[TruthTalk] Comments of Phi 2.5-11

[Wm. Taylor]

Philippians 2.5-11 -- (5) Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (7) but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, he emptied himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! (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. What does it mean that Christ "emptied" himself? I've seen this clause alluded to on numerous occasions since joining TruthTalk. I've heard it expressed as anything from the eternal Son emptying himself of divine attributes to assertions claiming that Christ actually emptied himself of divinity. I think it might do us some good to actually get inside some of these words and see if we can't do this passage some justice. The thrust of the passage, it seems to me, is this: that the One who, before becoming human, possessed divine equality, did not regard that status as something to exploit, but instead interpreted it as a mission to obedient humiliation and death; and that the Father acknowledged this interpretation by exalting this One, forever now a Man, to share in divine glory. Why do I say that the One (the Son) did not consider his divinity something to be exploited? Most translations say something on the order of the Son did not consider his divinity something to be grasped, and interpret that to speak to the emptying of himself. My question is, Are we ready to go that far? Did the Son divest himself of some or all of his divinity? I don't think so. I am not comfortable suggesting that the eternal Son became something less than fully God when he took upon himself the flesh of humanity. In his own ministry Jesus interpreted himself as being fully divine. Look at John 14.9 -- "Anyone who has seen me has seen my Father." And in case his disciples should misunderstood, he went on to say, "Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work" (v. 10). How could Jesus truly manifest the divinity of his Father if he had divested himself of even an ounce of divinity himself? "To see Me is to see My Father." Had the Father become something less than God when he sent his Son? Of course not! We need to reconsider this emptying idea. However, the key word in unpacking this passage is not kenosis -- to empty --, but this very word we are questioning, arpagmos. It seems to me that the kenosis word clarifies itself, once we begin to understand the meaning of this other word: arpagmos. This word appears only once in the NT, right here at the heart of this passage. It is not used in the Septuagint (the Gr. translation of the OT) and it is rarely used in contemporary extra-biblical writings (N.T. Wright). And so how do we understand this troublesome word?  The theme of this passage, it seems to me, is the determination of the path Christ chose as the way to his Lordship. The incarnate Christ was always in the form of God, but throughout his earthly ministry he did not yet possess equality with God. At any point of his fleshly ministry he could have grasped at,  or taken advantage of, or exploited, this higher state, but in doing so he would not have been representing the heart of his Father (How do we know this? Jesus said so: "If you have seen me you have seen the Father." It was Jesus in a humbled state that truly revealed the heart of God); rather than by way of exploitation, Jesus maintained this higher form via the path of humbling service, even unto death. This pleased the Father, who exalted this God-man Christ Jesus to the Glory that had previously only been exercised in divinity. Thus it was in the exaltation that Christ established his Lordship, a human being becoming equal with God the Father, over humanity. How does our heavenly Father desire us to see him? Through the life of his Son, "who -- being in nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be exploited, but made himself nothing, taking the nature of a servant, born in human likeness, born in a manner similar to humanity -- emptied himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!"   How does the Father desire to see us? Our "attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, ..." (v. 5). In our frenzy to be right, let's not diminish God. We are the only religion on earth whose God stoops. Every other religion is trying to get to "God." Everyone else is reaching to get up there, where "God" is. They are working themselves to death. But our God humbles himself, becomes like us in birth, collects us and raises us up in the glory of His Son. Let's exalt our Lord in his exaltation. Let's glorify him in his glorification. He whose Name is above all names, let's praise him in his purification! Bill Taylor       ----- Original Message ----- From: Kevin Deegan To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 4:44 AM Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Comments on Luke 2.52 John says Although He had emptied Himself of the nature of God   What scripture supports this theory? [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a message dated 3/12/2004 8:44:46 PM Pacific Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: It helps me understand the Incarnation Good point and amen.   For me, the life of Christ (and his ability to resist sin as a man [like me]) makes clear my own condemnation because he did what I keep saying that I cannot do.   His death frees me from this consequence.     I would not teach this in a class or pulpit, but I believe that the creator God did not fully understand His own creation in man.   I will not take time to develop this theme scripturally.   I believe the problem centered in the difference between God and man and this thing called "free agency.'   God is not a free moral agent.   He is not temptable  --- therefore there exists no opportunity for sin because of His nature.   He created lots of thing that had no free moral agency  --- trees and dogs and the like.   None of them are capable of worship and reverence.   Christ , thru the prophet David, is quoted in Acts 2 (Peters' sermon) "Thou hast taught me the ways of life."   Although He had emptied Himself of the nature of God,   Christ certainly had vivid memories of what it was like on the other side.   Hebrews makes it clear that He is a better intercessor or high priest because of his human suffering.   He was made to be like us in every way. I am not sure there is a soteriological impact here, but it is at least interesting to me.   There are lots of things that God cannot do.  He cannot die,  He cannot be tempted.   Resurrection was not an experience of God.   But in the,  dare I say,   person of Christ, He experienced all these things.   Amazing.   He needed to learn why we are all such idiots.   We have to learn what He can do about that.   John Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam