B. B. Warfield: The Person of Christ

I've been spending the last couple of days reading B.B. Warfield's writings on "The Person of Christ." So far I have only made it through the first part, Warfield's exegesis of Philippians 2:5-11. Some of what I learned:

• 'Although he existed in the form of God..." The greek word translated "form" denotes something that has all of the characteristics of something. Thus, Paul is saying that Christ was fully God. (My own observation: it also points to a Trinity. Otherwise Paul would be saying that God had all the characteristics of God. Paul was saying "Jesus had all the characteristics of God the Father.")
• '...taking the form of a servant..." The word "taking" implies an adding to, not a replacement of, Jesus' nature. This means that Jesus was fully God and fully man.
• When Paul refers to Jesus emptying Himself, he does not mean that Jesus set aside His god-nature, only His status as God. (This idea is supported by the item above, and the fact that the New Testament uses the phrase "to empty" one's self metaphorically only.

What Warfield is painting here is the image of a Christ who is fully God and fully man. But He is also showing us a person who, on a daily continual basis, gave up His status as God to be a servant to all. He was, on a minute by minute basis denying Himself by considering others more important than Himself.

Just as He asks us to do.