yet took upon himself the form of a servant and became obedient to death: I will therefore first give the verse as it stands in the English version and for the purpose of shewing the gradual progress of truth, I will add. some subsequent translation of the same verse by eminently learned trinitarian authors, and finally transcribe it as found in the original Greek with a verbal translation.

English version: Philippians II. 6. " who, be ing in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God."

Secondly in a new translation from the ori ginal Greek by James Macknight D. D. verse. the 6. thus stands "who being in the form of God did not think it robbery to be like God". So John Parkhurst M. A. the author of a Greek and English Lexicon to the new Testament, who was also an orthodox writer, thus translates conformably to the opinion of Drs. Doddrige and, Whitby, two other celebrated orthodox writers. page 322. “Phit. II. 6.70 elval loα beyo to be as God. So a Oey is most exactly rendered agreable to the force of a in many places in the LXX. which Whitby has collected in his note on this place. The proper Greek phrase for equal to God is ισον τῷ θεῷ, which is

used John V. 18."" therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath but said also that God was his father, making himself equal with God." (This is not the only instance that the Jews misunderstood Jesus, for in many other instances they misconceived his meaning. John II. 19. 21. ch. VI. 41. and 42, 52. 60)

The term "to be like God" as it is used by several orthodox writers, neither amounts to an identity of one with the other, nor does it prove an equality of the former with the latter. Genesis I. 26. "God said let us make man in our image and after our likeness." 1. Chronicle XII. 22. "at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host like the host of God." XXVII. 23. The Lord said that he would increase Israel like to the stars of heaven." Zechariah XII. 8. "In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them." 1 John III. 2. "But we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him &c."

Another trinitarian author Schleusner, in his Lexicon to the new Testament renders the

passage non habuit prædæ loco similitudi

nem cum Deo." "He did not esteem likeness to God in the place of a prey." The substance of this translation is adopted in the improved version of the new Testament.

1 2

εν

3dly. The original Greek runs thus og ev 3 4 5 6

7

8 9 10 11 12

μορφῇ θεου ὑπαρχων ουχ άρπαγμον ἡγησατο το ειναι ισα θεω

thought the being like God. Which words arranged according to the English idiom, will run thus; "who being in the form of God did not think of the robbery the being like God." This interpretation is most decisively confirmed by the context of the verse in question; verse 2nd. of the same chapter. "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowness of mind: let each esteem others better than themselves (3.) and look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others (4.). Let this mind be in you which was being in the form

also in Christ Jesus (5.) who

* We find the verb yɛoμaι implying to esteem as well as to think with a simple accusative, Peter III. 9. ώς τινες βραδυτήτα γουνται

as some men count slackuess." (properly speaking, “think of slackness.")

of God did not think of the robbery of being like God (6.) but made himself of no reputation and took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men." Where the sense of a passage is complete without introducing an additional word more than is expressed, no one, unless devoted to the support of some particular doctrine, would think of violating fidelity to the original text by interpolation in the translation. Here the apostle requires of us to esteem others better than ourselves. according to the example of humility displayed by Jesus who, notwithstanding his Godly appearance, never thought of those perfections by which he approached man's ideas of God, but even made himself of no reputation. It would be absurd to point out one's own opinion of his equality with God as an instance of humility. How can we be following the example of Christ, in thinking others better than ourselves, if he, as the orthodox say, did not think even his father higher than himself. We however must not suffer ourselves as to be misled by any such orthodox interpretation; to entertain so neous an idea of Christ's opinion of himself bearing in mind that Jesus himself proclaims "my father is greater than 1" John XIV. 28.

No one can be at a loss to understand the difference of essence between Christ and his creator God implied in the phrase." Being in the form of God;" as the distinction between being God" and "being in the form of God" is too obvious to need illustration. Even Par khurst one of the most zealous advocates for the trinity thought it absurd to lay stress on the term "being in the form of God" in support of the deity of Jesus Christ (see page 443.) 66 μορφη popon perhaps from the Hebrew л appearance and aspect. Outward appearance, form, which last word is from the Latin forma and this, by transposition, from the Doric poppa for μopon. see Mark XVI. 12. (comp: Luke XXIV, 13.) Philippians 11. 6. 7. where the 6. verse refers not, I apprehend, to Christ's being real and essential God or Jehovah (though that he is so is the foundation of Christianity), but to his glorious appearance, as God before and under the Mosaic dispensation."

66

Should any one in defiance of the common acceptation of the word "form" and of every authority insist upon its implying real essence in the phrase, Being in the form of God;" he must receive it in the same sense in the fol lowing verse, "took upon himself the form of a servant:" and he must then admit and be