“... Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”

Thursday, November 12, 2009, 12:57 AM

The entire passage ofg Philippians 2:5-11 has a distinct form of rhythmic prose, and it is considered by many scholars an Early Christian hymn, that Paul quoted. The version presented here is by NETBible, which I have chosen because of its fidelity to the original Greek:

5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,¹

6 who though he existed in the form of God³
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,^3a
7 but emptied himself^3b
by taking on the form of a slave,⁴
by looking like other men,⁵
and by sharing in human nature.⁶
8 He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
– even death on a cross!
9 As a result God exalted him
and gave him the name^6a
that is above every name,^6b
10 so that at the name of Jesus [Yeshwah]
every knee will 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.
(Philippians 2:5-11)

NOTES
(The notes that I have added here are my own, and only partly reflect the original NET © Notes.)
¹ The literal translation is: “Have this attitude in/among yourselves which also [was] in Christ Jesus,” or “Have this attitude in/among yourselves which [you] also [have] in Christ Jesus.” The ambiguity is due to the fact that the verb (resp. "was" or "you have") is not present in the original Greek.
³ The Greek term translated form is μορφή (morphē - G3444) indicates a correspondence with reality, a "strong resemblance". The key to understanding this relationship between Jesus and God is to be found in another Greek word, λόγος (logos - G3056, lit. "word", "reason"), with which, in the Prologue of John's Gospel (John 1:1-18), Jesus is spoken of as the "Incarnated Word of God". For a discussion of the synonyms, see Trench's Synonyms, lxx. μορφή, σχῆμα, ἰδέα, in particular the second paragraph, where the different use of the words μορφή (morphē) and σχῆμα (schēma - G4976, habitus, "aspect", "fashion") in (Phil 2:6-8) is examined.
^3a The Greek noun translated with the expression "something to be grasped" is ἁρπαγμός (harpagmos - G725), lit. "booty (of a robbery)". The sense of the whole v. 6 is that Jesus, although he had a divine nature, did not hold on to that "unfair advantage".
^3b The Greek verb for emptied is κενόω (kenoō - G2758), lit. "to empty, make empty". The sense is, again, that Jesus, did not resort to the "unfair advantage" of his divinity, he laid aside his "form of God".
⁴ The Greek term translated as form is, again, μορφή (morphē - G3444). Jesus having laid aside his "form of God", appeared as the humblest of men, even a slave, a slave (or servant) of God, entirely bento on doing the Will of the LORD.
⁵ The Greek expression means, literally, "was made in the likeness of men". The Greek word is ὁμοίωμα (homoiōma - G3667). Jesus was "born of a woman", like any other man, although, of course, his conception was both mysterious and miraculous.
⁶ The Greek expression means, literally "was found [to be] in the fashion of men". The Greek word used here is σχῆμα (schēma - G4976, habitus, "aspect", "fashion"). Again nothing, externally distinguished him from all other men, except that he was sinless, as the Letter to the Hebrews says (Heb 4:15).
^6a,b The twice repeated word "name" is, in Greek, ὄνομα (onoma - G3686), lit. "name", but also "rank", "title", so, "the name that is above every name" (το ονομα το υπερ παν ονομα, to onoma to yper pan onoma) can refer either to Yahweh, the Proper Name of God, or, more probably, as I believe, to His title, that appears at v. 11, Lord, κύριος (kyrios - G2962). After the supreme humiliation and abasement of the Cross, God exalted Jesus, His Messiah, His Son, the Incarnation of His Word, above all else, "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."

In conclusion
This hymn contains, in only 6 verses, the entire "career" of Jesus, his divinity, his incarnation, his humanity, his freely chosen humble status, his passion and death on the Cross, and finally his Resurrection, Ascension and Glory, "seated at the right of the Almighty".