Opening illustration: Here are some examples of names and their meanings.
Abraham = father of nations
Alfred = wise
Caleb = bold
Daniel = God is my judge
Edward = successful leader
Ezekiel = God made me stronger
Gabriel = God’s man
Angela = angel
Agatha = good
Barbara = unique
Candace = purity
Clara = shiny
Elizabeth = devoted to God
Hannah = graceful
Isaac = laughter ~ the only person to be named after his mom had laughed cynically before God
Pastor = shepherd Ajai = victorious Samuel = asked of God Prakash = light
Jesus (Yeshua ~ Joshua) = Savior (Matthew 1: 21); Christ = Anointed
Introduction: The Philippians church was founded during Paul’s "Macedonian call" on his second missionary journey which had led him to the city. It grew and become the first church Paul founded on European soil.
It would be true to say that in many ways this is the greatest and the most moving passage that Paul ever wrote about Jesus. With Paul this passage states a favorite thought. The essence of it is in the simple statement which Paul made to the Corinthians that, although Jesus was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor (2 Corinthians 8: 9). But here that simple idea is stated with fullness and a richness which is without parallel. Paul is pleading with the Philippians to live in unity and in harmony, to lay aside their disharmonies and their discords, to shed their personal ambitions and their pride and their desire for prominence and prestige, and to have in their hearts that humble, selfless desire to serve, which was the very essence of the life of Christ. His final unanswerable appeal for unity is to point at the example of Jesus Christ. Paul also helps us to see the two natures of Christ; his Divine nature, and human nature in a deeper way.
It is always to be remembered that when Paul thought and spoke about Jesus, his interest and his aim and his intention were never primarily intellectual and speculative; they were always practical. To Paul theology and action were always bound together. Any system of thought for him must necessarily become a way of life. This is a passage which we must fully try to understand, because it has so much in it to AWAKEN our minds to thought, and our hearts to wonder. If we are to understand it more fully, we must in this case look closely at some of its great words.
What’s in Christ’s Name?
1. Humility in HIS Name (vs. 5 – 8):
No other passage in the entire NT which so movingly sets out the utter reality of the godhead and the manhood of Jesus Christ, and which makes so vivid the inconceivable sacrifice that Christ made when He laid aside His godhead and took manhood upon Him.
v. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus - The object of this reference to the example of the Savior is particularly to enforce the duty of humility. This was the highest example which could be furnished, and it would illustrate and confirm all the apostle had said of this virtue. The principle in the case is that we are to make the Lord Jesus our model, and are in all respects to frame our lives, as far as possible, in accordance with this great example. The point here is, that he left a state of inexpressible glory, and took upon him the most humble form of humanity, and performed the lowliest offices, that he might benefit us. Paul presents Jesus as the supreme example of humility. He urges humility on the Philippians as the only way to secure unity.
v. 6 Being ~ from the Greek word huparchein but that is not the common Greek word for being. It describes that which a man is in his very essence, that which cannot be changed, which cannot be taken away from him. It describes the innate, unchangeable, unaltered characteristics and abilities of a man. It describes that part of a man which, in spite of all the chances and the changes, and in any circumstances, remains the same. So Paul begins by saying that Jesus was essentially, unalterably and unchangeable God.
Form (morphe’) ~ there are two Greek words for form. There is the word MORPHE’ and the word SCHE’MA. They both mean FORM and they both have to be translated by the word form because there is no other English word to translate them, but they do not mean the same thing.
Morphe = essential form of something that never alters.
Schema = outward form which changes from time to time and from circumstance to circumstance.
Explanation of the word ~ FORM
Morphe’ (unchangeable) Sche’ma (changeable)
1 Man Manhood Baby – child – boy – youth - man
2 Roses, Tulips, Lupins Flowers Outward appearance is different
3 Asprin, penicillin etc. Drugs Act in different ways
4 Jesus God As a man he kept changing physically
The word that Paul uses for Robbery (harpagmos) comes from a verb which means to snatch, or to clutch. It essentially means that Jesus did not need to snatch at equality with God, because He had it as a right. It was His, and there was no need for Him to try to snatch at it. He willingly laid it down, for the sake of men.
Thought it not robbery to be equal with God ~ The Revision says, "Counted it not a prize." The meaning is not entirely clear, but probably is that "Having a form of glory like God, he did not count it a prize which must be clung to tenaciously, especially when he appeared upon the earth, that he should be equal with God, that is, appear in a divine form, but was willing to lay aside his glory and make himself a servant." We can paraphrase it as ‘Who, though as the same nature of God, did not think this something to be exploited to His own advantage.
v. 7 made Himself of no reputation (Emptied himself) ~ The Greek verb kenoun means quite literally to empty. It can be used for removing things from a container, until a container is empty; of pouring something out, until there is nothing left. Here Paul uses the most vivid possible word to make clear to us the sacrifice of the Incarnation. The serenity, the peace, the glory of divinity – Jesus gave them up, voluntarily and willingly, in order to become a man. Of the divine form and glory, and took the form of a servant, of our own race, a race whose duty it is to serve God. The divine glory was exchanged for human lowliness. He emptied Himself of His DEITY to take upon Himself His HUMANITY. Here in the last reach of human language is the great saving truth that he who was rich for our sakes became poor. “He stripped himself of the insignia of majesty.”
