EMPTY SELF Week 11

One of the deep passages of the NT is Philippians 2.5,6--
having this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
who although He existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant
and being made in the likeness of men.
The passage has an overall point which is not difficult to understand but monumentally difficult to experience. Paul's point here is that, as he has experienced Christ on the road to Damascus, he wishes all of us to have that same experience.

So he writes Phil. 2.5-12 in a way to convey that experience and then understand it.
Paul begins in verse 5 by saying--Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus... What he means is what Jesus experienced, we will also; the attitude which was in Him should be in us as what was given to Him will be given to us. Pretty incredible, isn't it?

So Paul begins.

He says Jesus did not grasp the things of God, keeping them to Himself. Because He did not, these things can be given to us--did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 2.6.

Now this verse in Greek is difficult. It is 12 words, and 3 of the words are key while they are obscure.
The word for 'equality' doesn't mean equality; it means, 'possessions.' The word is uparcw, to be at one's disposal, possessions, means. You might even translate it, 'things of God,' rather than equality.

The word for 'a thing to be grasped,' is arpagmon, which means to take by force. It is used in Heb. 10.34--seizure of your property.

But the real obscure word is hghsato, which means to consider, regard, think. It is used only in Acts 14.12--chief speaker. It refers to a leader or ruler doing the decision-making.

So these four words--uparxwn oux arpagmon ngnsato--is translated, he did not regard possessions (equality) a thing to be grasped.

Then for, equality with God, we have--to evai isa theu--meaning, the things to exist as God.

What Paul is doing here is taking 12 words, really 3 key words, to load them up with such spiritual intensity they become difficult to translate. He is compressing the sentence to intensify it because he wants to convey an experience of Christ, not merely an understanding of Him. That's what this passage is about.

Having done that, in v. 8-12 he will elaborate on this to make an incredible point. His point is that the spirit which infilled Jesus is for us.
First, he says Jesus came down from heaven (emptied Himself) to become a man (made in the likeness of men). What Jesus did was He--became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross, v. 8. As a result, God bestowed upon Him the name above every name.

Then Paul makes his monumental application, v.12. He says--So then...work out your salvation with fear and trembling. This is our version of v. 8--becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. We are to work out our salvation, our death to self so that we, too, might be resurrected by the Father. We are to be filled so that we would be saved and exalted and resurrected.