The Exaltation Of Christ: An Exposition Of Philippians 2:9-11

By David J. MacLeod

[David J. MacLeod is a member of the faculty of Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, Iowa, and is associate editor of The Emmaus Journal.

This is part two in a two-part series, “The Christological Hymn of Philippians 2:5–11.”]

The Lord Jesus Christ had “extraordinary skill in the use of mind-stretching paradox.”[1] A case in point is His comment in Luke 14:11, “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.” The paradox of these words (“the way up is down”)[2] is illustrated in Philippians 2:5–11. As Bretscher points out, the Christian message inverts the whole scale of secular ambitions and virtues.[3] In a sinful world true righteousness is customarily viewed as weakness, cowardice, and stupidity. But in God’s kingdom worldly standards are turned topsy turvy.[4] Jesus and His apostles taught that the world’s perspective on such things as dignity, joy, self, security, ambition, justice, wisdom, and peace was all upside down. It is Christ’s perspective that helps the believer see these things properly.

In Philippians 2 the apostle Paul pointed his readers to the example of Christ. The way to success in God’s eyes is not by following the world’s standards—grasping and clawing one’s way to the top and looking out for one’s own personal interests. Paradoxically in the Christian life “the way up is down.” As the Lord Jesus taught in Luke 14, it is those who humble themselves—who, as it were, take the inferior seats at the banquet, who regard others as more important than themselves—it is these who will be exalted in the kingdom of heaven. In Philippians 2:6–8 the preexistent Christ, who possesses all the attributes and prerogatives of deity, humbled Himself and came to earth as a man and was abased on the cross. In verses 9–11 Paul showed that, in keeping with the divine order of things, this self-humbling led inevitably to exaltation.

Stanza 4: Jesus Is Exalted by the Father (v. 9)

“Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.”

The Divine Intervention

At verse 9 a decisive turning point in Paul’s great hymn is reached. At this juncture “the chief Actor in the drama of Incarnation and redemption changes.”[5] In verses 5–8 Paul focused on the self-humbling and obedience of the Son of God, who became man.[6] In verses 9–11, however, God the Father[7] is the principal Actor, and Christ is the Object of the divine action.[8] Verse 9 begins with the word “therefore” (διὸ καὶ).[9] Because of what Jesus had done, the Father now acted.[10] When Jesus’ self-humbling reached the absolute depths in His shameful death, God the Father decisively intervened. In vindication and approval of the Son’s self-humbling, the Father magnificently exalted Him to the highest place in the universe.[11] The Father clearly rewarded His Son for His perfectly obedient life and death.[12]

Paul wrote, “God highly exalted Him” (ὀ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύ-ψωσεν).[13] Theologians and Bible expositors have noted that, just as there are a number of stages downward in Christ’s humiliation, so there are four stages upward in His exaltation:[14] resurrection; ascension (He “passed through the heavens,” Heb. 4:14); enthronement (He has “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,” 1:3);[15] and present session, in which He serves His people in heaven as their Representative and Intercessor (7:25; 9:24).

Paul’s hymn, however, does not describe the exaltation of Christ as a series of stages. Rather he speaks of God’s lifting Christ from the depths to the heights in one dramatic act.[16] The resurrection-ascension-enthronement are viewed as one great historical event.[17] Jesus has been raised to the loftiest heights.[18] He has been “super-exalted.”[19] As Eadie put it, “infinite condescension surely merits highest glory.”[20]

Just as God exalted Jesus, so in His own time He will exalt Christians if they manifest the same selfless spirit.[21] Also in exalting Jesus Christ, God the Father vindicated Him. Jesus was willing to wait until after He died to have His name cleared of all the charges His enemies brought against Him. Similarly believers should wait for God’s timing rather than taking vindication in their own hands. They are to have the same attitude Jesus had (Phil. 2:5), leaving vindication in God’s hands. As Paul wrote, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God” (1 Cor. 4:5).

