Foundations for Your Faith Lesson 17 NIV The Kenosis of Christ Phil. 2:1-11

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1 Foundations for Your Faith Lesson 17 NIV The Kenosis of Christ Phil. 2:1-11 Read Philippians 2:1-11 carefully, several times, and then answer the following questions from the verses as noted. vs. 1-5 What is the main point (application) of this tremendous passage about Christ s incarnation? vs. 6 The word nature, in this passage, is translated from the Greek word morphe, meaning essential nature or essence. Paraphrase this verse in your own words and explain it. vs. 7 Who did the action in verse 7 and in verse 8? That is, was this something that was done to Christ, or did He do it to Himself? (Compare Heb. 10:5-7) What part did the Father and the Holy Spirit have in this event? The same word... nature...used of Christ s divine nature in verse 6 is also used of His human nature in verse 7. This means that Jesus Christ is fully and fully. How human was Christ? Did he have more than a human body? See Matt. 26:38 & Luke 23:46 vs Eventually, every will and every will that Jesus Christ is LORD! Will atheists and non-christians do this? When? Explain Christ s attitude (mindset, perspective) that is described here and in Heb. 10:7. What will our attitude be if we are truly Christlike? I Cor. 6:19-20

2 Quiz on Lesson 17 NIV Foundations for Your Faith The Temptation of Jesus Christ Phil. 2:5-11 Matching The main point of the entire passage a. Body, soul and spirit The 2 natures of Christ; distinct and unmixed, yet joined in one person b. Adam c.transfiguration The word that means to empty and is used as a title for this passage d. Attitude of humility Christ was as fully human as this man e. Deity his divine nature What Christ emptied Himself of f. Kenao (Kenosis) Greek word which means nature or essence g. Hypostatic union What Christ did not empty Himself of h. Glory at the right hand of the Father Christ s humanity consisted of all of these i. Morphe When all Unbelievers will confess Christ as LORD j. Great White Throne Judgment When Christ had His glory restored (briefly) for the sake of His Disciples spiritual understanding

3 Teacher s Guide - Foundations For Your Faith - Lesson 17 NIV The "Kenosis" of Christ Phil. 2:5-11 vs. 1-5 What is the main point (application) of this tremendous passage about Christ s incarnation? To have this attitude; to have this mind in us that was also in Christ Jesus. A Christ-like mind-set. Vs. 2, 3, & 5. One's outlook, one's frame of mind, one's mind-set, the way we think, the process by which we analyze things our grid, our way of thinking about things Prevailing perspective and attitude how I see myself and life vs. 6 The word nature in this passage is translated from the Greek word morphe, meaning essential nature or foundational essence. Put this verse into your own words and explain it. In English nature, essence inner reality "morphe" (Greek) means "nature or essential being The Gnostics taught that Jesus was in appearance.looked like.a man. but he was not really human in his nature or essential being morphe This is background of the book of Colossians and 1 John. Gnostics said Jesus looked like a man, but He really wasn't human. They taught to be physical was to be evil all material substance is evil Therefore Jesus could not be physical, for to be physical was to be evil. The Spirit was holy, the flesh was evil only the mind (knowledge gnosis) was pure The Docetic Gnostics said that Jesus seemed or appeared to be physical but was only an apparition.an appearance not true human in substance He looked human but he was a phantom if you leaned up against Jesus you would fall right through him. (Ex. Casper, the friendly ghost) The Cerinthian Gnostics taught that Jesus was an ordinary sinful, human being and that The Christ Spirit came on Him at his baptism and left Him at the cross. This is why 1 John was written to debunk this heresy see 1 John 4:2-3. Jesus is the very essence and nature of God, and He took upon Himself the very essence and nature of man. (Philippians 2) same word morphe for both natures "being" = to eternally exist as eternally existing with the very nature of God. Being truly God in nature and equal with God in relationship, Christ did not consider this glory something to be grasped and held onto, but was willing to empty Himself of that glory.

4 Who (Jesus Christ) though always existing with the very nature of God, did not consider His equality a thing to be clung to but rather emptied himself of that position of equality and became in nature a slave who was made in the image of men. He did not consider the equality He had, something he needed to cling to. He possessed this equality of position, but emptied himself of that glory to take on the nature of man. Christ, who eternally existed with the very nature of God, something He already truly possessed, did not consider that position of equality at the right hand of the Father something He had to cling to, but rather emptied Himself by taking on the nature of a servant.. DON T CLING TO YOUR RIGHTS! This is Paul's point in the whole passage, "Don't cling to your rights." Christ had far greater rights than we, and yet laid aside the right to His glory, the right of His position at the right hand of the Father, to become our servant and suffering Savior vs. 7 Who did the action in verse 7 and in verse 8? That is, was this something that was done to Christ, or did He do it to Himself? (Compare Heb. 10:5-7) Christ did this himself He willingly laid aside his glory..he made HIMSELF nothing (Middle voice in Gk)..He willingly TOOK UPON HIMSELF (middle voice) He humbled Himself (Middle voice again). What part did the Father and the Holy Spirit have in this event? According to Heb. 10:5, The Father prepared the body for Him; according to Matt. 1:18 The Holy Spirit had part in the conception but according to Phil. 2: 7-8, Christ emptied Himself of His pre-incarnate glory and humbled Himself to do the will of His Father. The same word... nature...used of Christ s divine nature in verse 6 is also used of His human nature in verse 7. This means that Jesus Christ is fully GOD fully MAN. and Morphe akin to metamorphosis to change the very essence and substance of a thing not just the outward appearance..metamorphic rock, caterpillar to butterfly total change HYPOSTATIC UNION Here we have the "hypostatic union" Union in one person of two distinct natures, God and Man. Two natures joined in one person. The two natures are not mixed. For example: God cannot be tempted, but his human nature could. God knows everything, and yet Jesus said he did not know when he would return. As to his deity he knows all things; as to his humanity he is limited. As to his deity He can do all things; as to his humanity he sat wearied with his journey.

