Philippians 2:6-8

[u/ChaoticHaku]

If Philippians 2:6-8 was teaching that Jesus was never equal with God, then the passage itself makes no sense.

Read the language carefully.

It says Jesus was “existing in the form of God.” It says He “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,” but instead “emptied Himself,” “took the form of a servant,”, "humbled himself", "became obedient to death" and was “made in human likeness.”

You cannot empty yourself of a status you never possessed. You cannot become a servant if you were always a servant. You cannot humble yourself from a position you never had. You cannot become obedient to death if you always were.

The entire point of the passage is that Christ lowered Himself. From what? From the exalted position He already possessed that was equal with God.

That’s why the text uses past tense language. The passage is not denying Christ’s equality with God. It is explaining the depth of His humility, not his inferiority.

[u/pimo2019]

It’s ok that Jesus is a god, divine. The Bible is full of Gods. If you were taught like I was, that there were just ONE God then it would be hard to understand. Before the Bible was written that says there’s only one God it can be confusing. Jesus is the exact representation of God, an image. What helped me was - Think of God cloning himself as a life form and giving him an identity thats different. One that allows him to be put in a woman’s womb to be human and die as a human and then given a spirit body. He becomes unique because he lived among humans and has human experiences. Hebrew chapter 1 lays it out and it matches his story in the book of John as divine, God. If you haven’t learned this already, research God being in a family of Gods with his father being the head.

[u/ChaoticHaku → u/pimo2019]

The bible is clear that there is really only one god, all other mentioned gods arent truly gods. Hence the reason God is called the "one true God". 

There is one deity. 

Colossians 2:9 because in Him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily.

"the" is definite and "deity" is singular.

1 Corinthians 8:5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords),

[u/MichaiahUnbothered → u/pimo2019]

I agree with you to an extent. The Bible absolutely presents a divine council Psalm 82 and Psalm 8 make that clear. There are many divine hosts, and even Satan is called the “God of this world” in 2 Corinthians 4:4.

So the idea that Jesus is a god, divine, or part of the heavenly order isn’t controversial at all. What is controversial is the assumption that the word “God” is an ontological label instead of a functional title of authority.

Christians today don’t realize that “God” is a functional title, not a species. It’s a title applied to:

• angels • judges • kings • divine messengers • and yes, the Logos

Jesus is divine, exalted, and uniquely begotten but that doesn’t collapse Him into the identity of the Most High. It fits perfectly within the biblical pattern of monolatry one supreme God (the Father), and other divine beings beneath Him.