Philippians 2:6-11

The context

Philippians 2 urges the readers to consider others and to do nothing from rivalry. Paul then points to Christ as the pattern, in a passage whose rhythm and vocabulary suggest an earlier hymn that he is quoting or adapting. The movement runs from a pre-existent state through slavery and death to exaltation and universal homage.

What it establishes

It establishes that the earliest Christian worship spoke of Christ's descent and exaltation in a single arc, and that it applied language from Isaiah about the LORD's uniqueness to Jesus. The pattern is offered as a disposition to imitate.

What it does not establish

It does not state a theory of incarnation. The phrase about not grasping equality is grammatically disputed, and the hymn does not say what was laid aside or how the two natures relate. The quotation's extent and its pre-Pauline origin are widely held inferences, not statements in the text.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• Did Jesus really claim to be God, or did His followers just say that about Him? Might not Dan Brown have been on to something?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.