5 As to his deity he has all he needs in himself; as to his humanity he said, "I thirst." Totally and fully God and totally and fully human sinless, perfect, fullness Hypostatic Union This is the union of the two natures (Divine and human) in the person of Jesus. Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; Colossians 2:9; John 8:58; 10:30-34; Hebrews 1:8). He is fully God and fully man (Colossians 2:9); thus, He has two natures: God and man. These natures are not compromised or mixed. These two natures are distinct yet joined; unmixed yet possessed by only one person. He is not half-god and half-man. He is 100% God and 100% sinless man. He never lost his divinity. 1 He continued to exist as God when He became man and added a human nature to His divine nature. See word nature or form (KJV) in Philippians 2:5-11. Same word describing both essences God and human. Therefore, there is a "union in one person of a full, sinless, human nature and a full divine nature." 2 Right now in heaven there is a God-man, Jesus, who is our Mediator; between us and God the Father, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5). (For related information on Jesus and His two natures; See Incarnation, and the errors concerning His natures known as Eutychianism, Monophycitism, and Nestorianism.) Jesus as God Jesus as Man He is worshiped (Matthew 2:2,11; 14:33). He worshiped the Father (John 17). He is prayed to (Acts 7:59). He prayed to the Father (John 17:1). He is sinless (1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15). He was tempted (Matthew 4:1). He knows all things (John 21:17). He grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52). He gives eternal life (John 10:28). He died (Romans 5:8). All the fullness of deity dwells in Him (Colossians 2:9). He has a body of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39). 1. Divinity means the quality of being God. Jesus was always God. There are people within the Christian church who are teaching that after Jesus died on the cross, He lost His divinity and suffered in hell at the hands of Satan for three days and nights. This is absolutely wrong. See, A Different Gospel by D. R. McConnell, Peabody Mass., Hendrickson Publishers, 1988 and Christianity in Crisis, by Hank Hannigraff. Harvest House Publishers, (Also Foundations lesson 23 for further study on this subject) 2. B. Milne, Know the Truth (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1982, p What did He empty Himself of? Some would say He emptied Himself of His deity. If He did, He could no longer be who He was essentially GOD! Some would say He emptied Himself of the independent use of His attributes. Did He ever use His attributes independently? Did He ever exercise the use of His attributes except in accordance with the will of the Father? He said, "I do always those things that please my Father"

6 Best definition: He emptied Himself of His position of glory and the expression of His glory when He veiled it in human flesh. He became one of us. He took on something He was not eternally; He took on human form; He took on human flesh. He veiled his glory in human flesh. The language of the text tells you exactly of what He emptied Himself.. it was in the action of taking upon Himself humanity that He emptied Himself of His glory How human was Christ? Did he have more than a human body? See Matt. 26:38 & Luke 23:46 He had a human body, soul, and spirit. There was an addition of nature (addition of humanity) but not a change of nature He is still the Divine Being. That of which He consists His nature, His essence was Deity. He was God in the flesh (Incarnation: in the flesh ) The Four Marvels of the incarnation: 1) That God could become human. Incredible! 2) That the infinite God would become human; why he would even bother. 3) That God did become human the greatest of all miracles 4) That God did become human forever to save and make us His own! Dr. George Truett said, "the hyphen never means more than when it appears between these two words - 'God-Man.'" Here it both unites and separates. He was as much MAN as though He were not God at all; and as much GOD as though He were not man at all. He was God's perfect Man and man's perfect God. vs Eventually, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD! Will atheists and non-christians do this? When? ANSWER: The Great white throne judgment Rev. 20. But it will not save them then! It will be too late. Later eventually will become too late! We must, in this life, acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord; not wait until then. Explain Christ s attitude (mindset, perspective) that is described here and in Heb. 10:7. Christ's attitude was that of humble servanthood; obedience to the will of His heavenly father in that He willingly and in humility became a servant to, and a sacrifice for, others.

7 What will our attitude be if we are Christlike? I Cor. 6:19-20 "I AM YOURS TO DO YOUR WILL, LORD!" Anything, anywhere, anytime. "As we discern His will, step by step along the way, we are to continue to follow Him!" "It is not up to us to choose what His will is, but it is up to us to choose to follow Him!" It s not about me, Lord. It s all about You! Your will, your desire, your plan

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