Read & explore together
The Mind of Christ
Philippians 2:5-11 tells readers to take their pattern of thinking from Christ Jesus. The passage moves from his humility and obedience to God’s exaltation of him as Lord.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
The paragraph begins with a command about the reader’s mind, then explains that command by describing Christ Jesus. It speaks of his existing in the form of God, his self-emptying in human likeness, his obedient death, and God’s exaltation of him above every name.
Philippians 2:5–11Main takeaway
This passage calls readers to learn Christ’s humble mind while confessing that God has exalted Jesus Christ as Lord.
Follow the letter’s teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A mind shaped by ChristVerse 5 is the doorway to the whole passage: “Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus”.
Explanation
Verse 5 is the doorway to the whole passage: “Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus”. The following lines are not random statements. They show the mindset readers are to recognise in Christ and let that shape their own thinking.
02From God’s form to a servant’s formChrist Jesus is first described as “existing in the form of God”. Yet he “didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped”.
Explanation
Christ Jesus is first described as “existing in the form of God”. Yet he “didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped”. Instead, he “emptied himself”, taking “the form of a servant” and being made “in the likeness of men”. The passage stresses willing humility.
03Humility shown in obedient deathThe humility continues in verse 8. “Being found in human form”, Christ “humbled himself” and became obedient “to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross”.
Explanation
The humility continues in verse 8. “Being found in human form”, Christ “humbled himself” and became obedient “to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross”. The text presents obedience as costly and complete, reaching even to death on a cross.
04God exalts Jesus as LordBecause of this, “God also highly exalted him” and gave him “the name which is above every name”.
Explanation
Because of this, “God also highly exalted him” and gave him “the name which is above every name”. The result is universal honour: every knee should bow and every tongue confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord”, and this confession is “to the glory of God the Father”.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does verse 5 tell you to read the rest of this passage?
Notice that the description of Christ explains the kind of mind readers are told to have.
02What downward movement do you see in verses 6 to 8?
Trace the wording from the form of God to servant, human likeness, humility, and obedient death.
03What response to Jesus is described in verses 10 and 11?
Look for both the action, bowing, and the spoken confession about Jesus Christ.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Philippians 2:5–11
5Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
6who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men.
8And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross.
9Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth,
11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.