Philippians 2:6-7 Not Robbery to be Equal With God, of No Reputation
The Similarity of Modern Versions with the Jehovah Witness Version
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, THOUGHT IT NOT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD: but MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."
The phrase "thought it not robbery to be equal with God", as found in the King James Bible, clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was in fact God.
Notice the comments of a couple of orthodox commentators.
John Gill
"thought it not robbery to be equal with God" the Father; for if he was in the same form, nature, and essence, he must be equal to him, as he is; for he has the same perfections, as eternity, omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, immutability, and self-existence: hence he has the same glorious names, as God, the mighty God, the true God, the living God, God over all, Jehovah, the Lord of glory… the same works of creation and providence are ascribed to him, and the same worship, homage, and honour given him: to be "in the form of God", and to be "equal with God", signify the same thing, the one is explanative of the other: and this divine form and equality, or true and proper deity, he did not obtain by force and rapine, by robbery and usurpation, as Satan attempted to do, and as Adam by his instigation also affected;
Matthew Henry
" He thought it not robbery to be equal with God; did not think himself guilty of any invasion of what did not belong to him, or assuming another’s right. He said, I and my Father are one, Jn. 10:30. It is the highest degree of robbery for any mere man or mere creature to pretend to be equal with God, or profess himself one with the Father. This is for a man to rob God, not in tithes and offerings, but of the rights of his Godhead."
"Thought it not robbery to be equal with God" is not only the reading of the King James Bible but also of Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, the Bishop's Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, Young's, Hebrew Names Version, Lamsa's translation of the Syriac Peshitta, Third Millenium Bible, Webster's 1833 translation, Wycliffe, and the NKJV 1982 edition (but not the 1979 NKJV).
By being equal to God, Jesus Christ was not stealing or taking something that did not belong to Him. He was and is equal to God the Father.
However many modern versions give us a rendering that means the exact opposite. I am presently in a discussion with a Jehovah Witness who, of course, denies that Jesus Christ is God. He says: "As for Philippians 2:6, the ambiguity is simply one that is shared by many translators and exegetes. The Harper Collins Study Bible NRSV states that some of the key words used here "had puzzled interpeters" and are "problematic."
The New World Translation, which the JW's use, says: "although he was existing in the form of God, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God."
Then he proceeds to show the readings found in many modern versions.
NASB " did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped"
Revised Standard Version "did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped"
New Jerusalem Bible "did not count equality with God something to be grasped"
Emphatic Diaglott "yet did not meditate a Usurpation to be like God"
21st Century Free " he never even considered the chance to be equal with God."
Revised Version "counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God."
Goodspeed "he did not grasp at equality with God."
NKJV 1979 edition "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped."
NIV "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped".
Keep in mind that this is a Jehovah Witness who is using these modern version to support his view that Jesus Christ was not God!
To get a clearer idea of just how different in meaning the phrase is, "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" from "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped" compare the following statements.
"The black man thought it not robbery to be equal with the white man." In other words, he was not stealing something that did not belong to him; he is equal to the white man.
"The black man did not regard equality with the white man a thing to be grasped." He didn't even try and thought it way beyond him.
The meaning found in the NASB, NIV, NKJV 1979 edition, ESV, RSV is totally different from the one found in the King James Bible and others which reveal the full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Another change in meaning is found in verse 7 where we are told that Christ "MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION". This is one of those "ambiguous, problematic" passages that the JW guy says has puzzled interpreters. The verb used here has variously been translated as "to be made void", "to be made of none effect", "to be in vain" and "made of no reputation". The King James translators got it right and many other versions give us a nonsensical reading.
Other Bibles that exhort us to follow the example of Christ, who "MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION" are Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishops', the Geneva Bible, NKJV 1982 edition (but not the 1979 NKJV), Lamsa's translation of the Peshitta, Webster's 1833 translation, the KJV 21st Century Version, and the Third Millenium Bible. The Wycliffe Bible of 1395 says: "He lowered Himself,taking the form of a servant".
However instead of "made himself of no reputation", the NIV, NASB, RSV, and NKJV 1979 edition again match the New World Translation of the JWs. They say Christ "emptied himself" (NASB, NKJV 79, RSV, NWT) or "made himself nothing" (NIV). Now if Christ made himself nothing or emptied himself, there was NOTHING THERE. If I empty a box, what remains? Nothing.
The Lord Jesus Christ was not empty or nothing when He came to earth. He was full of grace and truth. In Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. But He did make Himself of no reputation. He was born in a stable, from a common and poor family; He came not to seek His own glory but that of His Father, and He often told others He had healed to tell no one. When the multitudes wanted to make Him king, He departed into a mountain alone. How different from our sinful tendency to want to be recognized, make a name for ourselves, and have others look up to us as some great one.
Not all bibles teach the same thing. Many modern versions continually downgrade the glory and deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. The King James Bible exalts the Lord Jesus Christ to His rightful place as "God manifest in the flesh" 1 Timothy 3:16. Compare the NASB, NIV and NWT here for such an example. See also Romans 14:10, 1 John 5:7, 1 Cor. 15:47 and Luke 23:42.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow...and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Will Kinney