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`In the beginning was the Word ... the Word was God'.
`All things were made by Him'.
`The Word was made flesh and dwelt (tabernacled, skenoo, not the
permanent "dwelling" katoikeo of Col. 2:9) among us'.
`Of His fulness have all we received'.
`The angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man'.
So in Colossians 1:15 -20, He Who was the `Image of the Invisible God'
(compare John 1:1 and 18), Who created all things (see 1:3) Who became also
the Firstborn from the dead, Who is before all things (even as John the
Baptist acknowledged, John 1:30), in Him, in that capacity, not only as
Creator but as the Firstborn from the dead (thereby assuming the death of the
cross), in that capacity and in no other way, was it pleasing to the Father
that `in Him should all the fulness dwell'. It is for this reason, we find
the word somatikos `bodily' in Colossians 2:9. This word has been translated
by several commentators `bodily -wise', as though the fulness could not dwell
in Him in any other way.
Earlier we spoke about the fact that if Colossians speaks of the
Saviour's `Fulness', Philippians speaks of His voluntary self -emptying.
Philippians 2:6 -11 has been given a fairly full exposition in the book
entitled The Prize of the High Calling and the reader would be advised to
consult chapter 5 of that volume. Here, we can deal with one item only, the
meaning of the words, `He made Himself of no reputation' (Phil. 2:7). First
of all we give the structure of verses 6 -11.
Philippians 2:6 -11*
Example of Christ
K
2:6.
equality with god originally (huparchon).
L
2:7,8.
r
7.
He emptied Himself.
Sevenfold
s
7.
A bond servant.
Humiliation
t
7.
Likeness as a man.
u
8.
Fashioned as a man.
r
8.
He humbled Himself.
s
8.
Obedient unto death.
t
8.
The death of the cross.
K
2:9.
exaltation
the name (inherited, see Heb. 1:4).
L
2:9 -11.
v
9.
The Name above every name.
Sevenfold
w
10.
Every knee shall bow.
Exaltation
x
10.
Things in heaven.
y
10. Things in earth.
x
10.
Things under earth.
w
11.
Every tongue confess.
v
11.
Jesus Christ is Lord.