HUMILITY IS SPELLED...

Philippians 2:1-11 (NLT)

1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.

3 Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 4 Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.

5 Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God. 7 He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. 8 And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal's death on a cross.

9 Because of this, God raised him up to the heights of heaven and gave him a name that is above every other name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When I was in eighth grade I participated in a school spelling bee, which was a contest to see who could spell the most words correctly. Each day I would memorize the spelling of multiple words. I thought I had a great chance to win the competition, but I ended up in third place. One of my good friends won the contest, and afterwards I asked her what her technique was for winning. She told me that besides memorizing how to spell a variety of words, she also memorized the meaning of each word. Knowing the meaning of each word helped my friend remember how to spell each word flawlessly.

It is one thing to know how to spell the word "humility," but it is another thing to know how to spell out "humility." To spell out something is to discern its meaning and bring out its significance. Spelling the word "humility" does not help me understand what "humility" really is. My friend was able to win the spelling bee because she was able to understand the meaning of each word, which helped her remember the spelling of the word.

In Philippians 1:1 Paul presents the theme of humility by identifying himself as a slave of Jesus Christ rather than as an apostle of Jesus Christ. The reason for this is because he is introducing and modeling for the Philippian believers what humility looks like: the lowering of oneself in favor of the elevation of Jesus and the elevation of others. But, Paul did not further elaborate what humility is all about; he saves the expansion of this theme for Philippians 2:1-11. Here Paul begins to spell out for us what humility is all about and its implications for our lives today, and he does so by associating humility with Jesus himself.

Philippians 1 ends with Paul challenging the church at Philippi to remain united as they endure suffering for their faith. Just as Paul is in jail because of his faith in Christ (Philippians 1:13, 17), no doubt the church will face similar persecution because of their obedience to Jesus as well. Paul reminds the believers that they are "citizens of heaven"; they belong to God and thus, must live in a manner that brings honor and glory to God. (Philippians 1:27) The church must stand united, fighting and defending the gospel as one, recognizing that the gift of suffering is intended to help them identify with Jesus' own suffering on the cross and to help them deepen their trust in Christ. Unity in the church is what will help advance the gospel to the nations of the world.

But, corporate unity does not come out of nowhere. It cannot be created instantly. Unity is formed through a lifestyle each believer must actively live out. For unity to develop in the body of Christ, each believer must first live in constant humility. Just like flowers come from seeds that have been planted and nurtured by water and sunlight, unity blooms out of seeds planted and nurtured in humility. Humility is the catalyst for unity.

In Philippians 2:1-11 Paul begins to spell out what humility is and its repercussions for the church at Philippi. The struggle to spread the gospel in the midst of suffering (Philippians 1:30) is directly connected to the unity Paul is seeking for at the Philippian church (Philippian 2:1); this connection is found through the word "therefore," a word the NLT fails to flesh out. What Philippians 2:1 should say is:

Therefore, is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ?...

Hence, what Paul is driving at is this: he encourages the church to unite together in advancing the gospel. Despite facing persecution and obstacles, they must remain in the same spirit and fight for the Good News of Jesus. (Philippians 1:27-30) And the strength and wisdom the church possesses to keep this unity going comes from their relationship with Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:1) It is Jesus who encourages the church during times of trials, providing comfort to the believers through his merciful love. It is through the fellowship with the Holy Spirit that the church is empowered to persevere during periods of suffering. The hearts of the believers become tender and sympathetic even as they fight against the harassment they undergo because of their faith in Christ. Therefore, the answer to the questions Paul asks in Philippians 2:1 is rhetorical: the answer is an emphatic YES!

Because the answer is a resounding "yes," Paul makes a plea to the church to remain united by expressing that unity through humble sacrifices. The first principle we can learn here is this:

•  Humility is spelled out in self-sacrificing giving . (vv. 1-4)

To embrace unity the believers must humbly submit themselves as slaves to one another. They are to agree wholeheartedly with each other. They are to love one another. They are to work together with one heart and purpose. They are to get rid of their selfish desires; instead of working hard to promote their individual accomplishments, Paul exhorts them never to make a good impression on others. They are to be humble, considering others as better than themselves. Be interested in other people's lives; never be consumed with our own self-centered agendas. (vv. 2-4)

Note the relationship between unity and humility here:

For unity to take place, humility has to be expressed. When humility is being expressed concretely, the body of Christ will be united. Sacrifice and unending giving are spiritual truths that must be lived out for unity to take shape in the church. This is all done through the encouragement, comfort and wisdom of Jesus and the Spirit.

How can Paul make such a bold proclamation? This is exactly what Jesus has exemplified for the church at Philippi and for the church today.

Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had. (v. 5)

How should our attitude be in light of Jesus' attitude on humility? Here is the second principle from this passage:

•  Humility does not take advantage of one's position or identity . (vv. 5-8)

Jesus is the Son of God; in fact, Jesus is God. He is the King of Kings. He is sovereign over all things and has perfect knowledge over all circumstances. He is not bound by time; he exists everywhere.

Such a high description portrays Jesus as the One above all. At the very least he deserves to be treated with great dignity. That is his right. But, here in Philippians 2:5-8, Paul's depiction of Jesus is anything but. Just like Paul identifies himself as a slave instead of an apostle, here Jesus identifies himself not as the supreme divine King but as a meek human slave.

