第二十六週．週一

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晨興餧養

腓二５～８　『你們裏面要思念基督耶穌裏面所思念的：祂本有神的形狀，不以自己與神同等為強奪之珍，緊持不放，反而倒空自己，取了奴僕的形狀，成為人的樣式；既顯為人的樣子，就降卑自己，順從至死，且死在十字架上。』

腓立比…一章〔的中心點〕是顯大基督、活基督。（20～21。）二章是以基督作我們的榜樣、模型。這榜樣乃是我們救恩（12）的標準。五至十六節啟示，生命的話藉著運行的神作出模型，將救恩應用到我們日常的生活中。我們就是這樣享受基督並活基督，以祂為我們的模型。

〔二章六節的〕『有』，直譯，存於。原文意，從太初存在；含示主在已過的永遠就存在了。『形狀』這辭不是指神所是的樣子，乃是指神所是的彰顯，（來一3，）與神人位的素質和性質相合。因此彰顯祂的素質和性質。這是說到基督的神格。

主雖然與神同等，卻沒有緊持自己與神同等，祂不以此為強奪之珍，緊持不放；〔腓二6；〕反而將神的形狀（並非神的性情）擺在一邊，並且倒空自己，取了奴僕的形狀。（新約總論第十二冊，一二至一三頁。）

信息選讀

腓立比二章七節繼續說到基督『倒空自己，取了奴僕的形狀，成為人的樣式』。基督倒空自己的時候，就將祂所有的，就是神的形狀，擺在一邊。七節的形狀與六節者同。主成為肉體時，沒有改變祂的神性，只將祂外面的彰顯，由最高的形狀—神的形狀，變成最低的形狀—奴僕的形狀。這不是素質的改變，乃是狀態的改變。『成為』一辭，指明進入新的狀態。

神的形狀，含示基督神格內在的實際；人的樣式，指基督人性外在的表現。祂外面顯於人的是人，但祂裏面卻有神格的實際，就是神。

八節繼續說，『既顯為人的樣子，就降卑自己，順從至死，且死在十字架上。』當基督成為人的樣式，進入人性的情況時，祂顯為人的樣子。『樣子』含示外貌，外觀；這是更詳特的重複七節『樣式』的意思。基督在祂人性裏的外表，向人顯為人的樣子。

首先，祂倒空自己，把祂神格的形狀，神格外面的彰顯擺在一邊，成為人的樣式。然後，祂降卑自己，順從至死。基督是神，本有神的彰顯。雖然祂與神同等，祂卻把這個同等擺在一邊，倒空自己，取了人的樣式。這指明藉著成為肉體，祂成了一個人。然後，既顯為人的樣子，就降卑自己。這意思是說，當祂作人的時候，祂甚麼都不堅持，反而降卑自己，以至於死，且死在十字架上。這就是作我們榜樣的基督。

基督的降卑自己，顯明祂的倒空自己。十字架的死，是基督降卑的極點。對猶太人而言，這是咒詛。（申二一22～23。）對外邦人而言，這是加在罪犯和奴隸身上的死刑。（太二七16～17，20～23。）因此這是件羞辱的事。（來十二2。）

主的降卑有七步：倒空自己；取了奴僕的形狀；成為人的樣式；降卑自己；成為順從的；順從至死；且死在十字架上。（腓立比書生命讀經，一○三至一○五頁。）

參讀：腓立比書生命讀經，第十篇。

WEEK 26 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

Phil. 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross.

In Philippians 1 the central point is to magnify Christ, to live Christ (vv. 20-21). In chapter 2 it is to take Christ as our pattern, our model. This pattern is the standard of our salvation (v. 12). Verses 5 through 16 reveal that the word of life works out the pattern by the operating God in order to apply salvation to our daily living. In this way we enjoy Christ and live Him, taking Him as our pattern. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3489)

[In Philippians 2:6] the Greek word rendered “existing” denotes existing from the beginning. It implies the Lord’s eternal preexistence. The word form refers to the expression, not the fashion, of God’s being (Heb. 1:3). It is identified with the essence and nature of God’s person and thus expresses His essence and nature. This refers to Christ’s deity.

Although the Lord was equal with God, He did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped and retained [Phil. 2:6]. Rather, He laid aside the form of God, not the nature of God, and emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave. (Life-study of Philippians, p. 86)

Todays Reading

Philippians 2:7 goes on to say that Christ “emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men.” When Christ emptied Himself, He laid aside what He possessed—the form of God. The word form in verse 7 is the same word as used for the form of God in verse 6. In His incarnation the Lord did not alter His divine nature; He changed only His outward expression from the form of God, the highest form, to that of a slave, the lowest form. This was not a change of essence; it was a change of state. The word becoming indicates entering into a new state.

The form of God implies the inward reality of Christ’s deity; the likeness of men denotes the outward appearance of His humanity. He appeared to men as a man outwardly, but as God, He had the reality of deity inwardly.

Verse 8 continues, “And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross.” When Christ became in the likeness of men, entering into the condition of humanity, He was found in fashion as a man. The word fashion implies the outward guise, the semblance. What Christ looked like in His humanity was found by men to be in fashion as a man.

First, He emptied Himself by putting aside the form, the outward expression, of His deity and becoming in the likeness of men. Then He humbled Himself by becoming obedient even unto death. Christ was God with the expression of God. Although He was equal with God, He put aside this equality and emptied Himself by taking the likeness of men. This indicates that He became a man through incarnation. Then, being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself. This means that when He was a man, He did not insist on anything. Rather, He humbled Himself to the point of dying on the cross. This is Christ as our pattern.

Christ’s self-humbling manifested His self-emptying. The death of the cross was the climax of Christ’s humiliation. To the Jews this was a curse (Deut. 21:22-23). To the Gentiles it was a death sentence imposed upon malefactors and slaves (Matt. 27:16-17, 20-23). Hence, it was a shameful thing (Heb. 12:2).

The Lord’s humiliation involves seven steps: emptying Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men, humbling Himself, becoming obedient, being obedient even unto death, and being obedient unto the death of the cross. (Life-study of Philippians, pp. 86-88)

Further Reading: Life-study of Philippians, msg. 10