Phil. 2:9-30: “Because Christ Humbled Himself He Has Been Raised Up And Given A Name Above All Names / Work Out Your Own Salvation”

                                                                        By

                                                            Jim Bomkamp                      

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1.                  In our last study, we looked verses 1-8 of chapter 2 of the book.

 

1.1.            We began to get into the real exhortation that is in this book.  Paul began to exhort the church concerning the need for unity and being of one mind in the body of Christ.  Paul discussed unity from the perspective of humility and he used the example of the Lord Jesus Christ to do so.

 

1.2.            Paul asked the Philippians four rhetorical questions for which the assumed answer is affirmative:  Is there any encouragement in Christ?  Is there any consolation of love?  Is there any fellowship of the Spirit?  Is there any affection and compassion?

 

1.3.            We saw that these questions were designed to show how the work of God within the believer’s life is working towards a goal of making him humble and so that he will be willing and desiring to be in unity and fellowship with the other members of the body of Christ, intent upon one purpose with them.

 

1.4.            Paul put before the Philippians the Lord Jesus Christ as their example because of His voluntary humility in the incarnation, as well as His submission to be obedient to God even as far as going to the cross of Calvary to suffer and die for our sins.

 

1.5.            We looked at the two natures, human and divine, in Christ as well as the way in which He voluntarily humbled and limited Himself and His power by coming and dwelling as deity in the likeness of human flesh.

 

2.                  In our study today, we are going to look at verses 9-30 of chapter 2.

 

2.1.            We will ask the question of why the Lord exalted Jesus Christ to the great extent that He did.

 

2.2.            We will discuss how that Paul showed his unselfish love that he had for the Philippians. 

 

2.3.            We are going to look further at what was involved in Jesus’ humbling of Himself to take on the form of man, and we are also going to consider why God highly exalted Him as a result of His obedience.  In our previous study, after looking at the four hypothetical questions that Paul asked, each of which pointed to the fact that in all that the Lord does in our lives He does to bring us to a point of humility and unanimity with the body of Christ, we began to consider the “kenosis” (humbling) and “hypostatic union” (joining together of the two natures of Christ) in Christ.  That is the terms that theologians use to describe those things.  We will review and discuss these things again today.

 

2.4.            The New Bible Dictionary states the following about the “kenosis”:

 

KENOSIS. This Gk. term is formed from the verb heauton ekenōsen, ‘he emptied himself’, which the av of Phil. 2:7 renders ‘he made himself of no reputation’. As a substantive it is used, in the technical sense, of the Christological theory which sets out ‘to show how the Second Person of the Trinity could so enter into human life as that there resulted the genuinely human experience which is described by the evangelists’ (H. R. Mackintosh). In its classic form this Christology goes back no farther than the middle of the last century, to Thomasius of Erlangen in Germany.  The essence of the original kenotic view is stated clearly by J. M. Creed. ‘The Divine Logos by His Incarnation divested Himself of His divine attributes of omniscience and omnipotence, so that in His incarnate life the Divine Person is revealed and solely revealed through a human consciousness’ (art. ‘Recent Tendencies in English Christology’ in Mysterium Christi, ed. Bell and Deissmann, 1930, p. 133). This Christological statement is open to damaging theological objections; and, on exegetical grounds too, there is little support for it.  The verb kenoun means simply ‘to empty’. In the literal sense it is used, for example, of Rebekah’s emptying the water from her pitcher into the trough (Gn. 24:20, lxx: the verb is exekenōsen). In Je. 14:2; 15:9 the lxx uses the verb kenoun to render the pu‘al of ’amal, which the rv translates as ‘languish’; and this translation points to a metaphorical usage which prepares the way for the interpretation of the Philippians text. The use of kenoun there in the active voice is unique in the NT, and the whole phrase with the reflexive is not only un-Pauline but un-Greek too. This fact supports the suggestion that the phrase is a rendering into Gk. of a Sem. original, the linguistic solecism being explained by the literal translation from one language into another. Recent scholars (H. W. Robinson, J. Jeremias) have found this original in Is. 53:12: ‘He poured out his soul to death’. On this reading of Phil. 2:7, the ‘kenosis’ is not that of his incarnation but the final surrender of his life, in utter self-giving and sacrifice, on the cross. Even if this novel interpretation is regarded as somewhat forced (for a critique, see R. P. Martin, Carmen Christi, 1967, ch. 7) it puts us on the right track. The words ‘he emptied himself’ in the Pauline context say nothing about the abandonment of the divine attributes, and to that extent the kenotic theory is an entire misunderstanding of the scriptural words. Linguistically the self-emptying is to be interpreted in the light of the words which immediately follow. It refers to the ‘pre-incarnate renunciation coincident with the act of ‘taking the form of a servant’’ (V. Taylor, The Person of Christ in New Testament Teaching, 1958, p. 77). His taking of the servant’s form involved the necessary limitation of the glory which he laid aside that he might be born ‘in the likeness of men’. That glory of his pre-existent oneness with the Father (see Jn. 17:5, 24) was his because from all eternity he existed ‘in the form of God’ (Phil. 2:6). It was concealed in the ‘form of a servant’ which he took when he assumed our nature and appeared in our likeness; and with the acceptance of our humanity he took also his destiny as the Servant of the Lord who humbled himself to the sacrifice of himself at Calvary. The ‘kenosis’ then began in his Father’s presence with his preincarnate choice to assume our nature; it led inevitably to the final obedience of the cross when he did, to the fullest extent, pour out his soul unto death (see Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 8:9; Gal. 4:4–5; Heb. 2:14–16; 10:5ff.).

