Philippians 2 is an exhortation for Christians to be humble like Jesus. Paul never intended to establish a doctrine of the Trinity here; rather, he refuted what later became Trinitarian interpretations, especially in verse 9, where he said:
“Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name.”
Clearly, God must be superior to Jesus, since He is the one who exalted him.
The Problem of Two Greek Words: morphē and harpagmos
1. morphē
Paul said Jesus had the morphē (form) of God (Philippians 2:6), yet made himself “of no reputation” (KJV) — literally, “emptied himself” — and chose the morphē of a slave (2:7). This shows that morphē does not mean or indicate “nature” (as in divine vs human nature).
We know this because the morphē (or form) of a slave and that of his master are both still human. A slave doesn’t have a unique “slave nature”.
So, what then is morphē?
The word rightly refers to outward appearance, image, or perceived status. In Greek thought, it can also refer to the attributes, role, or social status someone visibly holds. Exception might be in Aristotle’s use of the term in the ontoligical sense, but Plato used morphé to describe appearance and aesthetic form.
Philosophers apart, the Bible itself in Judges 8:18 (LXX) which Paul owned CLEARLY used μορφη morphé to describe APPEARANCE:
And he said to Zebee and Salmana, Where are the men whom ye slew in Thabor? and they said, As thou, so were they, according to the likeness (morphé) of the son of a king.
judges 8:18 LXXE
Paul in Phil 2:7 used morphe for appearance when he said form of slave. Do slaves have a unique being a nature different from other humans? No. Paul then must be speaking of the fact that although Jesus was the son of God, he chose to appear like a slave or servant. He did not live in luxury but lived like a poor slave. He was humble. The true test of humility is when one could afford to boast but choose not to.
In this case, Paul compares Jesus’ form (or status) as Son of God (verse 6) with the form (or status) of a slave (verse 7).
Paul is saying that although Jesus truly is the Son of God and the exact image of God in both character and visible glory — the heir of God Himself — Jesus did not cling to that status. Just as earthly princes sometimes parade as kings due to their status as heirs, Jesus could have appeared like a king among men. But instead, he chose not to take advantage of that position. He emptied himself and chose to live like a poor man — a servant.
This is what Paul meant when he said Jesus “emptied himself” and took on the morphē of a slave. This was not a change in his nature from divine to “slave nature” (since there is no such thing), but a description of a great and highly privileged man choosing to live like a servant instead of a king.
2. harpagmos
This word is translated “robbery” in the KJV, “grasped” in the ESV and NASB, and rendered in the NIV as “something to be used to his own advantage”.
Paul is simply saying that Jesus never abused his status as the Son of God. He did not demand to be worshipped as God, even though he had divine authority and power. He never performed miracles just to impress people or to force them to worship him. He didn’t summon the angels assigned to him to act as bodyguards. He never used his power to make himself rich or satisfy personal desires.
Instead, like a slave, he lived as a poor man — though he had every right and power to live a life of luxury. Jesus is the exact opposite of many false teachers, even today.
3. Jesus and Equality with God
Jesus never sought to be equal with God. The Greek simply means he did not consider equality with God as something to cling to or exploit. He could have acted like God among men — and rightfully so — but chose not to.
4. Verse 8: The Humble Humanity of Jesus
Since God created Jesus as a man, he humbled himself and lived within the same limitations as other men. When he was beaten, he didn’t call on angels to defend him. When he was hungry, he didn’t use divine power to create bread or summon a feast to gratify his appetite.
5. God Exalted Him
God took notice of how Jesus used his status as the Son of God — never abusing it, not even once. Instead, Jesus directed all honour and glory to God.
Remember, even one incident of abusing divine instruction caused God to refuse Moses entry into the Promised Land:
Numbers 20:7–12 (KJV):
“And the Lord spake unto Moses…
Speak ye unto the rock… and it shall give forth his water…
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice…
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land…”
Unlike Moses, Jesus never sinned, but humbled himself completely and consistently.
6. The Reward: Exaltation by God
God therefore rewarded him by exalting him above every man and every angel — so that he may now be worshipped, but to the glory of God.
Philippians 2:9–11 (NET):
9 As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus 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.
7. Paul’s Message to Us
Paul’s exhortation is clear: follow the example of Jesus — a legacy of complete obedience to God and true humility.
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