Exploring the Relationship between Truth and Authority

Just four thoughts:

1. Because the Scriptures are God-breathed, they are necessarily true and, therefore, authoritative (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). Because God is the author of the Gospel, it carries the weight of its author.
2. The authority of the Gospel is acknowledged, not created, by the Church. The Church gains its authority from the Scriptures, not vice versa. Authority is intrinsic to God and His Word. All other authority, including the Church and its leaders, is derived (Rom. 13:1-12, Matt. 28-18-20).
3. Jesus’ entire life here on earth was testifying to absolute truth and he claimed that “everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Pilate responds, like most today, with a sneer of skepticism “What is truth?” (Jn. 18:37-38).
4. “Jesus’ absolute claim that he is the way, the truth, and the life means categorically that anything that contradicts what he says is by definition false” (Ravi Zacharias).

If these things be true…

“He made himself nothing”

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:5-8

A few words about humility.

It is true this passage is rich with Christological precepts and teaches us a great deal about the Incarnation of God in Jesus. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that Paul’s primary goal is pastoral not academic. God is more concerned about “your attitude” than your knowledge (though the former depends upon the latter). It is essential to understand what God is teaching us here, viz., that there is a vital relationship between what was accomplished for us by God Incarnate and our behavior toward others. To miss this aspect is to miss the entire teaching of 2:1-11!

Regarding Christ’s Humiliation (2:5-8)

• Verse 5: Paul links the previous exhortations to unity through humility by introducing Christ Jesus as our supreme example. This is the first instance of modeling (see 3:17; 4:9).
• Verse 6: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped”
  • This clearly points to the pre-existence of Christ with God (see, Jn. 17:5 where Jesus explicitly states that he shared the glory of God “before the world began.” See also, Heb. 1:3).
  • We cannot fully appreciate the last phrase “did not consider . . .” until we’ve acknowledged the magnitude of the first: Jesus the Man was truly God and as God he did not use his divine powers for personal advantage.
  • Equality with God did not mean “getting” but “giving.” In fact, being equal with God uniquely qualified Jesus for the humiliating task of suffering and the glorious redemption that followed.
  • Similarly, we share in the divine nature (2 Pt. 1:3-4), which makes us uniquely qualified and divinely equipped to humbly put others ahead of ourselves.
• Verse 7: “but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
  • The expression “but made himself nothing” (in Greek, kenosis ἐκένωσεν) literally means “he emptied himself.” However, this emptying does not mean that some/all of God’s attributes were removed or subtracted in order for Jesus to make room for becoming human.
  • Rather, “he emptied” himself is an idiomatic expression meaning Jesus voluntarily chose not to have the continuous use of all the divine attributes while being clothed in humanity. He selectively exercised the attributes of deity while here on earth in accordance with his Father’s will. This is the very essence of humility!
  • Bear in mind that being a “servant” (better “slave”) was repugnant to the Philippian community who prided itself on their Roman citizenship. This is Paul’s way of saying that “If being a slave is good enough for the Lord Who endured the cross for you, then it has to be good enough for you to assume the same attitude of humility toward one another!” (cf., Jn. 13:3-5).
• Verse 8: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”
  • Christ Jesus reached the utter extremity of humiliation: Death.
  • That God Himself would become a nobody and endure the utter shame of public crucifixion for us who deserved to be in His place is humiliation beyond imagination!
  • The word “cross” was considered obscene amidst “polite” Roman society. Today we wear it as an adornment of jewelry, yet only when we view it as an instrument of death and humility does it have any real power or significance as we “lose our life” in order to save it (Lk 9:23-24).

Spiritual Accounting 101

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.

(Philippians 3:7–8).

Paul’s Past Gain is Really His Loss (v. 7)

1. Whatever was in Paul’s credit column has now been moved to the debit column. All those years of preparation and commendation in gaining meritorious favor before God had become a hindrance rather than help in knowing God (see Jn. 5:39).
2. The only thing that remains in Paul’s credit column is Christ.
3. Note it is “for the sake of Christ” that Paul consciously rejects any notion of confidence in his prior achievements.
4. Something so profound occurred in Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-9) that his entire value system was changed forever! The very things he valued the most became the least valuable compared to Christ. The expression “to live is Christ” rings true in every sense of the expression.

Paul Expands His Losses (v. 8)

1. The verb tense changes from a decisive break from his past that has present implications (ἥγημαι, perfect tense, “[as a result of my past conversion] I now consider loss”) to the continual, on-going regard for everything henceforth (ἡγοῦμαι, present tense, “I [continue to] consider”). What Paul counted as loss at conversion, he repeatedly counts as loss again and again and again.
2. Not only past achievements and blessings, but all the world offers cannot begin to compare with the “surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus.” Anything in which Paul could be tempted to trust, apart from Christ, was absolutely and utterly worthless.
3. A relationship with Jesus is not without its price, however. Jesus makes it clear that one cannot have both the world and Him (Mt. 6:24; 10:39; 13:44-45; 19:21; Lk. 9:62). To be clothed in the righteousness of Christ is to be stripped naked of all human pride and ambition that seeks to displace the work of the cross.
4. The attitude Paul maintained toward “all things” is garbage or refuse, i.e., good for nothing (σκύβαλα , “rubbish,” used for excrement or spoiled food). Not only are “all things” worthless, they are abhorrent compared to an intimate relationship with Jesus, which more than compensated for the loss of everything.

Why Words Matter

Interesting and informing post by George Weigel entitled “Biblical Illiteracy and Bible Babel“.

His conclusion after arguing that the plethora of Bible types and translations contributes to a biblical illiteracy:

What to do today? My suggestion is to get yourself the Ignatius Press edition of the Revised Standard Version, and read it over and over again until its language works its way into the crevices of your mind and the texture of your prayer. Maybe, some day, we can hear that translation at Mass.

Read the whole thing to see how he arrives at this.
(Note to Protestants: Please don’t ignore the essay merely because “Mass” is mentioned.)

See also Ben Witherington’s “Translation Hysteria“.