“Philippians- An Exposition“

This message is the fourth part after the introduction of an expository study of the Epistle of Philippians written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In this study message we will be looking a Philippians 2:1-11 with specific emphasis on verse 5-8 with all of the context we can use to expose the text for what it said historically and says to us doctrinally.

We will be seeing a conclusive case from these words in connection with the Gospel of John (14) and of Isaiah 52-53 to affirm that Christ Jesus was in the form of God, He was equal with God and exerted a God only grasp of Sovreign free will over his creation, life, death and exaltation while being found in the form of a servant, the fashion as a man, in the likeness of a man and yet having no reputation.

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Delivered on 11-15-2021 / grego. 3-17-2022

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

Philippians 

An Exposition 

pt.4 Christ Jesus: the Form of GOD in the form of a Servant

Hear the word of the LORD written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Php 2:2  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Php 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Php 2:4  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Php 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Now last week I stressed the explanation of the words of:

Php 2:1  If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

The ABP trans. reverses the order of these 2 Greek words so to render the concept more accurately in this verse and makes it correspond to the concept taught as we considered from the Word of Christ in John as we read last week:
ABP+ Php_2:1  If then there be any comfortG3874 in Christ, if any consolationG3890 of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any feelings of compassionG4698 andG2532 pities,G3628 .

We saw how Paul was referencing the personal work of the Holy Spirit of YHWH God, that consolation is Para-klesis the work of the Para-klete or the Comforter, and that this is mentioned in unity with the what his word is para-muthion, nearing to the mystery- the literal meaning of what the KJV has as ‘comfort’, that is that there is a mystery in comfort, any comfort we recognize this, even human comfort from fear of a wild beast attaching us, the feeling of being comforted is mysterious, and when one thinks upon it deeply they realize that being comfortable is mysterious in and of itself because death and corruption of the flesh body of this life is inevitable, so be comfortable with this and consoled despite this pressing truth is in fact a mystery.

And yet Paul her links the deeper experience of the Christian as he prior described in life or in death to keep Christ as the focus, to preach Christ as the whole purpose and desire of the dying life to the fellowship of the Spirit, the fellowship of the Comforter an the fellowship of the mystery, and it is in this fellowship we find bowels and mercy or as we would say it more understandably now as the ABP says it “feelings of compassionG4698 andG2532 pities,G3628 “.

And so I pointed out that this “near calling” , Comfort, Paul says comes from within Christ, and we saw how Christ said in Joh_14:18  said I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Let’s go and read this instrumental and function lesson from John and grasp it again:

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

(The Son say “the Father gives another Comforter, and here He says I (Christ the Son )
Now look at what He, the Son and Spirit does:

Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

And so as Paul said in 2:1, that If you have Comfort as a Christian as Paul has prior described, it is comfortG3874 in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of spirit … you have it because Christ has come unto you in this Fellowship and taught you the true of himself.

Therefore the Comfort comes out of Christ to us, and I pointed out that this consolation which we feel draws us near the mystery and the Spirit embraces us with His fellowship, and we feel this in our bowls with feelings of compassion and of mercy from God, this is a fulfillment of Joy to the apostle. And Paul then expresses this in saying :

See again the connection from John 14 to Php 2:2

“…be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

In other words, this calling, this nearness the mystery, this fellowship, and this feeling of compassion and pity or mercy is a likeminded feeling of the saints and therefore leads us love of one another and being in one accord and being of one mind starting with an acknowledgment of this very thing, the mind which was in Christ Jesus.

Among all things, look for this in function, not in absolute knowledge… I didn’t say that, but in function,

1. like minded in understanding and function,
2. functionally called from a voice that is “in Christ” not In us! ,
3. functionally drawn to the mystery, functional nearness,
4. functional fellowship in these things with the Spirit, the calling from within Christ to you to be consoled in the mystery of consolation of love,
5. functionally leading you to acknowledging one mind with others who also have the same functional consolation of love expressed thereby in one mind
6. one mind not in strife, not in vain or empty glory,

These are the functional attributes of the work of the holy spirit doing His job, and if we do not see this, but rather we see what we are warned of “strife, vainglory”, that is in the highness of mind, esteeming oneself better than others. (all the opposite); you may be assured you are seeing one not called from the call in Christ, one not called to the mystery of consolation of love, one not in fellowship with the Spirit, and one who has not felt the feeling of compassion and mercy from God our Saviour by his functional worker the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of Truth.

Why must I drive this in, why must I preface this next part of chapter 2 of Philippians?

Because this is functional teacher of the mind of Christ yet to be discussed, the like mind which receives these next things Paul is about to say, and that which the world cannot receive, the faith and report they can not have. It can not be taught by man nor my the wisdom of men, but only by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth.

Php_2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you see now why the fellowship of the spirit from the inner voice of Christ coming to you is needed to receive this and believe this report?

Our first reaction to this truth is to judge the Prince of this world, to crucify the Lord of Glory!

That is our first flesh born reaction to the Gospel of Christ Jesus being in the form of God, the same reaction that He was in fact killed for: “him being in the form of God” is “That is robbery to God!”

our fleshly mind says, contrary to these very words and so many others,

“To say Jesus Christ is in the form of God and equal with God IS ROBBERY.”
“How can a man be God? He is a man, therefore He must be not equal than God!”

Why do we do this?