 

2.5.            One of the things to consider here is that Jesus could not be filled until He had emptied or humbled Himself.  Emptying must precede filling in a person’s life.  The old nature, and what we refer to as a person’s ego, must be emptied out before a person can be filled with the Holy Spirit.  You first empty a pot, and even wash it, before you fill it with water to use it.  The same goes for the Christian.  We must die to self and have our sins cleansed before we can truly be filled with God’s Spirit and live to God.

 

3.                  VS 2:9-11  - “9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Paul describes the exaltation of Jesus Christ that occurred because He humbled Himself

 

3.1.            Paul says that it was ‘for this reason’ that Christ was highly exalted by God, and we need to consider then what he was referring to in saying this.  Why did God so greatly exalt Christ giving Him a name above all names, and name by which all of creation shall bow the knee and confess that He is Lord? 

 

3.1.1.      Was it merely Christ’s great humility and obedience, and obedience that took Him all of the way to die upon the cross for our sins?  If this were the only answer then might others be exalted one day like Christ?  I think not.

 

3.1.2.      Was it then not also merely restoring the glory that God the Son from all eternity had, and that which rightfully belonged to Him before His humbling of Himself in the incarnation?

 

3.2.            Isaiah prophesied that every knee would bow and every tongue swear allegiance to the Lord in Isaiah 45:23:  “I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.”  Paul repeated this teaching in Romans 14:11:  “For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

 

3.3.            The Bible Knowledge Commentary states the following about Christ’s exaltation which is declared here:  “The extent of Christ’s sovereign authority is delineated in the threefold phrase, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. No intelligent being— whether angels and saints in heaven; people living on the earth; or Satan, demons, and the unsaved in hell—in all of God’s universe will escape. All will bow either willingly or they will be made to do so.”

 

3.4.            Let me ask you, when does the Bible say that Jesus will be crowned and exalted?  In reality, Jesus was crowned and exalted at the time of His ascension up to heaven.  However, the consummation of the ages in Christ is yet future, and it then when all creatures shall bow before Him. 

 

3.5.            Just before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed His high priestly prayer to the father, and in that prayer He asked that the Lord glorify Him with the glory He had with the Father before creation:  John 17:5:  “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” 

 

3.6.            The Bible Knowledge Commentary speaks of what the title of Jesus’ Name really refers:  “His “name” is not merely a title; it refers to His person and to His position of dignity and honor.  In keeping with Christ’s exaltation and high name . . . every knee will one day bow and acknowledge Him for who He really is.”

 

3.7.            God even gave Jesus a new name, "Lord."  Because of His humbling Himself, God said His name shall be "Lord."  And, every tongue is going to confess that "Jesus is Lord" as verse 11 says.  God's plans are going ahead whether we cooperate with Him or not.  He is going to bring to completion His work.  Unfortunately, some of those who eventually are forced to confess that Jesus is Lord, will do so but not for salvation.  It will be before the judgment seat of Christ, but it will be too late for them to be saved.

 

3.8.            Do these verses imply that every creature of God’s creation has knees, or can speak?  No, actually the verses speak of contrition of heart and acknowledgement of Christ as Lord.

