Philippians 2 is not a Trinity "Proof Text"
By
Abdul Haleem
Philippians describes Jesus (peace be upon him) as follows:
Who, BEING IN THE FORM OF GOD, THOUGHT IT NOT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD:
But made himself of no reputation, and TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, AND WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN:
And BEING FOUND IN FASHION AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
That at 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.
Emphasis added.
Is this a description of a being who is "co-equal, co-substantial, and co-eternal" with God, as the "Trinity" doctrine requires?
Definitely NOT!
Remember, according to the Bible:
So GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS [OWN] IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM; male and female created he them.
Genesis 1:27, emphasis added.
So for Jesus to be "in the form of God" (Phil. 2:6) is no big deal: According to Genesis 1:27, WE ALL ARE!
Moreover, if Jesus acted as "a servant," "humbled himself" and "became obedient unto death." HE WAS SUBORDINATE TO GOD, not co-equal with God, as the Trinity doctrine requires.
Finally, if Jesus ACTUALLY died, he was not "co-existent" with God - because his death would mark as point when his existence was INTERRUPTED, but Gods was NOT!
What we have in Philippians is NOT an example of "Trinitarianism," but, at most, a suggestion that Jesus was somehow superhuman. Tales of superhuman beings such as the mythical "Adam Kadmon" and "Metatron" abound in Jewish folklore - and even sometimes find expression in the Old Testament (e.g. tales relating to Melchizadek). Such tales, however, do not a triune God make!
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