The Eschatological Rollercoaster

In my last post I promised to compare the passage in Philippians (2:5-11), believed to be an early hymn, with the U theory from Presence.  Before I attempt the comparison I thought it might be worth making a few points about the passage.  In the main these are from Crossan and Reed's In Search of Paul, chapter 5.  I have given the hymn my own name, the eschatological rollercoaster, (for those professional theologians who are not reading this blog, I apologise for the long words and explain that a rollercoaster is a fairground ride that goes up and down).

1. The hymn needs to be read within its context, especially verses 1 - 4 and 12 - 13.  The Philippians are invited, or commanded even, to 'be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind'.  The hymn therefore does not simply tell a story, it is intended to be normative for the Christian community.  It is meant to be a template for Christian life.
2. This is a story told in retrospect, it is a story full of interpretation.  This is I think entirely legitimate, it offers us an insight into what the earliest Christians believed about Jesus.
3. The hymn describes a U shape.  This is what made the link for me with the Presence U model.  I will in future posts explore the similarities and differences.  For all sorts of reasons the downward motion is what is notable in the hymn.  This was not understood by Paul as a random act.  Could Jesus have died of leprosy, for example?  If he had, it would have been a slow, terrible and humiliating death on the margins of society.  Clearly, leprosy would have placed a barrier between Jesus and society and made his ministry almost impossible.  But the crucial point is the cross was an official, legal and formal death.  Religious and political authorities colluded to bring about his death.  This is what religious and political authorities do.  They do it because they have vested interests and perceive themselves as under threat.
4. We cannot have the exaltation of Christ in the second half of the hymn without the downward motion.  This downward motion, from God, to human, to slave, to death, to cross is an act of kenosis, of self-emptying.  To get hold of its significance, we have to make the comparison Paul and the other early Christians would have made, even without thinking about it.  That contrast is with the Roman Emperor.  The Roman Emperor was addressed as Lord, the same as the address given to Jesus in verse 11.  The reason Jesus Christ is confessed as Lord is because of what happens in the rest of the hymn.  The Roman Emperor was Lord all his life.  There was no downward motion, the Emperor was automatically exalted upon his death.  Jesus is exalted because of his humility, unlike the Emperor.  The Lordship of Jesus has nothing to do with aggrandisement and everything to do with humility.
5. Note that in the first half of the hymn, Jesus empties himself and in the second half it is God who highly exalts Jesus.  At the bottom of the U shape, something changes around, in a sense God takes over, when Jesus can go no further.  But we must also note that in doing so God affirms Jesus' humility.  So, through Jesus' humility we see something of the character of God.  God is seen as a God of Love who is prepared to give all for the love of his creation.