It should also be noted that in His manhood Jesus is now exalted and endued with authority. The fact that Paul was focusing on Christ’s human nature is suggested by His name Jesus (Phil. 2:10), His earthly or human name, and by the verb ἐχαρίσατο (“bestowed”), which speaks of an act of divine bestowal on Jesus.[22]

The Gracious Conferral

The gift God graciously bestowed on Jesus is “the name which is above every name.” Commentators differ on what is intended by Jesus’ “name.” Theodoret, Augustine, and Pelagius said the name means “Son” (υἱός); Nazianzus and Cyril of Alexandria suggested “God” (θεός). Some say that by the term “name” Paul meant “office, rank, dignity.”[23] In other words God has given to Jesus the rank or dignity that is above all others. He was using the term “name” similar to the way the Old Testament uses ם (“name”), that is, to denote God’s presence or majestic nature, especially as the object of adoration and praise. “To praise the name,” “to bless the name,” “to call upon the name,” “to fear the name of God” are frequent expressions in the Old Testament (e.g., Gen. 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; Job 1:21; Pss. 7:17; 9:2; 54:6; 100:4; 103:1; 113:2; Isa. 59:19; Mal. 2:5; 4:2). One writer speaks of “the celebrated name of God, the estimation of men concerning God.”[24]

Others say that by the term “name” Paul had in mind the title “Lord” (κύριος). Proponents of this view note correctly that κύριος in the Septuagint is the translation of the covenant name Yahweh (יהוה). In the ultimate sense this name belongs to God and no one else (Isa. 42:8). God, then, gave to Jesus the name that suggests sovereignty and authority.[25] Yet the title κύριος is not an adequate equivalent for the absolute use of ὄνομα.[26]

Other scholars rightly suggest that by “name” Paul meant Jesus ( ᾿Ιησοῦς), which Paul used in verse 10.[27] This is the human name that was given to the Son of God when He was born. Verses 9–10 may be read this way: “God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name, that is, the name Jesus, every knee should bow.”[28]

Because the name Jesus belonged to the One who manifested the most sacrificial self-emptying, it has become the highest of names. The Father determined that the human name Jesus is to be acclaimed as the highest name.[29] This interpretation strengthens the point Paul sought to make by His use of the example of Jesus. That which was glorified at Christ’s ascension was precisely the human nature which was His in His state of humiliation.[30]

The Supreme Position

Paul, then, in this great hymn of adoration was celebrating the glorious fact that Jesus has been exalted to the highest place in heaven. He is the Lord of all creation. As Robert Boyd wrote,[31]

Your love has won. You are the conqueror now.
A Name beyond all other names is yours.
O blessed Jesus at your Name I bow
And worship you, with all created powers.
I see you now exalted to the throne
Of God Himself. My greatest joy is this
That you are there; the Lamb of God once slain;
Source and circumference of heaven’s bliss.

Stanza 5: Jesus Is Acclaimed By The Universe (V. 10)

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth.”

The Object Of The Homage

In the next stanza of Paul’s hymn God’s purpose in exalting Christ and bestowing on Him this all-surpassing name is introduced by the word “that” (ἴνα). Most English Bible editions read “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (e.g., NASB, NEB, NIV, Phillips). A more literal translation is “in the name of Jesus” (ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ᾿Ιησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ).[32] Some may think this means all are to bow “in honor of the name of Jesus.”[33] It must be remembered, however, that in biblical thought a name was not merely a label for distinguishing one person from another. A person’s name spoke of that individual’s inner being (Gen. 25:26; 1 Sam. 25:25).[34] It was an index of a person’s character or status.[35]

The apostle meant that all are to bow in honor of Jesus, that is, they are to worship the exalted Christ.[36] Two factors support this interpretation. First, the parallel clause in verse 11 (“every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”) describes an act of reverence paid directly to the Son. Second, similar constructions in the Old Testament speak of direct adoration, praise, and worship. For example when Psalm 44:8 says, “We will give thanks to Thy name [LXX, 43:8, has ‘in your name,’ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σου ] forever,” it means “We will give thanks to you.” When David wrote in Psalm 63:4 [LXX, 62:5], “I will lift up my hands in Thy name,” he meant, “I will lift up my hands in praise and adoration to You.”[37]

The Scope Of The Homage

Paul stated that God exalted Jesus in order that “every knee should bow” (Phil. 2:10) and “every tongue will confess” (v. 11). The scope of the homage is to be universal. In the clause “every knee should bow” Paul clearly alluded to Isaiah 45:23, which records God’s words in which He affirmed that universal worship will one day be offered to Him. In Romans 14:11 Paul again quoted Isaiah 45:23 in reference to the worship of God the Father. Because Jesus is Lord, everyone—whether Christians, Jews, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Hindus, Buddhists, or secularists—will bow to Jesus.