Why do we have to let the Scripture inspired by Scripture, the voice of the Holy Spirit have preeminence over our thoughts?  Because the WORD is speaking, The Comforter is works thereby, He calls to us as He comes forth and proceeds from Christ the Son accomplishing the work of the Father as He brings us near the mystery of Love found here in these words as he replaces our fleshly carnal enemy mind in saying these loving Comforting, consoling mysterious WORDs:

Christ Jesus: 
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Let me overlap what is being said here with some words from another God inspired source:

Isa_52:13  Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 
Isa 52:14  As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
Isa 52:15  So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

Isa 53:1  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (No reputation)  
Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isa 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isa 53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

These are words of love in a call that flow out of Christ to draw you near the mystery of Love.

The Scripture says, He Christ Jesus, “made himself of no reputation”, and He “took upon him the form of a servant”, and was “made in the likeness of men”: 
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, “he humbled himself“, “and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

and this is how “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

That is a lot of power resident in just a man, isn’t it?

Christ Jesu  “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”, Only one who makes men and works with one who makes men can do these things voluntarily.

He humbled Him self?

He had the power over his making and situation to become obedient to death though in the fashion as a man?

And what do you mean ‘being found’ in fashion as a man?

What other fashion would he be found in? What other fashion should I be in consideration of?

The answer is in verse :

Php_2:5-6 …Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

He was God, and Yet equal with God, and it was not robbery, it was not sacrilege, it was not idolatry, because in fact he was in the form of God. His essence was God’s essence, his substance was God substance, and unless he be God it would be robbery to be equal with God.

Joh_1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.

The knowledge of the mystery of Condescension

He chose to humble himself, we call this the mystery of condescension, it is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith, that Christ Jesus chose to humble himself, it is spoken nowhere plainer than is found here in this text of Philippians; And here asserted as a mind we must have to be in one mind together in the calling in Christ, the consolation, the near mystery of love, and he fellowship of the spirit that feels this compassion in themselves and mercy of this act of having: made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The form God: the substance of God, the essence of God, and yet taking on the form of a servant?

The form God: The substance of God, the essence of God, and yet the likeness and fashion of a man?

This is exactly what the mind of Christ says in that mysterious comforting consolation of Love and fellowship in the Spirit.

Some have said, that Paul is ‘just’ using the death of Christ to teach the willingness of Spirit by the Comforter’s fellowship to live life for Christ and to die for gain in heaven, and that this text is not focusing on these doctrines concerning Christ’s Form and nature.

And while it is true, this text is being spoken of in that context, and it is being spoken about almost as in passing, that shows our point all the more… this was being said in passing!

Paul is not teaching that message devoid of who Christ was in form and substance in His dual nature, imbued in the text is Christ Jesus is the Form of God, He is Equal with God, and by choice He humbled Himself to take upon himself the form of a servant the likeness of a man, the fashion of man… to suffer what God cannot suffer without a human nature, and yet by choice of His own free will, an attribute only God has resident in Himself, a Free Will to Choose wholly and totally from beginning to end.
This is the very depth of theology, and yet Paul says it is at the very surface the unity of the Christian mind, as a passing comment?

Listen, when the deity of Christ is opposed, the pre-existence of Christ is opposed it is not mere different choice of a ‘theological path’, it is an assertion of Robbery placed upon the lesser Jesus who you hold as a servant, a man, one who did not choose to take that form, but one who chose himself to be equal with God,and yet is not.

One might say that such things make no difference, really? a small difference?

No it is not.

When God who in form is God choses to be man it is totally different than a man choosing to be what God has made him.

In the light of this difference consider that a creature has no choice to be a man, to be in the form of a man or to take upon themselves the likeness of a man, man has no choice to be of reputation or not have a reputation, man is a man, even a virgin born man, if there were such a thing devoid of God (which there is not) if that virgin born man is not God, He cannot choose this path before his birth, these words do not apply, to assert to the contrary a creature or man can is not only stupid, but such a foolish thing in reality is robbery of God.

This is not a minor difference. One doctrine says

The Lord Jesus is a man who was grasping for what he could not have

And the other affirms that Jesus Christ as God grasped as God that which He Himself can take unto Himself by his own free will as the Almighty sovereign God.

One is the Pauline Doctrine, and the Jesus Word doctrine and the Prophets doctrine and the other in a lie, which one?

Mathew Henry said this of this passage:
1. Here are the two natures of Christ: his divine nature and his human nature. (1.) Here is his divine nature: Who being in the form of God (Php_2:6), partaking of the divine nature, as the eternal and only begotten Son of God. This agrees with Joh_1:1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God: it is of the same import with being the image of the invisible God (Col_1:15), and the brightness of his glory, and express image of his person, Heb_1:3. He thought it no robbery to be equal with God; did not think himself guilty of any invasion of what did not belong to him, or assuming another’s right. He said, I and my Father are one, Joh_10:30. It is the highest degree of robbery for any mere man or mere creature to pretend to be equal with God, or profess himself one with the Father. This is for a man to rob God, not in tithes and offerings, but of the rights of his Godhead.

Thus as the Apostle said:
Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6  Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you see how this ends?
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Christ Jesus, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Victory.

This is why the Gospel of Isaiah says:
Isa 53:10  Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Isa 53:11  He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Isa 53:12  Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Victory.

An amaizing mystery of the knowledge which Jesus Christ has alone of the Covenant of Grace made before the world was: By His “knowledge shall my righteous servant justify (make righteous) many; for he shall bear their iniquities. “

A Mystery we have knowledge of, but we can but only begin to understand as men.