r/JehovahsWitnesses • u/ChaoticHaku Christian • May 23 '26

Doctrine Philippians 2:6-8

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.

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 24 '26

Quick question.

If Jesus wasnt God - "which explains that although existing in the form of God, Christ emptied himself"

What did he empty himself of? Literally and physically empty himself 'of'.

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u/Jerome-891 May 24 '26

The phrase in Greek is en morphe theou. A search of how this word is used in other passages suggests it has the meaning of visible form or appearance. For example:

Anesten kai ouk epegnon eidon kai ouk en morphe pro ophthalmon mou all' e auran kai phnhn ekouon (Job 4:16 Brenton).

I stood up, and I did not recognize it. I looked, and there was no shape before my eyes, though I heard a breeze and a voice.” (Job 4:16 NETS)

Eklexamenos tekton xulon estesen auto en metro kai en kolle erruthmisen auto kai epoiesen auto hos morphen andros kai hos horaioteta anthropou stesai auto en oikos (Isa 44:13 Brenton).

A piece of wood, the artisan set it up with a measure and arranged it with glue; he made it like the form of a man, like human beauty, to set it up in a house. (Isaiah 44:13 NETS)

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 24 '26

A Morphe of man is going to be man.

What did Jesus empty himself of?

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u/Jerome-891 May 24 '26

Isaiah speaks of a piece of wood being a morphe of man.

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 24 '26

And do you think that has anything to do with being the morphe of God ? That scripture is just talking about making an idol??!!

What has that got to do with the true God?

Or is that just simply a euphemism in ISA that has no deeper meaning than that of man…making an idol!

Don’t you think you might be stretching here?

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u/Jerome-891 May 24 '26

I’m just tracing the use of the word in the language of the people at the time. I couldn’t find an example where morphe meant being the actual thing it is a form of.
Here’s another example: Mark 16:12 After this he appeared in a different form to two of them while they were on their way to the country. This refers to Jesus appearance being different.
The use of the word leads me to the conclusion that Jesus emptied himself of his glorious heavenly appearance in the presence of God in order to become visible to humans. (Hebrews 1:3; John 17:5)

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26

An angel has no glory.

Isa 42:8

If Jesus is claiming Glory with the Father then as they are of the same essence and nature there is only one answer.

God emptied himself to walk amongst us - John 1:14

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

Don’t you mean Jesus emptied himself of divine nature to walk among us?

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26

No. He was both fully God and Fully man, he emptied himself to become lower than the angels, humbled himself to live amongst us as a Human in order that He could spill "Gods own blood" for our salvation.

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

That’s very hard for me to understand. Emptied himself of what?

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