Jesus was exalted to the highest place

JESUS WAS EXALTED TO THE HIGHEST PLACE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Philippians2:9-11 9ThereforeGod exalted him to the
highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee
shouldbow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, 11andevery tongue acknowledgethat Jesus
Christis LORD, to the glory of God the Father.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ's Reward
Philippians 2:9-11
T. Croskery
There is a relationbetweenwork and reward signified in our Lord's own
announcement: "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
I. CHRIST'S EXALTATION "Wherefore also Godhighly exalted him." This
exaltation is associatedwith his resurrection, his ascension, and his sitting at
God's right hand. It was the reward of his obedience unto death, as the
Surety-Head of his people. It was a part of his exaltationthat God "gave unto

him the Name which is above every name" - not Jesus, northe Son of God -
but rank and dignity, majesty and authority.
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE EXALTATION. "That in the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Thus is declared the honor raid to
Jesus.
1. Worship. He is the Objectof adorationto all intelligences in heaven, in
earth, and under the earth. Christianity is the worship of Jesus Christ.
2. Open compressionofhis lordship. "The knee is but a dumb
acknowledgment, but a vocalconfession - that doth utter our mind plainly."
The lordship thus acknowledgedby every tongue has a vastimport, both for
the Church and for the world. Jesus Christ "died and revived, that he might
become Lord both of the living and of the dead" (Romans 14:9). Thus the
whole obedience of Christian life is graspedby that lordship, which at the
same time controls all the events of human life for the goodof the Church.
III. THE END OF HIS EXALTATION. "To the glory of God the Father,"
whose Sonhe is; their honor and glory being inseparable. - T.C.

Biblical Illustrator
God hath...givenHim a name which is above every name
Philippians 2:9
The name of Jesus
J. Lyth, D. D., G. D. Boardman, D. D.
as it appears —
I. ON THE PAGE OF HISTORY.
1. Its origin.
2. Import.
3. Associations.
4. Claims.
II. IN THE ESTIMATE OF MAN.
1. Despisedand hated.
2. Admired and wonderedat.
3. Belovedand reverenced.
III. IN THE PURPOSE OF GOD:triumphant, worshipped by all in heaven,
on earth, under the earth.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)The name Jesus means Saviour (Matthew 1:21).
I. THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAVED FROM:sin.
1. From its penalty.
2. From its guilt. Desertof punishment is worse than punishment itself.

3. From its power. The sinner needs not only cleansing from the past, but
protection for the future.
II. THERE IS ONE WHO WILL SAVE (1 Timothy 1:15). How?
1. By His incarnation, getting Himself into connectionwith man's nature and
condition.
2. By His work of reconciliation.
3. By winning man's attention, gratitude, and trust through His own
unutterable condescension.
4. By cleansing him from sin.
(G. D. Boardman, D. D.)
The name above every name
J. Lyth, D. D., H. W. Beecher.
I. ITS ACQUISITION. The name of Jesus was —
1. Chosenby God.
2. Sanctifiedand approved by Christ's suffering.
3. Glorified by His exaltation.
II. ITS GLORY. None other is —
1. So great.
2. So mighty.
3. So dear.
4. So enduring.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)A name is a call word by which we separate objects and give to
eachits identity.

I. The names, however, of FAMILIAR OBJECTS are not mere arbitrary
signs, but symbols of quality. The words eagle, horse, bring a picture before
the imagination. No picture rises at a foreign name, although it discriminates
and separates. Homo once had a picture in it, but not now: although man has.
II. We see this more strikingly illustrated in the names of MEN. A village of
people have their portraits in their names.
1. Physically. As A. is called, there is a vision of a tall man; as B., of a short
man.
2. Sociallyand economically. One man would be generous and another stingy.
3. Morally. Faith, zeal, genius, are stored up in names.
III. We see that PERSONALnames stand for abstractexcellences. Thus lover,
father, child, etc., go to signify domestic excellences. Whenthe word mother is
spoken, not only does your mother come forth to your imagination in feature,
but those qualities which make all mothers differ from other relations.
IV. By the extensionof this practice NAMES COME TO SIGNIFY
HISTORIC QUALITIES. Plato means thought; Demosthenes,eloquence;
Nero, cruelty; Napoleon, military genius;Howard, philanthropy.
V. THE NAME OF JESUS IS ABOVE EVERY NAME; not simply that His
name is highest on the list, although that is the fact. We are to give to the term
"name" as applied to Him its full proportions and richness of meaning.
1. Christ's name is above that of all historicalpersonages. The sum of their life
is small compared to the magnitude of His.
2. If you gatherthe witnessesand martyrs that have lived in every age, the
greatmen and nobles of whom the world was not worthy, there is not one of
them that is not dwarfed by the side of the name of Jesus.
3. If you go from the best specimens of men to philosophers, poets, scholars,
whateveradmiration is bestowedon them, no one would dream that their
name was to be mentioned by the side of His.

4. There are judges'names that signify perfect justice, kings' and princes' that
signify authority, splendour, and power. But has the world stored up in any of
these names such associations as belong to Jesus? Is there anywhere such
justice and imperialness as there are in Him? Already His name stands higher
for the very qualities which go to make courts illustrious, that make men
glorious in history. Once a culprit under the hand of Rome, but now through
a wider world than the Roman, those governments who do not acknowledge
Him are feeble and barbarous.
5. But there is a more important matter of comparison— the names of chief
poweron the heart — heart names. In eachquality which makes the dearest
names in life Christ so excels that He is infinitely above all others.(1)All the
love and authority which there is in "father" is dark compared with that
specialelement in Jesus. Christis more in those very qualities which make a
father dear to his children than all fathers.(2)All those indescribable and
tender graceswhichmake "mother" the queenly name Christ has in such
abundance and perfectness thata mother's heart by the side of His would be
like a taper at mid day.(3) He is more tender in love than any lover ever knew
how to be. No love letter was everwritten which can compare with what may
be gathered from the Bible describing the inflexions of Divine love toward
men.(4) The enduring intimacy of exalted love in true wedlock carriesup our
conceptions ofpossible happiness to the very gate of heaven, but when we
have carried it to the uttermost there comes the outbursting light of that
mystic love of Christ to the Church which rides higher than poetry can follow
or than experience ever went.(5)But this world is but our outhouse of
creation. When we have carriedthese suggestions fromthe realm of
experience up to invisible heaven, we find that the name of Jesus is above all
these. There are beings who rise not only higher than men in wisdom, power,
goodness,etc., but there is a gradationamong them: thrones, dominions, etc.,
in long succession;and we find Christ towering above them, "chiefamong ten
thousand, and altogetherlovely."
(H. W. Beecher.)

Principal Cairns.
The Saviour's name is above every name in respectof —
I. THE GREATNESS IT REPRESENTS. There is in it —
1. The greatness ofnature. That which is not natively great cannotbe truly
and preeminently great. Can the native greatness ofChrist be less than that of
Deity if He is capable of receiving the glory, power, and dominion that are
ascribedto Him? There are two extremes of error: the Unitarian, assimilating
the Divine in Christ to the human; and the Roman Catholic, ascribing to the
human Virgin what can only be Divine.
2. Greatness ofcharacter. Christis the greatestofcharacters, becausein Him
meet all the attributes of Godheadand all the perfections of manhood.
3. The greatness ofmission and work. In His mediation confessedlyHe stands
alone;for a race that needs salvationcannot raise up one as a partakerof the
Saviour in His work.
II. THE INFLUENCE WHICH IT EXERTS.
1. Through it alone salvationcomes as a personalpossession.
2. Every blessing that comes to the soul comes in connectionwith this name.
3. The results of experimental Christianity will not work where His name is
denied or ignored. Physical. and even moral, truths may bless the world when
their propounders are forgotten. Not so with the truth as it is in Jesus. In vain
we are told that religion is not a matter of history. Take awaywhat is Divine
in Jesus, and you put out the sun and endeavour to produce light by a book on
optics.
III. THE SPACE WHICH IT FILLS. Wherever there is intelligence it is
understood; wherever there is loyalty it is adored. It is coincident with
civilization, law, liberty, socialties, and charities; a name of welcome and
cheerto all that is true, lovely, and of goodreport.

IV. THE PERIOD THROUGH WHICH IT ENDURES. There are names
chronicled in history which we would willingly let die; but there is a fitness
and reasonablenessin the perpetuation of Christ's name. At the same time
there is something surprising in it. Christ endures in an entirely different
characterfrom great conquerors and geniuses, as the founder of true religion,
and She head of the Church. The name of Mohammed still endures, but is
waning, whereas that of Jesus is going into new regions. This, too, in spite of
opposition to His claims.
(Principal Cairns.)
The music of two syllables
T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.
The name of Jesus is —
I. AN EASY NAME.
1. Easilypronounced. There are names so long and difficult that they have to
be repeated before we venture to speak them; but within the first two years a
child clasps its hands and says Jesus.
2. Easilyremembered. Sometimes we have to pause before we canrecall the
names of our best friends, but we cannotimagine the freak of intellect in
which we could forgetthis.
3. Easilyrecognized. The dying have been knownto be oblivious to everything
else.
II. A BEAUTIFUL NAME. It is impossible to dissociate a name from the
person who bears it. Names which are attractive to some are repulsive to
others, because the same name is borne by different persons, and thus they
convey pleasantor painful suggestions to different people. But this name is the
same to all, and stands for love, patience, magnanimity, and every beautiful
quality. To the penitent, afflicted, aged, it is alike beautiful.

III. A MIGHTY NAME. Rothschild is a potent name in the financial world,
Cuvier in the scientific, Wellington in the military; but no name is so potent to
awe, lift, thrill, and bless as that of Jesus. Thatone word unhorsed Saul, and
flung Newtonon his face. That name in England means more than the queen;
in Germany more than the emperor. At its utterance sin, infidelity, sorrow,
and death flee away. All the millions of the race are to know and honour it.
IV. AN ENDURING NAME. You pull aside the weeds and see the faded
inscription on the tombstone. That was the name of a man who once ruled
that town. The mightiest names in the world are perishing or have perished.
GregoryVI, Richard I, Louis XIV, names that once made the world tremble,
mean now to the mass absolutely nothing. But the name of Christ is to live
forever. It will be perpetuated in art, in song, in architecture, in literature,
and above all, will be embalmed in the memory of the goodon earth and all
the greatones in heaven. To destroy it would require a universal
conflagration.
(T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.)
The exalted name of Jesus
H. G. Guinness.
I. The MEANING of the name (Matthew 1:18, etc.) — Saviour, "for He shall
save His people from their sins." Who shall save? "He." Notwe or they. If I
could save myself, Christ would be no more Jesus to me.
II. Its POWER.
1. It has power as an authority. It gave Peterand John authority to heal the
cripple, Paul and Silas to dispossessthe damselof the devil, and all to
proclaim salvation.
2. As a test (Colossians 3:17)of lawfulness and unlawfulness, etc. "CanI do
this or that in this name?"

