By Tyson Thorne

November 29, 2017
 
 

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
– even death on a cross!
As a result God exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
– in heaven and on earth and under the earth –
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

Let’s get one thing out of the way at the start, this passage is not a first century hymn that Paul is quoting. Lots of credible Bible scholars in the past have taught this as a likely source for these verses, but alas it is not to be. Some who know more about music than they perhaps do the Bible have looked at the original Greek and, to a musician, they don’t see the right set of rhythm or form for this to be a hymn of the first, or any, century. Though that didn’t stop one man from making it just that.

There is some debate as to if this passage is even a poem, but there is more evidence that it is a poem than it is a song. Paul was an experienced orator and prolific writer (he wrote about one-third of the New Testament), is a respected philosopher, but is not known as a poet. This may explain why it’s form isn’t perfect. It is, like most poems however, inspirational. It is a summary of the gospel message itself, describing the ministry of Jesus from the beginning of time through his sacrifice and resurrection all the way to the end of this world’s timeline.

We should move from these generalities, though, to a more specific look at the text. Beginning with the very first line, “though he existed in the form of God”, there is room for misunderstanding. In the present day, something being in the form of another thing usually indicates an artistic rendering at best, and a forgery at worst. This is not Paul’s intention. The Greek phrase “morpha theos” denotes equality with God. This is intended to match the next line, “did not consider equality with God…”. In mathematical terms, Paul would be stating that something is equal in practice to something else, even though the equality was not equal theoretically. In theological terms we would say that Jesus, being a part of the God-head, was to humble to consider his position as important when faced with the fate of humankind. For this reason Jesus “emptied himself”, that is he set aside the privilege of being God, to become a slave and a sacrifice for our sins.

There is more to discover here, however. These two phrases also work in accord with “taking on the form of a slave” and “being found in the likeness of men”. These two related concepts are held in contrast to the former. “Form of God” is contrasted with “form of man” and “equality with God” with “likeness of men”. It is from this passage we derive a bit of theology called the hypostatic union, the idea that Jesus is 100 percent God while at the same time 100 percent man. Jesus may have set aside the privilege of being divine, but never gave up his divinity.

What Jesus did give up was his life. He gave his life to open salvation to humanity, to obey and to bring honor to God the Father. This was his messianic mission, and it explains a lot. For instance, early in Jesus’ ministry Satan offered Jesus a short cut. Since the world had been conquered by Satan, the world was his to give. Lucifer offered the world to Jesus, if only Jesus would bow down to him. While this would have made Jesus the ruler of earth, it would have violated the other two parts of his mission and thrown all of heaven into chaos.

There is a lot in the Bible that makes us wonder, that is part of the joy of reading it and part of its power to inspire us. Much of what we wonder about, though, has answers. This singular poem may not fit the form precisely of the genre for its day, but the beauty of its content is incomparable. If you are looking for a place to start memorizing Scripture, you would be hard pressed to find a better passage. Learn from it this Christmas season, and may it inspire to humility and service for others.

Paul concludes this section with a statement familiar to most believers:

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.

The phrase translated as “so then” tells us these two verses are related to the immediate context. After commending the Philippian believers for their obedience to God. This calls back to verse eight, even as Jesus was obedient “to the point of death.” Paul’s words are meant to encourage and to strengthen their faith. Continuing in this sober tone, he instructs the congregants to work out their salvation “with awe and reverence” (some translations use the phrase “fear and trembling”). This verse has been used by some to teach that salvation is works-based, but nothing could be further from the truth. Paul instructs them to work out their salvation, not for it. “Working out” means, therefore, that we are to live up to, or according to, the work that God is doing in us.

There is one more phrase that deserves our attention. Over the centuries since Paul first penned this letter many have wondered about the choice of words usually translated “fear and trembling”, or “awe and reverence”. The Greek words used here are “phobou” and “tromou” from which we get the English words phobia and trauma. While “fear and trembling” may be a more literal translation, to modern readers it implies the wrong meaning. We are to approach God, and the work he does in us and through us, with awe and reverence instead of the kind of fear that induces trembling. It raises an interesting question for us today: do we treat God’s activity in our life with this kind of devotion, or do we take it for granted?

 
 
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