Lucien J. Richard on "form of God" (μορφη θεου) in Philippians 2:6-11

 

One of the most discussed questions in this hymn has to do with the meaning of morphe theou, the nature of Jesus’ relationship with God. Classical exegesis has seen in this word as the key term of the entire hymn. But this first-century liturgical hymn is far removed from the subtle distinction of thought found in the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle. So there are several clusters of interpretations. There is a philosophical one where morphe theou is interpreted in a formal way. It would mean that Christ existed before his incarnation as essentially one with God. Another interpretation sees the roots of morphe theou in the Septuagint. Here the word morphe would have the meaning of the outward form or appearance of the thing so described. There is also a condition that a doctrine of the primal man, the Urmensch, lies at the heart of the hymn. This position recognizes that the hymn uses the framework of a myth in order to set forth its Christological message. Within this framework, morphe indicates not merely the outward form and shape in contrast so the being, but primarily the realm of existence. God quits this primarily the realm of existence. God quits his heavenly existence and takes instead a human existence, an existence of unredeemed man which is seen as that of slavery. Equality with God implies being of the realm of God without being the most high God. Equality with God is to be understood as Christ’s present potion – as something which did not need to be usurped. (Lucien J. Richard, A Kenotic Christology: In the Humanity of Jesus the Christ, the Compassion of Our God [Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 1982], 102)