Being in the form of God, thought it not robbery

[Pressing-On]

I have been studying this passage in Philippians 2:6, noticing the translations are kind of all over the place.

Some say - "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;" NIV

"Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to." NLT

KJV says it this way - "King James Bible
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery (the act of seizing) to be equal with God:"

Some Commentators say:

Thought it not robbery to be equal with God; R.V. "counted it not a prize [margin, 'a thing to be grasped'] to be on an equality with God." These two renderings represent two conflicting interpretations of this difficult passage. Do the words mean that Christ asserted his essential Godhead ("thought it not robbery to be equal with God," as A.V.), or that he did not cling to the glory of the Divine majesty ("counted it not a prize," as R.V.)? Both statements are true in fact.

Pulpit Commentary

Thought it not robbery to be equal with God - This passage, also, has given occasion to much discussion. Prof. Stuart renders it: "did not regard his equality with God as an object of solicitous desire;" that is, that though he was of a divine nature or condition, be did not eagerly seek to retain his equality with God, but took on him an humble condition - even that of a servant. - Barnes

Yet, I find that Gill seems to have it more correct, in my estimation:

Philippians 2:6
thought it no robbery to be equal with God; the Father; for if he was in the same form, nature, and essence, he must be equal to him, as he is; for he has the same perfections, as eternity, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immutability, and self-existence: hence he has the same glorious names, as God, the mighty God, the true God, the living God, God over all, Jehovah, the Lord of glory, &c. the same works of creation and providence are ascribed to him, and the same worship, homage, and honour given him: to be "in the form of God", and to be "equal with God", signify the same thing, the one is explanative of the other: and this divine form and equality, or true and proper deity, he did not obtain by force and rapine, by robbery and usurpation, as Satan attempted to do, and as Adam by his instigation also affected; and so the mind of a wicked man, as Philo the Jew says (i), being a lover of itself and impious, οιομενος ισος ειναι θεω, "thinks itself to be equal with God", a like phrase with this here used; but Christ enjoyed this equality by nature; he thought, he accounted, he knew he had it this way; and he held it hereby, and of right, and not by any unlawful means; and he reckoned that by declaring and showing forth his proper deity, and perfect equality with the Father, he robbed him of no perfection; the same being in him as in the Father, and the same in the Father as in him; that he did him no injury, nor deprived him of any glory, or assumed that to himself which did not belong to him: as for the sense which some put upon the words, that he did not "affect", or "greedily catch" at deity; as the phrase will not admit of it, so it is not true in fact; he did affect deity, and asserted it strongly, and took every proper opportunity of declaring it, and in express terms affirmed he was the Son of God; and in terms easy to be understood declared his proper deity, and his unity and equality with the Father; required the same faith in himself as in the Father, and signified that he that saw the one, saw the other, Mar_14:61 Joh_5:17. Others give this as the sense of them, that he did not in an ostentatious way show forth the glory of his divine nature, but rather hid it; it is true, indeed, that Christ did not seek, but carefully shunned vain glory and popular applause; and therefore often after having wrought a miracle, would charge the persons on whom it was wrought, or the company, or his disciples, not to speak of it; this he did at certain times, and for certain reasons; yet at other times we find, that he wrought miracles to manifest forth his glory, and frequently appeals to them as proofs of his deity and Messiahship: and besides, the apostle is speaking not of what he was, or did in his incarnate state, but of what he was and thought himself to be, before he became man; wherefore the above sense is to be preferred as the genuine one, - Gill

The scriptures, IMO, do not ever seem to imply that Jesus was trying to separate Himself from the Glory of the Father, i.e., "thought it not a prize to be grasped at to be equal with God," as Ellicott's Commentary states.

Philippians 2:7 begins with "but", which indicates that verse 6 and 7 are opposed to each other. I do not believe the "but" goes as far in opposition as some Commentators state.

Jesus tells us that "greater things than these will you do..."

I believe that Philippians is simply saying that while we acknowledge the power and authority we have with God through the Spirit, our main desire should always be love and compassion which only belongs to a servant.

As way of example, the gifts of the Spirit are something to be desired. However, if we desire them to bolster or set our ministry apart we are on the road to shipwreck. As I heard a pastor state, "the crazy side of Waco" or something to that effect.

But, if we pray and seek the Gifts because we have love and compassion toward those who need God to come in and lift them up in the most miraculous way to set their lives in order, that is what the heart of a true servant looks like to me.

Just my thoughts today - Seek charity...

[Amanah]

good thoughts.

[thephnxman]

His NAME is Jesus!

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

I have been studying this passage in Philippians 2:6, noticing the translations are kind of all over the place.Yet, I find
that Gill seems to have it more correct, in my estimation:

The scriptures, IMO, do not ever seem to imply that Jesus was trying to separate Himself from the Glory of the Father,
i.e., "thought it not a prize to be grasped at to be equal with God," as Ellicott's Commentary states.

Philippians 2:7 begins with "but", which indicates that verse 6 and 7 are opposed to each other. I do not believe the
"but" goes as far in opposition as some Commentators state. Just my thoughts today - Seek charity...

We must read the complete content and context:

(v5)Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(v6)Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(v7)But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

(v8)And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.


(v5) Let the will and desire abide in you that was in [the man] Christ Jesus
(v6) being in the body prepared of God, did not consider it unrighteous to be
considered God, himself:
(v7) But he disposed himself of his glory, by being robed in flesh as a man
and becoming a servant, instead of being served:
(v8) He humbled himself to the uttermost by being clothed in humanity, and
obeyed the Highest Calling in his sacrificial death on the cross.

He could not humble Himself more: for then he would have to be an animal!

Brother Villa

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by thephnxman

His NAME is Jesus!