3. As a plea; in prayer for pardon and blessing. "Whatsoeverye ask the
Father in My name," etc.
III. ITS MAJESTY. There have been greatnames in the world — Alexander,
Caesar, Napoleon;but these have little majesty comparedwith those of
Abraham, David, and Paul. But there are names higher than these —
Michael, Gabriel. But all these are dim as fading stars comparedwith His,
whose glory is as the rising sun, whose beams shall illumine a whole universe.
At it all shall one day bend the knee.
IV. Its PRECIOUSNESS.What makes the name of home precious? Its
hallowedassociations.And round this name do clusterthe sweetestmemories,
endearing it to pardoned sinners. Whisper that one word Jesus, andI think of
Bethlehem and Calvary, and faces ofthe dear departed rise before me, and I
hear once more the old songs, and see the light of former Sabbaths. All heaven
is hidden in the name, and all hopes hang upon it.
(H. G. Guinness.)
The importance of a name
T. De Witt Talmage.
There are merely human names that thrill you through and through. Such a
name was that of Henry Clay to the Kentuckian, William Wirt to the
Virginian, Daniel Websterto the New Englander. By common proverb we
have come to believe that there is nothing in a name, and so parents
sometimes presenttheir children for baptism regardless ofthe title given
them, and not thinking that that particular title will be either a hindrance or a
help. Strange mistake. You have no right to give to your child a name that is
lacking either in euphony or in moral meaning. It is a sin for you to callyour
child Jehoiakimor Tiglath-Pileser. Becauseyouyourself may have an
exasperating name is no reasonwhy you should give it to those who come
after you. But how often we have seensome name, filled with jargon, rattling
down from generationto generation, simply because some one a long while
ago happened to be afflicted with it. Institutions and enterprises have

sometimes without sufficient deliberation takentheir nomenclature. Mighty
destinies have been decided by the significance ofa name. There are men who
all their life long toil and tussle to getover the influence of some unfortunate
name. While we may, through right behaviour and Christian demeanour,
outlive the fact that we were baptized by the name of a despot, or an infidel,
or a cheat, how much better it would have been if we all could have started life
without any such encumbrance.
(T. De Witt Talmage.)
The preciousnessofthe name of Jesus
Years ago a French soldierwho loved Napoleonwas undergoing an operation,
and as the surgeonpressedthe probe far into his lungs to feelfor the bullet
that lay there, a ghastly smile came over his face. "A little deeper," saidhe,
"and you will find the emperor!" And Oh! I tell you Christ has had thousands
of followers, who have had His name written in their inmost hearts, deeper
than all other names, and thoughts, and memories — deeper than life, and
death, and heaven— deeperthan all, forever!
A Name above every name
W. L. Ker, M. A.
And in now seeking to vindicate the applicability of this remarkable language
to our blessedSaviour, I would at once ask you to observe that in a certain
aspectthere could scarcelyhave been a careerthat seemedless likely to secure
future preeminence than just the earthly careerofChrist Jesus. He was
cradled in a manger. He probably did live a life of toil as a village carpenter.
He certainly spent His youth in a town whose specialcharacteristicswere
ignorance and vice. And when He became a man and emergedfrom His

village home into the cities of Palestine, He was opposedby all the accredited
leaders of the people. I must proceedto say that all this preeminence of Christ
Jesus is most natural, and, indeed, most necessary. Justas no one marvels why
the name of Newtonor Watt or Jenneror Simpson is ever held by us in most
respectfulremembrance, so no one who thinks carefully needs wonder that
countless thousands hail with delight the name Jesus, and declare that this
name is all their boast. For, apart altogetherfrom anything supernatural
about our blessedSaviour — regarding Him, that is, simply in the character
of a mere man — what elements of true greatness were wanting in this Son of
the Virgin Mary? what powers and characteristicsare there which evoke
men's love and applause, which secure respectand reverence and esteem,
which were wanting in Him who is the Captain of our salvation? Nay, but
what is there which acts as a magnet upon men which was not possessedwith
peculiar intensity by Him of whom the Fatherdeclared — "This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am wellpleased"? As we all know, wisdom usually secures
ascendancyamong men. We regardPlatos and Bacons as ourmental kings —
as real intellectual giants amongstus. But if so, how could Jesus of Nazareth
occupy any other than the front rank among men? how could He be anywhere
else than in "the midst" as the centre of attraction — the exemplar man? His
is the very wisdom of the Deity. Mostnaturally, therefore, does the name of
Jesus secure preeminence. And while wisdom has ever been an attractive
poweramong men, so also we know that goodness invariably secures respect
and esteemfor those who have it. Benevolence, indeed, rules our hearts as if
with prescriptive right; and self-sacrifice forthe goodof others evokes the
plaudits of all thoughtful persons. No doubt there are times at which this is
not so. In days in which an all-wise God gives men over to the open practice of
sin, all respectfor goodnessand virtue, for the virtuous and good, is
abandoned. But if all these things are so, how could the name of Jesus — the
name of the pure, compassionate, self-denying One — the name of Him who
literally died for the sons of men — but become a name which is above every
name? It would have been an insult to the common sense ofmankind had the
world extolled, as it does, the virtues of an , a Pascal, anA Kempis, or a Vicars
— had men talked as they do of the comparatively flickering torches of
holiness which were waved abroad by such pious souls — and yet left
unnoticed the greatSun of righteousness, Jesus Christour Lord.

Unquestionably, then, the preeminence of Christ's name is a natural
preeminence. He reigns because He has a right to reign, because He possesses,
as none other everdid, all those qualities, all those excellences,allthose
magnetic influences by means of which hearts are enthralled and minds made
submissive.
(W. L. Ker, M. A.)
COMMENTARIES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ's Reward
Philippians 2:9-11
T. Croskery
There is a relationbetweenwork and reward signified in our Lord's own
announcement: "He that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).
I. CHRIST'S EXALTATION "Wherefore also Godhighly exalted him." This
exaltation is associatedwith his resurrection, his ascension, and his sitting at
God's right hand. It was the reward of his obedience unto death, as the
Surety-Head of his people. It was a part of his exaltationthat God "gave unto
him the Name which is above every name" - not Jesus, northe Son of God -
but rank and dignity, majesty and authority.
II. THE PURPOSE OF THE EXALTATION. "That in the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Thus is declared the honor raid to
Jesus.

1. Worship. He is the Objectof adorationto all intelligences in heaven, in
earth, and under the earth. Christianity is the worship of Jesus Christ.
2. Open compressionofhis lordship. "The knee is but a dumb
acknowledgment, but a vocalconfession - that doth utter our mind plainly."
The lordship thus acknowledgedby every tongue has a vastimport, both for
the Church and for the world. Jesus Christ "died and revived, that he might
become Lord both of the living and of the dead" (Romans 14:9). Thus the
whole obedience of Christian life is graspedby that lordship, which at the
same time controls all the events of human life for the goodof the Church.
III. THE END OF HIS EXALTATION. "To the glory of God the Father,"
whose Sonhe is; their honor and glory being inseparable. - T.C.
Biblical Illustrator
God hath...givenHim a name which is above every name
Philippians 2:9

The name of Jesus
J. Lyth, D. D., G. D. Boardman, D. D.
as it appears —
I. ON THE PAGE OF HISTORY.
1. Its origin.
2. Import.
3. Associations.
4. Claims.
II. IN THE ESTIMATE OF MAN.
1. Despisedand hated.
2. Admired and wonderedat.
3. Belovedand reverenced.
III. IN THE PURPOSE OF GOD:triumphant, worshipped by all in heaven,
on earth, under the earth.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)The name Jesus means Saviour (Matthew 1:21).
I. THERE IS SOMETHING TO BE SAVED FROM:sin.
1. From its penalty.
2. From its guilt. Desertof punishment is worse than punishment itself.
3. From its power. The sinner needs not only cleansing from the past, but
protection for the future.
II. THERE IS ONE WHO WILL SAVE (1 Timothy 1:15). How?
1. By His incarnation, getting Himself into connectionwith man's nature and
condition.
2. By His work of reconciliation.

3. By winning man's attention, gratitude, and trust through His own
unutterable condescension.
4. By cleansing him from sin.
(G. D. Boardman, D. D.)
J. Lyth, D. D., H. W. Beecher.
I. ITS ACQUISITION. The name of Jesus was —
1. Chosenby God.
2. Sanctifiedand approved by Christ's suffering.
3. Glorified by His exaltation.
II. ITS GLORY. None other is —
1. So great.
2. So mighty.
3. So dear.
4. So enduring.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)A name is a call word by which we separate objects and give to
eachits identity.
I. The names, however, of FAMILIAR OBJECTS are not mere arbitrary
signs, but symbols of quality. The words eagle, horse, bring a picture before
the imagination. No picture rises at a foreign name, although it discriminates
and separates. Homo once had a picture in it, but not now: although man has.
II. We see this more strikingly illustrated in the names of MEN. A village of
people have their portraits in their names.

1. Physically. As A. is called, there is a vision of a tall man; as B., of a short
man.
2. Sociallyand economically. One man would be generous and another stingy.
3. Morally. Faith, zeal, genius, are stored up in names.
III. We see that PERSONALnames stand for abstractexcellences. Thus lover,
father, child, etc., go to signify domestic excellences. Whenthe word mother is
spoken, not only does your mother come forth to your imagination in feature,
but those qualities which make all mothers differ from other relations.
IV. By the extensionof this practice NAMES COME TO SIGNIFY
HISTORIC QUALITIES. Plato means thought; Demosthenes,eloquence;
Nero, cruelty; Napoleon, military genius;Howard, philanthropy.
V. THE NAME OF JESUS IS ABOVE EVERY NAME; not simply that His
name is highest on the list, although that is the fact. We are to give to the term
"name" as applied to Him its full proportions and richness of meaning.
1. Christ's name is above that of all historicalpersonages. The sum of their life
is small compared to the magnitude of His.
2. If you gatherthe witnessesand martyrs that have lived in every age, the
greatmen and nobles of whom the world was not worthy, there is not one of
them that is not dwarfed by the side of the name of Jesus.
3. If you go from the bestspecimens of men to philosophers, poets, scholars,
whateveradmiration is bestowedon them, no one would dream that their
name was to be mentioned by the side of His.
4. There are judges'names that signify perfect justice, kings' and princes' that
signify authority, splendour, and power. But has the world stored up in any of
these names such associations as belong to Jesus? Is there anywhere such
justice and imperialness as there are in Him? Already His name stands higher
for the very qualities which go to make courts illustrious, that make men
glorious in history. Once a culprit under the hand of Rome, but now through
a wider world than the Roman, those governments who do not acknowledge
Him are feeble and barbarous.