Illustration: Pouring out water from a cup so that not a drop remains.
and took upon him the form of a servant ~ this also was voluntary; he "took upon him", was not obliged, or forced to be in the form of a servant; he appeared as one in human nature, and was really such; a servant to his Father, who chose, called, sent, upheld, and regarded him as a servant; and a very prudent, diligent, and faithful one he was unto him: and he was also a servant to his people, and ministered to men; partly by preaching the Gospel to them, and partly by working miracles, healing their diseases, and going about to do good, both to the bodies and souls of men; and chiefly by obtaining eternal redemption for his chosen ones, by being made sin and a curse for them; which though a very toilsome and laborious piece of service, yet as he cheerfully engaged in it, he diligently attended it, until he had finished it: so he was often prophesied of as a servant, in Isa_42:1, in which several places he is called in the Targum, עבדי משיחא, "my servant the Messiah": put these two together, "the form of God", and "the form of a servant", and admire the amazing stoop! a strange and surprising difference this, that he who was "equal to God", should be "like to sinful men!"
v. 8 And being found in fashion as a man - A common man, without any peculiar excellence or comeliness. He humbled himself - To a still greater depth. Becoming obedient - To God, though equal with him. Even unto death - The greatest instance both of humiliation and obedience. Yea, the death of the cross - Inflicted on few but servants or slaves.
He humbled himself. [Note the infinite condescension]
(i) The form of God and sharing the divine glory.
(ii) He divests himself of this.
(iii) Nor does he then take the divine form, or even the form of an angel, but of lowly, sinful man.
(iv) But this is not all. He not only takes the form of man, but the mortality of the flesh, and dies.
(v) Nay, more; he dies the most shameful and painful of all deaths, even the death of the cross.
Illustration: Example of one of my Arab students in the Middle-East by the name of Issa.
2. Exaltation of HIS Name (v. 9):
v. 9 Therefore ~ as a reward of this humiliation and these sufferings. The idea is, that there was an appropriate reward for it, and that that was bestowed upon him by his exaltation as Mediator to the right hand of God.
Therefore God also hath highly exalted him ~ His wonderful humility had been shown, but it is the law of the universe that he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Therefore God lifted him up from the grave to the heavens, gave all power into his hands (Mat_28:18), and gave him a name above every name. The idea is an authority, a position, above that of all intelligences. This exaltation made the humble name, Jesus, a name above every name. Through self-denial and obedience, Christ won sovereignty over all peoples and things (v. 10).
Paul states that as a consequence of Christ’s sacrificial love, and His self-renunciation, God gave Jesus a Name which is above every name. One of the common biblical ideas is the giving of a new name marks a new and definite stage in a man’s life.
• Abram became Abraham when he received the promise of God.
• Jacob became Israel when God entered into a new relationship with him.
• The promise of the risen Christ is the promise of a new name. The new name is the mark of a new stage.
What then is the new name? We understand that Paul says the new name is ‘LORD.’
Greek = Kurios; Hebrew = Adonai a synonym for Yahweh.
The great title by which Jesus was known in the early church was Kurios (i.e. LORD as translated in English). Jesus became specifically ~ Lord Jesus. The word Lord has an illuminating history:-
• Became an official title for Roman emperors
• Meant Owner or Master
• Became title for heathen gods
For Christians it was used for translating Yahweh and meant Christ who was the ‘Master’ and ‘Owner’ of all life. He was the King of Kings and the Lord of all emperors. He was the Lord in a way in which the heathen gods and the dumb idols could never be. He was nothing less than divine. The new name of Jesus, the name which the whole universe is one day to call Him, is the name LORD. No other name can be compared with his. It stands alone.
3. Impact / Power of HIS Name (vs. 10 – 11) Ref. Isaiah 45: 23:
v. 10 that at the name of Jesus ~ that name, by the exaltation, has become the name of the King of kings. It is supreme. Hence, every knee in the entire universe bows to its majesty. Everything shall worship Christ the Lord. If humility, obedience and self-renunciation were the supreme characteristics of the life of Christ, then they also must be the hall-marks of the Christian, for the Christian must ever be as his Lord. Christian greatness and Christian fellowship alike depend on the renunciation of self, and are destroyed by the exaltation of self. Selfishness, self-seeking and self-display destroys our likeness to Christ and our fellowship with each other. But self-renunciation of Jesus Christ brought to Him greater glory. It brought Him the wondering worship of the entire universe. It meant that some day, sooner or later, every living creature in the entire universe, in heaven, on earth and even in hell would worship Him. Worship is founded, not in fear, but in love.
Bow ~ “to bend,” in token of worship.
Under the earth ~ in the under-world, Hades, the abode of the dead. The demons and the lost may be included indirectly, as even they give homage, though one of fear, not love, to Jesus.
Illustration: There are 265 names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express.
v. 11 and that every tongue should confess ~ All the universe is called to confess him as Lord, and thus glorify God. All will yet confess him, either in joy or shame. This is one of the most important verses in the NT. In it we read the aim of God, the dream of God, the purpose and objective of God, is a day when every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (kurios).
Illustration: Today the name of Christ may not be taken in certain places because it may be taboo or out of fear but the ‘Word of God’ says (which can never be wrong) every knee will bow in ………. And every tongue (all languages & all peoples groups) will confess that Christ is LORD. There are many places in the world where if you take the name of Christ, you can be put in prison or even …….
Principles for Application:
1. The first thing an intelligent Christian should do in the light of Philippians 2:5-11 is bow with their face low to the ground and worship the Lord. He, and he alone, is the sovereign of the universe. That position was graciously given to him in the light of his obedience unto death.
2. Practically, the passage as a whole enforces the ethic taught in 2:1-4 and 2:12ff. If Christ himself, though he was divine, did not seek selfishly anything that he might credit to his own account, but instead obeyed the Father completely his entire life, so ought we to do the same. If we have been seeking our own interests, we need to repent and seek the interests of others. You can begin with the relationships in your own home, work place, etc.
Conclusion: The whole work of Jesus, the entire life of Jesus, the whole aim of Jesus, is not His own glory, but the glory of God. So the follower of Christ must think always, not of himself but of others, not of his own glory but of the glory of God.
