Jensens survey of the old testament adam 504

passages in the entire Bible. It is a doctrinal
book in miniature, teaching truths about the
Person and work of Christ. It is a handbook
of Christian living, summing up Christian
behavior in one sublime, opening appeal.
The passage is usually referred to as the
kenosis passage, named after the key Greek
w o r d ekenosen (“emptied,” v. 7). The
unstated question of the text is, Of what did
Jesus empty Himself when He came to
earth? Those who hold that Jesus of Galilee
was only human answer that Jesus emptied
Himself of deity. The marginal note of the
New American Standard Bible gives the
interpretation that Jesus “laid aside His
privileges.”
Compare
this with the
interpretation that Jesus surrendered the
independent exercise of some of His relative
attributes (e.g., “not my will, but thine, be
done”).6


Read the passage. What is its main
subject? What is the opening, practical
exhortation? How do the words humiliation
and exaltation represent the two parts of the
paragraph?
B. CHRIST OUR GOAL (3:1—4:1)
Chapter 3 is the mountain peak of

Philippians, challenging and inspiring its
Christian readers with the highest of goals
(e.g., 3:14).


CHART 86: PHILIPPIANS: LIFE IN CHRIST

Read the segment
different parts in mind:

with

these

three

Commands — 3:1-3
Testimonies — 3:4-14
Appeals — 3:15—4:1
Observe the goals Paul writes about. How
is Christ related to each?
Throughout Philippians the Person of


Jesus Christ is central. There can be no
rejoicing outside of Him. He is the
Christian’s life (1:21), his supreme example
(2:5-11), his great goal (3:10), and his
gracious provider (4:13). No wonder Paul’s
passion and goal was “That I may know

Him, and the power of His resurrection and
the fellowship of His sufferings” (3:10).
C. CHRIST OUR SUFFICIENCY (4:2-23)
The structure of Philippians may be seen
as a threefold unit:

How is each subject related to each other,
and to the general scope of the Christian
life?
Read 4:2-23 and observe di erent
references to the Christian’s su ciency in