What is the meaning of Philippians 2:6? Who Paul’s “Who” points us straight back to “Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). • The focus is the historical Jesus who walked the hills of Galilee, yet is also the eternal Son (John 1:14). • Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and heaven affirmed that verdict at His baptism (Matthew 3:17). • Throughout the New Testament His unique identity is settled: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). existing in the form of God “Existing” speaks of continuous reality; before Bethlehem, Christ already “was.” • John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.” • Colossians 1:15–17 strengthens the claim: “He is the image of the invisible God… all things were created through Him and for Him.” • Hebrews 1:3 adds that He is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” So Paul is underscoring absolute, unqualified deity—Jesus shares God’s very essence, not a lesser likeness or mere reflection. did not consider equality with God Though fully equal with the Father, Jesus did not weigh that equality the way fallen hearts might. • In John 5:18 the Jews recognized He “was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God,” yet He consistently chose obedience over privilege (John 5:30). • 2 Corinthians 8:9 celebrates this mindset: “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.” • Mark 10:45 captures His mission: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Equality was His by right, but self-giving love shaped how He handled that right. something to be grasped The phrase pictures clutching, hanging on, exploiting. Jesus refused to seize divine prerogatives for selfish gain. • When Satan tempted Him to display power for personal benefit, He answered, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-10), choosing submission over spectacle. • Faced with arrest, He reminded Peter He could summon “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) but would not. • Isaiah 53:12 foretold this path: “He poured out His life unto death.” Instead of clinging, He emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7), embracing servanthood and the cross for our redemption. summary Philippians 2:6 reveals the breathtaking humility of the eternal Son. Fully God, He already possessed every honor, yet He declined to clutch that status for His own advantage. Choosing instead the downward path, He sets the pattern for all who belong to Him: secure in our identity, we are free to lay aside rights, serve others, and magnify the Father—just as Jesus did. |
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