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THE DIETY OF JESUS CHRIST
AND HOW HE HUMBLED
HIMSELF TO BECOME A MAN
I) INTRODUCTION
The main purpose of this passage is to exhort the believer to emulate the humility and servitude of our Lord as exemplified by His humbling Himself by setting aside the exercising of His essence as God in order to function as a Perfect Man so that He could then pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world:
A) [Phil 2:5-8 N.A.S.]:
(v. 5) "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
(v. 6) Who, although He subsisted in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(v. 7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.
(v. 8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Objectors to Phil 2:5-8 being a proof text of the diety of Christ maintain that all this passage says is that Christians should not be motivated by self will but to be meek and obedient like Christ; Who although existing in the form of a god like Almighty God was not ambitious to become equal to his Father. Scripture clearly refutes this statement. Let's examine this passage in the light of Who it says Jesus Christ really is.
II) [Phil 2:5-6]:
(v. 5 NAS) "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
(v. 6 NAS) Who, although subsisting in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(v. 6 K.J.V.) "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"
"os ....en .........morphu ....Theou .huparchon"
"Who in [the] form ..........of God subsisting
ouch arpagmon egesato ...to
not ...robbery ...esteemed it
elnai .isa ...TheO
to be equal with God
["Who" = refers to Jesus Christ, (v.5)]
["being" or "subsisting" = "huparchon" = subsisting, existing.
Vines, (op. cit., p. 60), states:
["huparchon" from the verb] "HUPARCHO"......denotes to be, to be in existence, involving an existence or condition both previous to the circumstances mentioned and continuing after it."
This word "huparchon" = subsisting, existing was selected instead of the Greek word "eimi" which means to be, or a status of being. The word "huparchon" is in the present tense participle form which refers to the ongoing continual status of Jesus Christ in the present. And it is in the active voice meaning that our Lord chose to retain this state of subsistence. The participle form is used here as a statement of truth. It implies much more than just being, it indicates a continuous existence - one which in the context is a continuous existence of Deity, therefore it is an eternal existence. Note that since God is immutable, then having and losing an existence as God is out of the question. Finally, "huparchon" indicates that our Lord existed as God when He became a Man and continued to exist as God while He now also exists as a Man. So here is what this verse is saying: 'Jesus Christ had a continuous state of existence in the form of Almighty God in eternity past before He took on the form of a human body. And He continues to exist as God while He exists as a human being.'
II cont.) [Phil 2:5-6 cont.]:
(v. 5 NAS) "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
(v. 6 NAS) Who, although subsisting in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped"
(v. 6 K.J.V.) "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"
["form" = "morphu" = while this word does mean form it is more than that. The word form in English is limited to some physical shape - some outside structure in a physical sense. But the Greek word which is translated into the English word "form" = "morphu" is a philosophical word which refers to the essential being of someone - an internal quality as well as an external one - the essential quality that characterizes that person and which is reflected by the external. The English word metaMORPHOsis which contains a transliteration of the Greek word "morphu" refers to, for example, the complete change of form - both external AND internal of a caterpillar to a butterfly.
[The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Joseph Henry Thayer, editor, Hendrickson Pub., Peabody, Ma, 1981, pp. 445, 610)]:
This word "morphu" was chosen by author John as inspired by God over other words such as schema which means "that which strikes the senses, the figure, the bearing, discourse, actions, manner of life, etc., i.e., the external"
or = omoiomati = "external form, shape, figure, likeness, representation."
[C. I. Scoffield states in reference to Phil 2:6, (Oxford NIV Scoffield Study Bible, C. I. Scoffield, Editor, New York, Oxford University Press, 1984, p.1243]:
"This [Phil 2:6] is one of the strongest assertions in the N.T. of the Deity of Jesus Christ. The Greek word....["morphu"]... here translated "very nature," literally means form, and refers to the external appearance by which a person or thing strikes the vision; yet it is an external form truly indicative of the inner nature from which it springs. Nothing in this passage teaches that the eternal Word (Jn. 1:1) emptied Himself of either His divine nature or His attributes, but only of the outward and visible manifestation of the Godhead. God may change form, but He cannot cease to be God. At all times His divine attributes could be exercised according to His will."
