The Mind-Blowing Humility of Jesus
What’s Philippians 2 about?
This chapter contains one of the most stunning descriptions of Jesus ever written – a cosmic-level poem about God becoming human that turns everything we think we know about power upside down. And Paul uses it to teach a fractured church community what real unity looks like.
The Full Context
Paul is writing to his beloved church in Philippi around 61-62 AD imprisoned under house arrest in Rome. The Philippian church was his first European congregation, planted during his second missionary journey, and they held a special place in his heart. But even this model church was struggling with internal divisions – personality conflicts, competing egos, and the age-old human tendency to jockey for position and recognition.
The apostle crafts this letter as both a thank-you note for their financial support and a masterclass in Christian community. Chapter 2 sits at the heart of his argument, where Paul pulls out what many scholars consider the most magnificent christological (Messiahship) passage in the whole New Testament.
This chapter isn’t just theology for theology’s sake – it’s a radical blueprint for how followers of Jesus should relate to one another, using the ultimate example of self-sacrificial love. The passage challenges everything the Greco-Roman world (and ours) believes about power, status, and what it means to be truly great.
What the Ancient Words Tell Us
When Paul writes “have this mind among yourselves” in Philippians 2:5, he’s using the Greek word phroneo – which isn’t just about thinking, but about a deep, settled attitude that governs your entire way of being. It’s like saying “let this be your standard operating procedure.”
Grammar Geeks
The famous phrase “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” uses the Greek word harpagmos – literally meaning “something seized by force.” It’s the same Greek root for the word translated rapture. Jesus didn’t treat his divine status like a prize to be clutched or a trophy to be displayed. Instead, he held it with open hands.
The word kenosis (from “emptied himself” in verse 7) has sparked centuries of theological debate. Paul isn’t saying Jesus stopped being God – that’s impossible. Rather, he’s describing how Jesus voluntarily laid aside the privileges and celestial glory that were rightfully His. Think of a billionaire who chooses to live in poverty to understand the struggles of the homeless, except infinitely more radical.
What’s particularly striking is Paul’s description of Jesus becoming “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” in verse 8. In the Roman world, crucifixion wasn’t just execution – it was the ultimate humiliation reserved for slaves and rebels. No Roman citizen could legally be crucified. Paul is essentially saying that the Creator of the universe subjected himself to the most shameful death imaginable.
What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?
Picture this: you’re a Roman citizen in Philippi hearing this letter read aloud in someone’s home. Your entire world runs on honor, status, and climbing the social ladder. The Caesar is literally worshipped as divine, and power flows downward through rigid hierarchies.
Then Paul drops this bomb about Jesus – the one you worship as Lord – had all the power in the universe and chose to give it up for you. Not just give it up, but go all the way down to the bottom rung of society. This would have been absolutely shocking.
Did You Know?
Philippi was a Roman colony where citizens took enormous pride in their Roman status. The idea that Jesus, their divine Lord, voluntarily became a slave would have challenged everything they understood about power and greatness.
The Philippians would have heard verses 9-11 as a direct challenge to Caesar worship. When Paul writes that “every knee should bow” and “every tongue confess that Jesus the Messiah is Lord,” he’s using the exact language that Romans used for the emperor. This isn’t just a nice hymn or personal devotion – it’s politics wrapped in poetry.
The Greek word kyrios (Lord) was loaded with meaning. It was used for slave masters, Roman officials, and Caesar himself. Paul is essentially declaring that Jesus, not Caesar, has ultimate authority over all creation.
Wrestling with the Text
Verses 6-11 are likely an early Christian hymn that Paul is quoting, not original prose. You can almost hear the rhythm when you read it in Greek. This means the early church was singing about Jesus’s humility and exaltation from the very beginning.
But Paul doesn’t just quote this hymn for its beauty – he uses it as the ultimate example for how the Philippians should treat each other. The connection is brilliant: “Stop fighting about who’s greatest. Look at Jesus – He had every right to claim supremacy, but instead He served. Now do the same with each other.”
Wait, That’s Strange…
Why does Paul say God “highly exalted” Jesus and gave Him “the Name above every name” if Jesus was already God? Some scholars think this refers to Jesus’s human nature being exalted, while others see it as God publicly vindicating what was always true. The mystery and honor deepens when you realize the “Name above every name” is Yahweh – God’s own sacred covenant name.
The practical application in verses 12-18 can sound scary to modern ears. “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling”? But Paul immediately explains that God is working in them both to will and to work for His good pleasure. So it’s not about earning salvation, but about living out the reality of what God has already done in all of us.
How This Changes Everything
This passage doesn’t just describe Jesus – it redefines what greatness looks like. In a world obsessed with building personal brands, accumulating followers, and climbing ladders, Paul presents a Savior who chose the opposite direction. The One with all the power chose powerlessness. The One deserving all the glory chose shame.
But here’s the stunning twist: God vindicated this choice for all to see. The humility led to exaltation, the cross led to the crown, the emptying led to the fullness of praise from every created being. Paul is teaching the Philippians (and us) that this isn’t just Jesus’s path – it’s the way reality actually works in God’s Kingdom.
“True greatness isn’t about how high you can climb, but how low you’re willing to go to lift others up.”
The call to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” in verse 12 isn’t about anxious performance – it’s about the awe-inspiring reality that the God of the universe is actively at work within us. When you realize that the same God who humbled himself to death on a cross is now living and working through you, it should absolutely take your breath away.
Paul’s concluding thoughts about Timothy and Epaphroditus in verses 19-30 aren’t just travel updates – they’re living examples of the Messiah-like mindset he’s been describing. Timothy genuinely cares for others’ welfare above his own, and Epaphroditus risked his life for the Good News. They embody the kenosis Paul has been preaching.
Key Takeaway
The Jesus described in Philippians 2 isn’t just a Savior to worship – He’s a pattern to follow. Real Christian community happens when people stop grasping for their rights and start emptying themselves for others, trusting that God’s way of exaltation through humiliation is the path to true life.
Further Reading
Internal Links:
External Scholarly Resources:
