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Why Does Paul Quote from an Early Christian Hymn? #694 · Scripture Central

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  Christ Jesus who being in the form of God, thought it not
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  robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no
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  reputation and took upon him the form of a servant who was made
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  in the likeness of men. Hey listeners, this is Nick from
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  Scripture Central and today's podcast addresses the question
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  Why does Paul quote from an early Christian hymn?
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  Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain important
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  witnesses to the divinity of our Savior Jesus Christ.
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  Both are ancient witnesses of the pre mortal, mortal and post
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  mortal ministry of Jesus and each teach about his divine role
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  in unique ways. Very memorable is Philippians
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  chapter 2, verses 6 through 11 where Paul appears to be quoting
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  or paraphrasing from what might have been a very early Christian
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  hymn that succinctly summarized Jesus's entire being and
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  ministry, beginning with his pre mortal life and ending with his
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  heavenly glorification. This beautiful hymn can be set
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  forth in Greek as having two verses of two lines each with a
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  third verse comprised of a seven part chiasm.
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  But more significantly, each of the three main points raised in
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  this hymn, the Savior's pre mortal divinity, his willingness
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  to die on our behalf, and His exaltation following His
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  resurrection can also be found, represented, and reinforced in
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  the Book of Mormon and other Restoration scriptures.
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  This hymn begins with an opening couplet that can be rendered as
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  Christ Jesus who though being in the likeness of God, did not
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  take advantage of being equal to God.
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  Through this opening statement we learn that Jesus was in the
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  presence of God and was like him in the pre mortal life.
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  Despite his high station, he did not seek for any benefit of his
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  own. In saying that Jesus was in the
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  likeness or form of God, this hymn uses a word meaning outward
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  appearance or shape, thus implying that Jesus and the
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  Father looked similar to one another.
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  However, while this word could be used to denote physical
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  appearance, it was also used by Paul to denote the status or
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  role of Jesus, later as a servant while in mortality.
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  Because of this Frank Judd states that when Paul taught
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  that the Savior was in the form of God and equal with God in the
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  premortal existence, he was teaching that both God the
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  Father and Christ the Son were divine beings shared a semblance
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  of status and attributes as well as appearance.
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  Jesus's status as a divine being is strongly reinforced in modern
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  scripture. For example, in the book of
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  Moses we learn that Jesus was in the pre mortal counsel in heaven
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  before the world began. While Satan sought to grasp and
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  take advantage of the Father's glory, Jesus did not.
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  Instead, He humbly offered Father thy will be done and the
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  glory be thine forever. Because of Jesus's willingness
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  and desire to obey the Father, even when he was still in a pre
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  mortal state, he was called to be the Savior of the world.
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  However, Jesus was still different from Heavenly Father.
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  In one major aspect, Heavenly Father had a body and Jesus did
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  not. Because of this, Thomas Weymouth
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  noted that unless some action were to be taken, Christ cannot
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  be fully equal to God. It is a prize that he cannot
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  fully achieve. The remedy for this discrepancy
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  between the Father and the Son would ultimately be Jesus's
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  birth and mortality, coupled by his righteous living as the
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  savior of the world. Jesus would be born as a mortal,
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  so that he could lay down his life and take it again.
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  This is expressed in Philippians when the hymn next states, but
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  made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a
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  servant, And he was made in the likeness of men, and being found
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  in fashion as a man, humbled himself and became obedient unto
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  death, even the death of the cross, Jesus would center his
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  mortal ministry on loving and serving everyone, while inviting
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  each of us to repent of our sins and become like him as a part of
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  his role as a servant. The prophet Nephi beheld
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  multitudes of people who were sick and who were afflicted with
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  all manner of diseases and with devils and unclean spirits, and
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  they were healed by the power of the Lamb of God and the devils
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  and the unclean spirits were cast out.
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  The Book of Mormon likewise affirms that despite Jesus's
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  good works, he would be crucified for the sins of the
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  world. Nephi, for instance, saw the
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  crucifixion of the Savior in his vision and a bit, and I taught
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  that Jesus would be crucified according to a prophecy of
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  Isaiah, even as others mocked or persecuted him.
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  Jesus suffereth himself to be mocked and scourged and cast
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  out, and disowned by his people, having suffered death on the
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  cross. As the confessional hymn
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  continues, God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name
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  which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee
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  should bow of beings in heaven, and beings on earth and beings
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  under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
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  Christ is Lord. To the glory of God the Father,
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  having returned to the presence of the Father, Jesus Christ was
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  exalted or raised to the glory of God the Father, thus being
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  like him. The distinction between Christ's
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  mortal and resurrected status is made clear when one reads both
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  the New Testament and the Book of Mormon.
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  Just as Peter taught that God exalted Christ to become a
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  Prince and Savior, the Father introduced the Nephites to his
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  Son by declaring that I have glorified my name in him.
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  Jesus then tells the Nephites and Lamanites in his audience
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  there that he wanted that they should be perfect, even as I or
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  your Father who is in heaven, is perfect, he having become
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  perfectly like the Father. Finally Jesus is given a new
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  name whereby all will recognize him, bowing down to him with
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  their tongues, confessing Him as their redeeming Lord with words.
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  Here, drawing on Isaiah chapter 45, verses 22 and 23, the
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  blessing of a new name is promised to all who keep their
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  covenants with Christ. As such, all will be able to
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  become more like Him and become exalted as he is.
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  This significant early Christian hymn, somewhat like our modern
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  day hymn Jesus once of humble birth, described the
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  condescension of Jesus in clear terms covering his pre mortal
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  willingness, his mortal condescension and suffering, and
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  his post mortal adoration, all illustrating that his ministry
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  was an act of pure love. Indeed, when asked if nephi'd
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  knew what the condescension of God meant, he simply answered
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  that he knew not, but that he was confident that this all
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  means that he loveth his children, at which point the
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  vision of the ministry and love of the Savior opened to him.
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  As Byron R Merrill has noted, the word condescension implies
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  voluntary dissent, submission, and performing acts which strict
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  justice does not require. Christ's selfless sacrifice
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  merits profound gratitude and endearing love from all who are
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  recipients of his supernal offering.
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  Because of his humble condescension, Jesus was exalted
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  by the Father above all others, was given a name which is above
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  every name, and entered into the glory of the Father.
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  Even more miraculously, Jesus Christ has opened the same
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  blessings to everyone who follows him and seeks to obey
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  His commandments, so that when he shall appear, we shall be
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  like him, for we shall see him as he is.
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  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth Himself,
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  even as he is pure. Thank you for listening to this
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  presentation from Scripture Central.
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  For more information, please visit scripturecentral.org.