A Quickie on Phil 2

who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
(Phi 2:6-8)

In looking at this passage, there are basically two views put foward:

1. Jesus, being a creature (and thus inferior to the Father), didn't strive to be the Father's equal but instead obeyed the Father to the point of death.

2. Jesus, being by nature Divine, put aside His equality with the Father and voluntarily humbled Himself before Him by taking on the form of a bondservant and becoming obedient to the point of death.

Questions to consider:
1. Jesus became obedient to whom? From this, it seems it is talking about Jesus submitting Himself to the Father and becoming obedient... even to the point of death.

2. How did Jesus "empty" Himself? He took on the form of a bondservant. His act of "emptying" was not by subtraction but by the addition of something else -a human nature.

3. Given all of this and the surrounding context, which option above fits? 1 or 2?

This is the question, for the Jehovah's Witnesses will insist upon #1 but will be unable to demonstrate it from context. Why? Here are the preceding verses.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
(Phi 2:1-5)

Paul exhorts them to unity through humility -through putting aside self and humbly serving others. Now, which of the options fits what Paul is saying? Is Paul really saying that we, being by nature inferior to others (less human), should not try to be as human as they are, but should act in step with our inferior nature and obey them? No. That isn't humility, and that isn't what Paul is saying. Paul is saying that we, being by nature equal with one another, should put aside all notions of this inherent equality, put aside any competition, and should humbly serve one another. Option #2 is clearly consistent with the context, and option #1 makes no sense in it.

Hence, we are to have the mind Christ had when, though in eternity past (presently existing in eternity past the form of God, having all the attributes of Deity) has equality with the Father, voluntarily (yes, it is something the Son did voluntarily) humbled Himself before the Father, took on a human nature, and served as the Redeemer to the point of death.

One might try to argue that the humiliation in the example with Christ is a humiliation before us, humans (and He did, in a sense), but even that doesn't make sense with Paul's point. Is Paul trying to tell the believers to not try to be greater than they are but to instead server people beneath them? That isn't in Paul's exhortation, sorry to say. Paul is just telling us to put aside competitiveness, put aside self, to renounce self-interest and self-rights, and think of others as more important. This is what Jesus did when he voluntarily made Himself a subject to the Father, a suffering servant, and for our salvation.

Paul's use of Christ as an illustration in this way makes no sense unless Paul sees Jesus as the eternal Divine Son, of the same essence as the Father.