Philippians 2:6,7 – Being in the form of God

… Who being inherently in the form of God, deems it not pillaging to be equal with God, nevertheless empties Himself, taking the form of a slave…

In the previous meditation we saw that Paul speaks of Christ Jesus—the name by which he came to know his Lord as the risen and exalted One. That observation also sheds light on the words that follow. Paul describes Christ Jesus as being “in the form of God” and “equal with God.” He perfectly reveals the invisible God and reflects His glory.

Paul then makes the remarkable statement that Christ Jesus did not regard this exalted position “as something to be grasped.” He neither seized it nor claimed it for Himself. Here the very mindset Paul is urging upon his readers comes into view. Although the highest honor was His, He never treated it as His own possession. Everything He had, He received from the hand of His God and Father. This fits perfectly with the conclusion of the passage: “Therefore God highly exalted Him…” (v.9).

We thus see that Paul is looking back on Christ Jesus before His exaltation, describing the path that led to it. The emphasis is not on a glory He laid aside, but on the mindset with which He willingly walked the path of humiliation.

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