LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Exegesis on Philipians 2:1 – 11
Submitted to Dr. Lonnie Bell
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
NGRK645 - D01
Greek Exegesis: Philippians
By
Miguel Tantas
May 5th, 2024
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EXEGESIS PAPER ON PHILIPIANS 2:1 – 11
I. INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this paper is to exegetically analyze the Greek text of Philipians 2:1 – 11
to describe some of the main arguments, grammatical and interpretational challenges presented
throughout this passage(verse by verse) in order to get the most precise meaning of the text as it
was originally intended to its readers. All this, with the goal of doing proper exposition,
contextualization and application to our contemporary world in a similar fashion as the early
church, particularly NT writers did with Old Testament writings.
II. HISTORICAL-CULTURAL CONTEXT
The Letter to the Phillipians was written by Paul. According to Hellerman, “Nearly all
scholars think Paul wrote Philippians (the so-called “Christ hymn,” 2:6–11, is the exception).”1
The book was written in 62 AD. Regarding the location, Philippi was a major city located in the
eastern part of Macedonia. It was named after the king of Macedon, Philip, the father of
Alexander the Great.About the circumstances of the audience, the reason for the letter was
multi-purpose. According to Barnett, There were three main reasons why Paul wrote to the
Philippians2: 1) to thank them for their partnership in the gospel, 2) to soften any criticism of
Epaphroditus, who may have seemed to have failed in his mission and 3) to address issues of
arrogance that were causing division. Hawthorne observes that “ Paul chose to express his ideas
2Paul Barnett, Philippians & Philemon: Joy in the Lord, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2016), 10.
1Joseph H. Hellerman, Philippians, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, Exegetical Guide to the
Greek New Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2015), 3.
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in this form…he did so with a limited audience in mind—friends, for the most part, whom he
knew personally and who, he knew, were facing particular problems of faith and life”3
III. LITERARY CONTEXT
I. Introduction (1:1-11)
A. Greetings (1:1-2)
B. Thanksgiving And Prayer (1:3-11)
II. Paul's Situation And The Gospel (1:12-26)
A. The Present — Updating the Philippians on his situation (1:12-18a)
B. The Future — Expectations of release(1:18b-26)
III. Body Of The Letter (1:27-2:18)
A. The Appeal — To Steadfastness And Unity In The Face Of Opposition (1:27-30)
B. Unity Through Humility : The Example Of Christ (2:1-11)
D. Application And Final Appeal (2:12-18)
IV. Timothy and Epaphroditus (2:19-30)
A. Timothy And Paul To Come Later (2:19-24)
B. Epaphroditus To Come Now (2:25-30)
V. False teachers vs. Paul’s example (3:1-3:21)
A. Seeking Christ vs false teachers (3:1-11)
B. The Example Of Paul (3:12-21)
VI. Closing(4:1-23)
A. Concluding Exhortations (4:1-9)
B. Thanksgiving for the Philippians Gift(4:10-20)
C. Closing Greetings (4:21-23)
3Gerald F Hawthorne, Philippians (Waco, Tex.: Word Books, 2004), 3.
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IV. EXEGETICAL ANALYSIS
(2:1) Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,
Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης,
if any participation in the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί,
Verse 2:1 is referred to as “God’s spiritual blessing”. Here, Paul is asking his audience to
recall what they have experienced within the christian community, in contrast to what they have
experienced as Greco-Roman citizens. Barnett states that, “Philippian society, as an outpost of
Rome, would have been hard-nosed and fiercely competitive. The wealthy did favours for the
social stratum below them and demanded favours in return... That lower strata gave and
demanded favours from those below them. Unconditional love was generally unknown.” 4This
was in total opposition to the Christ’s example and also in Paul and his companions.