This universal homage will come from “those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth” (ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων). Some writers have argued that the adjectives in this phrase are neuter, so that the whole universe, whether animate or inanimate, is pictured bending the knee and raising its voice in homage to Jesus.[38] Most commentators, however, view the adjectives as masculine.[39] The context, with its lesson for God’s people, argues that Paul is referring only to rational creatures. “Those who are in heaven” are the rational creatures of heaven, namely, the angels. “[Those] on earth” refers to all humankind. The region under the earth is the abode of evil spirits and disobedient angels (cf. Luke 8:31; Jude 6),[40] which suggests that those “under the earth” are the demons.[41]

The Time Of The Homage

As the early Christians sang or spoke the words of Paul’s hymn (“at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”), they fulfilled them in their worship to a limited extent. As Christians today worship Jesus Christ in church meetings, they too, in a sense, bow the knee to Him as they acknowledge Him as Lord.[42] But the worship of Christians today is only a small harbinger of a yet-future scene when the whole cosmos will worship Jesus in the end time.[43] That Paul had a future scene in mind is suggested by his use of the future indicative ἐξομολογήσεται (“will confess,” Phil. 2:11).[44] In the millennium Jesus Christ will ultimately be acclaimed by every person (and angels and demons) as the Lord of the universe.[45] He will rule over the earth as messianic King (Rev. 20:1–6).

Stanza 6: Jesus Is Extolled in His Kingdom (v. 11)

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Universal Confession

The verb “to confess” (ἐξομολογέω) means simply “to declare or confess openly or plainly; to acknowledge.”[46] Bruce says that this confession of the sovereignty of the Crucified One, which will be made by men, angels, and demons will be “in joyful spontaneity or reluctant fear.”[47] His phrase “reluctant fear” recalls the observation of Calvin that the demons “are not, and never will be, subject of their own accord and by cheerful submission.” He added, “Paul is not speaking here of voluntary obedience.”[48] However, the enemies of Christ (Phil. 3:19–20) will end their rebellion. Though given reluctantly, it will be an act of submission. God has determined that His universe will be reconciled (Col. 1:20). So the enemies of Christ will be disarmed and the universe will be pacified.[49]

Obviously the forces of evil do not yet confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But one day they will. The Son of God appeared on earth for the purpose of destroying the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). At the cross (and God confirmed this by His exaltation of Jesus) the power of Satan has been decisively broken (Col. 2:15). Like a python with a deadly head wound, the devil is today thrashing around and seeking to cause havoc. But one day he and his hosts will bow in absolute defeat and surrender before Jesus Christ.

The Universal Sovereign

Paul’s Christ-hymn now reaches its climax in the confession of the entire cosmos, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The term “Lord” (κύριος) is the culminating point of the passage.[50] The expression “Jesus Christ is Lord” was the characteristic confession of the early church (Acts 2:36; Rom. 10:9; 2 Cor. 4:5).[51] The term κύριος, when used as an adjective, means “having power or authority.” It is regularly used in the Septuagint to translate יהוה (“Yahweh”).[52]

This confession that Jesus Christ is Lord[53] means that God has bestowed on Jesus Christ the rarest of all honors. In Isaiah 42:8 Yahweh asserted, “I am the Lord [κύριος, LXX], that is My name.” That is, this name is “Mine and no one else’s.” In other words God the Father not only gave His Son a name (i.e., “Jesus”) that is above all other names; He also bestowed on Him all the authority that goes with His elevated position. He has a new rank (lordship) with all the authority of Deity.[54]

Jesus Christ is the God-Man. The Son of God has always been God and Lord (Yahweh) in His essential nature. But as the God-Man, He has been given lordship as a reward for His service.[55] As Ellicott wrote, Jesus Christ has “an absolute, supreme, and universal dominion over all things, as God” but here, “as the Son of Man He is invested with all power in heaven and earth.”[56] So in Philippians 2:11 the title “Lord” is an official or functional term, not an essential or ontological one.[57] Jesus is Lord here in the sense that He will rule over the earth in the millennial kingdom.

The Glorified Father

Paul did not think of the exalted Christ as displacing or rivaling God the Father.[58] As the apostle’s hymn makes clear, the authority of the exalted Jesus is “a derived authority—God [the Father] exalted Him…. God conferred on Him the superlative [name]; God purposed that created beings worship and obey Him. Hence, only God the Father has ultimate authority and sovereignty … (cf. 1 Cor. 15:28; Rev. 3:21; John 13:31).”[59] So when the universe confesses that “Jesus Christ is Lord,” God the Father will be pleased, for His purposes will be fulfilled and His plans realized.[60] The lordship of Christ glorifies God the Father, for in His earthly ministry Christ accomplished the Father’s will and work (Rom. 15:7–9; 2 Cor. 1:20).[61]

