Q. “J.W.P.” I was lately somewhat startled to hear the first two clauses of verse 7 of Philippians 2 applied to the Lord previous to His becoming man. I cannot myself find anything in Scripture to sanction such a thought.
On the contrary, to my own mind (so far as I have light — although yet a learner) to attribute such an application to any part of the statement of those verses, seems to involve not only the marring the truth of the solemn and blessed instruction of the chapter, but to deprive it of sense and meaning. It is urged that the Lord “emptied himself” by His ministrations and appearances to, and on behalf of Old Testament saints, etc. But how is “emptying” Himself involved hereby? Neither can I see the object of the Lord’s doing so before He became man. Does not the force of the whole passage connect itself with the exhortation in ver. 5?
A. The passage in Philippians 2 refers to the Lord’s pathway of obedience as a man here below, resulting in death, without which all was incomplete. It was the perfect contrast to the path of the first Adam, and accomplished in the voluntary humiliation of Jesus — the second Adam. There was no “emptying himself” in the Lord’s ministrations and appearances before His incarnation; to act divinely in these things was not to empty Himself. But as the first Adam, when in the form of a man, grasped at the idea of being a god, that he might command, and left his first estate, under the temptation of the devil; so the second — existing ever in the form of God —emptied Himself of His glory (never ceasing to be God, which He could not do), and took upon Him the form of a servant that He might obey. The only one who could leave his first estate without sinning was God Himself. Having thus emptied Himself and become a man, He humbled Himself — a second step in His pathway — not merely patiently enduring all that came upon Him in it, but humbling himself, and going lower and lower until He consummated His obedience by death — the death of the cross. It was the last point of obedience, for in death there is no will. A man might humble himself in pride; he will not do so “to death.” With the first Adam death was the penalty for his disobedience; with the last Adam it was the perfection of His obedience — “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him.” The first Adam was the great example of “He that exalteth himself shall be abased” — the last Adam of “He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” The first man was driven out of the Paradise of Eden when he had consummated his disobedience. The last was highly exalted and set on the throne of glory when He had consummated His obedience. And at His name every knee must bow of the created intelligences in Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Angels, men, and devils must own the person of Him who trod this path, from the throne of glory in divine love in humble obedience on earth, until He completed the orbit of His pathway in being placed on high, as man in righteousness. Every tongue must confess Him Lord, to the glory of Him who made Him so — God the Father. Verse 10 gives His personal glory; verse 11 His official (see Acts 2:36).