Philippians 2:7 Commentary: The Meaning of Christ's Emptying

Philippians 2:7 sits within the “Christ hymn” (vv. 6, 11), likely an early Christian confession that Paul adapts to address a church conflict in Philippi. The city was a Roman colony where honor and status governed social life; slaves made up a large part of the population. Paul’s readers would have heard the phrase “form of a servant” (μορφὴν δούλου, morphēn doulou) as a radical claim, the Creator took the lowest social rank. The Greek word δοῦλος can mean “slave” or “bond-servant,” and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown draws connections to the Old Testament law of the willing servant (Exodus 21:5, 6) and to Psalm 40:6, suggesting that Christ’s assumption of human nature was itself the act of taking servant form.

The verb “emptied” (ἐκένωσεν, ekenōsen) is aorist indicative; it describes a decisive historical event, not an ongoing process. The two aorist participles that follow, “having taken” (λαβών, labōn) and “having been made” (γενόμενος, genomenos), are simultaneous with the main verb: at the same moment Christ emptied himself, he took servant form and became human. The choice of γίνομαι (“became”) rather than “was” stresses the entry into a new state. And the word “likeness” (ὁμοιώματι, homoiōmati) points to a real but not identical humanity, Christ was like other humans yet without sin, a distinction that protects his unique identity as God incarnate. The cross-reference Isaiah 52:13, “my servant will deal wisely,” looms in the background; Paul is saying that Jesus embodies the Servant of the Lord, Yahweh’s chosen one who humbles himself before being exalted.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse.

This verse has been central to Christian reflection on the incarnation from the earliest centuries. Early church fathers such as Athanasius used it to defend Christ’s full divinity: only someone who truly possessed divine glory could empty himself of it. The Nicene Creed’s language of the Son “who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate” echoes the self-emptying pattern of Philippians 2:7. During the Reformation, Calvin and others stressed that Christ did not cease to be God but rather concealed his majesty under human weakness. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, “kenotic” theories gained attention in some Protestant circles, proposing that Christ temporarily suspended certain divine attributes; these views have been widely criticized for compromising the immutability of God. Across traditions, the verse has been sung in hymns of Christ’s condescension and read as the deepest motivation for Christian humility and service.

Three-point outline

1. Christ emptied himself, The reality of kenosis. He who had all glory in eternity voluntarily set it aside.
2. Christ took the form of a servant, The mode of kenosis. He entered not just humanity but the lowest human condition: a servant’s existence.
3. Christ was made in the likeness of men, The extent of kenosis. He became fully human, with all that entails except sin.

Five-point outline

1. But emptied himself (the act of self-giving)
2. Taking the form of a servant (what he became)
3. Being made in the likeness of men (the nature he assumed)
4. And being found in fashion as a man (v.8, the visible outcome)
5. He humbled himself to death on a cross (v.8, the ultimate depth)

Illustration hooks

• A CEO who works an anonymous shift on the factory floor to understand the company from the bottom, still the CEO, but laying aside the corner office for a day. Christ did not cease to be God, but he never stopped serving.
• A king who sets aside his crown and robes to walk among his people. He remains king; the subjects cannot see his glory, but he is still sovereign.
• An artist who steps into his own painting. The Creator enters creation, taking the limitations of a creature while still holding creative power underneath.

Questions your congregation is asking

• Did Jesus stop being God when he became human? If not, how could he be tired, hungry, or limited?
• If Jesus emptied himself, does that mean he gave up some of his divine powers? How does that affect how we read the Gospel miracles?
• What does it mean for us to “have this mind”? Does that mean we have to give up everything and become servants in every situation?

Paul calls the Philippians to humility and unity, then holds up Christ’s example as the ultimate pattern. This passage does not merely tell us to be humble, it shows us how humility works when it flows from power freely laid down. Before you open discussion, read Philippians 2:1, 8 together aloud.

Discussion questions

1. What do you think Paul’s original readers in Philippi would have understood by “emptied himself”? How would a slave-owning culture hear “form of a servant”?
2. The same Greek word “form” (μορφή) is used for both “form of God” in v. 6 and “form of a servant” in v. 7. Why is that repetition important?
3. Paul says Christ was “made in the likeness of men,” not simply “made a man.” What does the word “likeness” (ὁμοίωμα) add to your understanding of Jesus’ humanity?
4. In what ways did Jesus literally demonstrate the mindset described here during his earthly life? Give specific examples from the Gospels.
5. How does this passage challenge our culture’s emphasis on status, recognition, and self-promotion?
6. What would it look like for your small group to “have this mind” together? Are there specific situations where you can practice laying aside status for the sake of others?