Philippians 2: The mind of Christ, the kenosis hymn

The Philippian "Christ hymn" is the most exalted Christology in Paul. He embeds it in an argument about how to share a parking lot.

Historical context

Philippians was written from prison around AD 62. The Philippian church was generally healthy but had two specific tensions Paul addresses: a low-grade dispute between two women (Euodia and Syntyche, 4:2) and a general pull toward grumbling and division. Paul's response in chapter 2 is to lift their gaze to Christ — and to ground their unity in the mind of Christ rather than agreement on tactics.

Three sermon arc options

• The mind of Christ. 2:1-11. Walk the argument: if there is any encouragement (v. 1), then have this mind (v. 5), which is the mind Christ demonstrated (vv. 6-11). The kenosis hymn is the motivating ground, not a doctrinal tangent.
• The kenosis hymn verse by verse. 2:6-11 alone. Six steps down (form of God → equality not grasped → emptied → servant → human → death → cross), six steps up (exalted → name above every name → every knee → every tongue → confess → glory of the Father). Most exalted passage in the Pauline corpus.
• Work out your salvation. 2:12-30. The implications: work out salvation with fear and trembling (12-13), shine as lights (14-18), and the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus (19-30). The chapter closes with two living models of the mind of Christ.

Original language notes

Ekenōsen ("emptied himself," v. 7) — root of "kenosis." Long-debated whether Christ emptied himself of divine attributes (heterodox) or of divine privilege/glory (orthodox). Most Reformed and patristic readings hold that Christ retained full deity but veiled the rightful use of its privileges.

Five illustration hooks

• A king who removes the crown to wash the feet of his servants — and never asks for the crown back the same way.
• The most concentrated paragraph of Christology in the Bible, embedded in a discussion of how to get along at potlucks.
• A working-out (v. 12) that is also a working-in (v. 13) — Paul writes both in the same paragraph.
• Two examples (vv. 19-30) — Timothy and Epaphroditus — as Paul's "see, here's what it looks like." Pastors who model the text always preach with more weight.
• A descent that becomes an ascent. The shape of the cross is the shape of every Christian virtue Paul names.

Cross-references

• John 1:1-14 — The Logos passage — the same incarnational descent.
• Colossians 1:15-20 — Companion Christological hymn.
• Hebrews 5:7-9 — Christ's suffering and obedience theme.
• Isaiah 45:23 — "To me every knee shall bow" — Paul applies this to Christ.

Pastoral application

Pastors love the Christology of vv. 6-11. Paul wrote the Christology for the application of vv. 1-5 and 12-18. Don't separate them. Preach the descent of Christ as the model for how the church gets along with itself.