Conclusion

Paul’s hymn in Philippians 2:6–11, beginning with the pronoun “who” (ὅς), speaks of one person, Jesus Christ, throughout. The hymn exalts the preexistent Christ, the Christ before Bethlehem, who was truly and fully God. Without ceasing to be fully God, He became true man and, as a man, He experienced shame, rejection, and abasement on a cross. This same Christ was exalted to a place of universal sovereignty. Christ, who was “in the form of God,” was the same One to whom was given “the name which is above every name.” [62] The hymn, in short, provides a solid foundation for the historic doctrine of the hypostatic union, the union of two natures (divine and human) in the one person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the end of the Civil War William Tecumseh Sherman (1820–1891) prepared to lead the great parade that was to ride triumphantly down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on May 24, 1865. One of his generals, O. O. Howard, was scheduled to ride at the head of his division of troops, the Army of the Tennessee, just as other generals would lead their companies. A few days before the parade, however, Sherman summoned General Howard to headquarters and said, “General, I want to ask a favor of you.”

General Howard replied, “Yours to command.”

Sherman said, “You know that General Logan has recently been commanding your troops.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Howard,” he said, “would you do something for me? General Logan wants to ride at the head of his old division and I want you to surrender your command and allow him to do it.”

Howard swallowed hard. He had fought with those men, had lived with them on the battlefield and campground, and had lost an arm in the service. He had earned the place of honor, and there was no reason why he should give it to his predecessor. Nevertheless he turned to Sherman and said, “Yes, Sir. Since you put it that way, and since I am a Christian, I will do it gladly. General Logan may ride at the head of my troops.”

Sherman looked at him in admiration and partial amazement. “Howard,” he replied, “I expected that you would do it. Now you may ride with me at the head of the army.”[63]

The person who “steps down” is the one who can be exalted. The Lord Jesus Christ, from whom O. O. Howard learned humility, renounced His privileges to secure salvation for those who believe in Him. He rose from the judge’s bench, as it were, and went to the gallows for the criminal. He is God, yet He impoverished Himself, exposed Himself to evil’s hatred. He never spared Himself until in His ultimate humiliation He went to the cross.

By human standards this made no sense. Nor does giving up one’s rights. Yet, as Paul wrote, “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:4–5).

