Reading Philippians 2:5–11 (the “Christ Hymn”) and Ephesians 1:3–14 (the “Blessing”) — Poetics, Syntax, and Theology in Advanced Koine

Why this lesson matters

Philippians 2:5–11 and Ephesians 1:3–14 are among the most concentrated stretches of Greek in the New Testament. They are also two of the most theologically dense: one sings the Messiah’s descent and exaltation; the other blesses the God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the Messiah. These paragraphs force you to read poetic Greek and periodic prose at speed, to hear how morphology, aspect, and clause structure carry the argument, and to hold exegetical debates (kenosis, harpagmos, predestination, sealing by the Spirit) while your eyes stay disciplined on the Greek.

By the end of this chapter you should be able to translate both passages fluidly, map their discourse structures, defend key syntactic decisions (e.g., how to construe μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων and ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο; how to follow the prepositional and participial chain in Eph 1), and articulate how grammar serves theology. Throughout, when you see a brief list, keep reading: I will explain each item, walk you through the Greek at sight, and then extract the exegetical payoff (Wallace, 1996; Porter, 1992; Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005; O’Brien, 1991; Lincoln, 1990; Thielman, 2010; BDAG, 2000).

Part I. Philippians 2:5–11 — Poetic Christology in Clauses and Participles

1. Setting and form

Most scholars treat Phil 2:6–11 as a pre-Pauline hymn or poetic confession that Paul quotes to shape community ethics. Whether pre-Pauline or Pauline composition, it is poetry in Greek dress: balanced cola, parallel participial structures, and an ABA movement—pre-existence (vv. 6–7a), humiliation/obedience unto death (vv. 7b–8), and exaltation/ universal confession (vv. 9–11). You must read it as poetry: listen for repetitions (μορφή… μορφή; γενόμενος… γενόμενος), for chiasm (down then up), and for how the finite verbs anchor waves of participles (Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005).

2. Text and first pass: what the Greek puts in your ear

The unit begins with Paul’s imperative frame in v. 5: τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ (“have this mindset in you which was also in Christ Jesus”). Then the hymn:

ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων,
οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ,
ἀλλ’ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν
μορφὴν δούλου λαβών,
ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος·
καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος,
ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν
γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου,
θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ.
διὸ καὶ ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσεν
καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα,
ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ
ἐπουρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων καὶ καταχθονίων,
καὶ πᾶσα γλῶσσα ἐξομολογήσηται
ὅτι Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός,
εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός.

Read these lines aloud. Mark the finite aorists that carry the story: ἡγήσατο, ἐκένωσεν, ἐταπείνωσεν, ὑπερύψωσεν, ἐχαρίσατο. They present decisive acts. Then circle the participles that depict manner and state: ὑπάρχων, λαβών, γενόμενος (twice), εὑρεθείς, γενόμενος ὑπήκοος. The hymn advances by finite verbs while participles fill in how he emptied and humbled himself (Porter, 1992; Wallace, 1996).

3. Key cruxes you must decide (and defend from the Greek)

(a) ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων. The present participle ὑπάρχων (“existing/being”) functions concessively or circumstantially: “although being” or “being” in the form of God. Μορφή here signals the true mode and status of divine existence, not a mere outward shape; it corresponds with ἴσα θεῷ in the next colon. The point is not “appearance only” but genuine divine condition (BDAG, s.v. μορφή; Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005).

(b) οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα θεῷ. Two decisions: the semantics of ἁρπαγμός and the force of ἡγήσατο. The noun likely denotes “something to be used for advantage/exploitation,” not “a thing to be seized” de novo. Thus, “he did not regard equality with God as something to exploit”—i.e., he refused to leverage his divine status for self-gain. The aorist middle ἡγήσατο introduces his evaluative stance and decisive choice (BDAG, s.v. ἁρπαγμός; Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005).

(c) ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν… μορφὴν δούλου λαβών. The aorist ἐκένωσεν does not mean that the Son divested himself of deity; the following modal participles tell you how he “emptied” himself: by taking (λαβών) the form of a slave, by becoming (γενόμενος) in human likeness, by being found as a human in outward schema. The kenosis is not subtraction but addition—the assumption of servanthood and humanity (Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005; Wallace, 1996).

(d) γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου… θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. The participle γενόμενος with predicate ὑπήκοος (“becoming obedient”) profiles a lived obedience culminating unto death, sharpened by apposition “death—death of a cross.” The rhythm gives the depth of descent.

(e) The διό clause and the ἵνα purpose. Because of the obedience, God highly exalted him and graced to him the Name above every name. The ἵνα introduces the telos: universal homage and confession. Note the aorist subjunctives κάμψῃ and ἐξομολογήσηται—purpose/result envisioned as a whole (Wallace, 1996).

