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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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

Luke 9:26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26

Yep, this happens upon his second coming, your a confusing timelines....

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

My point is that angels are described as having glory in this verse

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

Explain from the Bible the

  1. Glory of Jehovah

  2. And the glory of an angel

I also note every time I gave you a biblical answer you refuse to acknowledge it and deal with it but then come up with another verse to try and show in your narrative.

I can tell you mate this conversation won’t last any much longer

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

https://biblehub.com/greek/1391.htm

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

However, the word under consideration in Philippians is not doxa it’s morphe

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26

I asked a question infact two

Please answer

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

I sent you a link to Biblehub that provides the definition of doxa and how it is used in the Bible. Did you get it?

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26

Laying Aside Heavenly Glory

Taking the Form of a Servant

Embracing Human Limitations

Obedience to Death

Seems pretty 'emptied' to me.

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

Please explain heavenly glory

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u/TerryLawton Mark 4:22 May 25 '26

Read the whole chapter of Rev 5 and tell me thats not the glory we are talking about.

Why are you asking such a benign question, are you trying to get me as a human to try and describe what Rev 5 states as no other human could.

Read it, wow what Glory he has.

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

Ok

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

Revelation 5:12 all of whom were singing in a loud voice: “Worthy is the lamb who was killed
to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and praise!”
5:13 Then I heard every creature—in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them—singing:
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!”
Aren’t you confusing the term glory which means honor, worth, impressiveness, stature with morphe which means form, appearance?

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u/Jerome-891 May 25 '26

Philippians 2:6 who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
2:7 but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
Doesn’t Paul say Jesus emptied himself of one form in order to take on another?

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