Fee notes that this verse refers back to 1:27-30 and suggests that the main goal of this
phrase is to exhort the Philippians to live as citizens of the kingdom, worthy of the Gospel by
being united in one spirit. Fee reports that “The major difficulty in interpretation lies with v. 1,
partly due to the meaning of some of the words and phrases and partly to the nature of the
relationships presupposed by these phrases.”5Silva, like Fee, agrees that the first section of this
passage(vv 1-4) makes up one long sentence with one main idea, which is stated in verse 2 as an
imperative, that is “make my joy complete.”6
Referring to “σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί,”, he adds that these two nouns are joined
grammatically in Col. 3:12, σπλάγχνα οἰκτιρμοῦ (heart of compassion = compassionate heart or
6Moisés Silva, Philippians (Grand Rapids, Mi: Baker Academic, 2005), 82.
5Gordon D Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995).
4Paul Barnett, Philippians & Philemon: Joy in the Lord, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2016), 47.
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heartfelt compassion; cf. also σπλάγχνα ἐλέους, heart of mercy, Luke 1:78).7Here some
differences in the meaning of σπλάγχνα in the NT according to two lexicons.
Strong: σπλάγχνον, ου n (σπλαγχνίζομαι) one’s inmost self or feelings, heart; affection,
love (διὰ σπλάγχνα ἐλέους θεοῦ because of God’s tender mercy Lk 1:78); entrails ἐξεχύθη πάντα
τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ all of his entrails gushed out Ac 1:18)84698. σπλάγχνον splagchnŏn,
splangkh´-non; prob. strengthened from σπλήν splēn (the “spleen”); an intestine plur.; fig. pity or
sympathy:—bowels, inward affection, + tender mercy.9
Abbott-Smith: σπλάγχνον, -ου, τό, mostly (in NT always) in pl., σπλάγχνα, -ων, τά, [in
LXX: Pr 12:10 (םיִמֲח ַר, elsewhere rendered by οἰκτιρμοί, Ps 24 (25):6; 39 (40):12 and by ἔλεος,
Is 47:6), Pr 26:22 (ןֶטֶבּ), Wi 10:5, Si 30:7, 2 Mac 9:5, 6, al.;] the inward parts (heart, liver, lungs,
etc.; Lat. viscera): Ac 1:18. Metaph., of the seat of the feelings and of the feelings themselves (in
Gk. poets, of anger, anxiety, etc.), the heart, affections (the characteristic LXX and NT reference
of the word to feelings of kindness, benevolence and pity, is found in π.; v. MM, xxiii; cf. Lft. on
Phl 1:8): 2 Co 6:12; 7:15, Phm 7, 12, 20, 1 Jo 3:17; σ. οἰκτιρμοῦ, Col 3:12; σ. καὶ οἰκτιρμοί, Phl
2:1; σ. ἐλέους θεοῦ ἡμῶν, Lk 1:78; σ. Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, Phl 1:8.†10
According to Hellerman, there are some exegetical challenges in interpreting this
passage regarding two things: “uncertainty about the meaning of certain words” and about “who
is doing what to whom?”, and categorize the solution in one of these three areas: 1) The four
εἰ-clauses in this verse makes reference to areas where God is working in Paul’s audience. 2)
10 G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1922),
414.
9James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham,
WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 66.
8Barclay M. Newman, A Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament (Stuttgart: Deutsche
Bibelgesellschaft; United Bible Societies, 2010), 167.
7Ibid ,
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Mutual relations among the Philippian community and 3)He states that “The clauses describe the
relationship between Paul and the Philippians.”11
(2:2) Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,
πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες,
being united in spirit, and of one mind.
σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες,
Fee observes that while the phrase “πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν”, at first might seem to
interrupt with the urgency of his main appeal to them(“their unity”) and might even seem
self-serving, in reality shows Paul’s shepherd’s heart. He adds “His own life and apostleship are
deeply bound up with his converts' well-being, and especially with their perseverance so that
they themselves will experience God's eschatological joy (cf. vv. 16-18).”12
Hellerman makes a similar remark regarding the importance of this statement, that while
it is secondary to the main intent of the letter; is in full harmony with Paul’s true concern and
care for people and especially for the community of believers. He states that “Paul’s life was
already characterized by the Christian grace of joy, even in prison.”13 Yet it would not be fully
complete until all of his children are in harmony with one another, just like a mother with many
children, who won’t be fully happy until she sees all of her children being in unity and being the
person God calls them to be.
