2. The humility and exaltation of the Servant-Christ: our example and pattern (2:5-11)
While this famous section is not simply a call to imitate Christ, it clearly is presented by Paul as a challenge to conform to Christ’s example of humble, self-giving service.
This classic Christological expression, whether written originally by Paul or borrowed from the community before him (a pre-Pauline hymn to Christ?) illustrates like nothing else the essence of Paul’s words elsewhere: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2Co 8:9).
This segment falls naturally into two parts (Hawthorne): (1) Jesus' humiliation by his own act (vv.5-8); (2) Jesus' exaltation by God’s act (vv.9-11). The literature on this famous segment is enormous. The issues are critical and complex (see Hawthorne and Martin for sources for further study). In modern times the focus of debate is on whether the reference is to the preexistent Son who became the human Jesus, or whether the human Jesus only (as second Adam) is described in these verses. In other words, is this Christology from “above” or from “below” or both? Surely it is both.
The key motif is struck in 2:4-5 where the attitude of servanthood is stressed. Here we see the mind behind the manger, the service, and the cross of Christ. This Christlike attitude should mark each of you, says Paul. For (the preexistent) Christ, this self-giving attitude meant that even though he was in very nature God (en morphē theou, v.6), he did not consider equality with God (and all the benefits involved) a thing to be grasped (harpagmon, i.e., held on to or exploited for his own advantage). Rather, he poured himself out (ekenōsen, v.7) by becoming in very fact a servant, and a human one at that! (The niv rendering made himself nothing is weak; it fails to capture the strength of Christ’s decisive action in becoming both human and servant; cf. Isa 53:12; Mk 10:45.) Scholars have debated the term ekenōsen (v.7) asking, “Of what did Christ empty or divest himself?” We must not consider it as an emptying of something essential to his nature. Rather, he “poured out himself, putting himself totally at the disposal of people” (Hawthorne, 86).
The attitude that first prompted the preexistent Son to “pour himself out” through incarnation and servanthood is carried through every step of his earthly human life until it ends on the cross. “As a man” he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, and not just an ordinary death, but even death on a cross (v.8)! In costly self-sacrifice and humility, the God-man demonstrated the meaning of love in a fallen world.
But note the turning point. The descent turns to ascent. Therefore (v.9), because he was faithful, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name . . . above every name, even the name Lord. The servant who poured himself out for humanity is now Lord! This high exaltation, however, is not to be understood as a reward, but rather as God’s act of vindicating the Servant-Christ according to the kingdom principle that Jesus himself had often taught: “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44).
The victory of Christ has cosmic implications (2:10-11). The phrases every knee and every tongue do not support unconditional universal salvation; they do indicate universal recognition that the Servant-Christ is indeed Lord of all.