Commentary on Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians Timothy Titus and Philemon John Calvin
John Calvin man, even though he should be aware that he is superior, may nevertheless hold others in greater esteem.
Philippians 2:5-11
Philippians 2:5-11
5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 5. Hoc enim sentiatur in vobis quod et in Christo Iesu: 6. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
6. Qui quum in forma Dei esset, non rapinam arbitratus esset, Deo aequalem se esse:
7. But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
7. Sed se ipsum exinanivit, forma servi accepta, in similitudine hominum constitutus, et forma repertus ut homo.
8. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
8. Humiliavit, inquam, se ipsum, factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem vero crucis.
9. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
9. Quamobrem et Deus illum superexaltavit, et dedit illi nomen quod esset super omne nomen,
10. That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
10. Ut in nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur, cælestium, terrestrium, et infernorum,
11. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
11. Et omnis lingua confiteatur, quod Dominus Iesus in gloriam est Dei Patris.
5. He now recommends, from the example of Christ, the exercise of humility, to which he had exhorted them in words. There are, however, two departments, in the first of which he invites us to imitate Christ, because this is the rule of life: 273 in the second, he allures us to it, because this is the road by which we attain true glory. Hence he exhorts every one to have the same disposition that was in Christ. He afterwards shews what a pattern of humility has been presented before us in Christ. I have retained the passive form of the verb, though I do not disapprove of the rendering given it by others, because there is no difference as to meaning. I merely wished that the reader should be in possession of the very form of expression which Paul has employed.
273"Pourceque l'imitation d' iceluy est la regle de bien viure;" — "Because imitation of him is the rule of right living."