Silva points out the effect that this disunity might have brought to the congregation at
Philippi and perhaps other Christian communities who heard about this as well, including Paul
13 Hellerman, Philippians, 97.
12 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 246.
11 Joseph H. Hellerman, Philippians, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, Exegetical Guide to the
Greek New Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2015), 92.
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himself and this is the reason why His joy is not fully completed yet. He states “The Philippians’
afflictions have brought discouragement to the community. Because they have lost, or at least are
in danger of losing, the fundamental Christian perspective of joy, the apostle in this letter exhorts
them repeatedly to rejoice.”14 and how can they do that?. Silva suggests that is perhaps through
shifting their focus not so much on themselves but unto the need of others. Going back to the
example of a mother with many children, it would be like her saying to them “The way you can
have joy is not so much by trying to alway fulfill your own needs but by fulfilling the needs of
others”. The people who will rejoice more gladly will be the ones that are closest to you(in this
case the mother and their other brothers and sisters).
(2:3) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but in humility
μηδὲν κατʼ ἐριθείαν μηδὲ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ
consider others, as more important than yourselves,
ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν,
Fee argues that the phrase “μηδὲν κατʼ ἐριθείαν μηδὲ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν ” makes reference
to 1:17, particularly in the use of the noun ἐριθείαν (translated as selfishness), to describe the
Roman community who are preaching Christ out of envy with the intention of grieving Paul, he
points out, that “Significantly, the "selfish ambition" of the envious was explicitly contrasted to
those who preach Christ out of "love" (1:16).”15 Paul might seem redundant here, but his
intention is to help them see through the frailness of their own brokenness, for them to do an
introspection of their own heart and detect the truth motives that direct their actions.
15 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 248.
14 Silva, Philippians, 86 .
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Hellerman comments on the background of the Helenistic culture and the perception they
had of selfish ambition and envy, which was more on the positive side . He emphasizes that
“Individuals in Philippi’s highly stratified honor culture were deeply embedded in patronage
networks that operated across the social classes…Preoccupation with one’s own social advantage
naturally led, therefore, to factions and rivalry.”16 Meaning that it wasn’t necessary that they were
bad people but that the culture had somehow wired them to think and to act like that.
Regarding κενοδοξίαν(translated as empty conceit or glory) it is important to notice that
this word only appears here in the entire NT. Hellermans emphasizes that “It is not by accident
that the two parts of the compound (κενός + δόξα) appear in vv. 6–11: ἐκένωσεν (v. 6) to
describe the kind of self-emptying that is the precisely opposite of κενοδοξία.”17 Because of the
way the Philippians had been pre-conditioned by the culture, they needed a role model to look up
to and to imitate and therefore Paul, refers over and over to the greatest role model that has ever
lived, Jesus, God himself being made man.
Silva points out that verses 3-4 describe “Humility” as the solution for unity. He states
that “The overarching concern of this section is sounded out by ταπεινοϕροσύνη
(tapeinophrosynē, humility), which alludes to the verb phroneō…it is the humbling of the
mind[phronema].”18 He concludes that the real root issue preventing unity in the Philippian
church is not the presence of different opinions but self-centeredness. This was the real root
cause of the problem and is still persistent in contemporary church nowadays, unfortunately.
(2:4) Do not look out only for your own interests, but also for the interest of others.
18 Silva, Philippians, 87 .
17 Ibid.
16 Hellerman, Philippians, 99.
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μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος σκοποῦντες ἀλλὰ [καὶ] τὰ ἑτέρων ἕκαστοι.
In this verse, Paul talks about a person’s own interest in contrast with interest for others.
