important purpose place Himself in
a position to obey His own laws, nothing could show in a more striking manner
their importance in His view. The highest honor that has been shown to the Law
of God on earth was, that it was perfectly observed by Him Who made the Law -
the Great Mediator.
Unto death - He obeyed even when obedience terminated in
death. The point of this expression is this: One may readily and cheerfully
obey another where there is no particular peril. But the case is different
where obedience is attended with danger. The child shows a spirit of true
obedience when he yields to the commands of a father, though it should expose him
to hazard; the servant who obeys his master, when obedience is attended with
risk of life; the soldier, when he is morally certain that to obey will be
followed by death.
It should be said,
however, that the obedience of the soldier is in many cases scarcely voluntary,
since, if he did not obey, death would be the penalty. But, in the case of the
Redeemer, it was wholly voluntary. He placed Himself in the condition of a
servant to do the Will of God, and then never shrank from what that condition
involved.
Even the death of the
cross - Many a people might
be willing to obey if the death that was suffered was regarded as glorious; but
when it is of the most degrading character, and the most torturing that human
ingenuity can invent, then the whole character of the obedience is changed. Yet
this was the obedience the Lord Jesus showed; and it was in this way that His
remarkable readiness to suffer was shown.
Therefore
- As a reward of this humiliation and these sufferings. The idea is, that there
was an appropriate reward for it, and that that was bestowed upon Him by His
exaltation as Mediator to the Right Hand of God; compare Hebrews 2:9.
God also has highly
exalted Him - As Mediator. Though
He was thus humbled, and appeared in the form of a servant, He is now raised up
to the Throne of Glory, and to universal dominion. This exaltation is spoken of
the Redeemer as He was, sustaining a Divine and a human nature. If there was,
as has been supposed, some withdrawing of the symbols of His glory Philippians 2:7,
when He became a man, then this refers to the restoration of that glory, and
would seem to imply, also, that there was additional honor conferred on Him.
There was all the glory resulting from the work which He had performed in
redeeming man.
And given him a Name
which is above every name - No other name can be compared with His. It stands alone. He
only is Redeemer, Savior. He Only is Christ, the Anointed of God; see Hebrews 1:4. He Only is the Son of God.
His rank, His titles, His dignity, are above all others; see Ephesians 1:20-21.
That at the Name of
Jesus every knee should bow - The knee should bow, or bend, in token of honor, or worship;
that is, all people should adore Him. This cannot mean merely that at the
mention of the Name of Jesses we should bow; nor is there any evidence that God
requires this. Why should we bow at the mention of that Name, rather than at
any of the other titles of the Redeemer? Is there any special sacredness or
honor in it above the other names which He bears? And why should we how at His
Name rather than at the Name of the Father!
Besides, if any special
homage is to be paid to the Name of the Savior under the authority of this
passage - and this is the only one on which the authority of this custom is
based - it should be by bowing the knee, not the head. But the truth is, this
authorizes and requires neither; and the custom of bowing at the Name of Jesus,
in some churches, has arisen entirely from a misinterpretation of this passage.
There is no other place in the Bible to which an appeal is made to authorize
the custom.
The meaning here is,
not that a special act of respect or adoration should be shown wherever the
name "Jesus" occurs in reading the Scriptures, or whenever it is
mentioned, but that He was so exalted that it would be proper that all in heaven
and on earth should worship Him, and that the time would come when He would be
thus everywhere acknowledged as Lord. The bowing of the knee properly expresses
homage, respect, adoration (compare Romans 11:4); and it cannot be done to the
Savior by those who are in heaven, unless He is Divine.
Of things in heaven - ἐπουρανίων
epouraniōn - of beings in heaven, the word "things" being
improperly supplied by our translators. The word may be in the neuter plural;
but it may be also in the masculine plural, and denote beings rather than things. Things do not bow the
knee; and the reference here is undoubtedly to angels, and to the "spirits
of the just made perfect" in heaven. If Jesus is worshipped there,
He is Divine; for there is no idolatry in heaven.
In this whole passage
there is probably an allusion to Isaiah 45:23.
In the great divisions here specified - of those in heaven, on the earth, and
under the earth - the apostle intends, doubtless, to denote the universe. The
same mode of designating the universe occurs in Revelation 5:13; Exodus 20:4; compare Psalm 96:11-12. This mode
of expression is equivalent to saying, "all that is above, around, and
beneath us," and arises from what appears to us. The division is natural
and obvious - that which is above us in the heavens, that which is on the earth
where we dwell, and all that is beneath us.
And things in earth - Rather, "beings on earth," people; for they only are capable of
rendering homage.
And things under the earth - Beings
under the earth. The whole universe shall confess that He is Lord. This
embraces, doubtless, those who have
departed from this life, and perhaps includes also fallen angels. The
meaning is, that all acknowledge Him as universal Lord; all bow to His sovereign
will; all be subject to His control; all recognize Him as Divine. The fallen
and the lost will do this; for they will be constrained to yield an unwilling
homage to Him by submitting to the sentence from His lips that shall consign
them to woe; and thus the whole universe shall acknowledge the exalted dignity
of the Son of God. But this does not mean that they will all be saved, for the
guilty and the lost may be compelled to acknowledge His power, and submit to His
decree as the Sovereign of the universe.
There is the free and
cheerful homage of the heart which they who worship Him in heaven will render;
and there is the unwilling homage which they must yield who are compelled to
acknowledge His authority.
And that every tongue
should confess - Everyone should acknowledge
Him. On the duty and importance of confessing Christ, see Romans 10:9-10.
That Jesus Christ is
Lord - The word "Lord," here, is used in its
primitive and proper sense, as denoting owner, ruler, and sovereign; compare Romans 14:9. The meaning is that all
should acknowledge Him as the universal Sovereign.
To the glory of God
the Father - Such a universal
confession would honor God the Father; see John 5:23, where this
sentiment is explained.