Notes

1. Vernon C. Grounds, “The Beatitudes,” in Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, ed. Merrill C. Tenney (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1975), 1:498.
2. C. M. Horne, “Let This Mind Be in You,” Grace Journal 1 (spring 1960): 29; cf. Kenneth S. Kantzer, “The Way Up Is Down: A Theology of Christmas,” Christianity Today, December 1, 1978, 20–24.
3. Paul G. Bretscher, The World Upside Down or Right Side Up? (St. Louis: Concordia, 1964), 1–5 and passim.
4. Grounds, “The Beatitudes,” 1:498.
5. Ralph P. Martin, Carmen Christi: Philippians 2:5–11 in Recent Interpretation and in the Setting of Early Christian Worship, rev. ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 229.
6. F. W. Beare, The Epistle to the Philippians, Harper’s New Testament Commentaries (New York: Harper, 1959), 85; and Martin, Carmen Christi, 229.
7. The shift in emphasis is indicated by more than just a change in subject. In verses 6–8 the language has been terse and economical with participial constructions (five in number) instead of main verbs. In verses 9–11 the language becomes ornate and full of Old Testament constructions and allusions. Proper nouns appear instead of pronouns, and finite verbs are used rather than participles. See Martin, Carmen Christi, 229; and Peter T. O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians: A Commentary on the Greek Text, New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1991), 232.
8. J. Jervell argued that two different Christologies are found in the hymn. Verses 6–8 are a fragment of Gnostic theology, based on the preexistent “Heavenly Man’s” descent into the world, whereas verses 9–11 present a typical early Christology, based on the resurrection and exaltation of Christ (quoted by Martin, Carmen Christi, 230). Such theories needlessly bring foreign elements into the New Testament, ignore the points in common in both sections, and fail to note that the controlling factors throughout are obedience and vindication.
9. In the Greek text verses 9–11 constitute one sentence, which includes two closely related main verbs (ὑπερύψωσεν, “exalted,” and ἐχαρίσατο, “bestowed”), a purpose clause (introduced byἵνα, “that”), and two verbs (the subjunctives κάμψῃ, “bow,” and ἐξομολογήσηται, “confess”). See Moisés Silva, Philippians, Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1988), 127.
10. On the precise nuance of the particles διὸ καὶ see the discussion in ibid., 131-32.
11. O’Brien, The Epistle to thePhilippians, 232–33.
12. C. J. Ellicott, A Critical and Grammatical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon (Boston: Draper and Halliday, 1861), 59; Robert Johnstone, Lectures on the Book of Philippians (Edinburgh: Clark, 1875), 155; H. A. W. Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians and to Philemon, trans. J. C. Moore (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1884), 80; John Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians (Edinburgh: Clark, 1894), 120, 125; H. C. G. Moule, The Epistle to the Philippians, Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1897), 41; William Hendriksen, Exposition of Philippians (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1962), 113; Silva, Philippians, 127–28; and O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, 234). The verse speaks of the Father’s reward for the Son’s supreme regard for the things of others. The reward is justified by the voluntariness of Christ’s obedience and by the ethical nature of that obedience, that is, He did not do it to please Himself or to force God’s hand (Rom. 15:2). All through His life Jesus acted in dependence on the Holy Spirit (Matt. 4:1; 12:18; 26:41; Luke 1:14, 18; Acts 10:38). While Jesus’ actions were His and the ground for God’s actions, they were done in the power of the Holy Spirit, and as such do not constitute a doctrine of merit or works (Paul D. Feinberg, “The Kenosis and Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Analysis of Phil. 2:6–11, ” Trinity Journal 1 [1980]: 42). Elsewhere the New Testament speaks of a reward for Christ for His death on the cross (Heb. 12:2). However, not all agree that Jesus’ exaltation is to be viewed as a reward. Some say that His exaltation was simply a natural consequence of His humility, for “whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11; 18:14). This was the view of John Calvin (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, trans. T. H. L. Parker [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965], 250; cf. Hawthorne, Philippians, 90). Barth wrote that Philippians 2:9 speaks of Christ’s glory being displayed at His resurrection (The Epistle to the Philippians, trans. J. W. Leitch [Richmond, VA: John Knox, 1962], 66–67). However, the words διὸ καὶ (“therefore”), with which the verse begins, mark a new phase in Christ’s existence. A Roman Catholic view is that Christ was exalted as the reward of a meritorious action (David Michael Stanley, Christ’s Resurrection in Pauline Soteriology, Analecta Biblica 13 [Rome: Pontifical Institute, 1961], 99, 268). However ἐχαρίσατο (“bestowed”) suggests a gift of grace and that excludes any notion of merit.