5. But there is a more important matter of comparison — the names of chief
poweron the heart — heart names. In eachquality which makes the dearest
names in life Christ so excels that He is infinitely above all others.(1)All the
love and authority which there is in "father" is dark compared with that
specialelement in Jesus. Christis more in those very qualities which make a
father dear to his children than all fathers.(2)All those indescribable and
tender graceswhichmake "mother" the queenly name Christ has in such
abundance and perfectness thata mother's heart by the side of His would be
like a taper at mid day.(3) He is more tender in love than any lover ever knew
how to be. No love letter was everwritten which can compare with what may
be gathered from the Bible describing the inflexions of Divine love toward
men.(4) The enduring intimacy of exalted love in true wedlock carriesup our
conceptions ofpossible happiness to the very gate of heaven, but when we
have carried it to the uttermost there comes the outbursting light of that
mystic love of Christ to the Church which rides higher than poetry can follow
or than experience ever went.(5)But this world is but our outhouse of
creation. When we have carriedthese suggestions fromthe realm of
experience up to invisible heaven, we find that the name of Jesus is above all
these. There are beings who rise not only higher than men in wisdom, power,
goodness,etc., but there is a gradationamong them: thrones, dominions, etc.,
in long succession;and we find Christ towering above them, "chiefamong ten
thousand, and altogetherlovely."
(H. W. Beecher.)
Principal Cairns.
The Saviour's name is above every name in respectof —
I. THE GREATNESS IT REPRESENTS. There is in it —
1. The greatness ofnature. That which is not natively great cannotbe truly
and preeminently great. Can the native greatness ofChrist be less than that of
Deity if He is capable of receiving the glory, power, and dominion that are

ascribedto Him? There are two extremes of error: the Unitarian, assimilating
the Divine in Christ to the human; and the Roman Catholic, ascribing to the
human Virgin what can only be Divine.
2. Greatness ofcharacter. Christis the greatestofcharacters, becausein Him
meet all the attributes of Godheadand all the perfections of manhood.
3. The greatness ofmission and work. In His mediation confessedlyHe stands
alone;for a race that needs salvationcannot raise up one as a partakerof the
Saviour in His work.
II. THE INFLUENCE WHICH IT EXERTS.
1. Through it alone salvationcomes as a personalpossession.
2. Every blessing that comes to the soul comes in connectionwith this name.
3. The results of experimental Christianity will not work where His name is
denied or ignored. Physical. and even moral, truths may bless the world when
their propounders are forgotten. Not so with the truth as it is in Jesus. In vain
we are told that religion is not a matter of history. Take awaywhat is Divine
in Jesus, and you put out the sun and endeavour to produce light by a book on
optics.
III. THE SPACE WHICH IT FILLS. Wherever there is intelligence it is
understood; wherever there is loyalty it is adored. It is coincident with
civilization, law, liberty, socialties, and charities; a name of welcome and
cheerto all that is true, lovely, and of goodreport.
IV. THE PERIOD THROUGH WHICH IT ENDURES. There are names
chronicled in history which we would willingly let die; but there is a fitness
and reasonablenessin the perpetuation of Christ's name. At the same time
there is something surprising in it. Christ endures in an entirely different
characterfrom great conquerors and geniuses, as the founder of true religion,
and She head of the Church. The name of Mohammed still endures, but is
waning, whereas that of Jesus is going into new regions. This, too, in spite of
opposition to His claims.
(Principal Cairns.)

The music of two syllables
The name of Jesus is —
I. AN EASY NAME.
1. Easilypronounced. There are names so long and difficult that they have to
be repeated before we venture to speak them; but within the first two years a
child clasps its hands and says Jesus.
2. Easilyremembered. Sometimes we have to pause before we canrecall the
names of our best friends, but we cannotimagine the freak of intellect in
which we could forgetthis.
3. Easilyrecognized. The dying have been knownto be oblivious to everything
else.
II. A BEAUTIFUL NAME. It is impossible to dissociate a name from the
person who bears it. Names which are attractive to some are repulsive to
others, because the same name is borne by different persons, and thus they
convey pleasantor painful suggestions to different people. But this name is the
same to all, and stands for love, patience, magnanimity, and every beautiful
quality. To the penitent, afflicted, aged, it is alike beautiful.
III. A MIGHTY NAME. Rothschild is a potent name in the financial world,
Cuvier in the scientific, Wellington in the military; but no name is so potent to
awe, lift, thrill, and bless as that of Jesus. Thatone word unhorsed Saul, and
flung Newtonon his face. That name in England means more than the queen;
in Germany more than the emperor. At its utterance sin, infidelity, sorrow,
and death flee away. All the millions of the race are to know and honour it.
IV. AN ENDURING NAME. You pull aside the weeds and see the faded
inscription on the tombstone. That was the name of a man who once ruled
that town. The mightiest names in the world are perishing or have perished.
GregoryVI, Richard I, Louis XIV, names that once made the world tremble,

mean now to the mass absolutely nothing. But the name of Christ is to live
forever. It will be perpetuated in art, in song, in architecture, in literature,
and above all, will be embalmed in the memory of the goodon earth and all
the greatones in heaven. To destroy it would require a universal
conflagration.
The exalted name of Jesus
H. G. Guinness.
I. The MEANING of the name (Matthew 1:18, etc.) — Saviour, "for He shall
save His people from their sins." Who shall save? "He." Notwe or they. If I
could save myself, Christ would be no more Jesus to me.
II. Its POWER.
1. It has power as an authority. It gave Peterand John authority to heal the
cripple, Paul and Silas to dispossessthe damselof the devil, and all to
proclaim salvation.
2. As a test (Colossians 3:17)of lawfulness and unlawfulness, etc. "CanI do
this or that in this name?"
3. As a plea; in prayer for pardon and blessing. "Whatsoeverye ask the
Father in My name," etc.
III. ITS MAJESTY. There have been greatnames in the world — Alexander,
Caesar, Napoleon;but these have little majesty comparedwith those of
Abraham, David, and Paul. But there are names higher than these —
Michael, Gabriel. But all these are dim as fading stars comparedwith His,
whose glory is as the rising sun, whose beams shall illumine a whole universe.
At it all shall one day bend the knee.
IV. Its PRECIOUSNESS.Whatmakes the name of home precious? Its
hallowedassociations.And round this name do clusterthe sweetestmemories,
endearing it to pardoned sinners. Whisper that one word Jesus, andI think of

Bethlehem and Calvary, and faces ofthe dear departed rise before me, and I
hear once more the old songs, and see the light of former Sabbaths. All heaven
is hidden in the name, and all hopes hang upon it.
(H. G. Guinness.)
The importance of a name
T. De Witt Talmage.
There are merely human names that thrill you through and through. Such a
name was that of Henry Clay to the Kentuckian, William Wirt to the
Virginian, Daniel Websterto the New Englander. By common proverb we
have come to believe that there is nothing in a name, and so parents
sometimes presenttheir children for baptism regardless ofthe title given
them, and not thinking that that particular title will be either a hindrance or a
help. Strange mistake. You have no right to give to your child a name that is
lacking either in euphony or in moral meaning. It is a sin for you to callyour
child Jehoiakimor Tiglath-Pileser. Becauseyouyourself may have an
exasperating name is no reasonwhy you should give it to those who come
after you. But how often we have seensome name, filled with jargon, rattling
down from generationto generation, simply because some one a long while
ago happened to be afflicted with it. Institutions and enterprises have
sometimes without sufficient deliberation takentheir nomenclature. Mighty
destinies have been decided by the significance ofa name. There are men who
all their life long toil and tussle to getover the influence of some unfortunate
name. While we may, through right behaviour and Christian demeanour,
outlive the fact that we were baptized by the name of a despot, or an infidel,
or a cheat, how much better it would have been if we all could have started life
without any such encumbrance.
(T. De Witt Talmage.)
The preciousnessofthe name of Jesus

Years ago a French soldierwho loved Napoleonwas undergoing an operation,
and as the surgeonpressedthe probe far into his lungs to feelfor the bullet
that lay there, a ghastly smile came over his face. "A little deeper," saidhe,
"and you will find the emperor!" And Oh! I tell you Christ has had thousands
of followers, who have had His name written in their inmost hearts, deeper
than all other names, and thoughts, and memories — deeper than life, and
death, and heaven— deeperthan all, forever!
A Name above every name
W. L. Ker, M. A.
And in now seeking to vindicate the applicability of this remarkable language
to our blessedSaviour, I would at once ask you to observe that in a certain
aspectthere could scarcelyhave been a careerthat seemedless likely to secure
future preeminence than just the earthly careerofChrist Jesus. He was
cradled in a manger. He probably did live a life of toil as a village carpenter.
He certainly spent His youth in a town whose specialcharacteristicswere
ignorance and vice. And when He became a man and emergedfrom His
village home into the cities of Palestine, He was opposedby all the accredited
leaders of the people. I must proceedto say that all this preeminence of Christ
Jesus is most natural, and, indeed, most necessary. Justas no one marvels why
the name of Newtonor Watt or Jenneror Simpson is ever held by us in most
respectfulremembrance, so no one who thinks carefully needs wonder that
countless thousands hail with delight the name Jesus, and declare that this
name is all their boast. For, apart altogetherfrom anything supernatural
about our blessedSaviour — regarding Him, that is, simply in the character
of a mere man — what elements of true greatness were wanting in this Son of
the Virgin Mary? what powers and characteristicsare there which evoke
men's love and applause, which secure respectand reverence and esteem,
which were wanting in Him who is the Captain of our salvation? Nay, but

what is there which acts as a magnet upon men which was not possessedwith
peculiar intensity by Him of whom the Fatherdeclared — "This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am wellpleased"? As we all know, wisdom usually secures
ascendancyamong men. We regardPlatos and Bacons as ourmental kings —
as real intellectual giants amongstus. But if so, how could Jesus of Nazareth
occupy any other than the front rank among men? how could He be anywhere
else than in "the midst" as the centre of attraction — the exemplar man? His
is the very wisdom of the Deity. Mostnaturally, therefore, does the name of
Jesus secure preeminence. And while wisdom has ever been an attractive
poweramong men, so also we know that goodness invariably secures respect
and esteemfor those who have it. Benevolence, indeed, rules our hearts as if
with prescriptive right; and self-sacrifice forthe goodof others evokes the
plaudits of all thoughtful persons. No doubt there are times at which this is
not so. In days in which an all-wise God gives men over to the open practice of
sin, all respectfor goodnessand virtue, for the virtuous and good, is
abandoned. But if all these things are so, how could the name of Jesus — the
name of the pure, compassionate, self-denying One — the name of Him who
literally died for the sons of men — but become a name which is above every
name? It would have been an insult to the common sense ofmankind had the
world extolled, as it does, the virtues of an , a Pascal, anA Kempis, or a Vicars
— had men talked as they do of the comparatively flickering torches of
holiness which were waved abroad by such pious souls — and yet left
unnoticed the greatSun of righteousness, Jesus Christour Lord.
Unquestionably, then, the preeminence of Christ's name is a natural
preeminence. He reigns because He has a right to reign, because He possesses,
as none other everdid, all those qualities, all those excellences,allthose
magnetic influences by means of which hearts are enthralled and minds made
submissive.
(W. L. Ker, M. A.)
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES

