Unpacking Philippians 2:6: Humility of the Divine

Understanding the Situation in Philippi

Paul wrote to the Philippian church to teach and to call them toward real unity and humility amid their tensions.

The believers in Philippi were facing internal disagreements and the temptation to seek personal honor, which is why Paul points them to Jesus as the ultimate example of humility. He wanted them to stop focusing on their own interests and look to what would build others up, as he urges in Philippians 2:3-4. By reminding them that Christ, though equal with God, did not cling to His privileges, Paul shows that true greatness in God’s kingdom means letting go of status and serving others.

This sets the stage for Paul’s deeper explanation of how Jesus emptied Himself - something we see clearly in the next verse.

The Depth of Christ's Divine Nature and His Choice to Let Go

This verse takes us into the very heart of who Jesus is - and what it meant for Him to come to us.

The phrase 'in the form of God' does not merely mean Jesus looked like God or acted like God. It means He truly shared God’s nature. John 1:1 says, 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,' showing that Jesus wasn’t a created being but existed from the start as fully divine. Yet here in Philippians 2:6, we see that though He was equal with God, He did not treat that equality as something to hold onto tightly. The Greek word translated 'grasped' means to seize or exploit - like clinging to a right or privilege for personal gain.

This is where the idea of 'kenosis' comes in - a theological word meaning 'emptying' - seen in how Jesus 'made himself nothing' in the next verse. But this emptying wasn’t losing His divine nature. Colossians 2:9 makes that clear: 'For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.' Instead, He emptied Himself of the outward glory and privileges of being God, not His divine essence. He didn’t stop being God. He stopped acting as if He needed to be served.

So rather than clinging to His status, Jesus chose the path of a servant. This sets up Paul’s powerful contrast: the One who had every right to demand honor instead gave it all up. And that leads directly into how He 'took the very nature of a servant' - the next step in His journey toward the cross.

Following Christ’s Example of Letting Go

Jesus’ choice not to grasp at His divine rights shows us what true humility looks like - and calls us to live the same way.

Paul wants the believers in Philippi to stop fighting for status and start serving one another, as he says in Philippians 2:3-4: 'Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.' Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.' Jesus didn’t cling to His glory, and we shouldn’t cling to ours.

This mindset - putting others first - is unnatural, yet it reflects the heart of the gospel: greatness in God’s kingdom comes from serving, not from being served, as Jesus did.

Christ’s Humility as the Climax of God’s Unfolding Story

Philippians 2:6 doesn’t stand alone - it’s the crown of a story God has been telling since the beginning, where divine glory quietly moves toward humble service.

This verse echoes Isaiah 53:12, which says, 'He poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors,' revealing that the Messiah’s path was always meant to be one of self-giving, not self-assertion. John’s Gospel begins with the same truth: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,' yet that same Word 'became flesh and dwelt among us' - the invisible God making Himself known through weakness. Hebrews 1:3 adds depth: 'He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature,' yet that radiance chose to dim His light, not to lose His worth, but to draw us near.

When we see Jesus not grasping at equality with God, we’re seeing the fullness of Scripture come to life - God’s power perfected in weakness, His majesty clothed in service. From Genesis to Revelation, God resists the proud who seek glory for themselves, but here, the only One with a right to glory willingly sets it aside. This isn’t a new idea in the New Testament. It’s the moment all of redemptive history has been leaning toward. The God who scattered the proud at Babel now kneels to wash feet, fulfilling the pattern of divine humility that runs like a thread through every age.

For us today, this means our churches should feel less like courts where status is guarded and more like foot-washing rooms where honor is given away. When we stop jockeying for position and start serving quietly, we reflect the very image of Christ we claim to follow. As communities marked by this love, we become living proof that the gospel changes beliefs and how we treat the person next to us.

Application