Who, existing in the form of GodThis phrase emphasizes the pre-existence and divine nature of Christ. The term "form" (Greek: "morphē") suggests the essential attributes and nature of God, indicating that Jesus possesses the fullness of deity. This aligns with
John 1:1, which states, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The concept of Christ's pre-existence is also supported by
Colossians 1:15-17, where Christ is described as the image of the invisible God and the firstborn over all creation. Theologically, this underscores the belief in the Trinity, where Jesus is fully God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
did not consider equality with God
Here, the focus is on Christ's attitude towards His divine status. Despite being equal with God, Jesus did not cling to His rights or privileges. This reflects the humility and selflessness of Christ, which is a central theme in the passage. The concept of equality with God is further supported byJohn 5:18, where Jesus' claims to be God's Son were understood by His contemporaries as making Himself equal with God. This equality is not something Jesus needed to strive for; it was inherently His. Theologically, this challenges believers to adopt a similar mindset of humility and self-denial.
something to be grasped
The Greek word used here can mean "to seize" or "to hold onto." This suggests that Jesus did not view His divine status as something to exploit for His own advantage. Instead, He willingly relinquished His privileges to fulfill His mission of redemption. This act of self-emptying, or "kenosis," is further elaborated in the subsequent verses, where Jesus takes on human form and becomes obedient to death on a cross. This concept is echoed in2 Corinthians 8:9, which states, "Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." This serves as a model for Christian conduct, emphasizing the importance of humility and service.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure in this verse, Jesus is described as existing in the form of God, highlighting His divine nature and pre-existence before His incarnation.
2.
Paul the ApostleThe author of the letter to the Philippians, Paul writes to encourage the church in Philippi, emphasizing humility and unity through the example of Christ.
3.
PhilippiA city in Macedonia where the church to whom Paul is writing is located. It was a Roman colony and a significant center for early Christianity.
Teaching Points
Understanding Christ's DivinityRecognize that Jesus, existing in the form of God, affirms His divine nature and eternal existence. This understanding is foundational to Christian faith.
The Humility of ChristJesus did not cling to His divine status but chose to humble Himself. This sets a profound example for believers to follow in humility and selflessness.
Equality with GodThe phrase "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped" suggests that Jesus did not exploit His divine status for personal gain. Believers are called to emulate this attitude in their own lives.
Imitating Christ's AttitudeAs followers of Christ, we are encouraged to adopt His mindset of humility and service, prioritizing others above ourselves.
The Mystery of the IncarnationReflect on the mystery and wonder of the incarnation, where Jesus, fully God, became fully man to accomplish the work of salvation.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Philippians 2:6?
2.How does Philippians 2:6 inspire humility in our daily interactions?
3.What does "did not consider equality with God" teach about Jesus' character?
4.How can we emulate Christ's humility as described in Philippians 2:6?
5.How does Philippians 2:6 connect to the concept of servant leadership?
6.In what ways can we apply Christ's example of humility in our community?
7.How does Philippians 2:6 affirm the divinity of Jesus?
8.What does "did not consider equality with God" mean in Philippians 2:6?
9.How does Philippians 2:6 relate to the concept of the Trinity?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Philippians 2?
11.What distinguishes Miaphysitism from Dyophysitism?
12.What does "Equality with God" mean?
13.What is Kenoticism in Christian theology?
14.If Jesus was truly “in very nature God” (Philippians 2:6), why would an omnipotent deity need to empty himself at all?What Does Philippians 2:6 Mean
WhoPaul’s “Who” points us straight back to “Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
• The focus is the historical Jesus who walked the hills of Galilee, yet is also the eternal Son (John 1:14).
• Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16), and heaven affirmed that verdict at His baptism (Matthew 3:17).
• Throughout the New Testament His unique identity is settled: “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
existing in the form of God“Existing” speaks of continuous reality; before Bethlehem, Christ already “was.”
•John 1:1 declares, “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.”
•Colossians 1:15–17 strengthens the claim: “He is the image of the invisible God… all things were created through Him and for Him.”