Philippians 2:9 Commentary
Philippians 2 Resources
Updated: Sat, 06/10/2017 -17:16 By admin
PREVIOUS
NEXT
Philippians 2:9 Forthis reasonalso, Godhighly exalted Him, and bestowedon
Him the name which is above every name, (NASB: Lockman)
Greek:dio kai o theos auton huperupsosen (3SAAI) kai echarisato (3SAMI)
auto to onoma to huper pan onoma
Amplified: Therefore [because He stoopedso low] God has highly exalted Him
and has freely bestowedonHim the name that is above every name,
(Amplified Bible - Lockman)
Barclay:And for that reasonGod exalted him, and granted to him the name
which is above every name (Westminster Press)
KJV: Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name:
Lightfoot: But as was his humility, so also was his exaltation. God raised him
to a preeminent height, and gave him a title and a dignity far above all
dignities and titles else.
Phillips: That is why God has now lifted him so high, and has given him the
name beyond all names, (Phillips: Touchstone)
Wuest: Becauseofwhich voluntary actof supreme self-renunciation, God also
super-eminently exalted Him to the highest rank and power, and graciously
bestowedupon Him THE NAME, the one which is above every name,
(Eerdmans)

Young's Literal: wherefore, also, Goddid highly exalt him, and gave to him a
name that is above every name,
FOR THIS REASON ALSO GOD HIGHLY EXALTED HIM: dio kai o
Theos auton huperupsosen(3SAAI):
Ge 3:15; Ps 2:6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 8:5, 6, 7, 8; 91:14;110:1,5;Isa 9:7; 49:6, 7,
8; 52:13; 53:12;Da 2:44,45;7:14; Mt 11:27;28:18; Lk 10:22; Jn 3:35,36;5:22,
23, 24, 25, 26, 27; 13:3; 17:1, 2, 3,5;Acts 2:32, 33, 34, 35, 36;5:31; Ro 14:9, 10,
11; 1Co 15:24, 25, 26, 27;Heb 2:9; 12:2; 2Pet1:17; Rev1:5; 3:21; 5:12; Rev
11:15;19:16
JESUS IS "SUPER
EXALTED"
For this reason(dio) begs the question why is it "there for?" (see importance
of pausing to ponder terms of conclusion)
Keith Krell on for this reason - The phrase “for this reason” shows a cause-
effectrelationship betweenChrist’s self-humbling (Php 2:8) and His
exaltation (Php 2:9). First, there was the cradle, then the cross, andthen the
crown.
Steven Cole - Because Jesus was willing to humble Himself and be obedient to
death on the cross, Godhighly exalted Him and bestowedon Him the name
above every name....putting His stamp of approval on Jesus’deathas the
satisfactionofthe penalty for our sins. As Peterproclaimed to the Jewish
Sanhedrin (Ac 5:30, Ac 5:31): “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom
you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God
exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to
Israel, and forgiveness ofsins.” The exaltation of Jesus proves that He
defeatedSatan, who could not keepJesus in the grave (Col 2:13-15). Men did
not exalt Jesus. Theycastinsults and abuse at Him. They jeered and spit upon
Him and calledHim names. But the Father gave Jesus the name above all
names, the name “Lord,” which is equivalent to the Old Testamentname of
God, Yahweh, a name so sacredthat the Hebrews would not even pronounce
it. When they were reading the Scripture and came to Yahweh, they would

read, “Adonai,” which means “Lord.” “Jesus is Lord” means “Jesus is
Yahweh,” eternal God. That this is Paul’s meaning becomes obvious when you
compare Php 2:9 with Is 45:22, Isa 45:23: “Turn to Me, and be saved, all the
ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself,
the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness andwill not turn
back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue swearallegiance.”To
whom? To God! Citing these verses, Paulsays that every knee will bow to
Jesus. Jesusis God, Yahweh, Lord!
Peteraffirmed the same truth on the Day of Pentecost(Ac 2:33-36):
“Therefore having been exaltedto the right hand of God, and having received
from the Fatherthe promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this
which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascendedinto heaven,
but he himself says:‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I
make Your enemies a footstoolfor Your feet.”’Therefore let all the house of
Israelknow for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this
Jesus whom you crucified.”
Spurgeonon For this reason - That is, because ofHis previous humiliation.
There is a marvelous connectionbetweenthat shame, and spitting, and the
bending of the knee of seraphs;there is a strange yet mystic link that unites
the calumny and the slander with the choral sympathies of adoring angels.
The one was, as it were, the seedof the other. Strange that it should be, but
the black, the bitter seedbrought forth a sweetand glorious flower, which
blooms forever. He suffered and He reigned; He stoopedto conquer, and He
conquered for He stooped, and was exalted for He conquered. O Christian! Sit
down and considerthat your Masterdid not mount from earth’s mountains
into heaven, but from her valleys. It was not from heights of bliss on earth
that He strode to bliss eternal, but from depths of woe He mounted up to
glory. What a stride was that, when, at one mighty step from the grave to the
throne of the Highest, the man Christ, the God, did gloriously ascend. And yet
reflect! He in some way, mysterious yet true, was exaltedbecause He suffered.
The psalmist foretells of Messiah's exaltationwriting...

Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. A scepterof uprightness is the scepter
of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, andhated wickedness.
Therefore God, Thy God, has anointed Thee With the oil of joy above Thy
fellows. (Ps 45:6,7-note)
In another psalm we see a prayer that speaks ofHis exaltedName...
May His Name endure forever. May His Name increase as long as the sun
shines. And let men bless themselves by Him; Let all nations callHim blessed.
Blessedbe the LORD God, the Godof Israel, Who alone works wonders. and
blessedbe His glorious Name forever; and may the whole earth be filled with
His glory. Amen, and Amen. (Ps 72:17, 18, 19-note)
Spurgeoncomments: It is, and ever will be, the acme of our desires, and the
climax of our prayers, to behold Jesus exaltedKing of kings and Lord of
lords. He has done greatwonders such as none else canmatch, leaving all
others so far behind that He remains the sole Wonder-Worker;but equal
marvels yet remain, for which we look with joyful expectation.
The Messianic Psalm110 pictures Jesus exaltationto King of kings...
(A Psalm of David.) The LORD (God the Father) says to my (David's) Lord
(Messiah): "Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstoolfor
Thy feet." (Ps 110:1-note)
Isaiahrecords a prophecy of Jesus'exaltation...
Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly
exalted. (Isaiah 52:13)
Daniel records one of the most glorious descriptions of Messiah's exaltation...
"And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples,
nations, and men of every language Mightserve Him. His dominion is an
everlasting dominion Which will not pass away;And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:14)
Spurgeon- “Now, just pause over this thought - that Christ did not crown
himself, but that his Father crownedhim; that he did not elevate himself to

the throne of majesty, but that his Father lifted him there, and placed him on
his throne.
For this reason(therefore) (1352)(dio) begins this sectionexplaining that
because ofthis voluntary act of humility (Phil 2:6-8), God also highly exalted
Him, giving Him not only an exalted position, but also an exalted name.
The contrasts with the previous sectionare striking...
Jesus humbled Himself <> God exalted Him.
Jesus soughtnot a Name for himself <> God gave Him the Name above all
others.
Jesus bent His knee to serve others <> God decrees everyknee shall bow to
Him.
This sectionalthough steepedin profound theologyremains eminently
practicalfor the saints at Philippi and for believers of all ages. Paulis
presenting the divine paradox, foolish to the natural man, that the way up is
down. That a cross precedes a crown. Thatthe road of exaltation by the
Father is paved by humble service to others for the Father's glory.
James and Peterboth affirm that for believers the way up is down. This is
counter to what our world teaches and the flesh desires. It is counter to what
Satansought in Isaiah 14 as see from his successive "Iwill" statements...
“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn!
You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakenedthe nations!
13“Butyou said in your heart, ‘I will ascendto heaven; I will raise my throne
above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses
of the north. 14 ‘I will ascendabove the heights of the clouds;I will make
myself like the MostHigh.’ 15“Neverthelessyou will be thrust down to Sheol,
To the recessesofthe pit. 16“Thosewho see you will gaze at you, They will
ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who
shook kingdoms, (Isaiah14:12-16)
James put it this way...