13. Strictly speaking ὑπερυψόω is a comparative verb, meaning that God exalted Him more than before. In the New Testament there are more than forty ὑπέρ- compounds, most of which have an elative (intensive, e.g., 2 Thess. 1:3) or a superlative (e.g., 1 Thess. 5:13) sense. Most commentators give this verb a superlative translation, such as “raise. .. to the loftiest height” (Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 2d ed., rev. F. Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker [Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979], 842). The One who died as the lowest malefactor has been raised to the greatest height (J. B. Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians [London: Macmillan, 1913; reprint, Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1953], 110; Marvin R. Vincent, The Epistles to thePhilippians and to Philemon, International Critical Commentary [Edinburgh: Clark, 1897], 61; Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians and to Philemon, 81; Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to thePhilippians, 119–20; Beare, The Epistle to the Philippians, 85; Hawthorne, Philippians, 91; Silva, Philippians, 132; and F. F. Bruce, Philippians, Good News Commentary [San Francisco: Harper, 1983], 48, 54). Some scholars prefer different views. Some say that God the Father has given Christ a status somewhat greater than the one He had in His preexistent state. In His preexistence He was the divine “Heavenly Man,” but now He has complete equality with God (Oscar Cullmann, The Christology of the New Testament [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1963], 180–81). This view abandons the biblical teaching of the true deity of Christ in His preexistent state. Furthermore the contrast suggested in verse 9 is not between Christ’s preexistent condition and His present condition; rather it is between His earthly condition and His consequent exaltation (Beare, The Epistle to thePhilippians, 85). Others take the verb in a comparative sense, with the idea that Christ returned to heaven as a glorified man, that is, as Son of Man as well as Son of God (A. T. Robertson, Paul’s Joy in Christ [New York: Revell, 1917; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979], 136; and Ellicott, A Critical and Grammatical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon, 59–60]). This view fails to note that Paul was contrasting humiliation and exaltation, not preexistence and exaltation.
14. Cf. Peter Toon, The Ascension of Our Lord (Nashville: Nelson, 1984), 122; and Guy H. King, Joy Way (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1952), 49.
15. The place at the right hand is the seat of dignity and honor (1 Kings 2:19; Ps. 45:9). In the Old Testament the right hand of God is a metaphor for His mighty power by which He creates (Isa. 48:13), wages war, and delivers His people (Deut. 33:2; Ps. 89:13; cf. Exod. 15:6–12; Pss. 17:7; 18:35; 139:10). The New Testament frequently quotes Psalm 110:1 to affirm Christ’s exaltation to a place of honor and power (Mark 12:36; Acts 2:34–35; Heb. 1:13, etc.). See J. A. Wharton, “Right Hand,” in Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, ed. George Arthur Buttrick (New York: Abingdon, 1962), 4:79–80.
16. Hawthorne, Philippians, 91; and Moule, The Epistle to the Philippians, 41.
17. W. E. Vine, The Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians (London: Oliphants, 1955), 61. The aorist tense of the verb ὑπερύψωσεν views these great events as one great moment in history (Hawthorne, Philippians, 91).
18. The verb ὑπερυψόω is used only here in the New Testament.
19. Hendriksen, Exposition ofPhilippians, 113.
20. Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 120. Ellicott argued that the meaning of the prefix ὑπέρ is purely ethical, that is, Christ’s exaltation is viewed as a state, rather than a local elevation (A Critical and Grammatical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon, 59). However, the figure is a local one, for in His ascension Christ went up to heaven and He now sits at God’s right hand (Mark 16:19; Acts 7:55–56; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20–21; Col. 3:1; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22).
21. Cf. Michael, The Epistle of Paul to thePhilippians, 94.
22. Although the verb implies the notion of a gift, it does not deny that it is compensative in nature (Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to thePhilippians, 121).
23. Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, 113; A. Plummer, A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians (reprint, Old Tappan, NJ: Revell, n.d.), 48; R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians and to the Philippians (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1961), 789–90.
24. William Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, trans. S. P. Tregelles (London: Samuel Bagster, 1847; reprint, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987), 832–33.
25. The “I AM” statements in John’s Gospel (e.g., John 4:26; 6:35; 8:12, 58) suggest that Christ in His essential being was always Yahweh. It is therefore pointless to say that He received something He did not have or became something He was not in His preincarnate state. Ernst Käsemann suggests an answer to this objection when he says that Christ is no longer the hidden Godhead. He is now revealed, and openly rules in the fullest sense. In other words God the invisible is now plainly revealed in Christ (“A Critical Analysis of Philippians 2:5–11, ” in God and Christ: Existence and Promise, ed. R. W. Funk [New York: Harper and Row, 1968], 76–77).
26. Silva, Philippians, 129.
27. Ellicott, A Critical and Grammatical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon, 60; Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 121; Henry Alford, The Greek Testament, rev. ed. (Chicago: Moody, 1958), 3:169; Robertson, Paul’s Joy in Christ, 137–38; Vine, The Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians, 61; Silva, Philippians, 29; C. F. D. Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1963), 78; idem., “Further Reflections on Philippians 2:5–11, ” in Apostolic History and the Gospel, ed. W. W. Gasque and R. P. Martin (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970), 270.
