NIV Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition - Flipbook - Page 81
page 2065
2:2
qRo 12:16
2:3
rGal 5:26
sRo 12:10; 1Pe 5:5
2:5
tMt
2:6
uJn
vJn
11:29
1:1
5:18
2:7
wMt 20:28
xJn 1:14; Heb 2:17
2:8
yMt 26:39; Jn 10:18;
Heb 5:8
2:9
zAc 2:33; Heb 2:9
aEph 1:20,21
2:10
bRo 14:11
cMt 28:18
2:11
13:13
dJn
•
P h i l i pp i a n s
2:12
love, being one q in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit.r Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, s 4not looking to your own
interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: t
6 Who, being in very nature a God, u
did not consider equality with God v something to be used to
his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature b of a servant, w
being made in human likeness. x
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death y —
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him z to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name, a
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, b
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, c
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, d
to the glory of God the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 Therefore, my dear f riends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence,
but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and
a
6 Or in the form of b 7 Or the form
or jealousy that might lead to dissension. Showing genuine interest in
others is a positive step forward in maintaining unity among believers.
2:5-11 These verses probably come from a hymn sung by the early
Christian church, and they form the central focus of sacrificial love and
humility for Paul’s entire letter. This passage holds many parallels to the
prophecy of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53. As a hymn, it was not
meant to be a complete statement about the nature and work of Christ.
Several key characteristics of Jesus Christ, however, are praised in this
passage: (1) Christ has always existed with God; (2) Christ is equal to God
because he is God (John 1:1-51; Colossians 1:15-19); (3) though Christ is
God, he became a man in order to fulfill God’s plan of salvation for all
people; (4) Christ did not just have the appearance of being a m
an—he
actually became human in order to identify with us in our humanity;
(5) Christ voluntarily laid aside his divine rights and privileges out of love
for his Father; (6) Christ also loved us so much that he died on the cross
for our sins so we wouldn’t have to face eternal death; (7) God glorified
Christ because of his obedience; and (8) God raised Christ to his original
position at the Father’s right hand, where he will reign forever as our
Lord and judge. How can we do anything less than praise Jesus Christ
as our Lord and dedicate ourselves to his service?
2:5-11 People often excuse selfishness, pride, or evil by claiming their
rights. They think, I can cheat on this test; after all, I deserve to pass
this class. Or I can spend all this money on myself—I worked hard for
it. Or My weekend belongs to me; I just don’t have time to help others.
But as believers, we should have a different attitude, one that enables
us to lay aside our rights in order to serve others. If we say we follow
Christ, we must also say we want to live as he lived. We should develop
his attitude of humility as we serve, even when we are not likely to get
recognition for our efforts. Are you selfishly clinging to your rights, or
are you willing to serve?
2:5-7 The Incarnation was the act of the preexistent Son of God voluntarily assuming a human body and human nature. Without ceasing
to be God, he became a human being, the man called Jesus. He did
not give up his deity to become human, but he set aside the right to his
glory and power. In submission to the Father’s will, Christ limited his
power and knowledge. Jesus of Nazareth was subject to place, time,
and many other human limitations. What made his humanity unique was
his freedom from sin. In his full humanity, Jesus showed us everything
about God’s character that can be conveyed in human terms. (The
Incarnation is explained further in these passages: John 1:1-14; Romans
1:2-5; 2 Corinthians 8:9; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 1:1-3.)
2:5 Jesus Christ was humble, willing to give up his rights in order to
obey God and serve people. Like Christ, we should have a servant’s
attitude, serving out of love for God and for others, not out of guilt
or fear. Remember, you can choose your attitude: You can approach
life expecting to be served, or you can look for opportunities to serve
others. (For more on Christ’s attitude of servanthood, see Mark 10:45.)
2:8 Death on a cross (crucifixion) was the form of capital punishment
that Romans used for notorious criminals. It was excruciatingly painful
and humiliating. Prisoners were nailed or tied to a cross and left to die.
Death might not come for several days, and it usually came by suffocation when the weight of the weakened body made breathing more
and more difficult. Jesus died as one who was cursed (Galatians 3:13).
How amazing that the perfect man should die this most horrible and
shameful death so that we would not have to face eternal punishment!
2:9-11 At the Last Judgment, even those who are condemned will recognize Jesus’ authority and right to rule. People can voluntarily choose
now to commit their lives to Jesus as Lord, or they will be forced to
acknowledge him as Lord when he returns. Christ may return at any
moment. Are you prepared to meet him?
2:12 “Therefore” ties this verse to the previous section. “Work out your
salvation,” in light of the preceding exhortation to unity, may mean that
the entire church was to work together to rid themselves of divisions
and discord. The Philippian Christians needed to be especially careful
to obey Christ now that Paul wasn’t there to continually remind them
about what was right. We, too, must be careful about what we believe
and how we live, especially when we are on our own. In the absence of
Christian mentors who hold us accountable, we must focus our attention and devotion even more on Christ so that we won’t be sidetracked.