We do not normally think of the apostle Paul as a poet. However, in Philippians 2:6-11, he presented a poem. Whether he wrote it himself or was quoting someone else’s poem is unclear. That it is a poem is clear because of the parallel phrases and the carefully designed structure of this passage.

The poem has the structure of a V. It starts with Jesus “being in very nature God” (verse 6, NIV). Then Jesus descended to human status, described in three parallel phrases: “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (verse 7). But then Jesus went further. He became “obedient to death” (submitted to death) and thus descended below humanity to the realm of the dead (verse 8). Then God raised Jesus back up to heaven, the place of God: “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name” (verse 9). This restoration completes the V structure. It is interesting to remember that the Gospels say that Jesus’ restoration came in two stages—He was resurrected back to the human plane and then ascended to the heavenly plane sometime later. Verse 10 asserts that Jesus is Lord of the three planes he was on: “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth”—heaven, earth, and the place of the dead.

However, the reason that Paul cited this poem was to tell Christians to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (verse 5). The promise is that if we humble ourselves as Jesus did, our lives can follow the pattern that Jesus laid down. Jesus taught, “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11). James taught, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:10). Peter taught, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). Paul wrote elsewhere, “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). We didn’t start out as God, of course (except perhaps in our own minds). However, if we humble ourselves and follow Jesus, we have the promise of being raised to heaven to be with Jesus and even to be like Him (1 John 3:2, Philippians 3:21).