Humble (aorist imperative) yourselves in the presence ofthe Lord, and He
will exalt you. (James 4:10-note)
Peterconcurs writing...
Humble (aorist imperative) yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of
God, that He may exalt you at the proper time (1Pe 5:6-note)
Spurgeon
He stooped, who can tell how low? He was raised, who shall tell how high?
“Wherefore Godalso hath highly exalted him.” He threw awayhis name; he
emptied himself of his reputation. How high is his reputation now! How
glorious is the name that God hath given him as the rewardof his redemptive
work!
Matthew Poole - The Greek elegancyimports superexalted, or exalted with all
exaltation.
Spurgeon- God exalted him Pause overthis thought—that Christ did not
crownHimself, but that His Father crownedHim. He did not elevate Himself
to the throne of majesty, but His Father lifted Him there, and placedHim on
His throne. Reflectthat man never highly exalted Christ. Put this then in
opposition to it—“Godexalted him.” Man hissedHim, mockedHim, hooted
Him. Words were not hard enough—they would use stones:“They took up
stones againto stone him” (John 10:31). And stones failed; nails must be used,
and He must be crucified. And then there comes the taunt, the jeer, the
mockery, while He hangs languishing on His death-cross. Mandid not exalt
Him. Setthe black picture there. Now put this, with this glorious, this bright
scene, side by side with it, and one shall be a foil to the other: man dishonored
Him; “Godexalted him.”
Highly exalted(5251)(huperupsoo from huper = above or high, intensifies
meaning + hupsoo = to elevate, to lift up high) means to exalt to the highest
rank and power, to raise to supreme majesty and refers to a super-eminent
exaltation. Christ receivedthe highest exaltation possible -- in a class by itself!
BDAG - "raise someone to the loftiestheight." The idea is to regarda person

as being exceptionallyhonored in view of high status—‘to give exceptional
honor.
The only uses in the non-apocryphal Septuagintare in
Ps 37:35 = "I have seena wicked, violent man spreading (Lxx - highly exalting
- huperupsoo) himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil."
Ps 97:9 = "ForYou are the LORD MostHigh overall the earth; You are
exalted (Lxx = huperupsoo) far above all gods."
Friberg - of status exalt highly or supremely, put someone in the most
important position of honor and power
Vine explains that the verb exalted "is in the aorist (or point) tense and refers
to the definite actin the past in His resurrectionfollowedby His ascension,
viewed as one greathistoricalevent. (Collectedwritings of W. E. Vine)
A T Robertsondiscussing the phrase "Godhighly exaltedHim" writes that...
BecauseofChrist’s voluntary humiliation God lifted Him above or beyond
(huper) the state of glory which He enjoyed before the Incarnation. What
glory did Christ have after the Ascensionthat He did not have before in
heaven? What did He take back to heaventhat He did not bring? Clearly His
humanity. He returned to heaven the Son of Man as wellas the Son of
God....Kennedylaments that the term Lord has become one of the most
lifeless in the Christian vocabulary, whereas it really declares the true
characterand dignity of Jesus Christ and “is the basis and the object of
worship.” (Greek Word Studies)
Why is Robertson's observationthat Jesus took His humanity to heavenso
significant? It means that Jesus Christstill bears the scars ofHis crucifixion
in His hands, side and feet, scars whichwill eternally testify to the New
Covenantwhich He cut with all those who have placed their faith in Him. His
covenantscars bearevidence that once genuinely saved, always saved, for
once a sinner has entered covenantwith Jesus, He will never break that
covenant. This picture of the exalted God-Man retaining the scars of Calvary

should comfort all believers regarding the absolute eternal security of their
salvation.
John describes the exalted Jesus in heaven 3 times as the Lamb that was slain
And I saw betweenthe throne (with the four living creatures)and the elders a
Lamb standing, as if slain, having sevenhorns and seven eyes, whichare the
sevenSpirits of God, sentout into all the earth. 7 And He came and took the
book out of the right hand of Him who saton the throne. 8 When He had
takenthe book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down
before the Lamb, eachone holding a harp and goldenbowls full of incense,
which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they *sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals;for You were slain,
and purchasedfor God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and
people and nation. 10 “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to
our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard
the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the
elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of
thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to
receive powerand riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and
blessing.” (Rev5:6-12-note)
Comment: Note especiallyRev5:6 describing the Lamb "as if slain" which is
the verb sphazo in the perfecttense (perfect tense also in Rev 5:12) which
pictures a past completedaction (He has been slain = Crucifixion) and the
effects of His crucifixion continuing (the scars persistthroughout eternity!).
Our redemption is eternally secure!
Tony Garland adds this note on sphazo - , perfect passive participle: “of
animals, especiallywhenkilled as a sacrifice slaughter, slay;metaphorically,
of Jesus’atoning death as the Lamb of God.” By His one-time sacrifice, sin
was rendered powerless to prevent those who trust in Him from right-
standing before God (Heb. 9:26). It has been said, “the only man-made thing
in heaven will be the scars ofthe Savior.” Isaiahinforms us, “His visage was
marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isa.
52:14). Heaven and earth will pass awayand the former things will pass (Rev.

21:1+, 4+), but will the scars ofMessiaheverbe erased? Forthey serve as a
testimony of His love, His resurrection from death (John 20:20, 27), and His
identity as Redeemer(Luke 24:30-31).
Compare the post-resurrectiondescriptions of the body of Jesus-
Luke 24:39 “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see,
for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”
John 20:20 And when He had said this, He showedthem both His hands and
His side. The disciples then rejoicedwhen they saw the Lord.
The testimony of doubting Thomas
John 20:25 So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seenthe
Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails,
and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I
will not believe.”
John 20:27 Then He *saidto Thomas, “Reachhere with your finger, and see
My hands; and reachhere your hand and put it into My side; and do not be
unbelieving, but believing.”
John 20:28 Thomas answeredand saidto Him, “My Lord and my God!”
The psalmist prophesied of Jesus'exaltationwriting...
"I (God the Father) also shall make Him (Messiah)My first-born, the highest
of the kings of the earth. (Psalm89:27)
AND BESTOWEDON HIM THE NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY
NAME: kai echarisatoauto (3SAMI) to onoma to huper pan onoma:
Ps 89:27; Eph 1:20, 21, 22, 23; Col 1:18; Heb 1:4; 1Pet3:22
THE NAME ABOVE
EVERY NAME
In ColossiansPaulwrote of Jesus that...

is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born
from the dead ( the first one to rise from the dead with a resurrectionbody);
so that He Himself might come to have first place (to be above all else)in
everything. (Col 1:18- note)
The writer of Hebrews explains that after Jesus
had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majestyon
high (Christ seatedindicates the finished characterof His once-for-all
sacrifice for sin); 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has
inherited a more excellent name than they. (Heb 1:3-4- notes Hebrews 1:3;
1:4)
Bestowed(5483)(charizomaiis from charis = grace, unmerited favor) has the
basic meaning of to give, and to do so freely and generously. To grant as a
favor. To give gratuitously, generously, graciouslyand in kindness. It means
to bestow as a gift of grace or out of grace, and to do so willingly and not
under coercion. To give help to those who don't deserve it. To show grace by
providing undeservedhelp to someone unworthy (see Eph 4:32)
Vine adds charizomai means "to bestow a favor unconditionally...then to
remit a debt, and hence to forgive...Charizomaiprimarily denotes to show a
favor (charis)...In eachcase the idea of a free, unconditioned act is involved,
and in all save one or two casesthis is the dominant thought, cp. Acts 27:24;
Philemon 1:22." (Vine, W. Collectedwritings of W. E. Vine. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson)
Charizomai - 23x in 19v - NAS = bestowed(1), forgave(2), forgive(3),
forgiven(4), forgiving(2), freely give(1), given(1),graciouslyforgave(1),
granted(5), hand(2), things freely given(1).
Luke 7:21, 42, 43;Acts 3:14; 25:11, 16; 27:24;Ro 8:32; 1Cor2:12; 2Cor2:7,
10; 12:13;Gal 3:18; Eph 4:32; Phil 1:29; 2:9; Col2:13; 3:13; Philemon 1:22.
Paul used this same verb charizomai earlierto explain to the Philippians that
"to you it has been granted (charizomai = a gift of grace!!!) for Christ's sake,
not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer (Do you acceptsuffering as a
"gift" beloved? We can only acceptit in this way when we understand that it

has a holy even eternalpurpose in the hand of our sovereignGod[E.g.
conformation to the image of God's Son Who suffered more than any of us
will ever suffer - Ro 8:29-note] and is not simply a random event) for His
sake."(Php 1:29-note)
Wuest - "The word given is the translationof the Greek word used when God
in grace freely gives salvationto the believing sinner. It is so used in Ro 8:32
("He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will
He not also with Him freely give [charizomai] us all things?" see note). It was
an act of grace on the part of God the Father towardthe incarnate Son who
had voluntarily assumeda subordinate position so as to function as the Sin-
bearer on the Cross."(Philippians Commentary - Verse by Verse Comments
Online)
Spurgeon- He threw awayHis name; He emptied Himself of His reputation.
How high is His reputation now! How glorious is the name that God has given
Him as the reward of His redemptive work!
Kent - Paul does not imply by this a universal salvation, but means that every
personal being will ultimately confess Christ’s lordship, either with joyful
faith or with resentment and despair.
Tony Evans - Over the years, many celebrities have knelt on the sidewalk
outside the Grumman's Chinese restaurant in Los Angeles to leave their
hand- and footprints in the cement on the Hollywood walk of fame. Fans
always gatherto applaud their favorite stars as they leave their imprints.
Those who qualify for a place on the walk of fame must have made a name for
themselves —one that is recognized, respected, andeven revered. If that is the
criterion, Jesus Christ would win hands down as deserving the top spot not
just on some sidewalk, but the top spot in the universe. After all, when it
comes to making a name, “God highly exalted Him, and bestowedon Him the
name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow … and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9–11). Jesus Christinvites us to bow
our knees and our hearts before Him as Saviorand then follow Him as Lord
over all of life. And then one day when we meet Him in heaven, we will walk

down heaven’s “walk of fame.” But there will only be one setof hand- and
footprints there, and they belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those prints will
bear the marks of nails, because He was nailed to the cross for our sins. As we
see those nail-scarredhands and feet throughout eternity, we will be reminded
that Jesus and Jesus alone is worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. We will
pay eternalhomage to Jesus Christ—the Celebrity of the universe, the mighty
King of Glory, the Son of the living God. Amen and amen! (Who is this King
of Glory, page 395)
Name (3686)(onoma) is that by which one is known. Formore insight into the
Hebrew meaning of the Names of God see study Name of the LORD is a
Strong Tower.
Paul is not referring here to the physical name as we think of it today but is
using "name" as it was usedin Scripture to represent the total person. In this
sense, the Bible uses one's "name" to speak ofthe total person, as well as of
the office, the rank, and the dignity attachedto the personbecause ofhis
position. Todaywe use a name as little more than a distinguishing mark or
label to differentiate one person from other people. But in the world of the NT
the name conciselysums up all that a personis. One's whole characterwas
somehow implied in the name. In this passage"name" speaks notonly of the
total Personof Christ but also speaks to His title which supersedes forever
every title every given to anyone.
In short, the Name of the Lord is what He is, it is Himself.
How this truth about "the Name" of Jesus contrasts with the many "names"
by which He was ridiculed and mockedduring the days of His flesh (and is
still mockedby the unbelieving world), names like "a friend of sinners",
"blasphemer", One Who has "lostHis senses", etc. Jesus did not live to make
His name greatin this world, and yet God made His Name the one that is
supremely exaltedforever in the world to come.
Am I living to make a name for myself on this earth or to leadothers to the
Name above all names?

