This verse shows His emergence. The only One who ever deserved a reputation willingly laid it aside. He gave up His divine privileges and took on the form of a servant. His person did not change-He was still God-but the mode of His expression changed. He came not to be served, but to serve, just as “the Son of man came… to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This challenges the heart of self-promotion.
When we come to Philippians 2:7, the Bible says that Christ “made himself of no reputation.” This phrase has led some to teach what is called the kenosis theory-the idea that Jesus emptied Himself of His deity when He came to earth. But that is not what Scripture teaches.
1. Jesus Did Not Empty Himself of His Deity
The Bible is clear-Jesus did not stop being God at any point.
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“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
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“And the Word was made flesh…” (John 1:14)
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“In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)
When Jesus came to earth, He did not lose His deity-He added humanity.
He was not less God-He was God in the flesh.
2. “Made Himself of No Reputation” Means He Laid Aside Privileges, Not His Nature
Philippians 2:7 does not say He emptied Himself of something-it says He emptied Himself by something.
He did this by:
So the “emptying” is not subtraction-it is addition.
He did not stop being God-He chose not to exercise His divine privileges independently.
3. Jesus Veiled His Glory, But Never Lost It
On earth, Jesus did not always display His full glory-but it was still there.
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At the Mount of Transfiguration, His glory was revealed (Matthew 17:2)
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In John 17:5, He speaks of the glory He had with the Father before the world
This shows He did not lose His glory-He veiled it temporarily.
4. Jesus Operated in Submission, Not Inferiority
Jesus chose to live in submission to the Father.
But these do not show He was less God-they show He was fully man while still being fully God.
He often chose not to act independently, but to live in dependence on the Father and in the power of the Spirit.
5. Why This Matters
If Jesus stopped being God-even for a moment-He could not be our Savior.
Only God can:
If Christ were not fully God, salvation would fall apart.
This verse shows His emergence. The only One who ever deserved a reputation willingly laid it aside. He gave up His divine privileges and took on the form of a servant. His person did not change-He was still God-but the mode of His expression changed. He came not to be served, but to serve, just as “the Son of man came… to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). This challenges the heart of self-promotion.
When we come to Philippians 2:7, the Bible says that Christ “made himself of no reputation.” This phrase has led some to teach what is called the kenosis theory-the idea that Jesus emptied Himself of His deity when He came to earth. But that is not what Scripture teaches.
1. Jesus Did Not Empty Himself of His Deity
The Bible is clear-Jesus did not stop being God at any point.
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
“And the Word was made flesh…” (John 1:14)
“In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)
When Jesus came to earth, He did not lose His deity-He added humanity.
He was not less God-He was God in the flesh.
2. “Made Himself of No Reputation” Means He Laid Aside Privileges, Not His Nature
Philippians 2:7 does not say He emptied Himself of something-it says He emptied Himself by something.
He did this by:
Taking the form of a servant
Being made in the likeness of men
So the “emptying” is not subtraction-it is addition.
He did not stop being God-He chose not to exercise His divine privileges independently.
3. Jesus Veiled His Glory, But Never Lost It
On earth, Jesus did not always display His full glory-but it was still there.
At the Mount of Transfiguration, His glory was revealed (Matthew 17:2)
In John 17:5, He speaks of the glory He had with the Father before the world
This shows He did not lose His glory-He veiled it temporarily.
4. Jesus Operated in Submission, Not Inferiority
Jesus chose to live in submission to the Father.
He was hungry (Matthew 4:2)
He was tired (John 4:6)
He prayed (Luke 5:16)
But these do not show He was less God-they show He was fully man while still being fully God.
He often chose not to act independently, but to live in dependence on the Father and in the power of the Spirit.
5. Why This Matters
If Jesus stopped being God-even for a moment-He could not be our Savior.
Only God can:
Forgive sin (Mark 2:7)
Be sinless (Hebrews 4:15)
Offer a perfect sacrifice
If Christ were not fully God, salvation would fall apart.