P-10. What Does PHILIPPIANS 2:6 TRULY MEAN? DOWNLOAD to SAVE as a PDF Doc to read OFFLINE. P-10. What Does PHILIPPIANS 2:6 TRULY MEAN?
Philippians 2:6 is “interpreted” by Trinitarian Christians to mean that the Son of God ALWAYS existed in the form of God in the eternity past. In other words, they interpret the phrase, “Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” But yet the Greek word that is translated as the verb “BEING” literally means to COME INTO BEING in the form of God. And thus, there was a time when the Son of God was NOT in the FORM of God. Here is how E-Sword defines the Greek word “huparchō” that is translated as “being” in the KJV Bible. Some Bibles say, “was” in the form of God. But the Greek word literally means coming to presently exist in the FORM of God.
G5225 huparchō hoop-ar'-kho From G5259 and G756; to begin under (quietly), that is, come into existence (be present or at hand); expletively, to exist (as copula or subordinate to an adjective, participle, adverb or preposition, or as auxiliary to principal verb): - after behave, live.
So then, when we interpret Philippians 2:6 CORRECTLY leaving it in its CONTEXT, then we can clearly see that it was AFTER the cross and resurrection that the Son of MAN came into being in the FORM of God.
Please read Philippians 2:8-11.
“And being found in fashion as a man, (Or more correctly the Greek means, and seeing or understanding that he was CONCEIVED as a man or as the human Son of God) he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9. Wherefore, (Or for this very reason that the Son of MAN humble himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross) God also has HIGHLY EXALTED him, and GAVE him a NAME which is above every name: 10. That at the NAME of Jesus (Speaking of the NEW NAME that the God of Jesus GAVE to the HIGHLY EXALTED Son of MAN, Jesus, after the cross and resurrection. At that NEW NAME) every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.”
Now, keep in mind that Acts 2:36 and many other verses of Scripture clearly teach us that Almighty God who alone in the Father MADE the Son of MAN, Jesus, both Lord and Christ AFTER the cross and resurrection. Every Christians understands that Jesus was not the Messiah UNTIL AFTER he suffered and died on the cross. But not all Christians have been correctly taught that Jesus CAME INTO BEING Lord after the cross and resurrection. Here are some points to PONDER as to WHY the Trinitarain “INTERPRETATION” of Philippians 2:6 is in ERROR and the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus is the CORRECT understanding of who Jesus TRULY is according to the Bible ITSELF. Please read the studies under the headings >>>D-0. The BIBLICAL Unitarian VIEW of Jesus<<<, and >>>N-0. Who is JESUS ACCORDING to the Bible?<<<
POINTS TO PONDER ON PHILIPPIANS 2:6 as to WHY this passage of Scripture does NOT prove that Jesus pre-existed as God Himself or as the Son of God.
#1. The Greek word translated as “being” literally means CAME INTO EXISTING in the form of God.
#2. The word “FORM” of God does NOT mean that Jesus is Almighty God Himself. For you see, it was the Son of MAN, Jesus, who was made in the IMAGE OF the invisible God. And Jesus was manifested to SHOW us the Father as to ONLY TRUE God, according to John 17:1-3. Notice in verse 2 of John chapter 17 that God GAVE the Son of MAN all power that he should give eternal life to whosoever believes that YOU Father are the ONLY TRUE God and that You COMMISSIONED me. The word “sent” means commission, which means to give power and authority to someone to accomplish the task that he or she is given to do.
#3. And now WE are being conformed in the IMAGE of the Son of God which does NOT make us to BE Jesus. So then, the Son of MAN, being made in the IMAGE of the invisible God does not mean that Jesus is Almighty God Himself in the flesh as Trinitarian Christians claim.
#4. The phrase translated in the KJV as “thought it not robbery to be equal with God:” literally means that the now highly exalted Son of Man Jesus did not think to grasp at equality with God by FORCE. What an odd thing to say unless you understand that Jesus was CROWNED with glory to REPLACE Lucifer as God over the earth for 1000 years in the world to come to JUDGE Satan and the fallen angels. Then it makes perfect sense because Satan waged WAR against God to self exalt his throne by using FORCE to GRASP at equality with God to be above the other angels. Please read the studies under the heading >>>Q-0. WHY are we HERE?-Is God at WAR?<<<
#5. Mere common sense teaches us that it is not logical to say that YOU are EQUAL with YOURSELF. So to argue that the Son of God is EQUAL with God, and ALSO argue that the Son of God IS God Himself is saying that God is EQUAL to HIMSELF which is nonsensical.