Barnett pointed out that, “The first is that these are the attitudes from the one who said, ‘I am
gentle and lowly in heart’ (Matthew 11:29). How different this is from the elitism implicit in the
values of the Classical Era, noted above. The other is that when we exercise humility and
develop an others-centered attitude we enhance our own growth in Christian maturity.”19
Fee states that the way this passage is fulfilled by a genuine believer within a Christian
community is by “looking[out] not for oneself, but especially for the needs of others."20 Fee
points out the tension between the words“each” and “others”, and concludes that throughout
Paul’s writings the emphasis rests on the community because it is only as a people of God in
unity that they can truly fulfill His divine purpose. This differs from ancient Israel, where
membership into the community came through birth within the covenant community. 21This
means that through Jesus' covenant, individuals enter into a community in a relational way, one
by one by choice but to be a part of a greater family, seeking the well being of others . If done in
a healthy way, according to their own spiritual and emotional maturity, they can all find their
own fulfillment too. As Barnett states, “when we exercise humility and develop an
others-centered attitude we enhance our own growth in Christian maturity. ”22
Concerning the word, “σκοποῦντες ”, Hellerman observers that in Classical Greek, it
meant to “look critically,” and then give some examples of its use, such as “a judge (Plato Leg.
11.925A), philosopher (Plato Cra. 440D), or historian (Thuc. 1.1.3), also to discover a propitious
22 Paul Barnett, Philippians & Philemon: Joy in the Lord, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2016), 50.
21 Ibid.
20 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 250.
19 Paul Barnett, Philippians & Philemon: Joy in the Lord, ed. Paul Barnett, Reading the Bible Today Series (Sydney,
South NSW: Aquila Press, 2016), 50.
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time (Thuc. 4.23.2). LXX use is minimal (Reumann 315)”23 and while other commentators
suggest that Paul might have been referring to some sort of “spirit-inspired manifestations” as the
object of this action; this however does not fit the context as it simply means “to look at
attentively”24
(2:5) Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus,
τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
Regarding this verse, O’ Brien states that “v. 5 is an important transitional piece linking
the exhortations to the hymn: the verse is ‘a typical example of the transitions St. Paul uses’, in
which he ‘summarizes the preceding exposition by an imperative.”25 and adds that these words
are difficult to interpret because they are elliptical and it is unclear what verb should be supplied
for the second clause generating two positions, known as the “kerygmatic” and “ethical”
interpretation.26 For Fee, Paul's point seems very clear, “He begins with an emphatic "this,"
which is best understood as pointing backward to vv. 2-4” which becomes "this think" or "your
attitude should be" resulting in “This mindset (i.e., that which I have just described) have among
yourselves.”27 He concludes that the meaning of this verse should be understood as “ with
behavior that is in keeping with Jesus.”28
Concerning the relative clause (ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ) , Hellerman favor the first
interpretation, that it “that the prep. phrase to refer to Christ’s mind-set, as expressed in the
incarnation and crucifixion (vv. 6–8) to the second one, that ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ to refer to the
28 Ibid.
27 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 262.
26 Ibid.
25 Peter Thomas O'brien, The Epistle to the Philippians : A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014),45.
24 Ibid, 103.
23 Hellerman, Philippians, 102.
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believer’s union with Christ.”29 Although some of these differences might seem hard to
distinguish at first, the interpreter must remember not to over complicate or limit just the
grammatical aspect but the overall context where a particular statement is made.
(2:6) who, though he existed in the form of God,
ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων
Much of the debate is in the first section of this verse, particularly the meaning of the
word “form” or μορφῇ .Silva points out that the much “the classical usage of this term, the
technical sense of Aristotelian philosophy suggests itself: morphē, although not equivalent to
ousia (being, essence), speaks of essential or characteristic attributes and thus is to be
distinguished from schēma (the changeable, external “fashion”).”30 For Silva this word doesn’t
contain ontological meaning.
Regarding ὃς (translated as who), Fee points out that “With the relative pronoun
“who,” Paul proceeds from the foregoing imperative directly to the narrative about Christ…Thus
he reminds the Philippians that everything Christ did in bringing them salvation was the exact
opposite of the "selfish ambition" censured in v. 3.”31 This is a powerful way to communicate his
ultimate concern(their unity) by reminding them the “why” they should do what he is exhorting
them to do, that is “to be unity”, because of “Christ” meaning that for Chrsitians the most
powerful reason to the “why” will always be the “who”.
Pertaining the phrase οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο (translated as “did not consider as
something to be grasped”), Silva states that “The ambiguous phrase “ouch harpagmon
31 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 263.
