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"Taking the form of a bondservant..."

Text: Philippians 2:7

THE DUAL NATURES OF CHRIST JESUS

The apostle Paul was deeply impacted by the doctrine of the Humanity of Christ. It was not an easy teaching to comprehend let alone embrace.

1. Pre-conversion

a) The thought that Jesus could be Deity was blasphemous to Paul in his unconverted state.

b) He opposed Christians and persecuted them because he could not believe that Jesus was the Christ, the prophesied Messiah.

2. Post-conversion

a) He became deeply convinced that Jesus was not just the Messiah-Saviour.

b) Jesus also possessed both Divine and Human attributes.

THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST

Paul was deeply impacted by the fact that Jesus would take the form of a human being!

“But made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a bondservant,
and coming in the likeness of men.”

Philippians 2:7

1. “But made Himself of no reputation”

a) This text is famously called “the kenosis” (emptying).

b) “Made Himself of no reputation” translates a profound phrase “heauton ekenose”.

i) The word “ekenose” literally means that Jesus emptied Himself of all Divine privileges.

ii) As long as He was in human form He partook of all that human beings will experience.

2. “Taking the form of a bondservant”

a) The word “form” appears again.

b) Jesus therefore had two forms.

i) The Divine form (Internally- Possessing Divine essence)

ii) The Human form (Externally- Possessing all the attributes of being a human being)

c) He chose to be God’s bondservant as an expression of true and deep humility.

3. “And coming in the likeness of men”

a) This is called the Incarnation of Christ (John 1:14).

b) He came to identify with mankind (Hebrews 2:17-18).

c) He came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).