First, we learn that Jesus never demanded and clung to his rights as God, even though he could have. (v. 6) Jesus was equal to God in every divine quality, but he chose not to exploit or take advantage of his position. Amazingly, Jesus' identity to God guided him to portray himself as a humble servant, as we will see in the next few verses. Again, this is what Paul does when he calls himself a slave of Christ Jesus, even though everybody knows that Paul is an apostle of Jesus Christ. Jesus described himself as not taking advantage of an identity that he had every right to exploit. Yes, he was the Son of God, but Jesus portrayed himself to humanity in a different light.

What is this identity that Jesus revealed to humanity? Jesus made himself nothing by appearing as a human being and humbling himself as a slave. (v. 7) The phrase "made himself nothing" literally means "he emptied himself." The emptying here has nothing to do with a loss of qualities of some sort. It is not like an empty gas tank or an empty refrigerator. The word "empty" is used in verse 7 figuratively, suggesting that something is of no account anymore. Jesus could have used his divine power to instantly change what was wrong in this sinful world and make things right again. But, he did not exploit his position as God's Son to accomplish such an instantaneous feat. Instead, he will make things right by going about as a humble human slave. That is, Jesus "emptied" himself by making of no account his position as the King of Kings; instead, he relied on another less authoritative position - that of a slave. No divine qualities of Jesus were taken away from him; they were just not taken advantage of. God was to use Jesus in a different set of way.

Why save the world in such a humble degrading position as a human slave? That was the best way humanity could identify with God in the most personal intimate way. To appear in human form meant humanity could recognize and approach Jesus much more easily and without barriers that could have been erected between God and humankind if Jesus identified himself in his powerful divinity. In human form humanity witnessed a sinless perfect man who brought a message of hope to them.

But, to come down in human likeness and become a slave is not enough. Jesus chose to humble himself even more by dying a criminal's death on a cross. (v. 8) Being a slave is bad enough in the first century world; being crucified was the worse way a person could die, reserved only for the most deceitful and evil people. Again, Jesus, the King of Kings, coming down as a perfect sinless man, was put to death in such a humiliating manner. From the most highest position to the most lowest position, humility is dramatically exemplified here in Jesus. Jesus chose to sacrifice his own rights as God's Son, taking the humble position of a human crucified slave, in order to reveal his unconditional love to the world.

Humility never justifies; it always sacrifices!

Many people would read this about Jesus' humility and respond in a disgusting way. If Jesus was the King of Kings how embarrassing is it to have to die in this manner. What a shame he could not save himself. Why would I believe in a savior that had no power and authority.

God's response, on the other hand, is very different than the one above. Here is the crux of the passage, something we normally do not associate humility with. The third principle from the text is:

•  It is God alone who exalts the humble. (vv. 9-11)

Humility should not mean being stepped upon. Humility should not mean being treated in an unjust way. Humility should not equate to being weak and frail.

Humility is a spiritual attribute God wants the church to possess; this is exemplified through the life of Jesus. God responded to Jesus' humble sacrifice in this way.

•  God raises the humble up from the lifeless.

First, God raised Jesus from the dead and lifted him up to the heights of heaven. (v. 9) If Jesus remained dead, then the proper response should be one of disgust. But, that was not the case. The raising of Jesus indicates that God is much greater than the power of death, and thus, God is the only one who has the right to exalt the humble.

To live in humility gives life to the church. God will affirm and lead us in all circumstances, but especially when we are in the middle of great storms. Humility does not mean we are defeated; it means trusting that God has our back. He loves to lift up the lowly who faithfully serve him.

•  God gives a new identity to the humble - "a child of God"

Second, God exalted Jesus by giving him the name that is above every other name. (v. 9) The name given to Jesus is "Lord." (v. 11) The humble servant crucified to death has been enthroned as the supreme God over all creation. It is Jesus in whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess to in worship. (vv. 10-11) God defined the identity of Jesus. From such a humble position is where God molded the Lord of Lords.

God, too, gives us a new identity when we live in humility. We are called his children. Humility does not mean being buried under the dirt of uselessness and ineptitude. Being humble actually strengthens the church to effectively accomplish more for the Lord. It is when we are self-centered and selfish that the church fails to fulfill the purposes of God. When we squabble for prestige and notoriety rather than humbly serving the world, we miss the mark of proclaiming the goodness of Jesus to the nations. When the church concretely lives out humble behavior, the church will be united in sharing the love of Christ to this broken world.

•  The life of the humble points towards the glory of God.

Third, the exaltation of Jesus is for the glory of God the Father. (v. 11) The goal is not to be humble. Humility is one way in which all glory and honor will be given to God himself. The goal is that the humble life will point back to God himself. Jesus' death and resurrection point people back to God. Paul's life points people back to God. The church's expression of humility must point people back to God.

Philippians 2:1-11 provides a clear view on what humility truly looks like. It is irresponsible for the church to give simple definitions of what humility is about. The church must spell out the full significance of humility in light of the humble service found in the life of Jesus Christ. Paul actively lived out a humble life because Jesus modeled it for him. Jesus is modeling humility to us today. Let us base our humble service not in words or definitions, but in dynamic involvement in people's lives. It is through our love for one another and uplifting one another that God is looking for.

© Arthur Hsu (2004)