What do you understand this passage to be saying?

Question

Paul speaking of Jesus,

Who, being in the very nature God (Jesus) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped: rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!

I know what that passage says, but I want to see what others think it means.....

Matt

Answer 1

Jesus knew who he was---100% God as well as 100% man. As the Son of man he was the Prophet of prophets, King of kins and Lord of lords. He was and is a beginning and an ending within himself, which is to say that he is God.

Answer 2

It means God made himself to be like us- to show that He knows what we go through and experience.Christ became a servant, and humbled Himself before God- to show His obedience and love for God- and yes Jesus is God, God became man--but Jesus always made God known to be above Himself- Jesus always glorified God. And obedience until death- WOW what an awesome God we have! To be human, and know the pain He must of felt- but He did this willingly and obediently. He knows our pain- and we can imagine the pain He went through, nobody on earth would do that- And Christ did it for so many!

Answer 3

Many people feel this supports the doctrine of the Trinity and so believe that Jesus is here being spoken of as God. For instance, the Jerusalem Bible reads " [Jesus] did not cling to his equality with God . . ." Verse 5 counsels Christians to imitate Christ in what is here being discussed. So does that mean we should not cling to our equality with God? Is that reasonable?

The Greek word here is harpazo. Expositor's Greek Testament says "we cannot find any passage where harpazo or any of its derivatives has the sense of holding in possession, retaining. It seems invariably to mean seize, snatch, violently. Thus it is not permissible to glide from the true sense "grasp at " into one which is totally different "hold fast."

Thus the New American Standard, and others, in rendering this passage carries the following thought: Jesus, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. With this understanding, we can discern the meaning, namely, that we ought to imitate the humility and modesty of Jesus.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 4

Matt -- read your history books -- Paul took upon the task of rewriting Jesus in order to explain the Trinity and his teachings to the Hebrews and Greeks so that they would convert to Christianity. What this says is that Paul is taking a man and rewriting him to equal God so that the Hebrews won't have a problem with worshiping more than one God, and so that the Greeks won't have a problem worshiping only a couple of Gods. Seriously -- look it up.

Answer 5

This is just showing us and trying to explain to us that Jesus, when He was in human form on earth, was just as we are now, human. He took on the burden of being like a sinful man, yet He was without sin. He did all of this, suffered, and left the right hand of God so that we might be able to have eternal life with Him in Heaven someday. Do you know Him?

Answer 6

A great passage urging believers to adopt the attitude of Christ in the incarnation. The incarnation with its miracle and mystery, serves as a lesson for us. Here's the lesson:

If Christ, who is God eternal, would for the period of His earthly life divest Himself of His rightful status and position as God, Creator and Sovereign, then we should never insist on getting our way and serving for our self-glory.

Our mind/attitude should be like Jesus'. He emptied Himself (knosis) and became a man, a servant, and died for us on the cross. We should serve others and not ourselves.

Answer 7

Philippians 2:5, 6:

KJ reads: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” (Dy has the same wording. JB reads: “he did not cling to his equality with God.”) However, in NW the latter portion of that passage reads: “who, although he was existing in God’s form, gave no consideration to a seizure [Greek, har‧pag‧mon′], namely, that he should be equal to God.” (RS, NE, TEV, NAB convey the same thought.)

Answer 8

i think it meant that Jesus did not want to be viewed as a god . He wanted people to understand that he was man as well. remember he was supposed to be the savior of a nation , instead he was a savior of souls i think that is what Paul was saying if he said it .

have a great day!

Answer 9

to extra appropriate comprehend it became into the purpose of the regulation: examine 19 by way of 25 19 What purpose then does the regulation serve? It became into further simply by fact of transgressions, until eventually the Seed might desire to come to whom the promise became into made; and it became into appointed by way of angels by employing the hand of a mediator. 20 Now a mediator does not mediate for one in basic terms, yet God is one. 21 Is the regulation then against the ensures of God? by employing no potential! For if there have been a regulation on condition that would have given life, somewhat righteousness might have been by employing the regulation. 22 however the Scripture has constrained all under sin, that the promise by employing faith in Jesus Christ might settle for to those that have confidence. 23 yet previously faith got here, we've been stored under shelter by employing the regulation, stored for the religion which might later on be revealed. 24 for this reason the regulation became into our instruct to convey us to Christ, that we'd be justified by employing faith. 25 yet after faith has come, we are no longer to any extent further under a instruct.

Answer 10

It's just Paul being his normal, obtuse self; interpreting things that shouldn't have needed interpreting in the first place if god had just made things clear.