What’s In A Name?

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)