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NASB | Philippians 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Philippians 2:7 but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing His deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and His rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [He became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man]. |
Bible Question:
What does "emptied Himself" really mean? (This question comes from a discussion on Heb. 4.15) I tend to think that when Jesus was incarnated (became a human being) that He set aside the _use_ of most (if not all) of His divine power. That does not mean that He was any less divine, but simply that He chose not to use the power and ability that was His. I think that when He became a human being, He made Himself completely dependant upon the Holy Spirit and that the works that He did were, for the most part at least and perhaps even totally, done in the power of the Holy Spirit. He is, after all, our example. I am convinced that Jesus was and is the Living God wrapped in humanity. At no time did He cease to be God. But it seems to me that in order for Him to truely experience life as a human being requires that He must have set aside (not used) most if not all of His own powers and abilities. That is how He could experience real hunger. That is how He could experience real fatigue. That is how He could experience real pain. That is why we can find Jesus not knowing certain things. And that is why we can find Jesus being truely tempted (and thus the discussion on Heb. 4.15). I am not so convinced that this view is correct that I would say that it was a definite doctrine (teaching) of the Scripture. But I _tend_ toward thinking that this might well be the truth. Your comments and or subsequent questions would be very much appreciated. |
Bible Answer: This is my post copied by request from a discussion under Heb 4:15: I agree with you RWC. The man Christ Jesus was truely tempted. To be tempted is to be exposed to that which you find desirable though wrong. You are not sinning if you are tempted. The sin is when you say yes in your heart to the temptation. The man Christ Jesus was truely tempted, but by the power of the Spirit, who fully dwelt in Him, He said no to the temptations. But I don't believe "emptied himself" means Jesus' divine nature was any less divine. After all Col 2:9 says, "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form." It means, I believe, that his human nature was not a mixture of the divine, as our confessions say. His human nature was not only fully human, but it was only human. I guess you could say Jesus' human nature was "empty" of the divine. Jesus could fully represent us because his fully human nature was only human, not more than human. It was not mixed with his divine. How's that for an explanation? Lionstrong |