Philippians 2:7

But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.

This verse strongly suggests Isaiah 42:1: "Behold my servant whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." It should be distinguished, however, that Christ did not actually become in any sense a servant to any man; rather his life was humble, clothed in meekness and poverty, encompassed with hatred and hostility, and marked by an earthly status fully comparable with that of slaves. He even suffered the death of a condemned slave, though he was King of kings and Lord of lords.

Emptied himself ... Of what did Christ empty himself?

The diversity of opinions among interpreters in regard to the meaning of this passage is enough to fill the student with despair, and to afflict him with intellectual paralysis.[25]

One thing is clear enough. The use of [@morfe] in connection with servant shows that the manhood of Jesus was no less real and actual than his Godhead,[26] Agreement is also felt with Mounce that Christ did not empty himself of divine attributes, because, as he said, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). Christ emptied himself of his glory (John 17:5), exactly the same renunciation Paul was enjoining upon the Philippians.

In the likeness of men ... "This word, of course, does not imply that our Lord was not truly man, but, as Chrysostom said, that he is more than a man."[27]

[25] F. F. Bruce, (as quoted by John A. Knight), op. cit., p. 319.

[26] Robert H. Mounce, Wycliffe Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 765.

[27] B. C. Caffin, op. cit., p. 60.