# Philippians 2.5-6 **Book:** [Philippians](/codex/philippians/) · NASB95 ## Verse > Have 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, (Philippians 2:5-6, NASB95) ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **NASB95** ([NASB95](/codex/nasb95/)) > 3. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4. do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. > > **5. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6. who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,** > > 7. but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:3-8, NASB95) ## Setting - **Speaker:** Paul the Apostle (in his apparent quotation of an early Christian hymn). - **Audience:** the church at Philippi, Paul's first European church-plant (Acts 16), with whom Paul had warm pastoral relations. - **Location:** Paul writing from Roman imprisonment (Philippians 1:7, 13-14), c. AD 60-62. - **Time period:** c. AD 60-62. The hymn quoted (vv. 6-11) is widely held to be **pre-Pauline**, possibly dating from the 30s-40s AD, placing this Christology within ~10-20 years of the resurrection. ## Theological reading The passage opens what is universally called the **Carmen Christi** ("Hymn of Christ"), Philippians 2:6-11, one of the densest single-paragraph Christological statements in the NT. The hymn structures Christ's: 1. **Pre-incarnate divine state** (v. 6, *en morphē theou hyparchōn*) 2. **Self-emptying** (v. 7, *heauton ekenōsen*) 3. **Incarnation as servant** (v. 7, *morphēn doulou labōn*) 4. **Humility unto death** (v. 8, *etapeinōsen heauton… mexri thanatou*) 5. **Even death on a cross** (v. 8, *thanatou de staurou*) 6. **Divine exaltation** (v. 9, *ho theos auton hyperhypsōsen*) 7. **The Name above every name** (v. 9) 8. **Universal worship** (v. 10, every knee will bow) 9. **Universal confession** (v. 11, Jesus Christ is *kyrios*) Verses 5-6 set up the *whole hymn* by stating Christ's pre-incarnate state, *the high point* before the descent. ## v. 6, pre-incarnate divine identity Three crucial claims in v. 6: 1. **He existed in the *morphē* of God.** *En morphē theou hyparchōn*. See [G3444 - morphe](/codex/g3444-morphe/). *Morphē theou* names the essential divine nature, Christ's pre-incarnate divine identity. The participle *hyparchōn* ("existing") suggests *prior, ongoing state*. 2. **Equality with God.** *To einai isa theō*. Christ existed in *isa theō*, equality with God. Not merely "like God" or "next to God", *equal* (the Greek *isos* is the strong term for parity; same root as English "isosceles"). Christ pre-incarnately possessed *equal* divine status with the Father. 3. **Did not regard it a thing to be grasped.** *Ouch harpagmon hēgēsato*. The contested noun *harpagmon*, derived from *harpazō* (to seize, snatch). Two readings: - **"Something to be grasped" (active sense)**, Christ did not seize equality as a prize He didn't already have. - **"Something to be held onto / clung to" (retentive sense)**, Christ did not cling to His equality but voluntarily relinquished its independent exercise. Modern scholarship (R. W. Hoover, *HTR* 1971) argues for a third reading: ***harpagmon hēgēsato*** as an idiomatic phrase meaning "to take advantage of" / "to use to His own advantage." On this reading: Christ already had divine equality but did not exploit it for His own benefit, instead chose self-emptying. The cumulative force: **Christ pre-incarnately possessed full deity (*morphē theou*, *isa theō*) and voluntarily chose not to exploit it but instead emptied Himself in the kenosis** (v. 7). ## The kenosis (v. 7) V. 7 builds on v. 6: *all' heauton ekenōsen morphēn doulou labōn*, "but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave." See [G2758 - kenoo](/codex/g2758-kenoo/) and [G3444 - morphe](/codex/g3444-morphe/) for the full lexical treatment. The participle *labōn* (taking) explains the *manner* of the kenosis: Christ emptied Himself **by taking** the *morphē* of a slave. The kenosis is not the *subtraction* of deity but the *addition* of humanity-and-servitude. Christ adds the *morphē of slave* to His *morphē of God*, without subtracting the latter (per [Colossians 2.9](/codex/colossians-2-9/), "all the fullness of Deity dwells in Him bodily", present indicative; deity remained throughout). ## v. 9-11, the universal worship The hymn climaxes (vv. 10-11) with a deliberate **citation of Isaiah 45:23**: > Isaiah 45:23 (NASB95), "I have sworn by Myself… To Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. > Phil 2:10-11, "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth… and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is *kyrios*. The Pauline citation deliberately applies Isaiah 45:23's *YHWH-exclusive worship* to Jesus. The Isaiah-context is monotheistic-exclusive (Isa 45:5-6, 18, 21-22 all repeat "I am the LORD, there is no other"). Yet