Emptied Himself, Taking the Form of A Slave.

In the Form of a Slave

But Himself He made void a form of a slave taking

Philippians 2:7

Php 2:7  but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave… (LITV)

William H. Grotheer

January, 1974

"We cannot appreciate our Redeemer in the highest sense until we see Him by the eye of faith reaching to the very depths of human wretchedness, taking upon Himself the nature of man, the capacity to suffer, and by suffering putting forth His divine power to save and lift sinners up to companionship with Himself."

That I May Know Him, p. 287

p 1 -- Chapter 1 -- INTRODUCTION -- In the Bible the incarnation is referred to as a mystery. Paul wrote to Timothy stating - "No one would deny that this religion of ours is a tremendous mystery, resting as it does on the one who showed himself as a human being, and met, as such, every demand of the Spirit in the sight of the angels." 1

1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 

 But the word, mystery (sthrion), as used in the New Testament does not carry the concept of incomprehension that is often associated with the use of the word in English. Quoting J. A. Robinson, Moulton and Milligan state that "in its New Testament sense a mystery is 'not a thing which must be kept secret. On the contrary it is a secret which God wills to make known and has charged His Apostles to declare to those who have ears to hear it.'" 2

Mar_4:9  And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

It is true there are aspects of the incarnation which the human mind cannot fathom. "How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem's manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child?" 3 The "how" of what took place, when a Being of the Godhead, Who had existed from all eternity, ceased to be "in the form of God", and appeared in the "form of a slave" can never be fully explained. However, the nature of the servitude that He accepted can be understood. The objective for which He came can be known, and the experience which He realized in humanity can be, in turn, re-experienced in everyone who by faith becomes one with Him. It is stated:      Christ was invested with the right to give immortality. The life which He laid down in humanity, He now takes up and gives to humanity. [John 10:10, 6:54, 4:14 quoted].

Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 

Joh 4:14  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 

All who are one with Christ through faith in Him, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, He carries through the science of that experience, which is life unto eternal life. 5

p 2 -- This is simply the essence of what Paul stated was the riches of the glory of the great mystery which has been made manifest to the saints of God, namely, "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  6  

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

But in order to appropriate the "science of that experience", no hazy impression of the nature of the "life which He laid down in humanity" dare be permitted.

In 1903, the Lord's messenger, Ellen G. White, stated that the significance of Christ's incarnation lay in the fact that He became the "Pattern-man" for us all. She wrote:     When we want a deep problem to study, let us fix our minds on the most marvelous thing that ever took place in earth or heaven - the incarnation of the Son of God. God gave His Son to die for sinful human beings a death of ignominy and shame. He who was Commander in the heavenly courts laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and clothing His divinity with humanity, came to this world to stand at the head of the human race as the pattern-man. 7

Not only was man to have an Example and Pattern, but the false charges of Satan because of man's fall were also to be answered by Christ in the incarnation. On this point the same author wrote:   After the fall of man, Satan declared that human beings were proved to be incapable of keeping the law of God, and he sought to carry the universe with him in this belief. Satan's words appeared to be true, and Christ came to unmask the deceiver. The Majesty of heaven undertook the cause of man, and with the same facilities that man may obtain, withstood the temptations of Satan as man must withstand them. 8

The gist of Satan's insinuation was that God was tyrannical for demanding death for the transgression of a law that man could not keep. But God did not alter His demands to meet the charges of the adversary. The standard set for man unfallen was to be the standard required of man fallen in sin. On this point the following two quotations are explicit:     The conditions of eternal life, under grace, are just what they were in Eden, - perfect righteousness, harmony with God, perfect conformity

p3 -- to the principles of His law. The standard of character presented in the Old Testament is the same that is presented in the New Testament. 9

The Lord now demands that every son and daughter of Adam, through faith in Jesus Christ, serve Him in human nature which we now have. 10

For Christ to meet the charges of Satan, and thus unmask the deceiver, and at the same time to become the Pattern-man for the human race certain laws had to be met by Him in His humanity. A law must not only be just in its very nature, but the application of the law must meet the requirements of justice. For example, can a teacher require of his students an assignment that it is impossible for them to do? In other words, the ones to whom the law is applied must have the ability to meet its demands. Either, after man sinned, the law had to be changed to meet man in his new condition, or else a way had to be found whereby power could be given to man.to meet the law's requirements.

Secondly, the law of equivalence becomes operative. Again by simple illustration, when a teacher is challenged as to the inability of the students to do the work assigned, does the teacher answer this challenge by demonstrating that he can do it? No! To demonstrate the justice of his assignments, the teacher must show that one on the student's level is able to do that which was assigned. This is the very demand which Christ must meet in order to be a Pattern-man; and to meet it, He must accept the level and liabilities of man.

The acceptance of these laws by Christ is clearly stated as follows:     He came not to our world to give the obedience of a lesser God to a greater, but as a man to obey God's Holy Law, and in this way He is our example. The Lord Jesus came to our world, not to reveal what a God could do, but what a man could do, through faith in God's power to.help, in every emergency.  11

The study of the incarnation is simply the study of how and in what way Jesus Christ met the law of equivalence and the demands of justice. His life

p 4 -- thus becomes the golden chain to which the anchor is attached which reaches "within the veil." 12  We are advised that this is to be our study:       The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man; He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He was God in the flesh. When we approach this subject, we would do well to heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Ex. 3:5). We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth. 13

Over and beyond this, there is a broader aspect to consider. If Christ did give this demonstration to the world and to the universe, why did not the conflict cease then and there? Why has the warfare been prolonged? Why was it necessary for certain things to take place?  14  Is there another demonstration to be made? Does a correct understanding of the incarnation have a definite bearing on the group who in the book of Revelation are revealed as the 144,000?

Let us say, for example, that we have a good working model of a machine a man has invented. It is perfect. It is needed. So the question is raised, "Can this working model be reproduced?" If it cannot, is there much value to it? But if the model can be reproduced, will not all other replicas operate with equal efficiency? Or to put the question squarely, can the image of Jesus be fully "reflected" in humanity?, 15 Is not therefore, the study of the incarnation of Jesus Christ, as it is revealed in prophecy, in the Gospels, in the Epistles, and in the Revelation, a basis for that righteousness by faith which permits the glory of God to tabernacle once more among men? Will not this be the final answer to the initial charge of Satan? Is not the incarnation the

p 5 -- foundation upon which rests the hope - "Christ in you the hope of glory?"

Col 1:27  …which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

When this occurs will not God be vindicated and thus receive the glory due His name? Note carefully the summation of Christ's saving grace:     

The revelation of His own glory in the form of humanity will bring heaven so near to men that the beauty adorning the inner temple will be seen in every soul in whom the Saviour dwells. Men will be captivated by the glory of an abiding Christ. And in currents of praise and thanksgiving from the many souls thus won to God, glory will flow back to the great Giver. 16

1. I Timothy 3:16 Phillips trans.

2. James Hope Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, p. 420, Emphasis Robinson.

3. Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, July 30, 1896 (5BC:1130)

4. Philippians 2:6-7 Greek. 

5. Ellen G. White, Ms. 131, 1897, Andreasen Collection #2

6. Colossians 1:27

7. Ellen G. White, Ms. 76, 1903 (7BC:904)

8. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 252

9. Ellen G. White, The Mount of Blessing, p. 116 (1946 edition)

10. Ellen G. White, Our High Calling, p. 48

11. IIbid.

12. Hebrews 6:19

13. Ellen G. White, Selected Messages, bk. 1, p. 244

14. Revelation 1:1 - "must come to pass" - Greek, dei = "it is necessary".

15. Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 71

16. Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 420