I just want to share something I read from a Dr. Walter Hansen, a graduate of Wheaton College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Wycliffe College.
In other words, he’s a staunch Trinitarian is my point.
In his commentary on Philippians (published by Eerdmans in 2009) Dr. Hansen, like other trinitarians, notes the similarities between the so-called Phillipian hymn (Phil 2:6-11) and the suffering “servant songs of Isaiah” (chapters 42 to 53).
In Phil 2:7 Paul says the Messiah was in the “form of a servant." And Isaiah 52:13-14 says “Behold my servant, his form marred beyond human likeness.”
In Phil 2.8 Paul says the Messiah “humbled himself” and Isaiah 53:8 says the servant of the LORD in “In his humiliation justice was denied” him.
Phil 2:7-8 says the Messiah “poured” or "emptied himself by becoming obedient unto death” and Isa 53:12 says the servant “poured out his soul [i.e., himself] unto death.”
According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) the Greek phrase translated emptied himself [Phil 2:7] is an expression “not attested elsewhere in Greek…an exact translation of [the Hebrew of Isa 53:12, his soul…he poured out]." In other words, “the use of Isa 53.12 shows that the expression he emptied himself implies the surrender of life, not the kenosis of the incarnation.”
This is also known as the kenosis theory which teaches that in order to assume or take on flesh, "God the Son" emptied Himself of certain powers and attributes.
Then in Phil 2:9 Paul says “God has highly exalted” the Messiah and Isaiah 52:13 says the servant “will be exalted and lifted up, and will be very high.”
The hymn ends with the famous “every knee will bow…every tongue confess” that Jesus is the lord Messiah. This final declaration is not about the suffering servant but something God Himself says in Isa 45:23:
“Before me every knee will bow; by Me [i.e., God] every tongue will swear.”
This is part of a well-known practice by Paul of applying so called Yahweh-texts to Jesus. So we must be careful to note the context such verses are used by Paul, i.e., “every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is the lord Messiah" not the LORD God! Let alone the anointed, Messiah-Yahweh!
Abd we know that Luke 2.11 identifies Jesus as "the anointed-Messiah lord" and Luke 2:26 calls Jesus “the Lord’s [God's] Messiah” from birth!
This is how Jesus is to be worshiped from now on until the Kingdom comes, i.e., as the anointed-human servant of the LORD God. Who has done everything “to the glory" of that only one God, Who remains the Father!
In other words, he’s a staunch Trinitarian is my point.
In his commentary on Philippians (published by Eerdmans in 2009) Dr. Hansen, like other trinitarians, notes the similarities between the so-called Phillipian hymn (Phil 2:6-11) and the suffering “servant songs of Isaiah” (chapters 42 to 53).
In Phil 2:7 Paul says the Messiah was in the “form of a servant." And Isaiah 52:13-14 says “Behold my servant, his form marred beyond human likeness.”
In Phil 2.8 Paul says the Messiah “humbled himself” and Isaiah 53:8 says the servant of the LORD in “In his humiliation justice was denied” him.
Phil 2:7-8 says the Messiah “poured” or "emptied himself by becoming obedient unto death” and Isa 53:12 says the servant “poured out his soul [i.e., himself] unto death.”
According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (TDNT) the Greek phrase translated emptied himself [Phil 2:7] is an expression “not attested elsewhere in Greek…an exact translation of [the Hebrew of Isa 53:12, his soul…he poured out]." In other words, “the use of Isa 53.12 shows that the expression he emptied himself implies the surrender of life, not the kenosis of the incarnation.”
This is also known as the kenosis theory which teaches that in order to assume or take on flesh, "God the Son" emptied Himself of certain powers and attributes.
Then in Phil 2:9 Paul says “God has highly exalted” the Messiah and Isaiah 52:13 says the servant “will be exalted and lifted up, and will be very high.”
The hymn ends with the famous “every knee will bow…every tongue confess” that Jesus is the lord Messiah. This final declaration is not about the suffering servant but something God Himself says in Isa 45:23:
“Before me every knee will bow; by Me [i.e., God] every tongue will swear.”
This is part of a well-known practice by Paul of applying so called Yahweh-texts to Jesus. So we must be careful to note the context such verses are used by Paul, i.e., “every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is the lord Messiah" not the LORD God! Let alone the anointed, Messiah-Yahweh!
Abd we know that Luke 2.11 identifies Jesus as "the anointed-Messiah lord" and Luke 2:26 calls Jesus “the Lord’s [God's] Messiah” from birth!
This is how Jesus is to be worshiped from now on until the Kingdom comes, i.e., as the anointed-human servant of the LORD God. Who has done everything “to the glory" of that only one God, Who remains the Father!
