reality is affirmed in the words `the form of God'. The word translated `likeness' is homoioma and is derived from

the verb homoioo `to make like', which verb is found in Acts 14:11, when the idolatrous people of Lystra said `the

gods are come down to us in the likeness of men'. What these pagans mistakenly applied to Barnabas and Paul, had

been most blessedly realized when `the Word was made (became) flesh and dwelt among us'. The Saviour, when

He undertook the redemption of man, had a `body' prepared for Him (Heb. 10:5) and because the men for whom He

had undertaken were `flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same' (Heb. 2:14).

The apostle rightly says `in the likeness of men' for, although the Saviour was most certainly man, and born of a

woman, and living the normal life of man, yet He was most certainly not merely man, He was God manifest in the

flesh, the God-Man, true God and perfect Man. Moreover the word anthropon `men' is plural. He came in the

nature common to all men - mankind, and so could be called `The Son of Man'. The next words of the apostle, `and

being found in fashion as a man' (Phil. 2:8) take up the subject of the Saviour's kenosis or self-emptying, and focus

our attention upon His culminating act of obedience, `obedient unto death, even the death of the cross'. This

culminating act of the One Who originally existed in the form of God and now is seen in the form of a slave, is

further defined as an act of humiliation, `He humbled Himself'.

The apostle looks backs to the great chapter of Messiah's sufferings (Isa. 53), where we read in the quotation

made by Philip and recorded in Acts 8:33, `in His humiliation His judgment was taken away'. `This quotation is the

LXX rendering of the Hebrew which Dr. Hudson translates "without restraint, and without a sentence He was taken

away", i.e. He had no benefit of a formal trial, in which His innocence might have appeared. Pilate offered no

restraint to the violent procedure of the Jews, nor did he pronounce legal sentence upon the Saviour' (Turpie.)

`He humbled Himself' and allowed Himself, the Lord of all, to be led as a sheep to the slaughter. In direct

association with this humbling of the Lord is the humbling of His followers. First, Paul says `I know both how to be

abased, and I know how to abound' (Phil. 4:12), where the words `to be abased' are a translation of the verb tapeinoo

already used of the Lord in Philippians 2:8. Further, in the passage which speaks of `our vile body' (Phil. 3:21) the

word translated `vile' is tapeinosis, which the Revised Version translates `the body of our humiliation'. We shall

discover that this passage has no reference to villainy or sin, for in the days when the Authorized Version was

prepared the word `vile' could be used of a raiment (Jas. 2:2), and a common phrase indicating the conditions of

slavery is, as we all know, `in durance vile'. The expression `our vile body' refers to the voluntary conformity of the

apostle and others to `His death' (Phil. 3:10) which will come before us for fuller examination later. It is, however,

essential to the argument of Philippians 2:6-8 that we should not forget that with all its solemnity and depth of

doctrine, it is an example of the precept given in Philippians 2:4, the Saviour's `humiliation' being the highest

example and the conformity of the apostle one that most closely sought to carry that example into execution.

The word heauton `Himself', in verses 7 and 8, are emphatic, `Himself He emptied', `Himself He humbled'; in

both cases it was the voluntary act of Him Who subsisted in the form of God.

The lowest depths of the Saviour's humiliation and the extreme example of His willing obedience is seen in the

death He died, `even the death of the cross'.

In Paul's day crucifixion was the punishment meted out to a slave and a Roman citizen could not be subjected to

such a degradation. Paul may suffer, Paul may suffer death at the hand of the Roman executioner, but he could not

stoop so low as had His gracious Master (Cicero, Verr. i. 5; v. 64).

The Crucifixion has several aspects which vary according to the purpose of the writer in speaking of it. When

Paul was dealing with the question of justification by faith apart from the deeds of the law, he stressed the fact that

crucifixion fulfilled the statement of Moses (Deut. 21:23) and showed that Christ died under the curse of the broken

law (Gal. 3:10-13). When Paul would level all boasting in human wisdom he preached Jesus Christ and Him

crucified (1 Cor. 1 and 2). When he would exhort the Hebrews `to run with patience the race set before' them, the

apostle spoke of Christ Who `endured the cross despising the shame' (Heb. 12:1,2). At the death of the cross the

lowest rung in the ladder of the Saviour's humiliation is reached. The next movement is `exaltation' and as we have

followed step by step the seven-fold humiliation of our Saviour as recorded in verses 6-8, it will be our joy to follow

the corresponding sevenfold exaltation that occupies verses 9-11.