28. In this rendering the genitive phrase ὀνοματι ᾿Ιησοῦ (“the name of Jesus”) is taken as explicative or appositional (Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 205). Opponents of this view argue that the genitive form “of Jesus” ( ᾿Ιησοῦ) is a genitive of possession, that is, “the name that belongs to Jesus,” namely, “Lord” (Martin, Carmen Christi, 250; Hawthorne, Philippians, 92). However, this understanding of the genitive is contrary to normal New Testament usage. Identical phrases always indicate that the name possessed is precisely the one given in the genitive case: ὄνομα θεοῦ (Rom. 2:24; 10:13; 1 Tim. 6:1; Rev. 3:12; 16:9);ὄνομα κυρίου (Matt. 21:9; Acts 2:21; 15:26; 1 Cor. 1:2, 10; 5:4; 6:11; Eph. 5:20; 2 Thess. 1:12; James 5:10, 14); ὄνομα ᾿Ιησοῦ (Acts 4:18, 30; 5:40; 9:27, 28; 26:9); ὄνομα Χριστοῦ (1 Pet. 4:14); and ὄνομα ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Acts 2:38; 3:6; 4:10; 8:12; 10:48; 16:18). See Silva, Philippians, 129, n. 59.
29. Moule, “Further Reflections on Philippians 2:5–11, ” 270; and idem, The Epistle to the Philippians, 41.
30. Robertson, Paul’s Joy in Christ, 137.
31. Robert Boyd, “Easter: ‘The Glory That Should Follow,’ ” Expository Times 101 (1990): 176.
32. The phrase ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι refers to a sphere within which activity takes place. It is possible, however, to take the form as describing an attendant circumstance, that is, “when the name of Jesus is spoken” (Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 78). Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich have “with the mention of the name,” or “while calling on the name” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 572–73). Proponents differ as to whether the emphasis is on an act of submission to Christ or on proclaiming His name which evokes the submission (Martin, Carmen Christi, 250–51). In either case the setting seems to be the church meeting (or baptism) where the first mention of the name in the meeting was greeted by acts of homage—the bending of the knee and the confession of Jesus’ lordship (Bruce, Philippians, 49; and Ralph P. Martin, Philippians, New Century Bible [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1976], 101).
33. Good News for Modern Man.
34. Martin, Carmen Christi, 238; and Hawthorne, Philippians, 91.
35. Beare, The Epistle to the Philippians, 86; and H. Bietenhard, “ὄνομα,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 5 (1967), 243.
36. For example Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistle to thePhilippians, 114; Moule, The Epistle to the Philippians, 42; Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians and to Philemon, 82; and O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, 239–40. Some say that the dative phrase refers to the sphere of authority, grace, and glory for which the name stands. It is on the ground of this name, that is, because of what it means for every worshiper, that worship is rendered (Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 121; Vincent, The Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon, 62; and Silva, Philippians, 133.
37. Some have understood the apostle to mean “through the name of Jesus,” with the idea that Paul spoke of Jesus as the Mediator through whom God is worshiped (Beare, The Epistle to thePhilippians, 86–87). See Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon, 82; and Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 121, for documentation of older works. The context, however, favors the interpretation adopted above, for in this passage Jesus, not God the Father, is the one who is worshiped.
38. Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, 115; Moule, The Epistle to the Philippians, 42–43; Vine, The Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians, 62; and Silva, Philippians, 133.
39. For example Ellicott, A Critical and Grammatical Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon, 61; Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Epistles to the Philippians, Colossians and to Philemon, 83; Alford, The Greek Testament, 3:169; Vincent, The Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon, 62; Michael, The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 96; and Hawthorne, Philippians, 93.
40. Bruce, Philippians, 50.
41. Chrysostom, “Homilies on Philippians,” in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, ed. Philip Schaff (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1956), 13:216. Fee concluded that those “in heaven” are heavenly beings, that is, angels and demons; those “on earth” are all those living on earth at the time of Christ’s second coming; and those “under the earth” are the dead (Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 224–25). See also Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 107–8.
42. Some scholars deny that verse 10 has any reference to the local church. They say that the scene in verses 10–11 is that of Christ’s present enthronement in heaven, where the entire universe acclaims Jesus as Lord. The problem with that view is that the present experience of the church in its conflicts and trials does not confirm the impression that all things are now subject to and acknowledging Jesus Christ. Furthermore other verses indicate that Christ’s kingdom is yet future (Matt. 8:11; 19:28; Luke 19:11; Acts 1:6; Rev. 5:10; 20:4–6). Today is a day of opposition and conflict, and Christ awaits the day of open victory (Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:5, 8–9; 10:13).
43. O. Michel, “ὁμολογέω,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 5 (1967), 214.
44. The United Bible Societies Greek New Testament has the aorist subjunctive ἐξομολογήσηται. However, the future indicative ἐξομολογήσεται is supported by the Majority Text and also by an impressive combination of Alexandrian (A, C) and Western (D, F, G) witnesses. Grammatically the future indicative is the more difficult reading in that the copyists would be tempted to change it to an aorist subjunctive to conform with κάμψῃ (“bow”). See Lightfoot, St. Paul’s Epistle to thePhilippians, 115; and Silva, Philippians, 133.
