The Mind of Christ, Part Three
Philippians 2:1-8

January 28, 2007
by C.W. Powell

A. That God works all things for the benefit of God’s people. The external things around you are directed and controlled by God, in order to change you inwardly.

i. All things work together for those who are the called, according to His purpose.
ii. That you and I be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

B God controls your external life; so that your inner man might be conformed to Christ.

i. Christ is to be the firstborn among many brethren: Col. 1:18 calls him the firstborn from the dead. Christ is the first of a new creation: not born by a natural birth only, but born again after the Holy Spirit, to newness of life.
ii. This is the end of predestination: the conformity to Jesus Christ.
iii. Calling comes from predestination; justification comes from calling; glorification comes from justification.
iv. This shows that God is for the elect; who then can be against us.
v. The ultimate sign of God's favor is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This shows that nothing, including the Holy Spirit, will be withheld from those whom God foreknew.

A. It is the indelible work of the Spirit.vs. 5.
B. The image of Christ is first of all a particular mind-set; the same mind-set that Jesus had. "In you" has more the plural idea: among you as a church fellowship. Let the mind of Christ characterize you as a church. This is the kind of community Christ came to make, and His true body. To be "In Christ" , a regular Pauline phrase, is to be partakers of His life.
C. People who spend a great deal of time together soon come to think and act alike. The best example of this is those who have been married a long time. If you have fellowship with Christ, in prayer and in the Bible, you will have his image stamped upon you, and you will more and more have His mind.

A. The modern translation "thought it not something to be seized..." appears in most modern translations, and the orthodox interpretation is this.

1. The first Adam was tempted to seize on equality with God, and this led to the fall of man. The Last Adam, though he was equal with God, did not think it something to be grasped, but humbled himself, etc. He valued the church more than his equality with the Father, and humbled himself, emptied himself, and took the form of a servant.

2. If you take this translation, it emphatically does not mean that Jesus did not value being equal with God, or that he passed by an opportunity to be equal with God, or that he was made equal to God later. None of this can be tortured from the passage. Jesus is God from eternity; He made the claim explicitly and implicitly on a great many occasions.

B. The older translation which appears in the KJV and the NKJV: "Thought it not robbery..."

1. The orthodox meaning would be this. Jesus already possessed equality with God from the beginning, as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, in all of his claims to be equal to the father, he was not committing some kind of theft or assault on God's possession. But, even though he was equal to God, he laid aside the glory and privilege, and made himself of no reputation, for the good of the church.

2. It would emphatically not mean, that in coming to the earth, Jesus laid aside his Godhead, and emptied himself of His essence. No, he remained truly God in Heaven, even while He was on this earth. He continued in both forms: the form of God, and the form of a servant.

C. I prefer the older translation, even though I know you can put an orthodox spin on the other translation, --the NIV is dead wrong here--because what it is that Jesus decided not to seize if he was in the form of God. The word doesn't mean "hold on to." it means "seize," or "take by force." I could see how Adam could have attempted it, but I cannot see how the divine Person of Christ could have taken by violence what he already possessed.

1. Another important consideration is that this choice of Christ is made from eternity. He was in the form of God when he made the choice--before he made himself of no reputation. This makes the modern view even more difficult in my view because how could it be a temptation for Christ to be equal with God, when he already was equal with God.

2. Christ did not give up something that was of no value to him. As God, he cannot deny himself; It was a voluntary humility and emptying--not of His Godhead, for that cannot be, but of the privileges, the exercise of power, the glory--there is great mystery here.

3. I believe the KJV reads very nicely, and preserves all the meaning of the incarnation and work of Jesus Christ. The other makes it unclear, in my view.

D. "form" is a technical term, and means He really was this. It was of his essence. He was truly God, and became truly a servant: the two natures of Christ is set forth here. Morphe is the word. It has come back into popular use through the power ranger toys which "morphe" into other things. It doesn't mean he put in on as a garment, which is the word used in "Likeness of man." He was truly a man, but not like other men, for He was also God. Paul's language here is very specific, very technical, and very accurate. If this is liturgy of the early church, it shows that they possessed a very high degree of technical theological knowledge with respect to the doctrine of Christ and His Incarnation.

A. Voluntarily not using of displaying his attributes. "He took" means that this was voluntary. "form of a servant." The NIV again is dead wrong here. He did not make Himself "nothing." He emptied himself of the display; not of the essence. Isaiah 53. He did not appear as who He IS.

B. vs. 8. "found in fashion" In every respect he appear to be simply a man: in appearance, in speech, in custom, etc. There was nothing in any appearance of His that would have indicated that He was anything different than the carpenter's son, born of Mary, coming from Nazareth.

C. humbled himself: Even this would have been stooping; but he would stoop further, to suffer the death of the vilest of criminals, those accursed of God. the ignominy of the death of the cross. The Jews used this against Christianity: you worship one who was slain on a cross--you call this God? See Heb. 12:2 "despising the shame."

A. There are a string of commands in this passage as to the inward furniture of our minds. These things are not optional, but are the command of the Holy Spirit by the Apostle Paul. The commands are preceded by the descriptive passage of verse 2: Being likeminded, in one love, in one accord, of one mind

1. The commands follow:

a. First imperative: Do nothing through strife or vain-glory
b. Second imperative: Esteem other better than yourself
c. Third imperative: Look not every man on his own things: own gifts; own desires; own agenda; own ambition; own situation—do not try to conform the world around you to fit your agenda—this is to usurp the place of God: remember: He works all things for good for you—He is the only one smart enough to control all the events around you for your good—You are not smart enough for that.
d. Fourth imperative: Let this mind be in you: the mind of Christ

2. As I said: these are commands as to the inner furniture of our minds. If we do not give attention to the inward man, we run the danger of falling into the condition of those that Jesus said made the outside of the cup clean, but gave no attention to the interior of the cup.

B. The words indicate that your part in this is to yield to the command of Christ: it is not optional. Let this mind be in you. What is your inward state? This voluntary humbling of Jesus Christ is set before us as an example for all those who confess His name.

1. Do you serve the church; or do you use the church? Do you serve your family, or do you use your family? Do you serve your community, or do you use people around you?

2. Jesus was real and honest. He knew who He was even in the awful and humiliating sufferings of the cross. Are you trying to be something you are not? trying to use others to get ahead? trying to use people to get to where you want to be; or are you content to serve them, to help them get to where God wants them to be?

3. Now we are seeing the meaning of verse 4. Are other people's service more important than yours. Would you rather they succeeded than yourself. Jesus went to the cross so that you and I would not have to; at least, never in the same sense He did. Because He laid down his life for us, we are called to lay down our lives for others; to serve them in the kingdom of God.

4. It is in the concept of service that the church can be united, of the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. It is not my service to Christ to try to conform everyone to me, but to lead them to Christ, that they might be conformed to Him. He will do this; my job is to introduce you to Christ, to try to remove every hindrance that would come between you a Christ.

5. Jesus contrasted the mind of the world with His mind in a famous passage in

“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mr 10:32-45 AV)

6. I cannot drive you to Christ; I can only lead you and show you the way, and warn you of those who would use you for their own desires. If I drove you, you would be my disciples, and not those of Christ. I do not want any disciples; I want to show you how to be the disciples of Christ.

7. Beware of those who intimidate, bully, bribe, or otherwise depart from the Holy Spirit in the work of the church. In them you will not hear the voice of Christ, but the voice of another.

Amen and Amen.