4. Guided exegesis: walking line-by-line

Begin with ὃς ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων. Translate first as raw syntax: “who, being in the form of God, did not consider…” Then decide whether to render ὑπάρχων concessively: “although he was in God’s form.” In either case, the next colon clarifies: he refuses exploitation of equality. Render ἁρπαγμός carefully: “a thing to be grasped” is traditional but can be heard as acquiring. In Koine context, the nuance of exploitable advantage is stronger: he did not treat equality with God as capital to spend on himself (Silva, 2005; Fee, 1995).

Move to ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν. Do not stop here. Ask how the hymn defines “emptying”: by taking the form of a slave, becoming in human likeness, being found as human. The string of aorist participles is not incidental; aspectually they portray complete modalities of his humility. Then the second finite aorist ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν seals the descent with obedience unto death. Only after the nadir does the διό turn the poem: the Father’s ὑπερύψωσεν and ἐχαρίσατο. The hymnic purpose clause (ἵνα) opens the cosmic horizon: every knee bends, every tongue confesses Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστός—the divine title Κύριος placed on the crucified Jesus, to the glory of God the Father (Fee, 1995).

5. Theological payoff that flows from the Greek

The grammar yields a cruciform pattern: pre-existent status → refusal to exploit → self-emptying by taking slave-form → obedient death → exaltation to the divine Name and universal homage. This is not merely metaphysics; it is ethics. Paul frames the hymn with “this mindset” because grammar here is pastoral: the church’s unity comes by sharing the Messiah’s evaluative posture (ἡγήσατο) and pattern of action (ἐκένωσεν… ἐταπείνωσεν). Your commentary should make explicit how the aorists present decisive acts that the present community imitates in pattern, not in metaphysical scope (Silva, 2005).

6. Practice with the text

Work with the Greek. First, mark all finite aorists (ἡγήσατο, ἐκένωσεν, ἐταπείνωσεν, ὑπερύψωσεν, ἐχαρίσατο). Second, list each participial phrase and state its function (manner, means, attendant circumstance). Third, translate twice: once woodenly, preserving Greek order, then idiomatically. Finally, write a short paragraph explaining your rendering of ἁρπαγμός and why you think kenosis is addition rather than subtraction, appealing to the participles that define it.

Part II. Ephesians 1:3–14 — A Single Sentence of Praise and a Map of Salvation

1. Setting and sentence flow

In Greek, Ephesians 1:3–14 is one sentence that surges from blessing to blessing—roughly 200 words without full stop. It moves by eulogical anaphora (“in Christ… in whom… in whom…”) and by a chain of aorist participles and prepositional phrases that organize salvation history: election before creation, predestination to adoption, grace lavished, redemption and forgiveness now, revelation of the mystery, summing up all things in Christ, inheritance obtained, sealing with the Spirit—each movement landing on the refrain “to the praise of his glory.” Reading this sentence well means tracking its main finite verbs, then binding every participle and prepositional phrase to the right anchor (O’Brien, 1991; Lincoln, 1990; Thielman, 2010; Wallace, 1996).

2. The opening blessing and its grammar

The sentence begins: Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ… (“Blessed be the God and Father…”) ὁ εὐλογήσας ἡμᾶς (“the One who blessed us”) ἐν πάσῃ εὐλογίᾳ πνευματικῇ (“with every spiritual blessing”) ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις (“in the heavenlies”) ἐν Χριστῷ (“in Christ”). Note the aorist participle ὁ εὐλογήσας; it ascribes to God a decisive act of blessing, then specifies sphere and location via ἐν phrases. The first main finite verb is arguably the perfect of v. 9 (ἐγνωρίσας is participle; the explicit finite verb earlier is often taken from the eulogy construction), but functionally the flow rides on participles dependent on the eulogetos predicate, with explicit finite forms emerging later (e.g., ἔχομεν, “we have,” v. 7; ἐκλήρωθημεν, v. 11; ἐσφραγίσθητε, v. 13). In practice, as you translate, identify conceptual anchors: God blessed us; within that blessing he chose us, predestined us, graced us, and revealed to us his mystery (O’Brien, 1991; Lincoln, 1990).

3. The election-adoption complex (vv. 4–6)

καθὼς ἐξελέξατο ἡμᾶς ἐν αὐτῷ πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου (“just as he chose us in him before the world’s foundation”) εἶναι ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ (“to be holy and blameless before him”). The aorist ἐξελέξατο is decisive and locative: our election is in him (Christ as the corporate head). The infinitive εἶναι gives purpose/result: holiness and blamelessness are the goal of election.

προορίσας ἡμᾶς εἰς υἱοθεσίαν (“having predestined us for adoption”) διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς αὐτόν κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ. The aorist participle προορίσας is causal/concomitant with choosing. εἰς phrases mark telos (“for adoption”), διὰ marks mediator (“through Jesus Christ”), κατὰ signals standard/accordance. The refrain εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος then names the final cause: the praise of the glory of his grace, ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ (“with which he freely graced us in the Beloved”). The verb ἐχαρίτωσεν (aorist) is rare and weighty; it frames grace as an enacted favor bestowed in the Loved One (Thielman, 2010; BDAG).

