What does the context demand? In appealing to the example of Christ do we expect to read of a RIGHT which He

CLAIMED? or to a GLORY which He RENOUNCED? Reader, think this over before proceeding.

Before we can fully express the intention of the apostle, however, we must consider the words translated `to be

equal with God'.

To einai isa Theo. - The Revised Version renders this passage `counted it not a prize to be on equality with

God'. To remove the possible ambiguity of the form `to be', which might help the idea that `To be on an equality

with God' was something to be attained at some future time, we should render einai `being', which for euphony we

could render `that He was' and so `counted it not a prize that He was on an equality with God'.

The Authorized Version as we have seen reads `equal with God' which the Revised Version corrects to `on an

equality with God'. The Authorized Version looks to the being and essential nature of God, the Revised Version

looks to the accompanying glory.

When the Jews charged the Saviour with making Himself `equal with God' the singular isos is used (John 5:18),

but in Philippians 2:6 the neuter plural isa is used, and this neuter plural cannot denote the one unchanging essence

of Deity, but rather refers to the modes, states, manifestations and accompaniments of Deity. The Saviour could

once have been `rich' and then for our sakes He could have become `poor', but this would not have touched His

essential nature. `Rich' and `poor' are modes of being, that can be taken up and laid aside. The LXX of the book of

Job uses the plural form isa a number of times and mostly with the thought of `like' rather than identity.

`A mortal born of woman is like an ass of the desert'.

`Let every unrighteous one be crushed like rotten wood'.

`Brass is hewn out like stone'.

`Thou hast counted me as clay' (Job 11:12; 24:20; 28:2; 30:19).

In none of these references equality of nature or essence is implied but likeness to some quality or attribute.

In the last reference the verb hegeomai `to count' is used, just as it is employed in Philippians 2:6, `He thought it

not robbery' or `He counted it not as a prize'. This word hegeomai plays an important part in Philippians, occurring

altogether six times and translated in the Authorized Version `esteem', `thought', `supposed' and `count' (Phil.

2:3,6,25; 3:7,8 twice).

Taking einai in its usual sense, we find hos `who' is its subject, and isa Theo as an adverbial predicate; thus not

the nature or essence of God is intended, this has already been indicated by `the form of God,' but the mode, state,

and accompaniments of Deity. Lightfoot says, `He divested Himself not of His divine nature, for this was

impossible, but of the glories, the prerogatives of Deity; emptied, stripped Himself of the insignia of majesty ...

rights which it was an act of condescension to waive'.

Looking at the passage as a whole, we see that `in the form of God' finds its antithesis in `the form of a servant'

and the `counting it not as a prize that He was on equality with God', finds its antithesis in the words `but made

Himself of no reputation'. Bishop Westcott, writing on John 1:14, `The word was made flesh', says: `St. Paul

describes it as "an emptying of Himself" by the Son of God ... a laying aside of the mode of divine existence, and

this declaration carries us as far as we can go in defining the mystery'.

`He made Himself of no reputation'. - The Authorized Version has used the word `reputation' twice in

Philippians, the second occurrence being at 2:29 `hold such in reputation'. The Revised Version has wisely omitted

the word `reputation' in both passages, reading in 2:7 `but emptied Himself', and in 2:29 `hold such in honour', for

two different Greek words are used.

The change, however, while it makes some aspects of the truth clearer, introduces other problems for, to a

modern mind, there is something strange about the idea of anyone `emptying himself'. In modern usage `empty'

places foremost in the mind the idea of `a jug without water', `a room without furniture' and `empty vessels' (2 Kings

4:3), these come naturally to the mind. In order to avoid too crude an application of the figure of `emptying a vessel'