3. THE HUMILIATION OF CHRIST (2:5-8)
Christ is the supreme example of humility and selfless concern for others (vv.
5-8). These verses, along with verses 9-11, constitute a grand statement on
Christology.
2:5.
Believers are exhorted to have the same attitude?selfless humility?
Christ exhibited in His humiliation and condescension. The word here translated
attitude is translated "like-minded" in verse 2.
2:6-8.
The word translated
nature (
morpheô) in verses 6 and 7 is a crucial
term in this passage. This word (trans. "form" in the KJV and NASB) stresses the
inner essence or reality of that with which it is associated (cf. Mark 16:12).
Christ Jesus, Paul said, is of the very essence (
morpheô) of God, and in His
incarnation He embraced perfect humanity. His complete and absolute deity is
here carefully stressed by the apostle. The Savior?s claim to deity infuriated the
Jewish leaders (John 5:18) and caused them to accuse Him of blasphemy (John
10:33).
Though possessing full deity (John 1:14; Col. 2:9), Christ did not consider
His equality with God (Phil. 2:6) as something to be grasped or held onto. In
other words Christ did not hesitate to set aside His self-willed use of deity when
He became a man. As God He had all the rights of deity, and yet during His
incarnate state He surrendered His right to manifest Himself visibly as the God of
all splendor and glory.
Christ?s humiliation included His making Himself nothing, taking the very
nature (morpheô) of a servant, and being made in human likeness (v. 7).
These statements indicate that Christ became a man, a true human being. The
words "made Himself nothing" are, literally, "He emptied Himself." "Emptied,"
from the Greek kenooô, points to the divesting of His self-interests, but not of
His deity. "The very nature of a servant" certainly points to His lowly and
humble position, His willingness to obey the Father, and serve others. He became
a man, a true human being. "Likeness" suggests similarity but difference. Though
His humanity was genuine, He was different from all other humans in that He
was sinless (Heb. 4:15).
Thus it is seen that Christ, while retaining the essence of God, was also
human. In His incarnation He was fully God and fully man at the same time. He
was God manifest in human flesh (John 1:14).
Some have wrongly taught that the phrase, being found in appearance as a
man (Phil. 2:8), means that He only looked human. But this contradicts verse 7.
"Appearance" is the Greek scheômati, meaning an outer appearance which may
be temporary. This contrasts with morphe 4 ("very nature") in verses 6 and 7,
which speaks of an outer appearance that reveals permanent inner quality.
The condescension of Christ included not only His birth?the Incarnation in
which He became the God-Man?but also His death. And it was the most cruel
and despicable form of death?even death on a cross! (v. 8) This form of capital
punishment was limited to non-Romans and the worst criminals.
No better example of humiliation and a selfless attitude for believers to
follow could possibly be given than that of Christ. With this example before
them, the saints at Philippi should be "like-minded" (v. 2) and live humbly before
their God and each other.
Most of the contributing writers are Professors of Bible Exposition Dallas Seminary.
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