Study of First Peter Chapter 2 Lesson 38
Review:
Of what practical use is the doctrine of kenosis in the
Christian life?
Paul,
at least, thought it must have had some application as he revealed it in
Philippians 2 as did Peter in 1 Pet 2 both of which are clearly contexts dealing with the practical issues of
living life and having an impact because your using the resources available to
you.
Three major implications can be seen beginning
with Paul’s discussion.
In
Philippians 2 Paul is concerned with the heart of sanctification: the goal of
loyalty toward God regardless of what He asks.
Such loyalty comes from a primary virtue: humility of the creature
before the Creator.
“Have
this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus”
The
foundational virtue in the biblical worldview is not courage or
self-righteousness as in certain pagan worldviews; the
basic virtue underlying all other virtues is humility before God.
Christ
submitted wholly to the Father’s plan even when that plan required
“devaluation” or the “emptying” of the independent use of His own divine
attributes. That is He did not use His
attributes of Deity to overcome or compensate for any human limitations He might
have living and functioning in His humanity.
Note
some references to Christ’s humiliation before
His exaltation:
Heb. 2:10; Heb. 12:3; 1 Pet. 2:21-23)
Christ
modeled for us the cardinal virtue of humility before God in all situations. Humility
before God is the basis of faith that is believing
God is able to provide regardless of the situation being faced.
The
implication is clear: if Christ had to stoop that low to obey God, there is
nothing that God can ask us to do that is too low or too humble.
A
second implication of kenosis concerns subordination in
human relationships.
Much
of the rebellion against authority observed in the home and in society,
sometimes is triggered
by poor leadership situations, but this rebellion also comes from
a misperception of subordination.
This
myth flies in the face of the Trinity and kenosis. Even in the extreme case of
subordination in kenosis, the Son was not constitutionally inferior to the
Father.
The
subordination, obviously, remained one of role only. The kenotic state of
Christ did not involve His giving up His attributes so that He had to resume
them after ascending into heaven!
One
example of the misunderstanding of subordination is the view of it within the
Women’s Liberation movement. This movement assumes that woman’s subordination
in marriage to the husband is one of constitution, not of role.
The
doctrine of kenosis, therefore, offers clear evidence of what subordination in
social structures is and is not.
No
legitimate subordination—whether in marriage, in family, in business, in the
military, or in the local church—ought to imply constitutional inferiority.
A
third implication of the kenosis doctrine has to do with the
problem of the difference between the Creator’s knowledge (omniscience) and the
creature’s knowledge (finite).
NT
writers cite the sympathy and understanding of Christ as the great High Priest
(Heb.
While
living on earth, He learned as a man (Heb.
Behaviorally,
then, kenosis ought to encourage us to come to the Father through the Son as
our spokesman in prayer, knowing that besides being God He is one in nature and
understanding with us.
Some
would argue that because God is omniscient, He must know how creatures know,
and therefore the kenosis experience of Christ does not really add new
knowledge to the Second Person.
This
argument, of course, is but a specific example of the general position that
regards history as insignificant.
We
must understand that history brought about a lasting actual change in the
Second Person. It was real. He became God and man in one person, and
carries the scars of crucifixion on His eternal resurrected body.
Kenosis,
therefore, fills in more details of just what is meant when “the Word became
flesh and dwelt among us” (John
Because
Christ knows what it is like to be a creature who must walk by faith, the Father
has made Him to be our judge (John
We
are to be tried at the bar of judgment (JSC) by our Peer, One whose judgments
we cannot refute as “unsympathetic” and “unknowing”.
He
lived as a creature in every detail, constantly walking by the same humble
faith we are directed to use.
To sum up implications of the doctrine of
kenosis: Christ is the perfect model of sanctification.
He modeled the cardinal virtue of humility toward God.
He
showed us what true submission to authority is. And because He had to utilize
the ministry of the Holy Spirit in His faith walk, He has become an emphatic
Intercessor for us with His Father.