#6. The translators of all versions of the Bible sometimes ADD words that are NOT in the original Greek text. They do this to try to add clarity when there is no ONE word that adequately translates from the Greek language to another language. Now, most of the time the ADDED words do not CHANGE the God INTENDED meaning of the verse of Scripture that they are added to. But in SOME cases those ADDED words CHANGE the meaning of the CONTEXT. And thus, those added words are BIASED toward a preconceived belief. The translators added the English words “and was” before the word “made” in Philipians 2:7. And by ADDING those two words the true meaning of the CONTEXT changes to the Trinitarian meaning of a pre-existing Son of God being made in the form of humans.
Let us go ahead and read a paraphrased version of my own to show you what I mean.
My OWN paraphrased version of Philippians 2:6-11.
“Who, CAME INTO BEING in the FORM or IMAGE of God, did not THINK to grasp or take by force to be equal with God: 7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a SERVANT, having come into existence being brought to pass to be fulfilled in the likeness of men: 8. And perceiving or understanding (The Scriptures that he was the CHILD born of a Virgin) in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9. Wherefore, (Or for this very reason that the Son of MAN humble himself and became obedient unto death, even the death on the cross) God also has HIGHLY EXALTED him, and GAVE him a NAME which is above every name: 10. That at the NAME of Jesus (Speaking of the NEW NAME that the God of Jesus GAVE to the HIGHLY EXALTED Son of MAN, Jesus, after the cross and resurrection. At that NEW NAME) every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.”
Please consider digging deeper into the Scriptures to see how the Greek word “huparchō” is used in other passages of Scripture. Below is a link to a website that shows MANY verses of scripture containing the Greek word “huparchō”. You can click on that link to read them ALL, but in this study I will only use two of those verses of Scripture as an example. The first quote is a true fact of history that took place in the Roman Catholic Church in France. Following this quote, I will guote two scriptures for the Bible to show you how the Greek word “huparchō” is used in other verses of Scripture. The emphasis is mine. Examining the Trinity: PHIL 2:6 “In 1969 the Roman Catholic bishops of France authorized a new lectionary for their country. The Holy See in Rome approved it on September 16, 1969. In this new lectionary Phil. 2:6 was translated: “Christ Jesus is God's image [morphe, `form']; but he did not choose to seize by force [harpagmos] equality with God.” This new translation, needless to say, started a great controversy and demonstrations by many Catholics throughout France. As one French Catholic magazine explained: “If he [Jesus] refused to seize it [equality with God], it must be that he did not already possess it.” So much pressure was brought to bear upon the Church in France that the Trinitarian Catholic bishops who had insisted upon the new honest translation were forced to change it. So, in an attempt to compromise, they rendered it: “He [Jesus] did not choose to claim to be the same as God.” This newest version was also thoroughly condemned by the same Trinity-defending French Catholic magazine. It noted that if Christ “did not choose to claim to be the same as God,” this implied that he was not “the same as God,” and “the practical effect of this substitution amounts to heresy and blasphemy.” But, in spite of threats and demonstrations, the French episcopate refused to compromise any further. Le Monde reported, “this translation ... was accepted by the entire body of French-speaking bishops. The Permanent Council of the French Episcopate, that has just met in Paris, has ratified it; so it will stand.” Why did these Trinitarian Catholic scholars and Church officials insist on a translation of Phil. 2:6 that so obviously denies the “central doctrine” of the Catholic Church? This question was answered by an article in Le Monde (6 April 1971): “The scholars responsible for this change - a change ratified by the majority of French bishops - consider the new translation more faithful to the Greek text than the former [1959] one was.” So the French Catholic cardinals, archbishops, and bishops found themselves in a dilemma. They could either give up their new, more honest, translation of Phil. 2:6 which would show they are more loyal to their Trinitarian traditions than to the truth of the inspired Scriptures (Matt. 15:6-9; 1 Cor. 4:6; Gal. 1:8, 9; 2 Tim. 4:3, 4; John 8:31-32), or they could keep their new official translation and thereby admit that many other French trinitarian Bibles (as well as many translations in other languages) have mistranslated Phil. 2:6. In order to take the latter course required not only a strong stand against tradition but the strength and courage to stand against the desires (and demonstrations, politics, economic pressures, etc.) of a large number of their countrymen. Courage of such a magnitude is rare in the ranks of tradition-bound Christendom! When even a number of the best Trinitarian scholars are willing to admit the actual meaning (or even an equivalent compromise) of harpagmos at Phil. 2:6, it becomes necessary for honest-hearted, truth-seeking individuals to admit that Phil. 2:6 not only does NOT identify Jesus as God, but that it CLEARLY shows Jesus is NOT God!”
