What is your interpretation of Philippians 2:5-7?

Question

Please tell your denomination if any.


Just curious I'd like to know and exactly what faith you are that believe their way. If you are willing to share.

Answer 1

Just more empty claims about Jesus. It's an attempt to ingriate us towards Jesus by claims that he was a good guy and humble. Of course, since this stuff was written decades after the guy died, if he existed at all, we have little to really base this opinion on.

I think the previous two verses have more value. It is interesting that you skipped over the more valuable verses, which say to don't fight, be humble, and look after the needs of others, and concentrate instead on a couple vain claims made about a dead prophet.

Answer 2

Because of its unique format, that passage in Philippians 2 is believed to be a hymn/poem of the time that the Christians would recognize which Paul is quoting to reflect on the humanity of Christ. The "moral" of said hymn is to display the humility of Christ as an example to follow. He was willing to give up everything, and Paul is telling the church at Philippi that they should do the same.


As to my faith/denomination it's not exactly cut and dry. I am a Christian, raised Baptist, attend an Episcopalian church. Yeah I don't know either.

Answer 3

A good translation of verse 5 is found in the NIV: “You should think in the same way Christ Jesus does.” Paul describes the way you should think in Phil.2:2-4 . It is an account of how Christ behaved towards others.
In Phil 2:6,7: Paul says something about what was not observed when Christ was on earth but what was believed later - about Christ’s prior existence as God. Christ showed that His equality with God did not mean taking advantage of being God (being totally omnipotent, omniscient & omnipresent). He took on the role of a slave/servant and was subject to the limitations of existence as a human being.
I am a Biblical Christian.

Answer 4

In verses 1-4, if we really love Christ as much as we say we do, Christ asks us to put ourselves aside and help others get ahead.

Verses 5-7 is Christ's example of how we should do this. When Christ was on earth He had "equal status with God", v 5. But to restore the relationship between God and man, as it was before Adam and Eve ate the apple, Jesus put aside His heavenly status and experienced life's challenges just as we do today. He could've made things easier for himself by using his "powers" but our relationship with God would not have been able to be restored if He had.

I am 7th Day Adventist

Answer 5

That's mean you should die to your self everyday and allow God to direct your Steps. Allow God to determine your path. We are nothing without Christ. We need to have a servant heart. I am a Christian non denominational. I believe God sent his son to die on the cross so we could be redeemed of our sins and so that we could have everlasting life.

Phil 2: 5-7
5 You should think in the same way Christ Jesus does.
6 In his very nature he was God.
But he did not think that being equal with God was something he should hold on to.
7 Instead, he made himself nothing.
He took on the very nature of a servant.
He was made in human form.

Answer 6

I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses.
We believe that Pillippians 2:5-7 tells us that Jesus had no intentions of trying to become God. He was not God and never wanted to be him.
It was quite possible in Jewish and Christian monotheism to speak of divine beings that existed alongside and under God but were not identical with him. Phil 2:6-10 proves that. In that passage Paul depicts just such a divine being, who later became man in Jesus Christ . . . Thus, in both Philippians and John 1:1 it is not a matter of a dialectical relationship between two-in-one, but of a personal union of two entities.

Answer 7

I am Wesleyan. This is John Wesley's frequent description of Christian Perfection. The believer's attitude of complete submission to God is to be continually like that of Christ as depicted in vv. 6-8. Verse 6 is a clear testimony to Jesus' deity. Jesus' equality with God was a natural right and heritage. He was willing to lay aside the glory of His deity. v. 7.

Answer 8

Either a reference to Christ's preexistence and those aspects of divinity that he was willing to give up in order to serve in human form, or to what the man Jesus refused to grasp at to attain divinity. Many see an allusion to the Genesis story: unlike Adam, Jesus, though . . . in the form of God (Genesis 1:26-27), did not reach out for equality with God, in contrast with the first Adam in Genesis 3:5-6.

Answer 9

A way to intrepret this scripture is to believe Jesus was God incarnate in the flesh = 100% divine and 100% human. I know the math does not add up, but only God understands how this is possible. Its up to us to have faith in this premise in order to discern what the Word of God reveals.

As Jesus, He set aside the privilege of His divinity, and took the form of a human on earth as a Jewish servant. Very humbling. In fact, the biblical perspective of his human life did not at all infer that He demanded special privileges because of His divinity. In fact, while controlling His powerful divinity, His humanity lived a selfless, obedient life and died a selfless, obedient death. It is up to us to emulate Him with the same humility and meekness.

Answer 10

God became a mortal man to walk amongst us, so as not to overwhelm us with the presence of Godliness.

Much easier to get things (like dying for our sins on the cross) done without having to wade through mobs and mobs of worshippers.

Besides nobody would've challenged Him, much less put him on a cross. He would've had to try a completely different strategy. Then where would we be? :)

Btw: I am a christian minister, if my display name had anyone confused.