Philippians 2:1–11

Verse 1. If there be, therefore, any consolation. If you have any desire to comfort me in Christ, or for Christ’s sake. Witham.

Verse 3. Esteem others better than themselves. Saint Thomas (22. q. 162. a. 3.) puts the question, how an innocent man can with truth think himself worse than the most wicked of men? He answers, that a man who has received very extraordinary gifts from God, cannot think these gifts less than what any other has received; but he may reflect that he has nothing, and is nothing of himself. And a man truly humble considers only his own sins and failings, and is persuaded that any other person would have made better use of the same graces; which agrees with what follows, (verse 4) not considering the things that are his own. Witham.

Verse 4. The things that are his. Self-love and self-interest are the two great sources of divisions. The Christian religion teaches a contrary doctrine. Calmet.

Verse 6. Who being in the form [1] of God, (that is truly, properly, and essentially God from eternity, as the ancient Fathers here observed against the Arians) taking the form of a servant, (that is taking upon him our human nature) became truly a man, and as man the servant of God, but remaining always God as before, thought it not robbery, no injury to his eternal Father, to be equal, to be esteemed, and to declare himself equal to God, to be one thing with him: as on divers occasions he taught the people, as we have observed in the notes on Saint John’s gospel, and so forth Witham.

Verse 7. But debased himself: divested himself of all the marks of greatness, for the love of mankind. The Greek text signifies, he made himself void; [2] on which account Dr. Wells, instead of made himself of no reputation, as in the Prot. translation, has changed it into emptied himself; not but that the true Son of God must always remain truly God, as well as by his incarnation truly man, but that in him as man appeared no marks of his divine power and greatness.—Made to the likeness [3] of men, not only as to an exterior likeness and appearance, but at the same time truly man by uniting his divine person to the nature of man.—In shape [4] (or habit) found as a man: not clothed exteriorly only, as a man is clothed with a garment or coat, but found both as to shape and nature a man; and, as Saint John Chrysostom says, with the appearance of a sinful man, if we consider him persecuted by the Jews, and nailed to an infamous cross. Witham.

Verse 9. God … hath given him a name, and so forth The name or word Jesus represents the dignity of him who is signified by the name, and who is exalted even as man, above all creatures in heaven, earth, and hell; all which creatures either piously reverence him, or are made subject to him against their will, that every tongue may confess our Lord Jesus to be now, and to have been always, in the glory of his Father, equal to him in substance and in all perfections. Witham.

Verse 10. If we shew respect when the name of our sovereign is mentioned, may we not express our respect also at the name of Jesus; and if to his name, why not to his cross as well as to the throne of the king?