6. Where and how did Christ at first exist? (John 1:1-3; 16:28). Was he ambitious to maintain equality with God? Contrast 2 Thess. 2:3, 4.

      7. What did he empty himself of? (John 17:5). What was the servant-form he took? (John 1:14; Heb. 2:14; Rom. 8:3).

      8. What befits anyone who wears the form of a human being? Did Jesus take the true attitude and position a man ought to take? To what extent did be obey? Was the "death of the cross" more than an ordinary death? Gal. 3:13.

      9. Why did God so highly exalt him? Had he been exalted before he became man? (See Golden Text, and John 1:1-3, and verse 6 of this lesson). What "glory" did he ask the Father to give him? John 17:5. See note on this point. How high is the name of Jesus? See Act 4:12 and John 1:12, and Acts 2:38 on the "name" and its significance to us.

      10. What will ultimately every human being have to do? What advantage is it to acknowledge and accept Jesus Christ now? (Rom. 10:9, 10). [89]

      This passage marks one of the high places of the New Testament revelation. In one grand sweep God sets before as the career of our Lord Jesus Christ, before he became man, during his earthly ministry, and his subsequent exultation.

      1. Before He became man. "He was in the form, of God." (Phil. 2:6). There are many passages that have reference to his pre-existent state. He was "with God" (John 1:2); shared the glory of the Father before the world was (John 17:5); he was "God," that is of the same nature and being as the Father (John 1:1); the Father loved Him before the foundation of the world (John 17:24); through His agency all created things were created (John 1:3; 1 Cor. 8:6); all things were created by Him and for Him; He upholds all things by the word of His power, and in Him all things hold together. (Col. 1:16, 17; Heb. 1:3). No wonder therefore our Golden Text states that He was "rich."

      2. Now comes the second stage of His career, how He "became poor." Our lesson shows how he laid aside His divine glory, He "emptied" himself--not of his Deity or His Divine character and being, but of His glory and high estate; and "came down from heaven" (John 6:38); he took upon himself the servant-form of a human being. "The word became flesh." Then he took the place of humble obedience which is man's proper place, and obeyed to the last point of abasement, the death of the cross.

      3. His Exaltation. For this cause God highly exalted Him. It was indeed only the glory which He had with the Father before the world was that he now received back--the Divine glory which was His by virtue of His very Being (John 17:5); but now he has received it again and on a new ground: what once belong to Him in His essential Deity, he now also holds as glorified Man, as the reward of His perfect work. (Heb. 1:4, 8, 9). Being thus identified with us, he is our Representative and Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) and Judge (John 5:27; Acts 17:31). Moreover by this step of His it became possible to save men, (Heb. 2:9, 10) and this was "the joy that was set before Him," for the sake of which He despised the shame of the cross. (Heb. 12:2; Isa. 53:11). His exaltation was absolute--God alone being excepted. (Eph. 1:20-22; 1 Cor. 15:27) All authority in heaven and on earth is His.

      But what must be especially pointed out is the connection in which the inspired apostle gets forth this wonderful teaching. In exhorting them by every sweet and great privilege in Christ to unity, he presses the need of having "The mind which was in Christ." The natural man--the old man, the flesh, is proud and ambitious and wants to exalt himself. (2 Thess. 2:4). But the Man from heaven was not ambitious to claim or hold His Divine rights. He humbled Himself, emptied Himself, took upon Himself the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death. It is the spirit of pride and selfish ambition that makes unity impossible. But where all have the mind of Christ, there will be sweet oneness. "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due season."

      He who exults himself shall be abased. But every one who humbles himself in love to take a servant's place, shall be exalted. The world expects advancement by using men as stepping stones; but the mind of Christ constrains us to make ourselves stepping stones to others. [90]

["The Lord's Day Lesson 7: Humbled and Exalted." Word and Work 9 (February 1916): 89-90.]

      The electronic version of R. H. Boll's "The Lord's Day Lesson 7: Humbled and Exalted" has been produced from microfilm of Word and Work for 1916.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 89:     ordinary death?. [ ordinary death?
 p. 90:     what once belong [ what once belonged
            (Hebe. 2:9, 10) [ (Heb. 2:9, 10)
            servants place, [ servant's place,
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 6 February 2002.
Updated 22 June 2003.