Friday, May 27, 2005

Philippians 2:10

Textus Receptus:
ινα εν τω ονοματι ιησου παν γονυ καμψη επουρανιων και επιγειων και καταχθονιων

King James:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Comments:
every knee should bow: God's desire is that every person should be saved. He expresses that desire in Isaiah 45:22-25. That passages also expresses His commitment that every knee will bow to Him (to which Paul is referring in this verse) and the fact that some will not be saved. At least one fulfillment of this verse comes in Revelation 5:13. In that passage, after the representatives of the redeemed have sung their song in verses 8-10, and after all the servants of God have sung their song in verses 11-12, then all the creatures join in to sing their song in verse 13.

in heaven...in earth...under the earth: Although literally true of course, the point of this expression (a merism) is to encompass all of the inhabitants of creation, from one extreme (above the heavens) to the other (under the ground.)

Expanded Paraphrase:
God has exalted Jesus above all so that every person may be brought to a position of kneeling humbly before Him--persons in the heavens, persons on the earth, and persons already dead and in the ground.

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