PHILIPPIANS 2:5-6

I once entered into a conversation with our patent lawyer at work, who attended the same church as I did. We were talking about how we approach the Bible. I said that earlier in my life I somehow got the idea from teachers and preachers at our church that there was just one way to understand each Bible passages. Once you knew what it meant, there was really no need to look into it further. For someone like myself with a research mentality, this really took all the adventure out of it entirely. Not so strangely, my lawyer friend had trouble understanding what I was talking about. For him, the challenge was pinning down each passage once for all, and then going on to another one until he basically had a complete collection of case laws he could rely on.

I am sure that there is something to be said for both approaches. But for those of you who may share a more lawyerly mentality, I thought that as an example I would zero in on just two verses from the well-known hymn in Philippians to show you some of the added insights you might not have considered before.

I always like to begin by seeing how a passage fits into the overall scheme of the book.

Structure of Philippians

I. Introduction (1:1-2)

II. Thanksgiving and Prayer (1:3-11)

III. Paul's situation (1:12-26)

IV. Exhortation (1:27-2:16)

III'. Paul's situation (2:17-3:1a)

IV'. Exhortation (3:1b-21)

II'. Thanksgiving and Prayer (4:1-20)

I'. Conclusion (4:21-23)

The above structure also finds some confirmation from Muller's contention that 2:6-12 and 3:17-4:1

constitute the twin peaks of this epistle and Furnish's statement that 2:6-11 is located “at the theological 

and rhetorical center of Philippians.”

Sections IV and IV': There is a strong feeling that all or part of Philippians 3:4-11 harkens back to the 

hymn of 2:6-11 and may even provide a missing portion of it. Specific verbal parallels between 2:5-8 

and IV include “be of the same mind” (2:5 and 3:15) and the root morphe (2:6 and 3:10,21).

 

Section IV (1:27-2:16)

A look at the recurring themes within this passage shows that they can be grouped in a symmetrical fashion.

A. Stand firm that Paul might hear; opponents of the faith (1:27-30)

B. Have the mind of Christ (2:1-5)

C. Hymn to Christ (2:6-11)

B'. God is at work in you (2:12-13)

A'. Hold fast that Paul might be proud; a perverse generation (2:14-16)

Common language unifying Section IV includes: “oneself” (4x), “one mind” (1:27; 2:2,5), “care/think” 

(2:2,5), “humility” (2:3,8) and the comparative use of 'os (2:7,12,15). The center of this section is the 

glorious hymn rightly praised throughout the ages and also known as the Carmen Christi or Kenosis 

Hymn. Craddock sees in its three movements another example of the past-present-future patterns in the 

book. Thus, the career of Christ is presented through the three designations: God, servant and Lord. 

Most other commentators discern a two-part structure to this hymn with “therefore” in 2:9 signaling 

the start of the second half. Christ's humiliation is the subject of the first part, and his exaltation the 

theme of the second. Thus, in literary terms, it would be called a U-shaped comedy.

Note that the above assumes that the verses in question are a hymn. That assumption will be confirmed 

by almost any modern English translation, which will indent the lines as if it were poetry. And as 

poetry, one thing we need to be reminded of is to expect some of the lines will basically repeat the 

thought of other lines while some might directly contrast one another. Thus, being in the form of God 

(6a) parallels his equality with God (6b); exploiting his status (6c) contrasts with his emptying himself 

(7a); emptying himself (7a) is basically the same as humbling himself (8a); there is no real distinction 

between being in human likeness (7c) and being found in human form (7d); and taking the form of a 

slave (7b) and becoming obedient (8b) are parallel thoughts.

There are a few key words and phrases in this passage that need to be explained before making any 

further comments. Right off the bat we encounter in v. 5 the admonition to be of “the same mind” as 

Jesus. The word for “mind” here is phroneo, and it most prominently appears in Philippians a few 

verses earlier (twice in 2:2) where the Philippians are urged to practice humility and not to consider 

themselves better than others in the church. This therefore is the whole context behind v. 5-8; we are to 

emulate Christ in the humility he endured on our behalf.

Christ Jesus: We are usually tempted to quickly pass over the significance of the various names 

employed for Jesus or God in a biblical book. But often, the author will repeat the same term in even 

multiples of the symbolic numbers 7 (perfection) or 12 (God's chosen people). In the case of 

Philippians, “Jesus” with an added term such as “christos” occurs exactly 21 times; “in Christ” some 

fourteen times; “in the Lord (Jesus);” and theos for God 24 times.