Pentecost- An exalted name indicates that one is worthy of adoration and
praise. In the Old Testament, men praised and blessedand feared the name of
God because the name representedthe whole personof the God who had
revealedHimself to them. Now God has elevatedJesus Christto a position of
authority over the earth and over heavenand over the expanse of the universe
and has attached to Him all dignity and honor and glory and dominion and
majesty so that men must bow before Him. (Pentecost, J. D. The Joyof
Living: A study of Philippians. Kregel Publications)
Wuest - "That which was graciouslybestowedwas not“a name,” but “the
Name.” The definite article ("to" = the) appears in the Greek text and refers
to a particular name. The title, The Name, is a very common Hebrew title,
denoting office, rank, dignity. The expression, “The Name of God” in the Old
Testament, denotes the divine Presence,the divine Majesty, especiallyas the
objectof adorationand praise. The context here dwells upon the honor and
worship bestowedon Him upon whom this name was conferred. The
conferring of this title “The Name,” was upon the Lord Jesus as the Sonof
Man. A Man, the Man Christ Jesus, who as Very God had voluntarily laid
aside His expressionof the glory of Deity during His incarnation, now has
placed upon His shoulders all the majesty, dignity, and glory of Deity itself. It
is the God-ManWho stoopedto the depths of humiliation, Who is raised, not
as God now, although He was all that, but as Man, to the infinite height of
exaltation possessedonly by Deity. It is the answerof our Lord’s prayer “And
now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had
with thee before the world was” (John 17:5). It is the glory of Deity, not now
seenshining in infinite splendor as in His pre-incarnate state, but that glory
shining in perfect contrastto and with His glorified humanity raisednow to a
place of equal dignity with Deity. It is the ideal and beautiful combination of
the exaltationof Deity and the humility of Deity seenin incarnate Deity."
(Philippians Commentary - Verse by Verse Comments Online)
Above (5228)(huper) conveys the basic meaning of "over" meaning a degree
which is beyond that of a compared scale ofextent. Huper is a marker of
status which is superior to another status.
The Psalmistforetold of this exaltationwriting...

"But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain."
7 "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, 'Thou art My
Son, Today I have begottenThee.
8 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance, And the
very ends of the earth as Thy possession.
9 'Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, Thou shalt shatterthem like
earthenware.'" (Psalm2:6-9)
Jesus exaltationafter His resurrection was the basis for His declarationto His
disciples that...
"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
the Sonand the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, evento the end of the age." (Mt 28:18-20)
Spurgeon- We Are, Like Christ, Exaltedthrough Degradation
If Christ was exaltedthrough His degradation, so will you be. Do not count
your steps to triumph by your steps upward, but by those that are seemingly
downward. The way to heaven is downhill. He who would be honored forever
must sink in his own esteem, and often in that of his fellow men. Think not of
the fool, who is mounting to heavenby his own light opinions of himself and
by the flatteries of his fellows, that he shall safely reachParadise. No, that
shall burst on which he rests, and he shall fall and be broken in pieces. But he
who descends into the mines of suffering shall find unbounded riches there,
and he who dives into the depths of grief shall find the pearl of everlasting life
within its caverns. Be willing to take the lowestplace in the church of God,
and to render the humblest service;count it an honor to be allowedto wash
the saints’feet. Be humble in mind; nothing is lost by cherishing this spirit,
for see how Jesus Christ was honoredin the end.
Recollectthat you are exalted when you are disgraced. Readthe slanders of
your enemies as the plaudits of the just. Considerthe scoffand jeerof wicked

men as equal to the praise and honor of the godly; their blame is censure, and
their censure praise. Reckontoo, if your body should ever be exposedto
persecution, that it is no shame to you, but the reverse. And if you should be
privileged (and you may) to wearthe blood-red crownof martyrdom, count it
no disgrace to die. Remember, the most honorable in the church are “the
noble army of martyrs.” Reckonthat the greaterthe sufferings they endured,
so much the greateris their “eternalweight of glory” (2 Cor4:17). So you, if
you stand in the brunt and thick of the fight, remember that you will stand in
the midst of glory. If you have the hardest to bear, you will have the sweetest
to enjoy. On with you, then—through floods, through fire, through death,
through hell, if it should lie in your path. Fearnot. He who glorified Christ
because He stoopedshall glorify you; for after He has causedyou to endure
awhile, He will give you “the unfading crown of glory” (1 Pet5:4).
WHAT'S IN A NAME? - What's in a name? Plenty, according to Justin
Kaplan and Anne Bernays, authors of the book The Language of Names.
"Names penetrate the core of our being." In the sectionof their book where
they discuss literary names, Kaplan and Bernays point out that English
novelist Charles Dickens was a greatmasterat naming his characters. Seth
Pecksniff, Wilkins Micawber, Tiny Tim, Sir Mulberry Hawk, and Thomas
Gradgrind are just a few examples of characters whose names reflectwho
they are.
For Christians, the name above all other names is Jesus. The angelic
messengerannounced, "Youshall call His name Jesus, forHe will save His
people from their sins" (Mt. 1:21). Jesus'name has become the most exalted
and meaningful name on earth and in heaven.
What's in that name? All the grace of God, all the wonder of redemption, all
that we believe, and all that we are hoping for. We say it, we sing it, and
adorationfills our souls. We anticipate the indescribable glory of that day
when every knee will bow and every tongue, by glad choice orby divine
constraint, will praise that highest and holiestof all names--Jesus!— Vernon

C. Grounds (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
The name of Jesus is so sweet,
I love its music to repeat,
It makes my joy full and complete,
The precious name of Jesus. --Martin
The name of Jesus is profanity to the sinner
but heaven's passwordto the saint.
THE NAME - Jesus!No other name draws people togetherso closely, while at
the same time evoking hatred in others.
In 1999, a political candidate answereda question about who had the greatest
effecton his life by saying, "Jesus Christ. He changed my heart." This
person's honest answerwas met with disdain from people who detestthe
name of Jesus. On the other hand, people all over the world who love Christ
meet every week to honor and praise Jesus'name. To them, His name means
love, joy, peace, hope, and forgiveness. Whatis it about this name that divides
people so clearly? Why do some treat the name of Jesus with contempt while
others hold it in highestesteem? I think the reasonsome people can't stand
Jesus'name is that they don't want to be reminded of their sins. Jesus is "the
way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), the One who saves us from our sins
(Matthew 1:21). People who refuse to ask for forgiveness fromsin cannot love
the name of Jesus. Yet His name "is above every name," and one day "every
tongue [will] confess thatJesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:9,11).
Jesus!Do you love that name? Praise Godfor that holy name—and tell others
what Jesus has done for you. — Dave Branon (Our Daily Bread, Copyright
RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights
reserved)

Jesus—O how sweetthe name,
Jesus—everyday the same;
Jesus—letallsaints proclaim
Its worthy praise forever. —Martin
We honor God's name when we call Him our Father
and live like His Son.
DoorOf Humility -- Over the centuries, the entrance to Bethlehem's Church
of the Nativity has twice been made smaller. The purpose in the last case was
to keepmarauders from entering the basilica on horseback. It's now referred
to as the "Doorof Humility," because visitors must bend down to enter. As we
age, bending our knees becomes more and more difficult and painful. In the
physical realm, some people courageouslyundergo knee replacementsurgery.
To avoid years of increasinglypainful joint damage, they endure several
weeks ofagony. Like physical knees, spiritual knees cangrow stiff over time.
Years of stubborn pride and selfishness make us inflexible, and it becomes
increasinglydifficult and painful for us to humble ourselves. Seducedby false
feelings of importance when others submit to us, we never learn that true
importance comes from submitting ourselves to God and to others (Ephesians
5:21; 1 Peter5:5).As we celebrate Jesus'birth, it's goodto remember the Door
of Humility, for it reminds us that we all need new knees-kneesthat will bend.
Humbly is the only wayto enter the presence of God.
What better wayto honor the One who bent so low to be with us. —Julie
Ackerman Link (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids,
MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
Christ's humble birth should help us see

What life in Him can bring;
It's not acclaimthat we should seek
But service for our King. -Branon
The road to victory is paved with humble submission to God
Dr. Jack L. Arnold Equipping
Pastors International
Philippians
Lesson8
Exaltation and Humiliation
Philippians 2:9-13
I. INTRODUCTION
A. For every act of obedience the Christian performs, there
will be reward in heaven. In context, the act of obedience the Apostle Paul is
speaking ofis humility. Last week, in 2:1-4, we saw how the Apostle Paul was
exhorting the Christians at Philippi to have the mind of Christ whereby they
thought the interests of others more important than their own interests.
There was strife and division in this church and the way to eradicate this
warring was to have a humble spirit.

B. In 2:5-8, we saw how Paul took the life of Christ as an
example of one who truly practicedhumility. Christ, the eternal Son of God,
was equal with God in substance, nature and attributes, sharing the infinite
glory of God. Yet, He emptied Himself of this glory and became a servant of
God, taking upon Himself a real humanity, yet without sin. This One, the
God-Man, humbled Himself beyond anything the human mind could
comprehend. In becoming a man, Jesus Christ became obedient to the
Father’s will, even to the point of dying on the Cross as a despisedcriminal.
Why did He do it? Becausethis was the Father’s plan for the redemption of
sinners. There was no other way to save men. Jesus humbled Himself so that
all who are His followers might be clothed in His righteousness and become
exalted children of God. The application is obvious. Since Jesus did this great
deed of humility, we who are Christians ought to have a spirit of humility
towards one another.
II. EXALTATION OF CHRIST 2:9-11
A. Therefore God exaltedhim to the highest place and gave
him the name that is above every name, -- The obedience of Christ in His
spirit of humility did not go unrewarded by the Father. The Father “super-
exalted” Him as the Greek says. Christwas resurrectedfrom the dead,
ascendedto the right hand of the Father, and was given a name that was
exalted above all of God’s createdbeings. He was given the title and officially
recognizedas Jesus Christ, the Lord. Lord means supreme ruler who is in
charge of the universe. Christ must bear a name which suits His character,
nature and exaltation. He is Lord because He is I AM, Jehovah, sovereign
one, eternal one, the very nature of God. He is the conqueror over sin, evil
spirits and death. Christ is heir of all things, creatorof all things, preserverof
the universe and purifier of sin. His name is Lord. He is Lord of all. If
Christ is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all!

