Philippians 2:6

Philippians 2:6

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

a. NLT: Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. YLT: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained, [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Wuest Translation: Who has always been and at present continues to subsist in that mode of being in which He gives outward expression of His essential nature, that of absolute deity, which expression comes from and is truly representative of His inner being [that of absolute deity], and who did not after weighing the facts, consider it a treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards, this being on an equality with deity [in expression of the divine essence. [The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest. ©️ Copyright Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1961. All rights reserved.] 

1. “Who, being in the form of God…”

a. Who [Strong: 3739 hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

b. being [Strong: 5225 huparcho hoop-ar'-kho from 5259 and 756; to begin under (quietly), i.e. come into existence (be present or at hand); expletively, to exist (as copula or subordinate to an adjective, participle, adverb or preposition, or as an auxiliary to a principal (verb):--after, behave, live.]

1). Rick Renner 12/23/16: Paul begins by describing the preexistence of Jesus before He came to the earth as a man, saying, “Who, being in the form of God.…” The word “being” is a translation of the Greek word huparcho, a compound of the words hupo and arche. In this case, the word hupo means from, and the word arche means the first, original, or ancient. When it becomes the word huparcho, it depicts something that has always existed. By using this key word that means to eternally exist, Paul is declaring that Jesus had no beginning but always existed. This also explains Jesus’ statement when He declared, “…Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Thus, Philippians 2:6 could be translated, “Who, eternally existing in the form of God.…” In other words, Jesus’ human birth in Bethlehem was not His beginning but merely His manifestation to man, a brief appearance in His eternal existence.

c. in [Strong: 1722 en en a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

d. the form [Strong: 3444 morphe mor-fay' perhaps from the base of 3313 (through the idea of adjustment of parts); shape; figuratively, nature:--form.]

1). Rick Renner 12/23/16: Paul writes that Jesus always existed in the “form” of God. The word “form” is the Greek word morphe. This word describes an outward form, which means that in Jesus’ preexistence, He looked just like God. He was not just a component of God, nor a symbol of God; in reality, He was God. And as the eternal God Himself, Jesus possessed the very shape and outward appearance of God — a form that includes great splendor, glory, power, and a Presence so strong that no flesh can endure it.

2). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 6/29/11 “…The choice of the Greek word morphe to express what Jesus possessed prior to His becoming the God-Man is important. This "form" of God is not the Greek word that one would choose to express the visible or outward shape--that word would be schema. Morphe emphasizes the character, the being that makes the being what it is…”

e. of God [Strong: 2316 theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). Verse 6 is referring to the Second Person of the Godhead, (Jesus, the LORD, the Word),  before the incarnation; when he was “in the form of God”. Before he “took upon him the form of a servant.”

a). John 1:1, 14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

2). The Scriptures clearly establish the pre-incarnate Jesus as the Most High God. The Prophet Micah spoke and uttered by the Spirit of God the geographic location of the birth of the Messiah in terms that can only be applied to Almighty God.

a). Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me hat is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

b). Psalm 90:1, 2 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

2. “…thought it not robbery to be equal with God…”

a. thought it [Strong: 2233 hegeomai hayg-eh'-om-ahee middle voice of a (presumed) strengthened form of 71; to lead, i.e. command (with official authority); figuratively, to deem, i.e. consider:--account, (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think.]

b. [Strong: 3588. [to] ὁ ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [to] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn,ta, tēs,tois, tō, tōn, hé  hē ]

c. not [Strong: 3756 ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.]

d. robbery [Strong: 725 harpagmos har-pag-mos' from 726; plunder (properly concrete):--robbery.

e. to be [Strong: 1511 einai i'-nahee present infinitive from 1510; to exist:--am, was. come, is, X lust after, X please well, there is, to be, was.]

f. equal [Strong: 2470 isos ee'-sos probably from 1492 (through the idea of seeming); similar (in amount and kind):--+ agree, as much, equal, like.] 

g. [with] God [Strong: 2316 theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

1). Rick Renner 12/23/16 When Paul started this text on God becoming a man, he started by saying, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). You see, God wants us to have the same mind or attitude that was demonstrated in Jesus Christ. Just as Jesus was willing to go this incredible distance to reach us, to love us, and to redeem us, we should desire to do the same for others!

2). Verses 5 and 6 are not saying that we as Christians should hold in our thinking that we are equal with God. The message of the passage through verse 8 is to humble ourselves to be obedient. If Jesus did it, and his was really a step down, we can do it who have never been anywhere but down.