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Advent Lessons

Lesson 6 · May 9, 1891

In Honor Preferring Another

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Phil. 2:1-11

  1. 1.By what does the apostle exhort to unity? .
  2. 2.What is the force of the expression, "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ," etc.? See note 1.
  3. 3.How could the Philippians complete Paul's joy? . See also , margin; 15:5, margin; ; .
  4. 4.What must be avoided in everything? .
  5. 5.What always accompanies strife and vainglory? .
  6. 6.What are the evil works that accompany strife? .
  7. 7.When each esteems others better than himself, what will it be easy to do? .
  8. 8.Upon what are we to look? . See note 2.
  9. 9.What mind should be in us? .
  10. 10.What did Christ's mind lead him to do? .
  11. 11.How did Christ resemble the Father? ; .
  12. 12.How did he regard equality with God? .
  13. 13.What does this verse prove as to the equality of Christ and the Father? See note 3.
  14. 14.What was Christ, and what did he have, in the beginning? .
  15. 15.What did he make himself? ; ; .
  16. 16.When he "emptied himself," did he lay aside his divinity? ; .
  17. 17.What only did he lay aside for a time? .
  18. 18.Why did not Christ, in heaven, esteem it a thing to be desired to retain his glory? . See also note 3.
  19. 19.How poor did he become? ; .
  20. 20.How greatly did the Author of life (see , margin) humble himself? ; .
  21. 21.Because of his humiliation, what has the Father done? .
  22. 22.Who is to do homage at the name of Jesus? .
  23. 23.What must every tongue confess? .
  24. 24.Will all the wicked also eventually acknowledge Christ's power? ; .
  25. 25.What wonderful prophetic description have we of universal homage to Christ? .

Notes

Let the school sing "Coronation."

1. "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ." The exhortation which these words introduce is evidently a conclusion from what has gone before. The idea is that through persecution the Philippians have been brought to understand the consolation there is in Christ, and the fellowship of the Spirit. And now, by the strength of that consolation and fellowship, they are exhorted to be of the same mind. Compare . The word "if" does not imply any doubt about there being consolation in Christ, or fellowship of the Spirit (see ); but the apostle would make the well-known fact a strong incentive to unity. Since they all receive consolation from Christ, whose sufferings they share, and have the fellowship of the same Spirit, they must be of the same mind.

2. "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." . The sense of the verse is very forcibly expressed in the Syriac Version, thus: "And let not each be solicitous [only] for himself, but everyone also for his neighbor." Compare .

3. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Allowing this to be the exact rendering of the passage, it shows the equality of the Father and the Son. For if Christ did not think it robbery to be equal with God, then it certainly was not robbery to be equal with God; and if it was not robbery for Christ to be equal with God, then equality with God was his by right; to be equal with God he did not have to take that which did not belong to him. This idea is more clearly set forth in the Revised Version, together with the marginal reading. Thus: "Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, counted it not a prize ["a thing to be grasped," margin] to be on an equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant." The idea is that while Jesus, having the form of God, had also equality with God, he did not count that position a thing to be grasped or held to, while he saw men going to perdition without hope. He could not enjoy the glory of heaven without trying to save fallen man. This is the perfect pattern of unselfishness. He desired not simply his own welfare, but that of others; he found his highest joy in contributing to the joy of others. This enables us to understand what Christ means when he says, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." It means that the faithful servant will have the joy that Christ has, namely, of seeing the happiness of souls who have been brought to that happiness by means of his self-denial. The thought conveyed in is one of the grandest of the Bible. A contemplation of it cannot fail to beget love for Christ, which will manifest itself in tender love for those for whom he died. Read ; ; ; ; .

Bible texts in this lesson

Philippians 2:1-11 · Philippians 2:1 · Philippians 2:2 · Romans 12:15 · Romans 12:16 · 1 Corinthians 1:10 · 2 Corinthians 13:11 · Philippians 2:3 · James 3:16 · Galatians 5:19-21 · Romans 12:10 · Philippians 2:4 · Philippians 2:5 · Philippians 2:6-8 · Philippians 2:6 · Hebrews 1:3 · John 1:1 · John 17:5 · Philippians 2:7 · John 1:14 · Hebrews 2:9 · 2 Corinthians 5:19 · 2 Corinthians 8:9 · Luke 9:58 · Isaiah 53:3 · Acts 3:15 · Philippians 2:8 · Philippians 2:9 · Philippians 2:10 · Philippians 2:11 · Isaiah 45:23 · Isaiah 45:24 · Revelation 6:13-17 · Revelation 5:6-14 · Philippians 1:27 · 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 · 1 Corinthians 11:25 · Philippians 2:5-7 · Romans 15:1-3 · Matthew 20:26-28 · Romans 12:5 · Ephesians 4:25 · Romans 14:7 · Romans 14:8

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