[http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/choice/1009845676.html
Vine's Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words]:
"Strong's Number: 3444 Greek: morphe
"denotes "the special or characteristic form or feature" of a person or thing; it is used with particular significance in the NT, only of Christ, in Phl 2:6,7, in the phrases "being in the form of God," and "taking the form of a servant." An excellent definition of the word is that of Gifford: "morphe is therefore properly the nature or essence, not in the abstract, but as actually subsisting in the individual, and retained as long as the individual itself exists. ... Thus in the passage before us morphe Theou is the Divine nature actually and inseparably subsisting in the Person of Christ. ... For the interpretation of 'the form of God' it is sufficient to say that (1) it includes the whole nature and essence of Deity, and is inseparable from them, since they could have no actual existence without it; and (2) that it does not include in itself anything 'accidental' or separable, such as particular modes of manifestation, or conditions of glory and majesty, which may at one time be attached to the 'form,' at another separated from it. ... The true meaning of morphe in the expression 'form of God' is confirmed by its recurrence in the corresponding phrase, 'form of a servant.' It is universally admitted that the two phrases are directly antithetical, and that 'form' must therefore have the same sense in both." * [* From Gillford, "The Incarnation," pp. 16,19,39.]"
II cont.) [Phil 2:5-6 cont.]:
(v. 6 K.J.V. cont.) "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"
"robbery" = "harpagmon" = refers here to a treasure which is to be held on to. It is in a noun form which can have one of two basic meanings:
An active meaning = robbery in the sense of a person taking something that doesn't belong to him,
and
a passive meaning = robbery in the sense of a prize or a treasure which one rightfully possesses but which is robbed from him.
The passive meaning must apply here because of the first part of verse 6 which states that Jesus Christ already continually was Almighty God from eternity past:
[Phil 2:6a] "...Who [Christ] although He [continually] subsisted in the [internal and external] form of God..."
Phil 2:6a indicates that in eternity past our Lord always subsisted - existed - as God. So He would not be in an active position of robbing something He already had - that of being God. Rather, the passive meaning of "harpagmon" applies: that of having the expression of His diety..........
(and not the essence since God is immutable and cannot lose His essence in any way. Compare Malachi 3:6),
............having the expression of His diety taken away. So Jesus is spoken of as NOT thinking it robbery to be in the position of not expressing the glory of God that is His essence and instead becoming a Man to die for the sins of the whole world:
III) [Phil 2:7-8]:
(v. 7) "but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.
"being made in the likeness of men" =
"being made" ="genomenos" = [Lit.] "having become"
"in [the] likeness of men" = "en omoiomati anthropon
(v. 8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
"And being found in appearance as a man. =
"kai .schemati euretheis ..............os ..anthropos.."
"and in figure having been found as ...[of a] man "
"schemati" = dative, singular, neuter, nominative of "schema" meaning fashion, form, external show.
Phil 2:8 states that Jesus Christ took on the outward form (= "schemati") of man - the external appearance. It says the same thing in Phil 2:7 with the word "omoiomati" = external form, shape, figure. (Our Lord, being without a sin nature, did not have the internal contaminated form of man. Cp 2 Cor 5:21)
[Robert P. Lightner stated, B.K.C., p.654:
"The word translated [in the N.I.V.]"nature" ("morph ") in verses 6 and 7 is a crucial term in this passage. This word ([translated] "form" in the KJV and NASB) stresses the inner essence or reality of that with which it is associated....."
The particular kind of form that "morphu" represents in this passage is "morphu Theou" = "form of God" = the essential nature of God.
Dr John Danish states, (Audio tape #74PH-36s-1, Berean Memorial Church, Irving, Tx):
"There is no 'the' here in the Greek ["form of God"]. It does not have any definite article and therefore it is stressing the essence of God, the quality of Deity. So the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ in His inner most being was that of Deity. This was His nature from all eternity. He was and He continues to be a member of the Godhead. He is coequal with Father and Holy Spirit."
[Here in Phil 2:6 the Greek word "morphu" Dr Danish continues to say...]"...refers to the mode of being which expresses the quality of Diety. It is the quality in Jesus Christ of Diety which He had out here [in eternity past] before He took on a human body.......Now the Lord Jesus Christ, when He took on the human body, did not go off His form. What He was before out in ......eternity past - as Deity, He was also [that same Deity] when He was walking the streets of Palestine."
III cont.) [Phil 2:7-8 N.A.S. cont.]:
(v. 5) "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
(v. 6) Who, although He subsisted in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
(v. 7) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men.
