Ángel Manuel Rodríguez
Does
the phrase “in the form of God” in Philippians
2:6 suggest that Christ was not divine?
Sometimes a few words
in a text strike us in such a way that we don’t notice the rest of the
passage. In most cases the meaning of those words is located within its own
context. This is the case with the phrase you quoted. The noun “form” (Greek morphē)
is used twice in Philippians 2:6, 7, and in both cases it refers to Christ: “Being
in the form of God” (verse 6), and “taking the form of a bondservant” (verse
7). The first time it describes Christ before He became a man. The second time
the word describes Him as the Savior in human flesh. This suggests that the
term has to do with Christ’s mode of being.
Second, notice that
in the second usage the verb employed is “to take, to accept,” suggesting
that this new mode of existence was not Christ’s natural mode of existence.
It is not who the preincarnated Lord was in Himself, but who He became. When
the text says that Christ took “the form of a bondservant,” it
does not mean that He looked like or had the appearance of a servant. It means
that when He came “in human likeness,” He in fact became a servant.
The phrase combines the ideas of function and essence.
Third, the words “being
in the form of God” deal with who Christ was in Himself. He did not appear
to be God, He was God. He had the “form” only God has. In other
words, the “form of God” means the mode of existence that corresponds
to the divine being. The Bible’s New International Version renders the
phrase “being in very nature God.” It correctly indicates that “form” means
the very nature of Christ before He became human. This may sound strange to
us for whom the term “form” stands for the appearance or shape
of something, but that is not the case with the term Paul used. It refers to
the form that defines or expresses the very nature of a person. Jesus was not
simply acting like a servant or like God; He was a servant. He was also God.
Fourth, this understanding
of the phrase is supported by the statement made in verse 6: Jesus “did
not consider it robbery to be equal with God.” The verb “to be
grasped” (Greek noun, harpagmos) means “something one
holds to,” expressing the idea of “holding to something one already
has,” in this case divinity. Before He became a man, Jesus, instead of
holding to His equality with God, “made Himself of no reputation, taking
the form of a bondservant” (verse 7). God decided to humble Himself to
the level of a servant. He who was in Himself divine became “the Servant
of God” (see Isa. 53:11, 12). This is a wonderful and glorious revelation
of the unfathomable love of God.
What do the words “express image of His person” mean in
Hebrews 1:3?
In this passage the
Bible deals with the divine nature of Christ before He became a man. The New
International Version renders the phrase “the exact representation of
his [God’s] being.” Both translations are somewhat hard to understand,
so a good Bible dictionary or commentary will help to answer your question.
We cannot answer this question without referring to some Greek words used by
Paul in the passage. Two of the terms he used are very important. The first
one is charaktēr, translated “exact representation” in
the New International Version. We get from it the English term “character” or “characteristic.” It
means the distinctive marks or traits of an object or person.
The second Greek term is hupostasis,
which means “person” or “being.” It
was employed in Greek literature to refer to what lies at the foundation, the
basis, and then to the essence of something. In Hebrews it was used to refer
to God’s essence, His being.
This passage holds two important ideas: First, Christ is fully divine because
He possesses the distinctive and exclusive characteristics of God’s being.
Second, the passage emphasizes God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. In Him
we can recognize the unique marks of God, what makes Him different from any
other being. Only Christ, who is fully divine, is able to reveal to us the
fullness of God’s nature (cf. Col. 1:19).
12/05
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