Philippians 2:5-8
Bible verses · Also called: Philippians 2:5–8, Phil. 2:5-8, Christ Hymn, Carmen Christi, Philippian Hymn, Emptied Himself, Made Himself of No Reputation, Kenosis, Let This Mind Be in You
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5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
The text is the New Korean Revised Version (1998), shown under a licence from the Korean Bible Society. Wording may differ slightly from the Korean Revised Version and the Revised New Korean Standard Version. Read in the Korean Revised Version
A passage stating that Christ, though equal with God, "made himself of no reputation" (literally, "emptied himself"), took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death on the cross. It is the New Testament's most concentrated presentation of Christ's humiliation and became the starting point of the kenosis debate.
Context
Philippians is a letter that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi while he was imprisoned. In the opening verses of chapter 2 (2:1-4), Paul urges the believers to be of one mind, to do nothing through strife or vainglory, and in lowliness of mind to esteem others better than themselves. Verse 5 grounds this exhortation in the mind "which was also in Christ Jesus," and verses 6-11 describe, in almost hymnlike fashion, how Christ humbled himself (vv. 6-8) and was then exalted (vv. 9-11). Because of its rhythmic phrasing, many scholars regard the passage as an early Christian hymn, though they disagree over whether Paul quoted an existing hymn or composed it himself.
Interpretation
- As a confession of the Incarnation: This reading takes the passage to mean that the one who was in the "form" of God (Greek morphē) took upon himself "the form of a servant." It holds that what he emptied himself of was not his deity itself; rather, he laid aside his divine glory and privileges. This reading connects with the confession, formulated by the Council of Chalcedon, that Christ is truly God and truly man, and most denominations follow it.
- As a contrast with Adam: This reading sees a contrast between Adam, who sought to become like God, and Christ, who did not seek to grasp equality with God. It takes Genesis 3 as its background.
- As an ethical example: Because the context concerns humility and unity within the church, this reading holds that the passage's primary purpose is not to explain doctrine but to present the mindset believers are to imitate.
Debates and Disputed Questions
The term kenosis derives from the Greek verb kenoō, rendered "made himself of no reputation" (literally, "emptied himself"). In the nineteenth century, some German Lutheran and British theologians advanced a "kenotic Christology," holding that in the Incarnation Christ voluntarily laid aside divine attributes such as omniscience and omnipotence. Defenders of orthodox Christology criticize this view for diminishing Christ's deity, explaining instead that Christ retained his divine nature while "adding" a human nature. Another long-standing translation question concerns the word rendered "robbery" in verse 6 (harpagmos): whether it refers to holding on to something already possessed or to seizing something not yet possessed.
In the Korean Church
The passage is frequently used in Christmas and Holy Week sermons and is also commonly cited in ordination and installation sermons on the servanthood of pastors and church officers.
Related Passages
- Philippians 2:9-11
- John 1:14
- 2 Corinthians 8:9
- Hebrews 2:14-17
See also 6
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