Re: "Being in the form (morphe) of God" Philippians 2:6
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 5:51 pm
You are all concentrating on showing where the second definition does not apply. But what about the first?
"the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision."
"Striking the vision" is not limited to the physical vision.
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54 ESV)
Did it not "strike the vision" of the centurion and his companions that Jesus was the Son of God?
Let's examine more closely the three uses of the word "μορφη" (mophA) as found in the New Testament and translated as "form":
Mr 16:12 After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country.
Php 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Php 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
In the first one, Jesus had a different outward appearance from that which His disciples had always seen prior to His death.
In the third one, Jesus, in becoming human, emptied Himself of His glorious divine appearance that He had prior to becoming human and appeared to people as a mere human being who was a servant of God.
In the second one, though He had the "form" or existence of a Divine Being, He did not try to grasp or hang on to equality with God—the "only true God" as He Himself addressed the Father.
"the form by which a person or thing strikes the vision."
"Striking the vision" is not limited to the physical vision.
When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54 ESV)
Did it not "strike the vision" of the centurion and his companions that Jesus was the Son of God?
Let's examine more closely the three uses of the word "μορφη" (mophA) as found in the New Testament and translated as "form":
Mr 16:12 After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country.
Php 2:6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Php 2:7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
In the first one, Jesus had a different outward appearance from that which His disciples had always seen prior to His death.
In the third one, Jesus, in becoming human, emptied Himself of His glorious divine appearance that He had prior to becoming human and appeared to people as a mere human being who was a servant of God.
In the second one, though He had the "form" or existence of a Divine Being, He did not try to grasp or hang on to equality with God—the "only true God" as He Himself addressed the Father.