Philippians 2:7

made himself of no reputation, and . . . and--rather as the Greek, "emptied Himself, taking upon him the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men." The two latter clauses (there being no conjunctions, "and . . . and," in the Greek) expresses in what Christ's "emptying of Himself" consists, namely, in "taking the form of a servant" (see on Heb 10:5; compare Exo 21:5-6, and Psa 40:6, proving that it was at the time when He assumed a body, He took "the form of a servant"), and in order to explain how He took "the form of a servant," there is added, by "being made in the likeness of men." His subjection to the law (Luk 2:21; Gal 4:4) and to His parents (Luk 2:51), His low state as a carpenter, and carpenter's reputed son (Mat 13:55; Mar 6:3), His betrayal for the price of a bond-servant (Exo 21:32), and slave-like death to relieve us from the slavery of sin and death, finally and chiefly, His servant-like dependence as man on God, while His divinity was not outwardly manifested (Isa 49:3, Isa 49:7), are all marks of His "form as a servant." This proves: (1) He was in the form of a servant as soon as He was made man. (2) He was "in the form of God" before He was "in the form of a servant." (3) He did as really subsist in the divine nature, as in the form of a servant, or in the nature of man. For He was as much "in the form of God" as "in the form of a servant"; and was so in the form of God as "to be on an equality with God"; He therefore could have been none other than God; for God saith, "To whom will ye liken Me and make Me equal?" (Isa 46:5), [BISHOP PEARSON]. His emptying Himself presupposes His previous plenitude of Godhead (Joh 1:14; Col 1:19; Col 2:9). He remained full of this; yet He bore Himself as if He were empty.

The apostle proceeds to further exhortations to several duties, to be like-minded, and lowly-minded, which he presses from the example of Christ (Phi 2:1-11), to be diligent and serious in the Christian course (Phi 2:12, Phi 2:13), and to adorn their Christian profession by several suitable graces (Phi 2:14-18). He then concludes with particular notice and commendation of two good ministers, Timothy and Epaphroditus, whom he designed to send to them (Phi 2:19-30).

2:7 he gave up his divine privileges (literally he emptied himself): The rest of 2:7-8 explains this ultimate expression of divine self-denial (cp. 2 Cor 8:9). • the humble position of a slave (or the form of a slave): Paul might have been thinking of Isa 52:13–53:12. • and was born as a human: See John 1:14; 1 Tim 3:16.