•Hebrews 1:3 adds that He is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.”
So Paul is underscoring absolute, unqualified deity—Jesus shares God’s very essence, not a lesser likeness or mere reflection.
did not consider equality with GodThough fully equal with the Father, Jesus did not weigh that equality the way fallen hearts might.
• InJohn 5:18 the Jews recognized He “was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God,” yet He consistently chose obedience over privilege (John 5:30).
•2 Corinthians 8:9 celebrates this mindset: “Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor.”
•Mark 10:45 captures His mission: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.”
Equality was His by right, but self-giving love shaped how He handled that right.
something to be graspedThe phrase pictures clutching, hanging on, exploiting. Jesus refused to seize divine prerogatives for selfish gain.
• When Satan tempted Him to display power for personal benefit, He answered, “It is written” (Matthew 4:1-10), choosing submission over spectacle.
• Faced with arrest, He reminded Peter He could summon “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) but would not.
•Isaiah 53:12 foretold this path: “He poured out His life unto death.”
Instead of clinging, He emptied Himself (Philippians 2:7), embracing servanthood and the cross for our redemption.
summaryPhilippians 2:6 reveals the breathtaking humility of the eternal Son. Fully God, He already possessed every honor, yet He declined to clutch that status for His own advantage. Choosing instead the downward path, He sets the pattern for all who belong to Him: secure in our identity, we are free to lay aside rights, serve others, and magnify the Father—just as Jesus did.
(6)
Being in the form of God.--(1) The word "being" is here the more emphatic of the two words so translated, which lays stress on the reality of existence (as in
Acts 16:20;
Acts 17:28;
1Corinthians 11:7;
Galatians 2:14). Hence it calls attention to the essential being of Christ, corresponding to the idea embodied in the name Jehovah, and thus implying what is more fully expressed in
John 1:1. (2) The word "form" (which, except for a casual use in
Mark 16:12, is found only in this passage of the New Testament) is to be carefully distinguished from "fashion." There can be no doubt that in classical Greek it describes the actual specific character, which (like the structure of a material substance) makes each being what it is; and this same idea is always conveyed in the New Testament by the compound words in which the root "form" is found (
Romans 8:29;
Romans 12:2;
2Corinthians 3:18;
Galatians 4:19). (3) On the other hand, the word "fashion," as in
1Corinthians 7:31 ("the fashion of this world passeth away"), denotes the mere outward appearance (which we frequently designate as "form"), as will be seen also in its compounds (
2Corinthians 11:13-14;
1Peter 1:14). The two words are seen in juxtaposition in
Romans 12:2;
Philippians 3:21 (where see Notes). Hence, in this passage the "being in the form of God," describes our Lord's essential, and therefore eternal, being in the true nature of God; while the "taking on Him the form of a servant" similarly refers to His voluntary assumption of the true nature of man. . . .
Verse 6. -
Who, being in the form of God. The word rendered "being" (
ὑπάρχων) means, as R.V. in margin, being originally. It looks back to the time before the Incarnation, when the Word, the
Λόγος ἄσαρκος, was with God (comp.
John 8:58;
John 17:5, 24). What does the word
μορφή form, mean here? It occurs twice in this passage - Ver. 6, "form of God;" and Ver. 7, "form of a servant;" it is contrasted with
σχῆμα fashion, in Ver. 8. In the Aristotelian philosophy (
vide ' De Anima,' 2:1, 2)
μορφή. is used almost in the sense of
εϊδος, or
τὸ τί η΅ν εϊναι as that which makes a thing to be what it is, the sum of its essential attributes: it is the form, as the expression of those essential attributes, the permanent, constant form; not the fleeting, outward
σχῆμα, or fashion. St. Paul seems to make a somewhat similar distinction between the two words. Thus in
Romans 8:29;
Galatians 4:19;
2 Corinthians 3:18;
Philippians 2:10,
μορφή (or its derivatives) is used of the deep inner change of heart, the change which is described in Holy Scripture as a new creation; while
σχῆμα is used of the changeful fashion of the world and agreement with it (
1 Corinthians 7:31;
Romans 12:2). Then, when St. Paul tells us that Christ Jesus, being first in the form of God, took the form of a servant, the meaning must be that he possessed originally the essential attributes of Deity, and assumed in addition the essential attributes of humanity. He was perfect God; he became perfect (comp.