Next to consider is the key word morphe (form, likeness) which only appears in the NT in Philippians 

2:5 and 7, although the root is utilized elsewhere. Since Paul uses this rare word twice in the same 

context, we should consider that whatever it means, it has that same basic meaning in both places. In 

our current usage of the word, “form” can often mean the mere appearance, but not the essence. But 

before hearing what Greek linguistic experts have to say on the subject, there is a lot we can glean even 

 in English translation. Christ being in the form of God (v. 6a) appears to be parallel to the thought of 

being in equality of God (v. 6b). And certainly, being in the form of a slave (v. 7) does not mean that 

Jesus just appeared to others as if he were a slave. In fact, Jesus went way beyond the actual duties of

 a slave in that he not only lived to serve others – he also died to serve others.

To show that we are basically on the right track with this logic, Braumann (New International

Dictionary of New Testament Theology) discusses the different nuances of three different Greek words 

translated as “form.” Schema and eidos refer mainly to the outward appearance or shape of something 

or someone while morphe connotes more the inward identity. Thus, “the essence of the thing is 

indicated by its outward form...Christ is said to have been en morphe theou (in the form of God). The 

word en does not mean that the essential nature of Christ was different from the form, as if that were an 

outer shell or part played by an actor. Rather it means the essential nature of Christ as defined by divine 

nature...existing 'in' divine substance and power.”

 

It should nonetheless be admitted that it is possible, although not very likely, that morphe in v. 5 could 

be understood as meaning “mere likeness.” Thus, the Ebionites in the 2^nd century AD felt that Jesus

 was a mere man – a view held in common with skeptics today. And, of course, the Jehovah Witnesses 

say that Jesus is divine (i.e. a heavenly being such as an angel) but not at all God. How one translates 

the last part of v. 6 is of crucial importance to clarifying this point since “equality with God” is 

mentioned there. Here are some sample translations:

    “thought it not robbery to be equal with God” (KJV)

    “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (RSV, NASB)

    “did not cling to his perogatives as God's equal “ (J.B. Phillips)

    “did not think to snatch at equality with God (or did not prize his equality with God)” (NEB)

    “did not demand and cling to his rights as God” (Living Bible)

    “did not think that by force he should try to become (or remain) equal with God” (TEV)

    “did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (NIV)

    “yet he did not cling to his equality with God” (JB)

    “did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited” (NRSV)

    “gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God” (New World

Translation)

Notice that only the last Jehovah Witness translation above takes the definite position that Jesus was 

definitely not equal to God. However, both NEB and TEV do mention this as one of two alternative 

understandings of this verse. At this key point, we must consult some experts, keeping in mind that one 

can always claim that they are theologically biased in their opinions.

G. E. Ladd in his Theology of the New Testament explains that key word harpagmos (“seize or cling 

to”), which only appears here in the NT, can either be taken as an active or passive verb since 

Hellenistic Greek tended to blur the distinction between the two. If it is active, then it means the act of 

robbery, which he holds to be highly unlikely in this context. But if it is passive, there are still two 

remaining possible understandings. It can then mean either something seized that one does not possess 

or holding on tightly to something one already possesses. “Between these two it is difficult to decide.”

The deciding factor is the context. Thus, if one looks back to the definition of morphe discussed above,

as Ryrie does, “Paul then reinforces Christ's deity by asserting that coequality with God was not 

something to be grasped simply because He already had it.” Or one can look forward to v. 7 to see the 

contrast between the two and deduce, as R. P. Martin does, that harpagmos “denotes that which Christ 

refused to seize. In particular it denotes the enjoyment and use of equality with God.” In both cases, 

one reaches basically the same conclusion.

There is even another option for interpretation which has been proposed but does not seem to have 

much to recommend it. It goes something like this: Although Christ already had the position as a 

coequal with God, he could have tried (as Satan did unsuccessfully) to usurp God entirely from power 

and grab it all to himself.

The bottom line to this controversy is that even if one chooses not to believe that Philippians 2:5-6 

unambiguously teaches Jesus had full equality with God in his pre-existent state, there are many other 

NT passages clearly stating that he certainly does at the present time. For additional passages 

demonstrating the full Deity of Christ, see my posts on “II Corinthians 3:17-18,” “The Trinity,” and 

“The Deity of Christ in the New Testament.” But we don't have to go very far afield at all to see 

another indication found right at the end of this hymn.

Philippians 2:10-11 describes the present and future state of Christ by saying: “so that at the name of 

Jesus every knee should bow (kampto) 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."

 

Paul only uses kampto three other times in his letters, all in the context of worship. The first is found in 

Romans 11:4 where he alludes to those who had not bowed the knee to Baal. The next two usages are 

especially applicable because they refer to worship of God the Father and contain language very

reminiscent of Philippians 2:10-11 (see underlined phrases). 

 

     Romans 14:11 – “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall give  

praise to God.” (quoting Isaiah 45:23)

    Ephesians 3:14 – “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from whom every family in

heaven and on earth takes its name.”

 

These similarities also strongly indicate that although Paul in this Philippians passage may be 

quoting from a hymn already in use in the early church, there is every indication that the author of that 

hymn was in fact Paul himself.