Again, please consider the statements of “being the IMAGE of God” and “being EQUAL to God” are two crystal clear statements that the TWO persons, God and the Son OF God are NOT one and the SELF-SAME BEING. How can an IMAGE be one and the same as the REAL. And how can Almighty God be EQUAL to Himself? For you see, we are being conformed into the IMAGE of Jesus, but that does not mean we are one and the self-same BEING as Jesus. And we have been GIVEN power and authority to do the SAME works that Jesus did, but that does not make us EQUAL in every way to Jesus. The Bible ITSELF clearly teaches us that Jesus is the HEAD of the church and God is the HEAD of Christ, according to 1 Corinthians 11:3. It does NOT say the FATHER is the head of Christ, but rather it says GOD is the HEAD of Christ. And thus, Jesus is UNDER and subject to his God. And to ME, it is impossible for and Almighty God to have ANOTHER God over Himself. And the Bible itself clearly teaches us that Yahweh is the God OF His Son Jesus according to Revelation 3:12 and many other verses of Scripture. Now consider these two verses of Scripture having the SAME Greek word “huparchō” in them.
Luke 16:23.
“And in hell he lifted up his eyes, BEING in torments, and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”
In other words, the rich man CAME INTO BEING in torments.
Acts 7:55.
“But he, BEING full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,”
So we could say that Stephan WAS full of the Holy Spirit and it would not be incorrect. But if we try to FORCE the meaning of WAS full of the Holy Spirit to mean that Stephen was ALWAYS filled with the Holy Spirit, then that would not be an HONEST interpretation, would it? For you see, we understand the TRUE meaning of “huparchō” by interpreting it correctly in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you would like to dig deeper into the Scriptures, please read the study called V-47. Philippians 2:6-8 Proves Jesus Pre-existed! Thanks for reading, and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the TRUTH of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. And to me, the truth concerning who Jesus TRULY is, according to the Bible ITSELF, is the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus. So, for ALL of the studies on the Biblical Unitarian view of Jesus, please click on the subject heading >>>D-0. THE BIBLICAL UNITARIAN VIEW of JESUS!<<< And for the SUBJECT on the true foundation of the church, please click on the subject heading >>>C-0. THE TRUE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH!<<< This way you can just send ONE link to those who you want to share the TRUE sound Biblical FOUNDATIONAL teachings of the church that Jesus and his Apostles taught in the first century church.
Your brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
My heartfelt prayer is that all Christians RETURN to the TRUE FOUNDATION of the church that is taught by the very Apostles of Jesus in the first century. So let us all come into the UNITY of the faith and return to what Jesus and his Apostles taught us in SIMPLICITY in the New Testament.
To learn more TRUTH, then please return to
VERSES USED TO TEACH THAT JESUS PREEXISTED!
To me, the best way to know the ONE true God in ONE person is to know who Jesus TRULY is according to the WHOLE word of Almighty God. So please read ALL of the studies under the heading >>>N-0. WHO is JESUS ACCORDING to the BIBLE?<<< and you will see that the Bible itself teaches us that Jesus was CREATED by his God and Father. And if you have any questions related to the correct meaning of certain verses of Scripture on this subject of who Jesus is please read all the studies under the two headings >>>U-0. VERSES used for THE TRINITY!<<< and >>>V-0. VERSES used to TEACH that Jesus PRE-EXISTED!<<< These two headings have ALL of the studies that I have on who Jesus truly is according to what the Bible itself teaches us in simplicity. I compiled these three headings to make it easy for my readers to send just one, two, or three links to those you desire to help understand what the Bible itself teaches concerning who Jesus is in the LIGHT of the WHOLE word of Almighty God. If you have any questions, please feel free to write to me. My contact email is MarkatAMatterOfTruth@Gmail .com. Thanks again for reading and may God bless you richly as you continue to seek the truth of the whole word of Almighty God.
Your Brother in our Lord Jesus Christ, Brother Mark.
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