Paul applies the verse to Christ. The Christological argument: Jesus is the Lord (YHWH) of Isaiah 45, the only one to whom every knee may rightly bow. See [Isaiah 44.6](/codex/isaiah-44-6/) for the parallel transfer pattern. ## Patristic / scholarly note The patristic tradition uniformly reads Philippians 2:5-11 as the foundational Pauline Christological statement. Tertullian (*Against Praxeas* 27, c. AD 213); Athanasius (*Discourses Against the Arians* III.6-7, c. AD 358); Cyril of Alexandria (*Letter to Nestorius*; *On the Unity of Christ*); Augustine (*De Trinitate* 1.7, 1.14). The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451), the orthodox Christological standard, implicitly relies on the Pauline *morphē* and *kenosis* terminology for its two-natures formula. The Reformation: Luther's *Heidelberg Disputation* (1518) and Calvin's *Institutes* II.13-14 develop the *extra Calvinisticum*, the Word's incarnation does not exhaust His divine being, directly from Philippians 2. The 19th-century strict-kenotic theologians (Thomasius, Frank, Gess) read v. 7 as Christ *literally emptying Himself of divine attributes*. Their reading was rejected by orthodox theology and is generally considered a Christological deviation. The modern conservative position (Wellum, Fee, Bockmuehl, O'Brien): the kenosis is the *addition* of humanity-and-servitude, not the *subtraction* of deity. Modern scholarship: Gordon Fee (*Pauline Christology*, 2007); Peter T. O'Brien (*Philippians* NIGTC, 1991); Markus Bockmuehl (*Philippians* BNTC, 1998); Stephen Wellum (*God the Son Incarnate*, 2016); R. W. Hoover (*HTR* 1971 *harpagmon* article). ## The hymn's pre-Pauline character Most modern scholars read the hymn (vv. 6-11) as **pre-Pauline**, quoted by Paul from earlier Christian tradition. Evidence: 1. **Stylistic features**, rhythmic, parallel, hymn-like structure unusual for Paul's prose. 2. **Hapax legomena**, words like *harpagmos* and *isa theō* construction are not typical Pauline vocabulary. 3. **The dating implication**, Philippians is written c. AD 60-62. If the hymn predates Paul, it represents very-early Christian Christology, within ~25 years of the resurrection. Combined with [1 Corinthians 15.3-8](/codex/1-corinthians-15-3-8/) (the pre-Pauline gospel creed), Philippians 2:6-11 is a major piece of evidence for **early high Christology**. The Christological content of the *Carmen Christi*, pre-existence, full deity, kenosis, exaltation, universal worship, was already in the church's hymnody within a generation of Christ. This refutes the "evolutionary" theory that high Christology developed gradually over the first century. Larry Hurtado (*Lord Jesus Christ*, 2003) and Richard Bauckham (*Jesus and the God of Israel*, 2008) develop this case. ## Apologetic significance The verse anchors: 1. **Christ's pre-incarnate full deity**, *morphē theou*, *isa theō*. 2. **The doctrine of kenosis**, Christ's humbling without loss of deity. 3. **Anti-Watchtower Christology**, the NWT translates v. 6 as "Christ existed in God's form", but cannot avoid v. 6's *isa theō* (equality with God) and v. 9-11's Isaiah 45:23 application of YHWH-exclusive worship to Jesus. 4. **Anti-modalism**, the Father exalts the Son (v. 9); they are personally distinct. 5. **Anti-Arianism**, the pre-incarnate Son is *isa theō*, not a creature; the *morphē theou* names essential divinity. 6. **Early high Christology evidence**, the hymn's pre-Pauline dating shoots down evolutionary-Christology theories. ## Key words - [G3444 - morphe](/codex/g3444-morphe/), *morphē* (form / essential nature), appears twice in the hymn - [G2758 - kenoo](/codex/g2758-kenoo/), *kenoō* (empty), the central kenosis verb - [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), *theos* (God) - [G2962 - kyrios](/codex/g2962-kyrios/), *kyrios* (Lord), climactic confession - G2472 - isos, *isos* (equal), the equality-with-God claim ## Connection to other passages - [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.14](/codex/john-1-14/), Johannine pre-existence + incarnation parallels - [Colossians 2.9](/codex/colossians-2-9/), *theotēs* fullness preserved through incarnation - [John 17.5](/codex/john-17-5/), pre-incarnate glory - [Isaiah 44.6](/codex/isaiah-44-6/), [Isaiah 45.18](/codex/isaiah-45-18/), strict monotheism the verse applies to Christ - Isaiah 45:23, directly quoted in vv. 10-11 to apply YHWH-exclusive worship to Christ - Hebrews 2:9, Christ "made for a little while lower than the angels" ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Anointing Implies Subordination Objection Defeater](/codex/anointing-implies-subordination-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/), [Philippians 2.6-7](/codex/philippians-2-6-7/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Argument from Meaningful