 

3.9.            There is exaltation to those who humble themselves before the Lord.  James 4:6 says, "God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble."  There will be blessing and reward in this life and in the one to come for anyone who humbles himself before the Lord.  Those of His people who will walk faithful and in righteousness He will likewise exalt as He exalted Jesus Christ for His obedience.

 

3.10.        It is worthy to note here that Paul states that the exaltation of Christ will be to ‘the glory of God the Father.’ 

 

4.                  VS 2:12-13  - “12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” – Paul tells the Philippians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling since God is working in them to will and to work for His good pleasure

 

4.1.            These verses point out that God is ‘efficiently working’ (that's what the Greek word "energone" from which we get our English word “energy” implies) within us, and in response to what God is doing in us we ought to ‘work out our salvation with fear and trembling’. 

 

4.2.         The Bible Knowledge Commentary states the following:  “The only way this could be realized was through God who would enable them to do it (v. 13). Paul told the Philippian saints that God worked in them so that they could do His good pleasure and accomplish His good purpose.  Both divine enablement and human responsibility are involved in getting God’s work done.  Believers are partners with God, laboring together with Him.”

 

4.3.            Our responsibility in working out our salvation is serious business, for the Lord says we are to do it, ‘with fear and trembling.’

 

4.4.            God is always working His grace, mercy, and love into our lives, and we are to work out those same things through our lives in obedience.  We are to work out what He is working in. 

 

4.5.            We ‘work out’ what He is "working in" us.  My wife and I were married on this very day in April of 1980, and that is when we contracted for life to be committed in marriage to one another.  However, the details of how we work out our marriage are continuing each day.  Today they are not what they were five years ago, and five years ago they were not what they were five years before that.  A marriage is a growing entity and changes as each person's needs and desires change.  In the same way, we are to learn the lessons God has for us to learn one day at a time, and work out our salvation one day at a time. 

 

4.6.            In holy reverence and awe, we are to listen and learn from our master.  Our love for God should be so great, we do not want to offend our Lord in any way!

 

5.                  VS 12:14-16  - “14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” – Paul tells the Philippians to do everything without grumbling or disputing so that they might prove themselves to be blameless and innocent children of God who are above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation

 

5.1.            It is instructive that Paul speaks immediately exhorts the Philippians to not be grumbling after he had just admonished them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  Grumbling is such a common and yet destructive way that we as Christians often hinder God’s working through our lives.

 

5.2.            In this verse, Paul begins to wind down his exhortation to unity and humility.  Here he uses the word for ‘grumbling’ that is used in the Old Testament when the Israelites grumbled against Moses and the Lord in the 40 years in the wilderness.  Grumbling and complaining, gossip and backbiting, are further ways in which "selfishness" and "pride" our exhibited in our lives, and they have caused such harm to God's work in the church. 

 

5.3.            Paul says we are to do "all" things without grumbling and complaining.

 

5.4.            By living in unity and humility as this exhortation commands, Paul says that they will be ‘blameless and innocent children of God above reproach’ and that in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation they ‘appear as lights in the world’.  A light leads people to the proper path so that they will not stumble, and it reveals that which is hidden in darkness, and it reveals the salvation which is found only in Jesus Christ. 

 

5.5.            And, by obedience to his exhortation they will be ‘holding fast the word of life’. 

 

5.6.            The ‘word of life’ can refer to God's word or to the gospel, it doesn't matter which you choose, both are true and provide the same result.

 

6.                  VS 12:17-18  - “17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.” – Paul tells the Philippians that even though his life is being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of their faith that he is rejoicing and he shares his joy with them and he urges them to also rejoice and share their joy with him

 

6.1.            Paul saw his life as being a ‘drink offering’ which was being poured out on God’s altar in ministry for the Christian service and sacrifice of others.  In the Jewish culture a ‘drink offering’ was perhaps a glass of grace juice or wine which would be poured out on the altar, and it would immediately be consumed.  Paul was willing to let his life be metaphorically such an offering.  His life was Christ living through him, and he was committed to the Great Commission in all that he did.

 

6.2.            In spite of all that Paul went through in trials and tribulations, he was filled with the ‘joy’ of the Lord.  He was sharing with the Philippians the joy of the Lord, and he urged them to share their ‘joy’ with him.  In all that we as a church do, we are sharing in the joy of the Lord.  We come together and worship, pray, are taught, and minister to others, and all of it is a sharing in the joy of the Lord together. 