45. Ernst Käsemann, “A Critical Analysis of Philippians 2:5–11, ” in God and Christ: Existence and Province, ed. R. W. Funk (Tübingen: J. C. B. Mohr, 1968), 87.
46. Lightfoot argues that the verb in verse 11 has the secondary meaning “to offer praise or thanksgiving” (St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, 115). He notes that this is generally its sense in the Septuagint and that Paul quoted Isaiah 45:23, in which the verb has that sense of praise. However, of the ten times ἐξομολογέω occurs in the New Testament it is used of confessing sins (Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:5; Acts 19:18; James 5:16); of Judas consenting to betray Jesus (Luke 22:6); of Jesus acknowledging the propriety of God’s ways (Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21); and of open confession of God (Rom. 14:11; 15:9; Phil. 2:11). It may be conceded that in four of the references (Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21; Rom. 14:11; 15:9) acknowledgment is scarcely distinguishable from praise. See Vincent, The Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon, 63; D. A. Carson, “Matthew,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), 8:274; and Michel, “ὁμολογέω,” 5:213–14.
47. Bruce, Philippians, 50.
48. Calvin, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, 252. Fee writes that “the confession will not then be that of conversion, but of final acknowledgment that ‘God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ’ (Acts 2:36)” (Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, 225).
49. Martin, Carmen Christi, 262. Hawthorne objects to the view adopted here that some of God’s creatures will be compelled to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord (Philippians, 94). He advances three arguments for his view. First, he says, the reading ἐξομολογήσηται (aorist subjunctive) will not allow it. He says the subjunctive mood suggests that this is what people and others should do. Second, God’s purposes are not always fulfilled. Third, the passage simply expresses God’s hope that all intelligent beings will voluntarily submit. Silva responds to Hawthorne with four points (Philippians, 130–31). (1) The future indicative is the more likely reading. (2) Hawthorne’s understanding of ἵνα plus the subjunctive is flawed. It cannot of itself convey lack of assurance, as its use in John 3:16 makes clear (ἵνα andμὴ ἀπόληται do not mean that God only hopes that those who believe will not perish!). (3) Hawthorne does not distinguish between God’s commands (e.g., Luke 7:30) and His certain decrees (e.g., Isa. 14:24–27; 46:10). (4) Elsewhere Paul stated that the eschatological purposes of God are firm and certain (1 Cor. 15:24–28).
50. Plummer notes that κύριος is emphatic by position (A Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians, 49).
51. Kennedy, “The Epistle to the Philippians,” 3:439; and Meyer, Critical and Exegetical Hand-Book to the Epistles to the Philippians and Colossians and to Philemon, 84.
52. G. Quell and W. Foerster, “κύριος,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 3 (1965), 1041–42, 1058. Quell points out that κύριος is not a strict translation of יהוה. Rather, it is “an expository equivalent” and is a strict translation only when it is used for אָדוֹון or אֲוֹדנָי (“Lord”).
53. In the New Testament κύριος does not always refer to divinity or deity. It is used of a slave’s master (Eph. 6:9; Col. 4:1), of a landowner (Mark 12:9), and as a term of respect (“sir,” Matt. 27:63; Acts 16:30). See Quell and Foerster, “κύριος,” 1086; and Vincent, The Epistles to the Philippians and to Philemon, 63.
54. Hawthorne, Philippians, 94.
55. Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians, 126–27; cf. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Galatians, to the Ephesians and to the Philippians, 794; and Robertson, Paul’s Joy in Christ, 140.
56. Dan G. McCartney writes, “Jesus received the kingdom as a human. Before His incarnation, the eternal Son was not a man, and thus did not rule as a man. Philippians 2. .. speaks of the preincarnate Christ as equal with God. However, Christ received the ‘name above every name’ and the homage of every knee and tongue only after, and as a reward for, His incarnation, suffering, and death” (Ecce Homo: The Coming of the Kingdom as the Restoration of Human Vicegerency,” Westminster Theological Journal 56 [spring, 1994]: 2 [italics his]).
57. Lordship, then, is His “by nature as well as by gift” (O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, 238).
58. The installation of Jesus as God’s Vice-Regent in the government of the universe is entirely in keeping with the Old Testament pattern of messianic kingship. Old Testament writers saw no conflict between the kingly rule of Yahweh and that of the Messiah (S. Mowinckel, He That Cometh, trans. G. W. Anderson [Oxford: Blackwell, 1956], 171–72; and Beare, The Epistle to the Philippians, 87–88).
59. Hawthorne, Philippians, 94, 96.
60. Ibid., 96.
61. Chysostom wrote, “Whenever the Son is glorified, the Father is also glorified. Thus too, when the Son is dishonored, the Father is dishonored” (“Homilies on Philippians,” 7).
62. Alec Motyer, The Message of Philippians, The Bible Speaks Today (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1984), 120.
63. Oliver Otis Howard, The Autobiography of Oliver Otis Howard (New York: Baker and Taylor, 1907), 2:210–11; James Pickett Jones, Black Jack: John A. Logan and Southern Illinois in the Civil War Era (1967; reprint, Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1995), 261–63.