30 Silva, Philippians, 100.
29 Hellerman, Philippians, 108.
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hegesato”, has created a literature far more extensive than it probably deserves..This very
diversity of interpretations should warn us not to move from the ambiguous word to the meaning
of the passage as a whole, but vice-versa,”32 This principle is very important because the
interpreter needs to derive the meaning of a word from the context instead of letting an
ambiguous or obscure meaning define the context or passage. Silva then suggest that the best
translation might be “he made himself nothing” (cf. NIV)” because “the phrase is intended to
encapsulate for the readers the whole descent of Christ from highest glory to lowest depths.”33
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,
Concerning the phrase “τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ”(translated as “equality with God”), Hellerman
observes that although sometimes it’s interpreted in an ontological sense, meaning “on par with
God”, it is not the case. He adds that “A variety of ancient sources specifically associate the idea
of equality with God with the rank or position of a king or emperor, using language similar to
Paul’s”34 and therefore suggest that it is quite likely Paul has a similar meaning in mind.
(2:7) But he emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,
ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών,
Regarding the word, ἐκένωσεν, Hellerman nicely summarizes the debate that has been
discussed over the years where the “ the presence of an unspecified gen. modifier, that is, that
Christ must have emptied himself “of something” (“he gave up everything” [CEV] is potentially
misleading). This, in turn, has generated a lively debate over the metaphysical implications of the
34 Hellerman, Philippians, 111.
33 Ibid, 105.
32 Silva, Philippians, 102-103.
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incarnation.”35 On the assumption that Christ must have "emptied himself" of something, Fee
affirms,“ that is precisely not in keeping with Pauline usage…Christ did not empty himself of
anything; he simply "emptied himself," poured himself out”36
and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man,
ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος· καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος
According to Silva, the clause “taking the form of a servant” is expanded and explained
by “being made in the likeness of men.” Concerning the words μορφὴν and ὁμοιώματι in this
verse, he states, “The words morphē and homoiōma, whatever distinctions one may detect in
some contexts, are interchanged here for stylistic rather than semantic reasons.”37
A note regarding the words μορφή (Phil 2:6) and σχῆμα (Phil 2:7), at first they seem to
be very similar in meaning, however when we look at both using some of the tools described, we
start to notice some things . For example, in StepBible, μορφή is defined as “form, outward
appearance; nature, character form, outward appearance, nature, character (Mk. 16:12; Phil. 2:6,
7*)” while σχῆμα is defined as “form, outward appearance; fashion, form, outward appearance;
fashion, external show (1Cor. 7:31 Phil. 2:7*)”, nothing really striking . BDAG defines μορφή
as “form, outward appearance, shape of bodily form”38 , and σχῆμα as “the generally recognized
38 William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
Links to an external site. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 659.
37 Silva, Philippians, 106.
36 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 266.
35 Hellerman, Philippians, 114.
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state or form in which something appears, outward appearance, form, shape”39, these meanings
are not really illuminating. Both words seem to have the same significance.
We do not encounter any major differences between μορφή and σχῆμα in Burer and
Miller’s New Reader’s Lexicon either.
6 μορφή, ἡ “2∙2∙3 form, outward appearance, shape (2:7 ∙ Mk 16:12)” 40
7 σχῆμα, τό “1∙2∙2 outward appearance, form, shape” (1Co 7:31)”41
Conversely, referring to μορφή, Hellerman points out that although “Μορφὴ θεοῦ”
certainly can convey the meaning of divine nature, “Paul focuses in ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων on
Christ’s outward appearance and its implications for rank and status … not upon Christ’s inner or
essential nature.”42 This means that the use of this word here is mostly for sociological purposes
rather than ontological, while σχῆμα “describes how Christ appeared to others.”43 meaning it’s
emphasis is in Christ’s outward appearance here on earth.
Consequently, μορφή (Phil 2:6) might be describing Jesus in relation to the heavenly
realm while σχῆμα (Phil 2:7) might be describing him in relation to the earthly realm. It seems
as if Paul is deliberately painting a canvas with Jesus in both realms (heavenly and earthly), with
the goal of painting the last stroke by describing Jesus' final self-humiliation act in verse 8.
