ChristDeity
Christ Deity
Philippians 2:6-7(ESV)
6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant,£ being born in the likeness of men.
Step #1 – did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, (2:6b)
John 17:2(ESV)
2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
John 17:5(ESV)
5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
Phil 2:6b – “to be grasped” is not taking hold of but the holding on to, clinging to. Figure #1 
LN 57.236ἁρπαγμόςb,οῦ m: that which is to be held on to forcibly—‘something to hold by force, something to be forcibly retained.’ …‘he always had the nature of God and did not consider that remaining equal with God was something to be held on to forcibly’ Php 2:6 (compare the rendering of ἁρπαγμόςain 57.235). Since ἁρπαγμός may mean not only ‘to grasp something forcefully which one does not have’ (57.235) but also ‘to retain by force what one possesses,’ it is possible to translate Php 2:6 in two quite different ways. This second interpretation of ἁρπαγμός presumes the position of Jesus prior to the incarnation and hence his willingness to experience the kenosis or ‘emptying’ of his divine prerogatives. In any translation of Php 2:6 it is important that both possible renderings be clearly indicated, one in the text and the other in the margin.
V.7a – but emptied Himself –to certain aspects of His prerogatives of diety…
Emptied from (kenoo) Figure #2
G2758 “keno”
LN87.70κενόωb: to completely remove or eliminate elements of high status or rank by eliminating all privileges or prerogatives associated with such status or rank—‘to empty oneself, to divest oneself of position.’ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν ‘he emptied himself’ Php 2:7.
He emptied Himself of five divine rights: 1) His divine glory – 2) independent divine authority [the Divine Trinity is still a great Mystery] – 3) the voluntary exercise of some of His divine attributes, though not the essence of His deity. – 4) His eternal riches (2 Cor. 8:9) 5) temporarily of His unique, intimate, and face-to-face relationship with His heavenly Father – even to the point of being forsaken by Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)
V.7b “taking the form of a bond-servant”
The very essence and nature of a ‘bond-servant’ is in a form that he owned nothing and was required to carry other people’s burdens. The supreme case being the sin of humanity.
V.7c “being made in the likeness of men” Figure #3
“homoioma” refers to that which is made to be like something else, not just in appearance but in reality.
It would be inaccurate to say he was like Adam because that would not be true as Christ became, in the incarnation, to take upon himself all the frailties, limitations, problems and suffering that were the heritage of the Fall, enduring all its terrible earthly consequences.
He grew and developed like other children and increased in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52). He became hungry and thirsty, suffered pain, and felt sadness.
V.8a – Being found in human form
Wad made a true human man by the divine power and recognized as a man. Figure #4 
LN58.17σχῆμαb,τος n: appearance as an element of outward form—‘appearance, form.’ καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ‘and his appearance was seen to be that of a person’ or ‘… like that of a person’ (literally ‘and in appearance he attained to being a person’) Php 2:7.
He wasn’t actually a man, but in appearance he was. But he was a God who divested himself of cartain divine attributes.
Isaiah 53:3(ESV)
3 He was despised and rejected£ by men; a man of sorrows,£ and acquainted with£ grief;£ and as one from whom men hide their faces£ he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
V.8b – He humbled Himself – Note above: Humbled – “tapeinoo” (to Bring Low)
He humbled himself not only relative to God, but also to other men.
V.8c – by becoming obedient to the point of death
The Father did force death upon His son, but His Son made a choice and was obediently laying it down and then having the authority to take it up again. John 10:18(ESV) – 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
V.8d – even death on a cross
The most cruel, excruciatingly painful and shameful form of execution ever conceived. The Jews considered crucifixion to be a form of hanging, and those who were hung to be cursed by God. Thus one can see the stumbling block that was for the Jews.
Deuteronomy 21:23(ESV)
23his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.
Crucifixion was bloody, as were the OT sacrifices that prefigured it.
Yet, the divine plan of salvation was at work.
John 8:28-29(ESV)
28So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
29And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” Figure #5
Used in John 3:14 to refer to the cross – Jesus compared to the ‘banner-staff” on which the bronze serpent was elevated in the wilderness (Num. 21:9)
“I am” John 8:28(ESV) – 28So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.
KENOSISView asserting that the eternal Son of God by virtue of the incarnation gave up some or all of the divine attributes which were incommensurate with a fully human existence. This view is primarily based on Phil. 2:5–11, especially verse 7, which states that Christ “emptied Himself.” The idea of self-emptying is taken from the Greek verb kenoo which means “make empty.”