Foundations for Your Faith
The “Kenosis” of Christ
Lesson 17 NIV
Phil. 2:1-11
Read Philippians 2:1-11 carefully, several times, and then answer the following questions
from the verses as noted.
vs. 1-5 What is the main point (application) of this tremendous passage about
Christ’s incarnation?
vs. 6 The word “nature”, in this passage, is translated from the Greek word “morphe”,
meaning “essential nature” or “essence”. Paraphrase this verse in your own
words and explain it.
vs. 7 Who did the action in verse 7 and in verse 8? That is, was this something that was
“done to Christ”, or “did He do it to Himself”? (Compare Heb. 10:5-7)
What part did the Father and the Holy Spirit have in this event?
The same word....”nature”....used of Christ’s divine nature in verse 6 is also
used of His human nature in verse 7. This means that Jesus Christ is fully
and fully
.
How “human” was Christ?
Did he have more than a human body?
See Matt. 26:38 & Luke 23:46
vs. 9-11 Eventually, every
will
that Jesus Christ is LORD!
and every
Will atheists and non-Christians do this?
will
When?
Explain Christ’s “attitude” (mindset, perspective) that is described here and in Heb.
10:7.
What will our attitude be if we are truly Christlike? I Cor. 6:19-20
Quiz on Lesson 17 NIV
Foundations for Your Faith
The Temptation of Jesus Christ Phil. 2:5-11 Matching
The main point of the entire
passage
a. Body, soul and spirit
The 2 natures of Christ;
distinct and unmixed,
yet joined in one person
_____
b. Adam
The word that means
“to empty” and is used as a
title for this passage
___
d. Attitude of humility
Christ was as fully human as
this man ____
e. Deity – his divine nature
What Christ emptied
Himself of ________
f. Kenao (Kenosis)
Greek word which means “nature”
or “essence”
g. Hypostatic union
What Christ did not empty
Himself of
h. Glory – at the right
hand of the Father
Christ’s humanity consisted
of all of these
i. Morphe
When all Unbelievers will
confess Christ as LORD
____________
j. Great White Throne Judgment
c .Transfiguration
When Christ had His glory restored (briefly) for the
sake of His Disciples’ spiritual understanding
______________
Teacher’s Guide - Foundations For Your Faith - Lesson 17 NIV
The "Kenosis" of Christ Phil. 2:5-11
vs. 1-5 What is the main point (application) of this tremendous passage about
Christ’s incarnation?
To have this attitude; to have this mind in us that was also in Christ Jesus.
A Christ-like mind-set. Vs. 2, 3, & 5.
One's outlook,
one's frame of mind,
one's mind-set,
the way we think,
the process by which we analyze things
our grid, our way of thinking about things…
Prevailing perspective and attitude – how I see myself and life
vs. 6 The word “nature” in this passage is translated from the Greek word “morphe”,
meaning “essential nature” or “foundational essence”. Put this verse into your
own words and explain it.
In English…nature, essence…inner reality…
"morphe" (Greek) means "nature or essential being”
·
The Gnostics taught that Jesus was in appearance….looked like….a man….
but he was not really human in his nature or essential being…”morphe”
·
This is background of the book of Colossians and 1 John.
Gnostics said Jesus looked like a man, but He really wasn't human.
They taught …” to be physical was to be evil” “all material substance is evil”
Therefore Jesus could not be physical, for to be physical was to be evil.
The Spirit was holy, the flesh was evil – only the mind (knowledge…gnosis) was pure
· The Docetic Gnostics said that Jesus “seemed” or “appeared to be” physical but
was only an apparition….an appearance…not true human in substance
He looked human but he was a phantom…if you leaned up against Jesus you would fall
right through him. (Ex. Casper, the friendly ghost)
· The Cerinthian Gnostics taught that Jesus was an ordinary sinful, human being and
that “The Christ Spirit” came on Him at his baptism and left Him at the cross.
This is why 1 John was written – to debunk this heresy – see 1 John 4:2-3.
Jesus is the very essence and nature of God, and He took upon Himself the very essence
and nature of man. (Philippians 2) – same word “morphe” for both natures
"being" = to eternally exist as – “eternally existing with the very nature of God”….
“Being truly God in nature and equal with God in relationship, Christ did not consider this
glory something to be grasped and held onto, but was willing to empty Himself of that
glory.”
·
“Who (Jesus Christ) though always existing with the very nature of God, did not
consider His equality a thing to be clung to but rather emptied himself of that position
of equality and became in nature a slave who was made in the image of men.
He did not consider the equality He had, something he needed to cling to. He possessed
this equality of position, but emptied himself of that glory to take on the nature of man.
“Christ, who eternally existed with the very nature of God, something He already truly
possessed, did not consider that position of equality at the right hand of the Father
something He had to cling to, but rather emptied Himself by taking on the nature of a
servant…..
DON’T CLING TO YOUR RIGHTS!
This is Paul's point in the whole passage, "Don't cling to your rights."
Christ had far greater rights than we, and yet laid aside the right to His glory, the right of His
position at the right hand of the Father, to become our servant and suffering Savior
·
vs. 7
Who did the action in verse 7 and in verse 8? That is, was this something
that was “done to Christ”, or “did He do it to Himself”? (Compare Heb. 10:5-7)
Christ did this “himself” – He willingly laid aside his glory…..He made HIMSELF
nothing (Middle voice in Gk) …..He willingly TOOK UPON HIMSELF (middle voice) …He
humbled Himself (Middle voice again) ….
·
What part did the Father and the Holy Spirit have in this event?