In conclusion, while μορφή (Phil 2:6) and σχῆμα (Phil 2:7) might be translated similarly,
when we look closely at the meaning of both words, it seems that σχῆμα has more of an extrinsic
43 Ibid, 116.
42 Joseph H. Hellerman, Philippians, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, Exegetical Guide to the
Greek New Testament (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2015), 111.
41 Ibid.
40 Michael H Burer and Jeffery E Miller, A New Reader’s Lexicon of the Greek New Testament (Kregel Academic,
2010), 918.
39 William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature
Links to an external site. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 981.
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connotation rather than an intrinsic one, so they are not completely synonyms and Paul is
intentionally using them to show this contrast.
(2:8) he humbled himself by becoming obedient
ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος
Pertaining verse 8, O’brien states that these words“describe the climax of Christ’s
supreme humility and obedience…v.8 brings the first stanza of the hymn to a conclusion…Christ
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the utmost limit—even to death, and that the most
shameful of all”44 Hansen observes that “Paul does draw a parallel between the ethical behavior
of the church and the life of Christ by first requiring the church to practice humility and then
pointing to the precedent for their behavior in the self humbling obedience of Christ.”45
to the point of death, even death on a cross.
μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ.
Concerning ὑπήκοος (obedience) and θανάτου(death) , Fee observes that Paul
understood Jesus’ death not from an earthly perspective but from a God-ordained perspective. He
adds that Obedience unto death “points to the degree to which obedience took him, the readiness
of him who, as one of us, chose the path that led to a death", which was “decreed before the ages
for our glory."46
(2:9) For this reason, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him
διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ
46 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 279.
45 Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians,205.
44 O’brien,The Epistle to the Philippians, 264.
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In regards to ὑπερύψωσεν, Hellerman notices that, “Ὑπερ- compounds in Paul almost
always connote excess, not position (i.e., elative, not comp. force)”47 On this word, Fee explains
that while “ some see Paul as stressing that Christ has been rewarded for his humiliation by
having been given a higher "position" than he had heretofore.” and yet “Others see an emphasis
on his victory over the powers”, the truth is that the verb "highly exalted" implies neither of
these.”48
the name which is above every name,
τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα,
About the phrase “the name which is above every name”, what exactly does Paul mean
by it? Fee suggests that there are two options: Jesus or Lord. On the one hand, "the name" refers
to his earthly name "Jesus." If so, then Paul does not mean that he has now been given that name,
but that in highly exalting him, God has bestowed on the name of Jesus a significance that excels
all other names.”49 Hansen, on the other favors the position that “ the Father has magnificently
exalted his Son to the highest station and graciously bestowed on him the name above all other
names, that is, his own name, Lord (= Yahweh),along with all that gives substance and meaning
to the name.”50
(2:10) So that at the name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE WILL BOW,
ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ
50 Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians,268.
49 Ibid.
48 Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 283.
47 Hellerman, Philippians, 119.
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Regarding verses 9-11, Barnett observes that “the subject is now God who acted to
vindicate his Son. God highly exalted Christ Jesus and ‘graced’ him with a name above every
name, Lord Jesus Christ.”51 Concerning the phrase “πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ”, O’brien reports that
“Collange is right in suggesting that in honor of Jesus’ Lordship Christians bowed the knee in
homage, so reflecting on earth the continued worship presented in heaven (cf. Rev. 4-5).”52
of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων
Regarding verse 10-11. Silva states that “the problem that needs to be considered is in
connection with a twofold purpose and then reports that “Lightfoot is therefore right in denying
that the reference is limited to intelligent beings.”53 He adds that “a lack of literal knees and
tongues does not prevent the heavens from proclaiming God’s glory (Ps. 19:1–6; cf. Ps. 148),and
Paul himself was capable of a bold personification of inanimate nature (Rom. 8:19–22).”54
(2:11) And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός.
Hellerman observes that “Paul’s LXX citation (Isa 45:23) reflects the familiar OT theme,
that at the consummation of the age all creatures will bow down and worship Yahweh: ἐμοὶ
κάμψει πᾶν γόνυ καὶ ἐξομολογήσεται (fut. indic.) πᾶσα γλῶσσα τῷ θεῷ…Included are those who
give homage unwillingly, who are put to shame during the acclamation.”55
55 Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians,123.