 

6.3.            Paul urges the Philippians to share their joy with him also.

 

7.                  VS 12:19-23  - “19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. 20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father. 23 Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;” – Paul commends Timothy to them and tells them that he plans to send him to them shortly

 

7.1.            Paul shows his unselfish love for the Philippians in a couple very tangible ways in this section:

 

7.1.1.      By being willing to send Timothy to the Phillipians.

 

7.1.1.1.Paul had a great bond with Timothy as he had him led to Christ, and Timothy served him as a son served a father.

 

7.1.1.2.Paul is willing to send to the Phillippians the very best he had.

 

7.1.1.3.Paul describes Timothy as being unlike anyone else (Everyone else had some personal agendas, but Timothy would be genuinely concerned for their welfare!).

 

7.1.2.      By being willing to send Epaphroditus to the Phillippians.

 

7.1.2.1.1.Epaphroditus had been sent to Paul by the Phillippians to be his personal servant as he was imprisoned.

 

7.1.2.1.2.On a daily basis, Epaphroditus probably brought him new changes of clothes, reading and writing materials, and supplemented his diet.

 

7.2.            Timothy was a very valuable asset to Paul, and an incredible man of character:

 

7.2.1.      He served Paul as ‘a son serves his father’.

 

7.2.2.  Timothy didn't mind taking a subservient role to Paul (He didn't care who led).

 

7.3.            All of us as Christians ought to learn to love unselfishly, to be willing to do things out of love not expecting anything in return.  It is a great blessing to love others in this sort of a way.

 

8.                  VS 12:24-30  - “24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly. 25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need; 26 because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you. 29 Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard; 30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.” – Paul tells the Philippians that he hopes to come to them soon, and that also he had sent back to them Epaphroditus, the man they had sent to him to minister to Paul in his need while he was in prison

 

8.1.            Epaphroditus:

 

8.1.1.      His name means, “one who is charming.”

 

8.1.2.      He was Paul's personal courier of all his writings.

 

8.1.2.1.We don’t know for certain whether Epaphroditus had returned to the Philippians when Paul was writing this letter, or whether he was still with Paul.  The church has traditionally taught that Epaphroditus brought this letter to the Philippians..

 

8.1.3.      He is said to have risked his life in being a courier.

 

8.1.4.      The Philippian church had sent Epaphroditus to Paul to bring gifts of money to him (Phil. 4:18), and then to stay with Paul and assist him as long as he was needed.

 

8.1.5.      Epaphroditus knew that the Philippian church had heard that he was sick to the point of death (Phil. 2:27, 30), and that they were very concerned about him.  Therefore, he wanted to leave to go back to Philippi because he was tormented that the people so concerned for him in this severe sickness.  Epaphroditus wanted to show the Philippians not to worry for he was alive (and even healthy) after all.

 

8.1.6.      Paul was also concerned that the Philippians not look down upon Epaphroditus or his (Epaphroditus) circumstances in any way, as if Epaphroditus had failed in his commission or that he had not served faithfully.  Therefore, Paul sought to explain to them how much he thought of Epaphroditus and faithful men like Epaphroditus.

 

8.1.7.      Paul tries to explain to the Philippians how that Epaphroditus had served faithfully alongside of him in all of his endeavors, and that Epaphroditus had even shared in all of Paul’s labors and even the dangers he faced.  Paul refers to Epaphroditus as his brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and his own messenger.

 

8.2.            In sending Epaphroditus to the Philippians, Paul was thinking here only about what would be best for the Philippians as well as Epaphroditus.  He wanted them to have joy in receiving back Epaphroditus.Paul is an example to us Christians to love each other and the lost in an unselfish way!

 

8.3.            Paul expresses his gratitude to the Lord for healing Epaphroditus, stating that God showed both Epaphroditus and he mercy in this healing.  Paul says that had Epaphroditus’s death would have caused him ‘sorrow upon sorrow.’

 

9.                  CONCLUSIONS:

 

9.1.            Have you emptied yourself so that you might be filled up of God?  Have you confessed your sins and repented and turned your will over to the Lord so that He might fill you and use you?

 

9.2.            Do you love others in an unselfish way, being willing to do without yourself so that others might be blessed and exalted?

 

9.3.            Work out that which the Lord is working you day by day.  Learn those lessons He is teaching you and when you learn about the Lord and His nature, let Him work into your lives those same sorts of things.

 

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