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Philippians 2:7: Difference between revisions
→What does "to empty" mean
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:''Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but '''emptied Himself''', taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<ref>New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition: Paragraph Version (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Php 2:5–8.</ref> | :''Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but '''emptied Himself''', taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.<ref>New American Standard Bible, 1995 Edition: Paragraph Version (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Php 2:5–8.</ref> | ||
== | ==How did Jesus "empty" himself?== | ||
Philippians 2:5-8 teaches that Jesus Christ became a real human because he did not cling to his divinity. He was willing to “empty himself” in order to take upon himself “the form of a slave” and be “born in human likeness.” What did Jesus empty himself of? | |||
Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), | Paul taught the Corinthians that though Christ was originally “rich,” he became “poor” in order to make us “rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). He laid aside his treasure in order to open up a way for us to share in his treasure. Jesus refers to this treasure that he laid aside as his “glory” when he prays, “Father, glorify me ...with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed” (John 17:5). Jesus shared in the Father’s glory prior to his becoming human. He was “rich,” being in every way “equal with God.” But he relinquished this glory to become genuinely human. This is part of what is meant when John says that Jesus descended into the world (John 3:13). Christ lowered himself to become one of us. His prayer in John 17 is that he would soon regain his glory through his death and resurrection (Phil. 2:9–11). Without ceasing to be God, Jesus divested himself of some of the riches, glory, rights, and attributes of his divinity in order to invest himself fully in humanity. | ||
Further evidence of Jesus’ kenosis is found in the Gospels. While Scripture is clear that God knows all things (Ps. 139; 1 John 3:20), it is also clear that Jesus did not know all things—even though he was fully God. Jesus admitted that he did not know the “day or hour” of his return. Only the Father knew this (Mark 13:32). | |||
Jesus did not know who touched him to receive a healing (Mark 5:30) or how long a young boy had been demonized (Mark 9:20–21). In the Garden of Gethsemane, he prayed that his Father would find a way for him to avoid his crucifixion “if it [was] possible” (Matt. 26:39). Jesus could not have sincerely prayed this prayer if he as God knew all along that it was not possible to avoid his crucifixion. | |||
It seems clear, therefore, that as a full human being, Jesus was not omniscient (all-knowing). He had a finite mind, for this is an essential part of what it means to be human. Jesus had to learn and grow in wisdom just as all other humans do (Luke 2:52). Indeed, Scripture says that God made Jesus “perfect through sufferings” (Heb. 2:10). “He learned obedience through what he suffered,” and it was only after he had “been made perfect” that he could become “the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” (Heb. 5:8–9). This does not imply that Jesus was morally imperfect, for the Bible tells us he was sinless (Heb. 4:15). But it does imply that as with all humans, Jesus had to grow spiritually as well as mentally and emotionally. To do so, Jesus had to surrender temporarily the use of his infinite wisdom and power. | |||
Only this "emptying of himself" explains how Jesus could have been tempted just as we are “in every respect,” even though Scripture also states that God cannot be tempted (Heb. 4:15; James 1:13). Either we must accept the contradictory view that Jesus both could and could not be tempted, or we must conclude that Jesus relinquished the use of those aspects of his divinity (such as his omniscience) that prevented him as God from being susceptible to temptation.<ref>Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 119–120.</ref> | |||
=How William Branham interpreted it= | =How William Branham interpreted it= | ||