B. That at the name of Jesus everyknee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth; -- It is the Father’s plan that all created
beings will one day worship Jesus Christ. Christ is worthy of every created
being’s worship now but many hate Him. Yet, at the secondcoming of Christ,
the whole body of createdintelligent beings in all departments of the universe
will worship Jesus Christ. NOTE: All will somedaybow their knees to Jesus
as Lord, even those who die without salvation, being lostforever. This verse is
not teaching universalism; that is, all men will be ultimately saved. Good
angels and redeemed human beings will bow to the Lord joyfully, but wicked
angels and damned men will do it reluctantly and remorsefully.
C. And every tongue confess thatJesus Christ is Lord, --
There is a day coming when every createdintelligence will agree with the
Father that Jesus Christ is Lord. The infidels, atheists and skeptics willall
bow the knee and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, even when experiencing
the pangs of eternal punishment. The moral man, who did not have time for
Jesus becausehe was too busy trying to do goodworks, will cry out in hells
torments that Jesus is Lord. The religious man, who was so sure his way was
right and took himself and multitudes of others down the road to destruction,
will plead for the Lord to help but it will be too late (Matt. 7:21-23: Not
everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me
on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your
name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” ThenI will tell them
plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”). NOTE: If you
are not a Christian, I warn you on the authority of God’s Word that if you
will not acknowledgeChristas Lord in this lifetime, you will do so in the next
life, and it will be hell enough to know He is Lord and be eternally separated
from Him. The scriptures make it plain that now is the day of salvation. Now
is the time to receive God’s gift of eternallife through Jesus Christ. The Bible
speaks ofno secondchances in eternity to respond to the Lordship and
Saviorship of Christ. Let us bow our knees and bend our proud hearts to
Christ while there is still time.

D. To the glory of God the Father. -- This greatexaltation of
Christ will bring glory to the Father, for all things are working in this life
according to the counselof His own perfect will and for His own infinite glory.
NOTE: Although Paul doesn’t develop this theme because it isn’t the line of
argument he is pursuing, it is true that when we are willing to setaside our
rights God will exalt us. When we are willing to be of no reputation and not
insist upon our rights, God will honor us. Jesus taught this same truth in
Luke 14:11: “Foreveryone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted.”
III. HUMILIATION OF THE CHRISTIAN 2:12,13
A. Salvation Is Man Working Out 2:12
1. Therefore, my dearfriends, -- The “therefore”
connects whatis about to be said back to the immediate contextwhich is
about humility producing unity in the localchurch. Paul is going to exhort
these Philippians but before he does, he calls them “my dearfriends” or more
literally “beloved.” We see here againthe tremendous love which the Apostle
Paul had for the Philippians as their first pastor.
2. As you have always obeyed—notonly in my
presence but now much more in my absence -- This sentence is filled with
insinuations and one of these is that the Philippians had a tendency to be a
man-follower. There was a tendency to lean too heavily on Paul; that is, on
his physical presence with the church at Philippi. The Philippians had to
learn two lessons: 1) Pastors come andgo but the saints are to do the work of
the ministry all the time no matter who the pastoris, and 2) They had to obey
and do God’s will without any help of any man no matter how greathe might

be. NOTE: A localchurch should never be built around a pastor. The people
must grow in grace and mature so they will become self-sustaining believer-
priests. One’s motivation for Christian obedience must come from God, not
from any one man or men in general.
3. Continue to work out your salvation --
a. The Philippians are told to work out
their own salvation. “Salvation” in this contextrefers to having a spirit of
humility so as to produce unity in the localchurch. In 1:27, they were “to
stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” In
2:2, Paul exhorts them to have “love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Then
in 2:14, the Philippians are told, “Do everything without complaining and
arguing.” Right betweenthese thoughts are the words “work out your
salvation” so he must be specificallythinking of humility as it is related to
unity in the body of Christ.
b. In the broadestsense, “work outyour
salvation” refers to any and every aspectof the Christian life. The first thing
to note is that this is your salvation. It does not say work at or work towards a
salvationyou may get.” The Philippians already possessedthis salvation.
They were to work out something which is already possessed. Paulis not
thinking about losing one’s salvation. If a personis once saved, he can never
be lost and this is backedup by the promise of Christ Himself (John 10:27-29:
My sheeplisten to my voice;I know them, and they follow me. I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one cansnatch them out of my
hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greaterthan all; no one can
snatch them out of my Father’s hand.). If a personcan be saved and then lost,
the word of Christ is meaningless;in fact it is a lie. Yet, Christ does not lie
and His word is truth and canbe trusted. NOTE: The spiritual truth is that

what we Christians possessin principle, we should be working out in a
practicalway in life.
The ancient
Roman scholarStrabo (64 B.C.), who wrote in Greek, has an accountof the
once famous silver mines in Spain, in which he refers to the working out of
those mines, using the very same word as Paul uses here. Strabo meant, of
course, that the Romans were operating, exploiting, and getting the utmost
value out of what was already securelyin their possession. Such, it seems
clearis the Apostle’s meaning of work out. We are to work out the precious
silver of God from our silver mine of salvation.
c. We should also note that the salvation
spokenof here is not initial salvationfrom the penalty of sin or future
salvationfrom the presence ofsin but present salvation from the power of sin
in one’s daily life. The Greek actually says, “Constantlybe working out your
salvation.” Salvationis not something which just happens when we receive
Christ so that we receive the forgiveness ofsins and geta ticket to heaven.
Salvationis also taking place in the Christian now. Salvationis not a huge,
initial surge followedby a lifelong continual coastor glide in this life until we
get to heaven. The Holy Spirit works in the Christian and the Christian has
the responsibility every day to live the Christian life. There is no place in the
Christ-life to glide, coastorto shift into neutral. Paul was continually
challenging the Philippians to progress, to move on and not to be content with
their present state of salvation. Paul said to the Philippians in 1:9, “This is my
prayer: that your love may abound more and more.” He also had this same
high standard for himself, for he said in 3:12, “Notthat I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect (mature), but I press on
…” NOTE: In working out present salvationfrom the powerof sin, the
Christian is to be very active. He is not to be passive or dormant, so as to say,
“I’ll just let go and let God!” No! God has given the Christian the will to
pursue, follow after, press on in the contest, the race, the fight of the Christian

life. The Christian is in a battle on three fronts – the world, the flesh and the
devil. Now there is a time to “let go and let god” but it is not in our struggle
with the world, the flesh and the devil. We must learn to relax and “let go and
Let God” in dealing with providential circumstances overwhich we have no
control. We must relax and restin God being passive as we watch God work
it all out. Yet, when it comes to fighting sin and working out our salvation, we
must be dynamically active. We must never be passive about sin.
d. We should also note that this is a
command. It is not optional that we work out our salvation. It is mandatory.
This is our human responsibility. There is no place for pious passivity and
inactivity in the Christian life. We do not shift our spiritual transmissions
into neutral and wait for God to rev us up and put us into gear. We must
pray, witness, love, give, care, bear-burdens, serve, fight sin and do it
continually. NOTE: There is no such ting as a Christian who is not showing
some evidence of progressive spiritual growth. Every person who professes
Christ must show evidence of present salvationto some degree orthat person
is not truly saved. Working out present salvationis not only nice for the
Christian to do but absolutelynecessary. The Christian never obeys perfectly
but he does obey. Godis at work in him. Every Christian needs to hang a
sign around his neck, “UNDER CONSTRUCTION. TRINITY
CONSTRUCTION COMPANYAT WORK!” NOTE: We also must
remember that Christians do not work to keepthemselves savedbut they
work because they are saved.
e. With fear and trembling, -- God has
placed upon every Christian the grave responsibility of working out his own
salvationand eachshould do it with fear and trembling. This is not a slavish
fear or the fearof losing one’s salvation which is impossible, but the fearof
failing God, who has given the Christian so greata salvation. It is also the
fear of God’s discipline when we are not obedient to Christ. NOTE: “Fear
and trembling” does not connote a frightening fear which terrifies the soul.

The words “fearand trembling” are used in I Corinthians 2:3 where Paul
came preaching the gospel(1 Cor. 2:3: I came to you in weaknessandfear
and with much trembling.). Paul knew he could not win men to Christ in his
own strength. He knew it had to be done in the power of God. He had no
confidence in his own abilities and talents but greatconfidence in God to work
through him. “Fearand trembling” is an attitude of total dependence upon
God, a leaning upon Godfor results, an acknowledgmentthat god has to do
what we cannotdo. “Fearand trembling” then is not a frightening fear which
terrorizes the soul but a fear of dependence, a fear of not wanting to do
something in the flesh, a fear of not trusting wholly in God for results.
Salvationis an impossible task if pursued in the flesh.
B. Salvation Is God Working In 2:13
1. For it is God who works in you to will
and act-- Now Paul tells us why we canwork out our salvationbecause God
is working a mighty salvationinside every child of God. The “for” shows the
relationship betweenthe Christian working out (human responsibility) and
God working in the Christian (divine sovereignty). The child of Godcan
struggle to work out his salvationbecause he has the confidence God is
working in him. Whatever hardships, demands or crisis the Christian faces in
the outworking of salvation, he is assuredthat God is working a mighty
salvationin him. It is God who gives the will (desire) and the ability to act
and accomplish. Godgrants motivation, desire and the powerto act but God
does not actfor the Christian. The Christian acts by his will which is
stimulated by the powerof the Holy Spirit. NOTE: Paul is not saying, “You
do your part and God will do His. You do your thing and God will capitalize
on it, making something of it.” No, what Paul is saying is, “BecauseGodis
working in you, you can work out your salvation.” In fact, if Christians are
not working out salvation they should wonder whether God is working in
them. NOTE: This verse teaches us that when God places any human
responsibility on us, He also gives the divine power to carry it out. God gives

power, strength, ability and motivation, and because of that truth, we
Christians canobey. NOTE: There is a mystery betweendivine sovereignty
and human responsibility which we will never put together. Godis
sovereignlyworking in every true child of God and every true child of God
must work out salvationthrough faith and obedience. The Christian can only
effectively work out salvation when he is walking in close fellowshipwith the
God who is working in him. The key to effective Christian living is a life lived
in dependence upon God. NOTE: Let me give a word of cautionnot to blame
your sin on God. It is quite easyfor a Christian to rationalize, “I sinned but
God is working in me; therefore, He could have causedme to avoid this sin in
my life but because he didn’t, I assume God wanted me to do it.” Godnever
wants us to sin. If we gossip, show up late, fail to keepcommitments or
whatever, “we dare not say, “Well, it happened so Godwanted it to happen!”
This happened only in the permissive will not the directive will of God. We
can never use the sovereigntyof God as a cop-out for our sin, laziness and
indifference. Godis never pleasedwith our sin. What Paul is teaching us in
2:12-13 is that every actof faith and obedience we do is ultimately from God
and every act of disobedience is from our sin nature and we are held
responsible for it. Yet, at no time does our sin take God by surprise or throw
His plan into a tailspin.
2. According to his goodpleasure. -- God is
working in the Christian for His won goodpleasure and He will receive the
glory for every detail of our present salvation(Phil. 1:6: Being confident of
this, that he who began a goodwork in you will carry it on to completion until
the day of Christ Jesus.). Paulwants us to clearly understand that every
spiritual act, every goodwork, every exercise offaith, every accomplishment
of obedience we have ever done, God did for us. He gets the glory because He
is a sovereignGod.
“Tis not that I
did choose thee,

