The Hymn in Philippians (Phil 2,6-11) is often put in relationship with texts from the First Testament, be it passages which deal with the pre-existence of wisdom or those which evoke the destiny Abstract. This study addresses the unsettled question concerning the genre of Philippians 2:6-11, long considered a poetic 'Christ-hymn', but more recently classified under a number of alternative genre headings: exalted prose, encomion, epainos, early Christian confession, didactic poem, and prose hymn.The study examines the text in the light of ancient rhetorical theory of hymnos and the Philippians' spiritual health in 1:27-2:4 to a highly structured tribute to the Church's Lord in 2:6-11 without an appropriate transi- tion. In form, as in substance, the passage has all the characteristics of a hymn or poem, and must have been composed deliberately with this end in view. We are thus suddenly and unexpectedly transported The Shape of the Hymn Verses 6-11 are divided into two sections: what Jesus did for humanity (verses 6-8) and what God did for Jesus (verses 9-11). We may explain the movement of these sections by following three key verbs: Jesus emptied himself (verse 7); Jesus humbled himself (verse 8); God has exalted him (verse 9). What Jesus did, verses 6-8 Scholars who interpret Phil 2:6-11 as an early Christian hymn point out that it contains a rich vocabulary, a number of poetic elements (e.g., parallelism, paradox, climax), and that, with only one or two small changes, it can stand alone as an independent composition. They also note that, although it speaks of Christ's death and exaltation 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[ a] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[ b]being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted Exegetes generally believe that this much-quoted passage was taken from an early Christian hymn. Paul further urges the Philippians to work out their "own salvation with fear and trembling" (2:12), words often cited by theologians in discussing the role of free will in gaining personal salvation. h98N4P5.

philippians 2 6 11 hymn