Suffering](/codex/argument-from-meaningful-suffering/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Argument from Sanctity](/codex/argument-from-sanctity/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Argument from the Costly-Signal Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-costly-signal-convergence/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Argument from the Proportionate-Causality Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-proportionate-causality-convergence/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Argument from the Trans-Instinctual Agency Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-trans-instinctual-agency-convergence/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Atheism Cannot Justify Compassion](/codex/atheism-cannot-justify-compassion/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Atheism Promotes Hatred Lies and Self-Idolatry](/codex/atheism-promotes-hatred-lies-and-self-idolatry/), via [Philippians 2.5-7](/codex/philippians-2-5-7/) - [Christ Before Jesus Thesis Defeater](/codex/christ-before-jesus-thesis-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Cursed Messiah Objection Defeater](/codex/cursed-messiah-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Did Jesus Send Muhammad Dilemma Argument](/codex/did-jesus-send-muhammad-dilemma-argument/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Divine Hiddenness Objection Defeater](/codex/divine-hiddenness-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Harm-Reduction Cannot Ground Morality (Defeater)](/codex/harm-reduction-cannot-ground-morality-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Jesus Has a God Therefore Not God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-has-a-god-therefore-not-god-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Jesus is Not a Human Sacrifice (Defeater)](/codex/jesus-is-not-a-human-sacrifice-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Jesus Never Claimed to Be God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-never-claimed-to-be-god-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Jesus's Sacrifice Was Not Real Because He Rose Objection Defeater](/codex/jesuss-sacrifice-was-not-real-because-he-rose-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Liar Lunatic or Lord](/codex/liar-lunatic-or-lord/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Manuscript Variants Bible Corruption Objection Defeater](/codex/manuscript-variants-bible-corruption-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Necessity of the Incarnation](/codex/necessity-of-the-incarnation/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [No One Can Die For Another Objection Defeater](/codex/no-one-can-die-for-another-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Paul Invented Christianity Objection Defeater](/codex/paul-invented-christianity-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Quran Confirms Jesus is God Argument](/codex/quran-confirms-jesus-is-god-argument/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Religious Pluralism Objection Defeater](/codex/religious-pluralism-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Sacred Name Yahawah Yahawashi Required for Salvation Objection Defeater](/codex/sacred-name-yahawah-yahawashi-required-for-salvation-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Trinity Invented at Nicaea Objection Defeater](/codex/trinity-invented-at-nicaea-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Unitarian Oneness Binitarian Objection Defeater](/codex/unitarian-oneness-binitarian-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-7](/codex/philippians-2-6-7/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Why Doesnt God Stop Satan Objection Defeater](/codex/why-doesnt-god-stop-satan-objection-defeater/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) **Concepts:** - [Arianism](/codex/arianism/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Black People Shouldnt Be Christian](/codex/black-people-shouldnt-be-christian/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Christ is God](/codex/christ-is-god/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Christ vs Other Religion-Founders](/codex/christ-vs-other-religion-founders/), via [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Christ Was Made (Misread Proof-Texts)](/codex/christ-was-made-misread-proof-texts/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Christian Muslim Defender](/codex/christian-muslim-defender/), via [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Christianity](/codex/christianity/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Christology](/codex/christology/), via [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Christs Deity](/codex/christs-deity/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Church