And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
All Commentaries on Philippians 2:8 Go To Philippians 2
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And being found in fashion as a man. See, they say, both in fashion, and as a man. To be as a man, and to be a man in fashion, is not to be a man indeed. To be a man in fashion is not to be a man by nature. See with what ingenuousness I lay down what our enemies say, for that is a brilliant victory, and amply gained, when we do not conceal what seem to be their strong points. For this is deceit rather than victory. What then do they say? Let me repeat their argument. To be a man in fashion is not to be a man by nature; and to be as a man, and in the fashion of a man, this is not to be a man. So then to take the form of a servant, is not to take the form of a servant. Here then is an inconsistency; and wherefore do you not first of all solve this difficulty? For as you think that this contradicts us, so do we say that the other contradicts you. He says not, as the form of a servant, nor in the likeness of the form of a servant, nor in the fashion of the form of a servant, but He took the form of a servant. What then is this? For there is a contradiction. There is no contradiction. God forbid! It is a cold and ridiculous argument of theirs. He took, say they, the form of a servant, when He girded Himself with a towel, and washed the feet of His disciples. Is this the form of a servant? Nay, this is not the form, but the work of a servant. It is one thing that there should be the work of a servant, and another to take the form of a servant. Why did he not say, He did the work of a servant, which were clearer? But nowhere in Scripture is form put for work, for the difference is great: the one is the result of nature, the other of action. In common speaking, too, we never use form for work. Besides, according to them, He did not even take the work of a servant, nor even gird Himself. For if all was a mere shadow, there was no reality. If He had not real hands, how did He wash their feet? If He had not real loins, how did He gird Himself with a towel? And what kind of garments did he take? For Scripture says, He took His garments. John 13:12 So then not even the work is found to have really taken place, but it was all a deception, nor did He even wash the disciples. For if that incorporeal nature did not appear, it was not in a body. Who then washed the disciples' feet?
Again, what in opposition to Paul of Samosata? For what did he affirm? The very same. But it is no emptying of Himself, that one who is of human nature, and a mere man, should wash his fellow-servants. For what we said against the Arians, we must repeat against these too, for they differ not from one another, save by a little space of time; both the one and the other affirm the Son of God to be a creature. What then shall we say to them? If He being a man washed man, He emptied not, He humbled not Himself. If He being a man seized not on being equal with God, He is not deserving of praise. That God should become man, is great, unspeakable, inexpressible humility; but what humility is there in that one, who was a man should do the works of men? And where is the work of God ever called the form of God? For if he were a mere man, and was called the form of God by reason of His works, why do we not do the same of Peter, for he wrought greater deeds than Christ Himself? Why say you not of Paul, that he had the form of God? Why did not Paul give an example of himself, for he wrought a thousand servile works, and did not even refuse to say, For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 2 Corinthians 4:5
These are absurdities and trifles! Scripture says, He emptied Himself. How did He empty Himself? Tell me. What was His emptying? What His humiliation? Was it because He wrought wonders? This both Paul and Peter did, so that this was not peculiar to the Son. What then means, Being made in the likeness of men? He had many things belonging to us, and many He had not; for instance, He was not born of wedlock. He did no sin. These things had He which no man has. He was not what he seemed only, but He was God also; He seemed to be a man, but He was not like the mass of men. For He was like them in flesh. He means then, that He was not a mere man. Wherefore he says, in the likeness of men. For we indeed are soul and body, but He was God, and soul and body, wherefore he says, in the likeness. For lest when you hear that He emptied Himself, you should think that some change, and degeneracy, and loss is here; he says, while He remained what He was, He took that which He was not, and being made flesh He remained God, in that He was the Word. John 1:14
In this then He was like man, and for this cause Paul says, and in fashion. Not that His nature degenerated, nor that any confusion arose, but He became man in fashion. For when He had said that He took the form of a servant, he made bold to say this also, seeing that the first would silence all objectors; since when he says, In the likeness of sinful flesh, he says not that He had not flesh, but that that flesh sinned not, but was like to sinful flesh. Like in what? In nature, not in sin, therefore was His like a sinful soul. As then in the former case the term similarity was used, because He was not equal in everything, so here also there is similarity, because He is not equal in everything, as His not being born of wedlock, His being without sin, His being not a mere man. And he well said as a man, for He was not one of the many, but as one of the many. The Word who was God did not degenerate into man, nor was His substance changed, but he appeared as a man; not to delude us with a phantom, but to instruct us in humility. When therefore he says, as a man, this is what He means; since he calls Him a man elsewhere also, when he says, there is one God, one Mediator also between God and men, Himself man, Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 2:5
Thus much against these heretics. I must now speak against such as deny that He took a soul. If the form of God is perfect God, then the form of a servant is a perfect servant. Again, against the Arians. Here concerning His divinity, we no longer find He became, He took, but He emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; here concerning his humanity we find He took, He became. He became the latter, He took the latter; He was the former. Let us not then confound nor divide the natures. There is one God, there is one Christ, the Son of God; when I say One, I mean a union, not a confusion; the one Nature did not degenerate into the other, but was united with it.
He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross. See, says one, He voluntarily became obedient; he was not equal to Him whom He obeyed. O you obstinate ones and unwise! This does not at all lower Him. For we too become obedient to our friends, yet this has no effect. He became obedient as a Son to His Father; He fell not thus into a servile state, but by this very act above all others guarded his wondrous Sonship, by thus greatly honoring the Father. He honored the Father, not that you should dishonor Him, but that you should the rather admire Him, and learn from this act, that He is a true Son, in honoring His Father more than all besides. No one has thus honored God. As was His height, such was the correspondent humiliation which He underwent. As He is greater than all, and no one is equal to Him, so in honoring His Father, He surpassed all, not by necessity, nor unwillingly, but this too is part of His excellence; yea, words fail me. Truly it is a great and unspeakable thing, that He became a servant; that He underwent death, is far greater; but there is something still greater, and more strange; why? All deaths are not alike; His death seemed to be the most ignominious of all, to be full of shame, to be accursed; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree. Deuteronomy 21:23; Galatians 3:13 For this cause the Jews also eagerly desired to slay Him in this manner, to make Him a reproach, that if no one fell away from Him by reason of His death, yet they might from the manner of His death. For this cause two robbers were crucified with Him, and He in the midst, that He might share their ill repute, and that the Scripture might be fulfilled, And he was numbered with the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12 Yet so much the more does truth shine forth, so much the more does it become bright; for when His enemies plot such things against His glory, and it yet shines forth, so much the greater does the matter seem. Not by slaying Him, but by slaying Him in such sort did they think to make Him abominable, to prove Him more abominable than all men, but they availed nothing. And both the robbers also were such impious ones, (for it was afterward that the one repented,) that, even when on the cross, they reviled Him; neither the consciousness of their own sins, nor their present punishment, nor their suffering the same things themselves, restrained their madness. Wherefore the one spoke to the other, and silenced him by saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are in the same condemnation? Luke 23:40 So great was their wickedness. Wherefore it is written, God also highly exalted Him, and gave Him the Name which is above every name. When the blessed Paul has made mention of the flesh, he fearlessly speaks of all His humiliation. For until he had mentioned that He took the form of a servant, and while he was speaking of His Divinity, behold how loftily he does it, (loftily, I say, according to his power; for he speaks not according to His own worthiness, seeing that he is not able). Being in the form of God, He counted it not a prize to be equal with God. But when he had said, that He became Man, henceforth he fearlessly discourses of His low estate, being confident that the mention of His low estate would not harm His Divinity, since His flesh admitted this.