Colossians 1:15;
Hebrews 1:3;
2 Corinthians 4:4). For a fuller discussion of the meanings of
μορφή and
σχῆμα, see Bishop Lightfoot's detached note ('Philippians,' p. 127), and Archbishop Trench, 'Synonyms of the New Testament,' sect. 70. Thought it not robbery to be equal with God; R.V. "counted it not a prize [margin, 'a thing to be grasped'] to be on an equality with God." These two renderings represent two conflicting interpretations of this difficult passage. Do the words mean that Christ asserted his essential Godhead ("thought it not robbery to be equal with God," as A.V.), or that he did not cling to the glory of the Divine majesty ("counted it not a prize," as R.V.)? Both statements are true in fact. The grammatical form of the word
ἁρπαγμός, which properly implies an action or process, favors the first view, which seems to be adopted by most of the ancient versions and by most of the Latin Fathers. On the other hand, the form of the word does not exclude the passive interpretation; many words of the same termination have a passive meaning, and
ἁρπαγμός itself is used in the sense of
ἅρπαγμα by Eusebius, Cyril of Alexandria, and a writer in the 'Catena Possini' on
Mark 10:42 (the three passages are quoted by Bishop Lightfoot,
inloco). The Greek Fathers (as Chrysostom
Ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ υἱὸς οὐκ ἐφοβήθη καταβῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀξιώματος, etc.) generally adopt this interpretation. And the context seems to require it. The aorist
ἡγήσατο points to an act, the act of abnegation; not to a state, the continued assertion. The conjunction "but" (
ἀλλὰ) implies that the two sentences are opposed to one another. He did not grasp, but, on the contrary, he emptied himself. The first interpretation involves the tacit insertion of "nevertheless;" he asserted his equality, but nevertheless, etc. And the whole stress is laid on the Lord's humility and unselfishness. It is true that this second interpretation does not so distinctly assert the divinity of our Lord, already sufficiently asserted in the first clause, "being in the form of God." But it implies it. Not to grasp at equality with God would not be an instance of humility, but merely the absence of mad impiety, in one who was not himself Divine. On the whole, then, we prefer the second interpretation. Though he was born the beginning in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped, a prize to be tenaciously retained. Not so good is the view of Meyer and others: "Jesus Christ, when he found himself in the heavenly mode of existence of Divine glory, did not permit himself the thought of using his equality with God for the purpose of seizing possessions and honor for himself on earth." The R.V. rendering of the last words of the clause," to be on an equality," is nearer to the Greek and better than the A.V., "to be equal with God." Christ was equal with God (
John 5:18;
John 10:30). He did not cling to the outward manifestation of that equality. The adverbial form
ἴσα implies the state or mode of equality rather than the equality itself.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Who,Ὃς(Hos)Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739:Who, which, what, that.existingὑπάρχων(hyparchōn)Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5225:To begin, am, exist, be in possession. From hupo and archomai; to begin under, i.e. Come into existence; expletively, to exist (verb).inἐν(en)Preposition
Strong's 1722:In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.[the] formμορφῇ(morphē)Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3444:Form, shape, outward appearance. Perhaps from the base of meros; shape; figuratively, nature.of God,Θεοῦ(Theou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.{did} notοὐχ(ouch)Adverb
Strong's 3756:No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.considerἡγήσατο(hēgēsato)Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2233:(a) To lead, (b) To think, be of opinion, suppose, consider.equalityἴσα(isa)Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2470:Equal, equivalent, identical. Probably from eido; similar.with GodΘεῷ(Theō)Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.something to be grasped,ἁρπαγμὸν(harpagmon)Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 725:Spoil, an object of eager desire, a prize. From harpazo; plunder.
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NT Letters: Philippians 2:6 Who existing in the form of God (Philipp. Phil. Php.) 