4. Redemption and revelation (vv. 7–10)

Now a present breaks the chain: ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν παραπτωμάτων (“in whom we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses”). The present ἔχομεν gives current possession, not merely future promise. All of this is κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς χάριτος ἧς ἐπερίσσευσεν (“according to the riches of grace which he lavished”). Notice the instrumental wisdom and prudence: ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ φρονήσει.

Then the mystery: γνωρίσας ἡμῖν τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ θελήματος κατὰ τὴν εὐδοκίαν ἣν προέθετο ἐν αὐτῷ (“having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him”). The articular infinitive arrives with programmatic force: εἰς οἰκονομίαν τοῦ πληρώματος τῶν καιρῶν ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι τὰ πάντα ἐν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἐπὶ τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς (“for an administration of the fullness of times: to sum up all things in the Christ, things in heaven and on earth”). The aorist middle infinitive ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι makes Christ the recapitulating head of the cosmos (O’Brien, 1991; Thielman, 2010).

5. Inheritance and sealing (vv. 11–14)

Two key finite aorists close the sentence’s second half. First, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἐκληρώθημεν (“in whom also we were made heirs/were appointed an inheritance”), qualified by προορισθέντες (“having been predestined”) κατὰ πρόθεσιν. Here, the passive ἐκληρώθημεν likely means “were appointed as God’s possession” or “were allotted an inheritance”; the following purpose εἰς τὸ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης establishes the teleology again. The perfect participle οἱ προηλπικότες (“we who have already hoped in the Christ”) introduces Jewish believers as firstfruits, then the audience’s experience parallels theirs:

ἐν ᾧ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀκούσαντες… πιστεύσαντες ἐσφραγίσθητε τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῷ ἁγίῳ (“in whom also you, having heard… having believed, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit”). The aorist ἐσφραγίσθητε presents a decisive sealing, and v. 14 elaborates: the Spirit is ἀρραβών (“down payment, pledge”) of our inheritance εἰς ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς περιποιήσεως, again landing εἰς ἔπαινον τῆς δόξης.

6. Following the river: how to keep your syntax straight

Do three things as you read. First, underline every ἐν Χριστῷ/ἐν ᾧ; these prepositional and relative links are the spine of the sentence. Second, mark the finite verbs (present ἔχομεν, aorist ἐκληρώθημεν, aorist ἐσφραγίσθητε) and treat everything else—aorist participles (προορίσας, γνωρίσας, προορισθέντες), prepositional phrases (διὰ, κατά, εἰς)—as subordinate waves. Third, for each εἰς phrase supply a one-word label (telos, scope, result). Your translation will immediately become more disciplined (Wallace, 1996; Porter, 1992; O’Brien, 1991).

7. Theological payoff that follows the grammar

Ephesians 1:3–14 is a Trinitarian doxology with Christ at the center and the Spirit as seal. The prepositional theology matters: everything is in Christ (sphere and union), accomplished through Christ (mediator), according to God’s will and pleasure (standard), and unto the praise of his glory (telos). The aspect choices matter: aorists narrate God’s decisive acts (chose, predestined, graced, revealed, appointed, sealed); the present ἔχομεν keeps redemption and forgiveness as current possession. The articular infinitive ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι supplies a cosmic horizon: God’s plan is the recapitulation of all things in the Messiah (O’Brien, 1991; Thielman, 2010). When you preach or teach from this passage, keep your people in the Greek river: let each ἐν ᾧ pull them forward until they land with Paul at the refrain εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης.

Guided exegesis labs

Lab 1: Kenosis defined by participles (Phil 2:6–8)

Write out the sequence ἐκένωσεν… λαβών… γενόμενος… εὑρεθείς… ἐταπείνωσεν… γενόμενος ὑπήκοος. For each participle, classify function (means/manner/attendant circumstance) and explain in 2–3 sentences how it clarifies what “emptying” and “humbling” mean. Conclude by defending your translation of ἁρπαγμός using BDAG and one modern commentary (BDAG, 2000; Silva, 2005; Fee, 1995).

Lab 2: Purpose that sings (Phil 2:9–11)

Identify the ἵνα clause and parse κάμψῃ and ἐξομολογήσηται. Explain the threefold merism (ἐπουράνιοι, ἐπίγειοι, καταχθόνιοι) and how it contributes to the universal scope. Finally, justify why Κύριος here carries the LXX Yahweh-title resonance, and how εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ πατρός guards Trinitarian monotheism (Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005).