at Philippi](/codex/church-at-philippi/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Communicatio Idiomatum](/codex/communicatio-idiomatum/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Dawah to Muslims](/codex/dawah-to-muslims/), via [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Divine Hiddenness](/codex/divine-hiddenness/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Father-Son Authority Asymmetry](/codex/father-son-authority-asymmetry/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-7](/codex/philippians-2-6-7/) - [God is Impossible Paradox Cluster](/codex/god-is-impossible-paradox-cluster/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Hypostatic Union](/codex/hypostatic-union/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Incarnation](/codex/incarnation/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Inherited Guilt and Visiting Iniquity](/codex/inherited-guilt-and-visiting-iniquity/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Jehovahs Witnesses](/codex/jehovahs-witnesses/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Lesson 2.4, Christology in One Lesson](/codex/lesson-2-4-christology-in-one-lesson/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Lesson 4.5, Comparative Religion Engagement](/codex/lesson-4-5-comparative-religion-engagement/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Old Testament Witness to the Deity of Christ](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Original Sin](/codex/original-sin/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Panentheism](/codex/panentheism/), via [Philippians 2.5-8](/codex/philippians-2-5-8/) - [Pre-Pauline Creeds](/codex/pre-pauline-creeds/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Resurrection of Jesus - Theological Significance](/codex/resurrection-of-jesus-theological-significance/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Synoptic Problem](/codex/synoptic-problem/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Theandric Activities](/codex/theandric-activities/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Tree of Knowledge Objection](/codex/tree-of-knowledge-objection/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Trinity](/codex/trinity/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Trinity Common Objections](/codex/trinity-common-objections/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) - [Trinity vs Oneness vs Modalism vs Arianism](/codex/trinity-vs-oneness-vs-modalism-vs-arianism/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [Two Powers in Heaven](/codex/two-powers-in-heaven/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Young's Literal Translation](/codex/ylt/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-8](/codex/philippians-2-6-8/) **People:** - [Bart Ehrman](/codex/bart-ehrman/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Boethius](/codex/boethius/), via [Philippians 2.6-7](/codex/philippians-2-6-7/) - [Larry Hurtado](/codex/larry-hurtado/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Paul the Apostle](/codex/paul-the-apostle/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Richard Bauckham](/codex/richard-bauckham/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) **Lexicon:** - [G0725 - harpagmos](/codex/g0725-harpagmos/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [G1401 - doulos](/codex/g1401-doulos/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/), [Philippians 2.6-7](/codex/philippians-2-6-7/) - [G1504 - eikon](/codex/g1504-eikon/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [G2320 - theotes](/codex/g2320-theotes/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) - [G2424 - Iesous](/codex/g2424-iesous/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [G2758 - kenoo](/codex/g2758-kenoo/) - [G3444 - morphe](/codex/g3444-morphe/) - [G3563 - nous](/codex/g3563-nous/), via [Philippians 2.5](/codex/philippians-2-5/) - [G5218 - hypakoe](/codex/g5218-hypakoe/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [H0001 - ab](/codex/h0001-ab/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [H1350 - goel](/codex/h1350-goel/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [H3091 - Yehoshua](/codex/h3091-yehoshua/), via [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [H5650 - ebed](/codex/h5650-ebed/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [H8034 - shem](/codex/h8034-shem/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/), [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) **Guides:** - [02 Faith and Worldview](/codex/02-faith-and-worldview/), via [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) **Other pages:** - [G3667 - homoioma](/codex/g3667-homoioma/), via [Philippians 2.6](/codex/philippians-2-6/) --- _Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_