腓二6~7　祂本有神的形状，不以自己与神同等为强夺之珍，紧持不放，反而倒空自己，取了奴仆的形状，成为人的样式。

　　神的儿子基督本有崇高的地位。……基督放弃了祂崇高的地位，不仅取了人的形状，更取了奴仆的形状。祂既显为人的样子，就降卑自己，顺从至死，且死在十字架上。这样一位基督是我们的榜样，给我们经历并享受。我们不需要为自己寻求地位或头衔，反而需要照着钉十字架生活的榜样—基督—而活。基督钉十字架的生活该是我们的经历。我们需要经历基督的降卑；这意思是说，我们需要经历祂作那倒空自己并降卑自己的一位（新约总论第十二册，二二页）。

　　Phil. 2:6-7 Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men.

　　Christ, the Son of God, had a very high position…. Christ gave up His high standing and took the form not only of a man but also of a slave. Being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient even unto the death of the cross. As such a person, Christ is our pattern for our experience and enjoyment. Instead of seeking a position and title for ourselves, we need to live according to Christ as the pattern of a crucified life. Christ's crucified life should be our experience. We need to experience Christ in His humiliation. This means that we need to experience Him as the One who emptied Himself and humbled Himself. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 3496)

　　基督是神，本有神的彰显。虽然祂与神同等，祂却把这个同等摆在一边，倒空自己，取了人的样式。这指明借着成为肉体，祂成了一个人。然后，既显为人的样子，就降卑自己。这意思是说，当祂作人的时候，祂什么都不坚持，反而降卑自己，以至于死，且死在十字架上。这就是作我们榜样的基督。

　　降卑自己，是进一步地倒空自己。基督的降卑自己，显明祂的倒空自己。十字架的死，是基督降卑的极点。对犹太人而言，这是咒诅（申二一22~23）。对外邦人而言，这是加在罪犯和奴隶身上的死刑（太二七16~17、20~23）。因此这是件羞辱的事（来十二2）。

　　我们若要经历基督并活基督，就必须认识基督是我们的榜样。在腓立比二章五至十一节，保罗陈明基督是我们的榜样。我们必须对这榜样有深刻的印象，甚至让这榜样灌注到我们里面。

　　包罗万有的基督一点不差就是神自己。然而，祂虽然与神同等，却“倒空自己，取了奴仆的形状，成为人的样式”（7）。祂不以自己与神同等为强夺之珍，紧持不放，反倒将这同等撇在一边，倒空自己。但这不是说基督就不再是神了，这只是说祂撇弃了神外表的彰显。祂虽有神的形状，却取了奴仆的形状，成为人的样式，显为人的样子。结果，祂有了人的外表，取代了神的彰显。一面，基督本有神的形状，反而倒空自己；另一面，基督既显为人的样子，就降卑自己，顺从至死，且死在十字架上。基督作为救主，有神性也有人性。祂倒空自己，并且降卑自己。因此，根据六至八节，我们可以称祂为倒空自己和降卑自己的基督。

　　九节说，“所以神将祂升为至高，又赐给祂那超乎万名之上的名。”这节指明神进来高举基督。基督被高举的意义，不仅是祂从地的低下之处被高举到三层天上，更是祂带着祂属人的性情，荣耀地被带回到神的形状里。基督成为肉体之前并没有人性。但借着成为肉体，祂穿上了人性。然后祂将这人性带到十字架上，流出祂的血救赎我们。祂复活之后，被神高举到诸天之上，带着祂的人性，在荣耀里被带回到神的形状里。如今祂是我们的榜样。基督徒生活的榜样，乃是这位倒空自己并降卑自己，被神高举并荣耀的神人救主（腓立比书生命读经，一〇四、四五一至四五四页）。

　　参读：腓立比书生命读经，第十、十七篇。

　　Christ was God with the expression of God. Although He was equal with God, He put aside this equality and emptied Himself by taking the likeness of men. This indicates that He became a man through incarnation. Then, being found in the appearance of a man, He humbled Himself. This means that when He was a man, He did not insist on anything. Rather, He humbled Himself to the point of dying on the cross. This is Christ as our pattern.

　　Humbling Himself was a further step in emptying Himself. Christ's self-humbling manifests His self-emptying. The death of the cross was the climax of Christ's humiliation. To the Jews this was a curse (Deut. 21:22-23). To the Gentiles it was a death sentence imposed upon malefactors and slaves (Matt. 27:16-17, 20-23). Hence, it was a shameful thing (Heb. 12:2).

　　If we would experience Christ and live Him, we must know Him as our pattern. In Philippians 2:5-11 Paul presents Christ as our pattern. We need to be deeply impressed with this pattern and even have it infused into us.

　　[The] all-inclusive Christ is nothing less than God. But even though He is equal with God, He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men” (v. 7). He did not regard His equality with God as a thing to grasp. Rather, He laid aside this equality and emptied Himself. This does not mean, however, that Christ was no longer God. It simply means that He put aside His outward expression of God. Although He subsisted in the form of God, He took on the form of a slave and became in the likeness of men and in the fashion of a man. As a result, He had the appearance of a man instead of the expression of God. On the one hand, having the form of God, Christ emptied Himself. On the other hand, being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross. As the Savior, Christ has both divinity and humanity. He both emptied Himself and humbled Himself. Thus, according to verses 6 through 8, we may speak of the self-emptying and self-humbling Christ.

　　Philippians 2:9 says, “Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” This verse indicates that God came in to exalt Christ. For Christ to be exalted means not only that He was uplifted to the third heaven from the lower parts of the earth; it also means that in a glorious way He was brought back with His human nature to the form of God. Before His incarnation, Christ did not have the human nature. But through incarnation He took on humanity. Then He brought this human nature to the cross, shedding His blood for our redemption. After His resurrection, He was uplifted to the heavens and with His human nature was brought back to the form of God in glory. Now He is our pattern. The pattern of the Christian life is the God-man Savior who emptied Himself and humbled Himself and who was exalted and glorified by God. (Life-study of Philippians, pp. 87-88, 377-378)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Philippians, msgs. 10, 43