(v. 8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
["but emptied Himself" = Our Lord emptied Himself such that He took on 'the form of a bondservant...being made in the likeness of men'. Since God Who is Christ is immutable, our Lord could not have emptied Himself of His divine attributes. The context gives us the answer to the question of what He emptied Himself of:
"He humbled Himself by becoming obedient.." = Our Lord being God set aside the expression of His glory so that He could humble Himself and take on the form of a bondservant, a slave, an obedient Man "to the point of death, even [the ignominious] death on a cross"
Dr Danish states, (op cit):
"In other words, this verse is telling us that Jesus Christ simply decided He would set aside the expression of the glory of His Diety and the independent use of His attributes.' [From now on our Lord would act in His Humanity and permit Himself to be guided and supernaturally attended to by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This even to the extent that His miracles were done by the Holy Spirit through our Lord's Humanity - just the way the Apostles would do miracles later on]
.....[So our Lord]...would continue as God, but you wouldn't look at Him and see that He was God. The reference here is holding on to His Deity in terms of its outward expression - His visible glory - the use of His Attributes. He was willing to veil the glory of His attributes and set aside their independent use. This was an exemplary act of condescension on the part of Jesus Christ. It is the principle which was expressed here in Phillipeans 2:4, "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."
Walter Martin states, ("Kingdom of the Cults', Bethany House publishers, Minneapolis, 1985, p. 68): "Paul declares [in Phil 2:1-11] that Jesus did NOT consider equality with God something "to be grasped after, or robbed".......... since He previously existed as the eternal Word of God (John 1:1) prior to His incarnation (John 1:14), and as such shared the Father's prerogatives and attributes. Hence He had no desire to strive for what was His by Nature and inheritance. Paul elsewhere calls Christ "all the fullness of the Deity in the flesh" (Colossians 2:9), "The great God and our Savior" (Titus 2:13), and "God" (Hebrews 1:3,8). These are just a few of the references; there are at least twenty-five more which could be cited from his writings and over seventy-five more which could be cited from from the balance of the New Testament."
So our Lord's humanity is often on display in Scripture, and not His diety, although both exist at the same time within Him. Many of the passages which refer to the humanity of Jesus Christ are used by objectors to refute the doctrine of the Trinity. These objectors maintain that since these particular passages prove out our Lord's humanity then His diety is disproved. This is not the case at all. For example, consider that visible light is a composite made up of 7 basic colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. If only one of the colors was visible from a particular point, (as our Lord's Humanity was at times), this would not indicate that the other colors did not exist nor that they did not operate as a unity, (as God the Father and God the holy Spirit operate as a unity with God the Son and are uniquely evident on other occasions). As a matter of fact, scientists say that the other 6 colors are absorbed by the 'red' object, the red being reflected. Thus, visible light does operate as a unity of composite colors, one color being visible at times but this not negating the existence of the other colors. So the Triune God operates as a unity, one Personality being evident at times but this not negating the existence of the other Personalities. Scripture clearly maintains that Jesus Christ is BOTH fully God and fully Man at the same time. An example of our Lord being referred to in His humanity is when He was baptized by John the Baptist (Mt 3:16; Mk 1:9; Lk 3:21; Jn 1:32). These passages refer to when God the Holy Spirit indwelt His humanity not His diety. Most of our Lord's ministry on earth was in the role of His humanity, even when performing miracles. The Personalities of God function as a unity and at the same time separately. An example of separate functioning was when God came to earth as a Man to die for the sins of the whole world. At that time it was clear that God consisted of more than one Personality because of the separate roles that each of the Personalities of the Godhead distinctly played in God's redemption of mankind. This is clearly brought forth in Ephesians 1:3-14. God, being omnipresent, (Ps 139:1-24), means that not only is He present everywhere in the universe, (Job 9:1-35; Ps 29:1-11), but at every point in the universe are all of His attributes present at infinitely full capacity. God's powers and attributes, in other words, being absolutely infinite cannot be diluted because they are spread out in omnipresence over every single point in the universe. Therefore it is not beyond the capacity of God to become a man and have His full capacity in all of His attributes and powers within that single man. It remains for an individual to prove out if God's Word says whether or not God did this by becoming the God-Man Christ Jesus. Recall that God's purpose in adding humanity to Himself was to live the life of a Perfect Man and thereby be justified in paying the penalty for the sins of the whole world, (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Jn 2:2) - thus reconciling humanity to God by faith alone in Christ alone as Savior, (Ro 5:1-11).
Statements about the humanity of our Lord can be found in the following excerpts from Scripture:
[Jn 6:57a]:
"As the living Father sent Me, and I live [in My humanity] because of the Father......
[Jn 5:26]:
"For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life [human life] in Himself."
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