54 Ibid.
53 Silva, Philippians, 111.
52 O’brien,The Epistle to the Philippians, 274.
51 Barnett, Philippians & Philemon: Joy in the Lord, 58.
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Barnett states that “Since the Son perfectly ‘obeyed’ his Father it was an act of divine
justice to vindicate the Son… Any idea of ‘merit’ or ‘reward’ is to be excluded… the Father was
justly vindicating the obedience of the Son, which he knew about and in which he was
involved.”56
Silva points out that “The question is then whether Phil. 2:11 speaks of what God merely
hopes people will do or of what he, by divine decree, has granted to the Son, namely, the placing
of all things under his feet (Eph.1:22).”57
V. APPLICATION
This passage's practical application includes how humility can enhance unity, help
resolve conflict and encourage love for one another.
On “enhancing unity”, humility is the antidote to pride, which is the source of all fighting
and arguing. Pride is at the center of selfish ambition. Hawthorne states, “Christians at Philippi
have a responsibility to keep together in unity…The key is their selfless regard for others and an
active desire for their neighbors’ well-being and interest in preference to their own.”58
Concerning “helping resolve conflict”, humility can help in situations where there are
misunderstandings or simply cultural differences that generate some tension. This can be applied
in the context of a local baptist church that allows a minority ethnic church to meet at their
facilities without expecting equal financial contribution, ministerial labor or results(converts or
baptisms).
58 Hawthorne, Philippians, 90.
57 Silva, Philippians, 111.
56 Barnett, Philippians & Philemon: Joy in the Lord, 60.
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About “encouraging love for one another”, humility helps individuals in the church to be
sensitive to the needs of others and share their pain and joy as well.
Other applications for Christians might involve finding their “identity in Christ”, and that
an individual's essence does not change even though his outward appearance might change with
age or different stages of life.
VI. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the goal of this project was to exegetically analyze the Greek text of
Philipians 2:1 – 11 and comment on some of the main arguments,and interpretative issues found
throughout the text in order to get the most accurate meaning of the text as it was intended to its
original readers. It is important to notice that there is a group of words in this text which some
scholars have traditionally associated with "Jesus's nature", in contrast with a more moderate,
less speculative view; which associates them with "Jesus’s status or position". Having looked at
the text from multiple angles and evaluated the most likely meanings of such ambiguous phrases
and constructions, we are now in a better position to do proper exposition, contextualization and
application of the text to today's world.
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APPENDIX
Text: Philippians 2:1-11
(2:1) Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love,
Εἴ τις οὖν παράκλησις ἐν Χριστῷ, εἴ τι παραμύθιον ἀγάπης,
if any participation in the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
εἴ τις κοινωνία πνεύματος, εἴ τις σπλάγχνα καὶ οἰκτιρμοί,
(2:2) Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love,
πληρώσατέ μου τὴν χαρὰν ἵνα τὸ αὐτὸ φρονῆτε, τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες,
being united in spirit, and of one mind.
σύμψυχοι, τὸ ἓν φρονοῦντες,
(2:3) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but in humility
μηδὲν κατʼ ἐριθείαν μηδὲ κατὰ κενοδοξίαν ἀλλὰ τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ
consider others, as more important than yourselves,
ἀλλήλους ἡγούμενοι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν,
(2:4) Do not look out only for your own interests, but also for the interest of others.
μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἕκαστος σκοποῦντες ἀλλὰ [καὶ] τὰ ἑτέρων ἕκαστοι.
(2:5) Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus,
τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
(2:6) who, though he existed in the form of God,
ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,
(2:7) But he emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,
ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών,
and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man,
ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος· καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος
(2:8) he humbled himself by becoming obedient
ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος
to the point of death, even death on a cross.
μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ.
(2:9) For this reason, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him
διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ
the name which is above every name,
τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα,
(2:10) So that at the name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE WILL BOW,
ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ
of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων
(2:11) And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται ὅτι κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός.
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