Answer
In Philippians 2:7, Paul writes that Jesus “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (KJV). The phrase made himself of no reputation means that Jesus “emptied himself,” which is how the ESV renders the first clause of Philippians 2:7. Some have interpreted this to suggest that Jesus temporarily relinquished His divine attributes. A closer look at the context of Philippians 2:7, however, reveals a different understanding of what Paul means.
When Paul writes that Jesus “made himself of no reputation,” he is not saying that Jesus became less than God, nor is he saying that Jesus “gave up” His divine attributes during His incarnation. Instead, Paul’s focus is on Christ’s willing renunciation of His divine privilege and status as the pre-existent and eternal Son of God. Philippians 2:6–7 outlines this process: “Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV).
The focus of Philippians 2:7, then, is Christ’s example of humility and service rather than a loss of divinity. Therefore, the phrase made himself of no reputation refers to Jesus’ decision to “give up” the privileges that were rightfully His as king of the universe. Instead of clinging to His divine privileges, Jesus chose to assume “the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men” (KJV). The purpose of His incarnation was to “give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45, ESV). In humility, Jesus considered the interests of others above His own (Philippians 2:3–4), even to the point of death (Philippians 2:8). Indeed, in this world, “he was despised and rejected by mankind. . . . Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem” (Isaiah 53:3).
The key to understanding Christ’s kenosis or “self-emptying” is to recognize that He did not lose His divinity. Rather, His kenosis was a deliberate act of humility and service. By “making himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7, KJV), Jesus chose to serve rather than be served, providing a model for believers: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14–15, ESV). His incarnation and sacrificial death were both motivated by His love for sinful mankind: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, ESV).
Therefore, when Paul writes that Jesus “made himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7, KJV), he is testifying to Jesus’ love for sinners. Jesus embraced a position of weakness, not because He lacked power, but because He chose to set aside His divine privileges in order to live as a man and fulfill His Father’s mission on earth (John 4:34; Luke 22:42). His willingness to become human and suffer the agony of the cross highlights the depth of His love to redeem a fallen world: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9, ESV).