We must read the complete content and context:

(v5)Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(v6)Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(v7)But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

(v8)And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.


(v5) Let the will and desire abide in you that was in [the man] Christ Jesus
(v6) being in the body prepared of God, did not consider it unrighteous to be
considered God, himself:
(v7) But he disposed himself of his glory, by being robed in flesh as a man
and becoming a servant, instead of being served:
(v8) He humbled himself to the uttermost by being clothed in humanity, and
obeyed the Highest Calling in his sacrificial death on the cross.

He could not humble Himself more: for then he would have to be an animal!

Brother Villa

He couldn't have disposed himself of his glory. John 1:14 says, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son,..."

We see His glory in the "face" of Jesus Christ.

When the NT talks about "glory" - it is saying - God is here - manifest in the flesh.

He wants us to carry His power, but use it with the mind of a servant. That is what He did and why He could say, "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." - Mark 10:43-45

The NT church is a spiritual entity. I believe we are getting away from that. People are afraid of the gifts, but never stopped to realize that the mistakes they have encountered were done by those who were and have been self-serving.

How can Jesus not talk about Acts 2:38, besides because it wasn't yet written, when He mentions the "Kingdom has come"? Because He was here to show us how the Kingdom operates. Acts 2:38 shows us how to enter into the Kingdom.

For example, Jesus says, "Be healed". When we enter into that Kingdom by obeying Acts 2:38, we then turn and act like Jesus, saying - "Be healed."

It is all about operating in the power of the Holy Spirit, having the importance of the Kingdom in our purview and not ourselves. "Without Him, we can do nothing."

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Amanah

good thoughts.

Thanks, Amanah. I am sure you will mull some things over. Please come back and add your thoughts as well!

[thephnxman]

His NAME is Jesus!

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

He couldn't have disposed himself of his glory. John 1:14 says, "We have seen his glory, the glory of the
one and only Son,..."
We see His glory in the "face" of Jesus Christ. When the NT talks about "glory" - it is saying - God is here -
manifest in the flesh. He wants us to carry His power, but use it with the mind of a servant. That is what
He did and why He could say, "But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you,
shall be your minister:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many." - Mark 10:43-45
The NT church is a spiritual entity. I believe we are getting away from that. People are afraid of the gifts,
but never stopped to realize that the mistakes they have encountered were done by those who were and
have been self-serving. How can Jesus not talk about
Acts 2:38, besides because it wasn't yet written,
when He mentions the "Kingdom has come"? Because He was here to show us how the Kingdom operates.
Acts 2:38 shows us how to enter into the Kingdom.
For example, Jesus says, "Be healed". When we enter into that Kingdom by obeying Acts 2:38, we then turn and
act like Jesus, saying - "Be healed."
It is all about operating in the power of the Holy Spirit, having the importance of the Kingdom in our purview
and not ourselves. "Without Him, we can do nothing."

________________________________________

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory
which I HAD with thee BEFORE the world was.

We must remember that the disciples did not have the same knowledge
then, that we (those who have the Holy Spirit) have today. The gospels
"according to" were written AFTER the Lord's resurrection, his descending
to earth, and his ascension; also, they did not receive the understanding of
many things until then!

There is no glory in the flesh, for "...the flesh profits nothing: it is the Spirit
that quickens." Which brings us to His glory.

Just what is His glory? Jesus said, "...the words that I speak unto you I
speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he DOES THE WORKS."
When we speak truth, the Father (if He indeed dwells in us), He will most
certainly do the works...and be glorified in us!

Brother Villa

[Esaias]

To add to the discussion... if you look closely you will see in the text that Christ did what Adam was supposed to do, and refused to do what Adam actually did. And as a result, Christ got what Adam was trying to get (but didn't). In fact, Christ got what Adam tried to get by voluntarily submitting Himself to what was forced upon Adam.

The passage is a wonderful statement of Paul's "Adam Christology", that is, of Christ as the Second Adam who recapitulates Adam's history and reverses Adam's failure.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Esaias

To add to the discussion... if you look closely you will see in the text that Christ did what Adam was supposed to do, and refused to do what Adam actually did. And as a result, Christ got what Adam was trying to get (but didn't). In fact, Christ got what Adam tried to get by voluntarily submitting Himself to what was forced upon Adam.

The passage is a wonderful statement of Paul's "Adam Christology", that is, of Christ as the Second Adam who recapitulates Adam's history and reverses Adam's failure.

I am filing my taxes today, but wanted to encourage you to write a bit more on this. For instance, when you say, "Christ did what Adam was supposed to do", etc., work that out into more of a Bible study style when you get the chance.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

I am filing my taxes today, but wanted to encourage you to write a bit more on this. For instance, when you say, "Christ did what Adam was supposed to do", etc., work that out into more of a Bible study style when you get the chance.

I agree.

[thephnxman]

Originally Posted by thephnxman

His NAME is Jesus!




We must read the complete content and context:

(v5)Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

(v6)Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(v7)But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

(v8)And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.


(v5) Let the will and desire abide in you that was in [the man] Christ Jesus
(v6) being in the body prepared of God, did not consider it unrighteous to be
considered God, himself:
(v7) But he disposed himself of his glory, by being robed in flesh as a man
and becoming a servant, instead of being served:
(v8) He humbled himself to the uttermost by being clothed in humanity, and
obeyed the Highest Calling in his sacrificial death on the cross.

He could not humble Himself more: for then he would have to be an animal!

Brother Villa

I BEG EVERYONE'S PARDON:
The correct word should have been DIVESTED,and not disposed.

But be not astounded: for if the word spoken by God was then divested of its glory
only to be clothed/robed in humanity, it will also soon be divested of its humanity
to be clothed/robed again in His glory!


Brother Villa