According to Heb. 10:5, The Father prepared the body for Him; according to
Matt. 1:18 The Holy Spirit had part in the conception but according to Phil. 2: 7-8,
Christ emptied Himself of His pre-incarnate glory and humbled Himself to do the
will of His Father.
The same word....”nature”....used of Christ’s divine nature in verse 6 is also
used of His human nature in verse 7. This means that Jesus Christ is fully GOD
fully MAN .
·
and
Morphe – akin to “metamorphosis” – to change the very essence and substance of a
thing – not just the outward appearance…..Metamorphic rock, caterpillar to butterfly –
total change
· HYPOSTATIC UNION
Here we have the "hypostatic union" – Union in one person of two distinct natures, God
and Man.
Two natures joined in one person. The two natures are not mixed.
For example:
God cannot be tempted, but his human nature could.
God knows everything, and yet Jesus said he did not know when he would return.
· As to his deity he knows all things; as to his humanity he is limited.
· As to his deity He can do all things; as to his humanity he sat wearied with his journey.
·
·
As to his deity he has all he needs in himself; as to his humanity he said, "I thirst."
Totally and fully God and totally and fully human…sinless, perfect, fullness
Hypostatic Union
This is the union of the two natures (Divine and human) in the person of Jesus. Jesus is God in
flesh (John 1:1,14; Colossians 2:9; John 8:58; 10:30-34; Hebrews 1:8). He is fully God and
fully man (Colossians 2:9); thus, He has two natures: God and man. These natures are
not compromised or mixed. These two natures are distinct yet joined; unmixed yet
possessed by only one person. He is not half-God and half-man. He is 100% God and
100% sinless man. He never lost his divinity.1 He continued to exist as God when He
became man and added a human nature to His divine nature. See word “nature” or “form”
(KJV) in Philippians 2:5-11. Same word describing both essences – God and human.
Therefore, there is a "union in one person of a full, sinless, human nature and a full divine
nature."2 Right now in heaven there is a God-man, Jesus, who is our Mediator; “between us
and God the Father, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5).
(For related information on Jesus and His two natures; See Incarnation, and the errors
concerning His natures known as Eutychianism, Monophyci tism, and Nestorianism.)
Jesus as God
Jesus as Man
He is worshiped (Matthew 2:2,11;
14:33).
He worshiped the Father (John
17).
He prayed to the Father (John
17:1).
He is prayed to (Acts 7:59).
He is sinless (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews
4:15).
He knows all things (John 21:17).
He gives eternal life (John 10:28).
All the fullness of deity dwells in Him
(Colossians 2:9).
He was tempted (Matthew 4:1).
He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52).
He died (Romans 5:8).
He has a body of flesh and
bones (Luke 24:39).
1. Divinity means the quality of being God. Jesus was always God. There are people within the
Christian church who are teaching that after Jesus died on the cross, He lost His divinity and
suffered in hell at the hands of Satan for three days and nights. This is absolutely wrong. See, A
Different Gospel by D. R. McConnell , Peabody Mass., Hendrickson Publishers, 1988 and
Christianity in Crisis, by Hank Hannigraff. Harvest House Publishers, 1993. (Also –
Foundations lesson 23 for further study on this subject) 2. B. Milne, Know the Truth (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1982, p. 145.
What did He empty Himself of?
· Some would say He emptied Himself of His deity.
If He did, He could no longer be who He was essentially…GOD!
· Some would say He emptied Himself of the independent use of His attributes.
Did He ever use His attributes independently?
Did He ever exercise the use of His attributes except in accordance with the will of the Father?
He said, "I do always those things that please my Father"
·
Best definition: He emptied Himself of His position of glory and the expression of His glory
when He veiled it in human flesh. He became one of us.
He took on something He was not eternally;
He took on human form;
He took on human flesh.
He veiled his glory in human flesh.
The language of the text tells you exactly of what He emptied Himself…..
it was in the action of taking upon Himself humanity that He emptied Himself of His glory
· How “human” was Christ?
See Matt. 26:38 & Luke 23:46
Did he have more than a human body?
He had a human body, soul, and spirit. There was an addition of nature (addition of humanity)
but not a change of nature…He is still the Divine Being. That of which He consists… His nature,
His essence was Deity.
He was God in the flesh
· (Incarnation: “in the flesh”)
The Four Marvels of the incarnation:
1) That God could become human. Incredible!
2) That the infinite God would become human; why he would even bother.
3) That God did become human – the greatest of all miracles
4) That God did become human forever to save and make us His own!
· Dr. George Truett said, "the hyphen never means more than when it appears
between these two words - 'God-Man.'" Here it both unites and separates. He was as much
MAN as though He were not God at all; and as much GOD as though He were not man at all. He
was God's perfect Man and man's perfect God.
·
vs. 9-11 Eventually, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is LORD!
Will atheists and non-Christians do this?
When?
ANSWER: The Great white throne judgment Rev. 20.
But it will not save them then! It will be too late.
· Later eventually will become too late!
We must, in this life, acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord; not wait until then.
·
Explain Christ’s “attitude” (mindset, perspective) that is described here and in Heb.
10:7.
Christ's attitude was that of humble servanthood; obedience to the will of His
heavenly father in that He willingly and in humility became a servant to, and a
sacrifice for, others.
·
What will our attitude be if we are Christlike? I Cor. 6:19-20
"I AM YOURS TO DO YOUR WILL, LORD!" Anything, anywhere, anytime….
"As we discern His will, step by step along the way, we are to continue to follow Him!"
"It is not up to us to choose what His will is, but it is up to us to choose to follow Him!"
·
“It’s not about me, Lord. It’s all about You! Your will, your desire, your plan…”