For, Lord,
that could not be;
This heart
would still refuse thee,
Hadst thou not
chosenme.
Thou from the
sin that stained me
Hast cleansed
and setme free;
Of old thou
didst ordain me,
That I should
live for thee.”
IV. CONCLUSION
A. Saved. What is Paul teaching us Christians? A life of
dependence on Christ is a life of humility and those who are humble will have
a spirit of unity in the localchurch. We are to work out our salvation by
showing love, humility, tenderness, kindness and all the things which make for
unity. Christians, we never plateauin our Christian lives. We are either
going forward or backward, and Paul says, “Presson! Abound more and
more in love! Stand firm in one spirit!” When these things show up, we know
God is working in us His salvation.
B. Unsaved. Foryou without Christ, I want to remind you that you are
going to bow your knee to Christ as Lord one way or another. You are either

going to bow to Him as your Lord-Savior in this world, acknowledging His
right to rule in your life, or you will bow to Him as the Lord-Judge in the next
world under the most horrible and excruciating circumstances. Youwill face
an angry God in eternity if you do not bow your knee to Christ in this life. If
you do bow to Christ now, you will meet a loving God in eternity with His
arms stretchedwide open to receive you into your eternal home.
CHRIS BENFIELD
Jesus Christ – the God-Man Philippians 2: 5-11
Today we come to a passage ofScripture that I approachwith greatdelight
and humility. I am well aware that all Scripture was given by inspiration of
God, and yet in my estimation, this is one of the greatestparagraphs recorded
in the entire Bible. While we do not have the mental capacityto fully
comprehend all Paul reveals here, it is clearthat he is speaking of Jesus Christ
our Lord, the eternal God-Manand Savior of humanity.
Of all the men who ever lived, none have impacted the entire human race as
this Man. He is the centralfigure of all time and eternity. While the Bible
offers much concerning Jesus Christ, He is also the focus of more books,
songs, poems, and other literary works than anyone else in history. Even
though many continue to reject Him as the only begottenSon of God, His
impact on humanity cannotbe denied. I am thankful I met Him as a young
boy, submitting to Him by faith for salvation. Unfortunately many refuse to
acceptJesus as the Christ. Larry King, the renowned news anchor and
reporter was interviewed by Bryant Gumble on national television. At the
close ofthe interview, Gumble askedKing, “If you could as God one question,

what would it be?” King, a self-professedJew responded, “Iwould ask Him if
He has a Son.” Dr. Adrian Rogers saidthis, “To explain Him is impossible; to
ignore Him is disastrous;to rejectHim is fatal. My speechis too limited to
describe Him; my mind is too small to comprehend Him; and my heart is
inadequate to fully contain this One whose name is Jesus.” i
As we move through this wonderful passage,I want to discuss the attributes of
our Lord as we consider:Jesus Christ – the God-Man.
I. The Sovereigntyof Christ (5-6) – As we begin today, Paul deals with the
sovereignpositionof Christ. Consider:
A. His Identity (5) – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
While our Lord is the focus of many of Paul’s writings, he never seems to miss
an opportunity to proclaim Him againto the reader. It is also interesting to
note that Paul rarely calls Him by the name Jesus alone. He usually identifies
Him as Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus, using both names to refer to our Lord
and Savior. This is quite significant when we pause to considerit. Christ is the
Greek word Christos and has the same meaning as the Hebrew title –
Messiah. It refers to Christ as the anointed One. He is recognizedas our High
Priest, our Redeemer, Mediatorand Intercessor. Jesus was the Lord’s birth
name, chosenby God. It means – Jehovahis salvation. The name Jesus speaks
of His person and declares His deity as the Son of God. Christ Jesus is clearly
the focus of this passage.
October26, 2016

P a s t o r C h r i s B e n f i e l d , F e l l o w s h i p M i s s i o n a r y B a p t i s t
C h u r c h
Page 2
B. His Equality (6) – Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God. Many of the Jews had greatdifficulty with this claim. In
fact, this was the deciding factorin their consentto His crucifixion. Jesus
claimed to be the Son of God, literally Godin the flesh. Although He dwelt
among men in human form, He possessedall the deity and characterof God.
His very essence wasthat of God. The word “form” speaks ofthe outward
appearance. Christwas the embodiment of God in human flesh. It is
interesting to note this is the only time in Scripture that we find this word
translated robbery. It pictures a thief taking something that wasn’t his. Christ
was not in any way acting in deceitor assuming something that did not belong
to Him through His claim of equality with God. He was, and is, God. John
14:9 – Jesus saithunto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast
thou not knownme, Philip? he that hath seenme hath seenthe Father; and
how sayestthou then, Shew us the Father? John 10:30 – I and my Fatherare
one.
C. Our Conformity (5) – Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus. Paulused this statementto lead into the thoughts to come. One cannot
truly understand verse 5 apart from Vv.611. However, Pauladmonished the
believer to possessthe mind of Christ. As we will discover, Christ possesseda
heart and mind of submission, humility, and commitment to the Father. We
cannot provide for our salvation;that was the work of Christ alone. However,
we are to conform to His image, seeking to possessthe same mind and attitude
Christ had regarding our complete, surrendered devotion to the Fatherand
His divine will for our lives. Eph.5:2 – And walk in love, as Christ also hath

loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweetsmelling savour. I will admit this is a daunting task, but it is expectedof
us. Alone we could never accomplishsuch submission and humility, but in
Christ it is possible.
II. The Humanity of Christ (7-8) – Following his description and admiration
of the sovereigntyof Christ, Paul discussedHis humanity. One cannot
adequately considerChrist apart from His humanity. He was, and is, wholly
God and wholly man. He is the eternal God-Man. Consider:
A. His Submission (7a) – But made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant. Bearin mind, Paul is speaking of the Lord Himself.
Take a moment to considerthe glories He enjoyed prior to coming to this
earth. He had always existed. There was never a moment in eternity past that
Christ didn’t exist. During that time, He enjoyed the presence ofthe Father,
the worship of the angels, and the splendors of heaven. Although He didn’t
lose His deity when He came to earth, He was willing to lay aside His glory in
order to put on a robe of flesh. The glory of God, revealedin the Son, was
veiled in human flesh. Instead of receiving the worship of angels in heaven, He
submitted to the role of a servant here on earth. The Sovereignwas willing to
serve the sinful. Christ literally emptied Himself of many of the divine rights
and privileges He possessedas God. He laid aside His glory in order to
provide for our redemption!
October26, 2016

C h u r c h
Page 3
B. His Incarnation (7b) – But made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness ofmen. Paul speaks
of the incarnation, the birth of Christ through a virgin womb. He did not
come in the majesty of God; He came in the likeness ofmen. Christ humbled
Himself and took on the form of a man. The Creatorwas willing to be subject
to the creature. The eternal God was willing to acceptthe limitations of a
physical body. He who existed in eternity past was willing to be bound by the
restraints of time. He who was holy and righteous was willing to condescend
to the lowly estate of mankind. He did not come to the pleasures and securities
of a palace. He was born in obscurity in a cattle stall. He did not have servants
meeting His every need; He servedthose He encountered. He experienced
pain, loneliness, hunger, exhaustion, thirst, betrayal, etc.…He emptied
Himself to become a man. What a loving, compassionateSaviorwe serve!
C. His Crucifixion (8) – And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Here
Paul speaks ofthe humble obedience of Christ, submitting to the will of God
by offering Himself on the cross. I am certain we are unable to fully
comprehend the enormity of Calvary. There the innocent bore the judgment
reservedfor the guilty. On the cross death was embracedso the sinful and
underserving could possesslife. The eternalGod, robed in flesh, willingly
submitted to an agonizing death of the cross.
 The crucifixion of Jesus was viewedby many in that day as the horrible
conclusionto a life lived in deceit. Many viewed Him as an imposter, a

blasphemous rebel. They consideredCalvary to be a moment that proclaimed
the defeatof one who wasn’twhat he appeared. Those who held that view,
and even those who continue to believe that His death revealeda failed life,
could not be more mistaken and ill-informed. Jesus always knew the cross
would come. Although His flesh dreaded the suffering and abuse, He
embracedthe cross in order to fulfill the Father’s plan. Jesus came with
purpose, and His death on the cross was that purpose. Heb.10:4-5, 9 – Forit is
not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats shouldtake awaysins. [5]
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice andoffering
thou wouldestnot, but a body hast thou prepared me: [9] Then said he, Lo, I
come to do thy will, O God. He taketh awaythe first, that he may establishthe
second.
D. His Provision (8) – In this profound statement, we must also considerthe
gracious provisionsecuredthrough the Lord’s greatsacrifice onthe cross. His
death was the means of atonement for our sin. Through His perfect, sinless
sacrifice, the wrath of God was appeasedand payment was made for the sins
of humanity. In His death, Christ purchasedour salvation, redeeming us from
sin and reconciling us to God. The impassable divide causedby sin was
bridged through the sacrifice ofthe Son! 1 Pet.2:24 – Who his own self bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live
unto righteousness:by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Pet.3:18 – For Christ
October26, 2016
C h u r c h
Page 4

Jesus was exalted to the highest place

Jesus was exalted to the highest place

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Jesus was exalted to the highest place

Similar to Jesus was exalted to the highest place (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Jesus was exalted to the highest place