Philippians 2:5-11

12/6/22

Scripture

Philippians 2:5-11

Preach

Questions

1. How does Philippians 2:6-11 portray Jesus? How does this link with 1:27? Did you notice 2:5? “Think” is a command! It’s plural too so this applies to us together living in community as God’s people.

2. Verse 2:6a should perhaps be translated as “who existing in the form [μορφή¹] of God”. It is definitely present tense. Jesus exists, or is, in the form of God. What does the second commandment forbid? Therefore who must Jesus be?

3. So why does Jesus not stand up for his “rights” if he is God? How does this apply to us? Give examples from incidents in your life!

4. Jesus took the “form” of a slave [v7]. Given verse 2 does form mean just a slave in external appearance?

5. In v7 Jesus takes the “appearance” [σχῆμα²] of a man. The word can be a synonym³ with “form” [μορφή] [v2]. In the Nicene Creed we profess that Jesus is…

   Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence, with the Father through Whom all things were made
   Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary.

   …that is from the 4th century. How would you explain that Jesus is God in the 21st century?

6. Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, that is, death on a cross.” Read Deuteronomy 21:22–23 which Paul quotes in Galatians 3:13⁴. What’s going on? Does Paul assume his hearers know their Old Testament?

7. God exalter Jesus [2:9]. How does this help us to persevere in difficult circumstances?

More

Philippians at the Bible Project

Faithlife Study Bible

1. In modern Greek μορφή = form BUT in the first century the primary nature or character [James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament), 1997].

2. In modern Greek this would mean “shape”, and it could back then, but the primary meaning in Pauls’s day was “form” or “structure”, internal not just something on the outside.

3. This is a hymn or piece of poetry so the vocabulary variations may just be literary. I remember being told this at school by my English teacher. Vary your vocabulary!

4. Paul also takes the tree to refer to the cross in Acts 13:29 as does Peter [Acts 5:30; 10 39]. What is also interesting is that many scholars have concluded that these, and other verses, were added to Deuteronomy during the exile to interpret later events, e.g. Joshua 8:29; 10:26; 2 Samuel 21:9-14; Esther 9:25; etc. Unknowingly, these scribes were speaking of their Messiah!