Lab 3: Mapping the blessing (Eph 1:3–6)

Mark ὁ εὐλογήσας, ἐξελέξατο, προορίσας, ἐχαρίτωσεν. For each εἰς phrase, write telos and gloss it. Argue in a paragraph why ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ (“in the Beloved”) is not ornamental but covenantal shorthand that ties to the Servant language of Isaiah, and how the aorist ἐχαρίτωσεν supports “graced us” rather than “made us gracious.”

Lab 4: Redemption now, mystery revealed (Eph 1:7–10)

Circle ἔχομεν, γνωρίσας, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι. Explain in 3–4 sentences how the present of ἔχομεν interacts with the aorists around it, and why ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι is programmatic for Pauline eschatology (O’Brien, 1991; Thielman, 2010).

Lab 5: Inheritance and sealing (Eph 1:11–14)

Parse ἐκληρώθημεν, προορισθέντες, ἐσφραγίσθητε, and identify ἀρραβών. In two sentences, explain how the participles and aorist passives present an already secure identity with not yet consummation.

Intensive practice (translation + analysis)

Spend unhurried time producing polished translations with annotations.

1. Translate Phil 2:5–11, then produce an “aspect map” that lists every finite verb and participle, its tense-form, and a one-word aspect gloss (“decisive,” “ongoing,” “state/result”). Explain how your aspect map shapes your theology of obedience and exaltation.

2. Translate Eph 1:3–14. On a second pass, indent every ἐν ᾧ relative clause and εἰς telic phrase, creating a visual cascade. In a 300-word note, articulate how the prepositions (ἐν, διὰ, κατά, εἰς) tell the whole story of salvation.

3. Compose (in Greek) a two-clause confession modeled on Phil 2:10–11 that uses ἵνα + subjunctive and a merism; gloss your Greek and justify your verb choices.

4. Build a concordance sketch: list five Pauline uses of σφραγίζω/σφραγίς and ἀρραβών, summarize their semantic range via BDAG, and write a paragraph on how Eph 1:13–14 uses the imagery pastorally.

Assigned readings and translations (this week)

Read Philippians 2:1–18 in Greek so the hymn sits inside its ethical frame. Read Ephesians 1:3–23 so the blessing flows into the prayer (pay attention to the repeated power vocabulary). For each passage, keep a “Clause & Purpose Log” that records (a) finite verbs and main subjects, (b) all ἵνα clauses and their verbs, (c) every ἐν/διὰ/κατά/εἰς phrase with a function tag, (d) one 3–4 sentence theological payoff that depends on your grammar.

Suggested assignments (graded)

1) Exegetical essay (6–8 pages): Philippians 2:6–8 and the meaning of kenosis.
Present the Greek text with your translation. Argue that kenosis is defined by the modal participles (taking, becoming, being found) rather than by an ontological subtraction. Defend your rendering of ἁρπαγμός by engaging BDAG and at least two commentaries (Fee, 1995; Silva, 2005). Conclude with one page on how Paul’s grammar underwrites cruciform ethics in 2:1–4.

2) Diagram and commentary (5–6 pages): Ephesians 1:3–14 as a single sentence.
Lay out the sentence in indented lines, anchoring finite verbs and subordinating participles and prepositional units. Explain how each εἰς ἔπαινον refrain signals telos. Interact with O’Brien (1991) and Thielman (2010) on ἐκληρώθημεν and ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι.

3) Morphology drill (short, graded for accuracy).
Parse and gloss: ὑπάρχων, ἡγήσατο, ἐκένωσεν, λαβών, γενόμενος, εὑρεθείς, ἐταπείνωσεν, ὑπερύψωσεν, ἐχαρίσατο, κάμψῃ, ἐξομολογήσηται (Phil 2), and ἐξελέξατο, προορίσας, ἐχαρίτωσεν, ἔχομεν, ἐπερίσσευσεν, γνωρίσας, ἀνακεφαλαιώσασθαι, ἐκληρώθημεν, προορισθέντες, ἐσφραγίσθητε (Eph 1). Write one sentence for each explaining its discourse function.

4) Theological synthesis brief (3–4 pages): “From Hymn to Blessing.”
Show how Phil 2’s down-then-up pattern and Eph 1’s plan-then-possession pattern together form a Pauline soteriological arc. Your claims must be anchored in specific Greek forms (e.g., aorist vs. present, prepositional chains).

5) Oral recitation with scansion.
Memorize Phil 2:6–11 in Greek. Record an audio recitation with marked pauses at cola. Submit your markup and a paragraph on how reciting the Greek changed your exegesis.

Conclusion: Letting grammar preach doxology

These two texts train you to hear doctrine and doxology with eyes tuned to Greek. In Philippians, aorists and participles narrate the Messiah’s evaluative decision not to exploit divine status, his self-emptying by assumption of servanthood, his obedient death, and his exaltation to the divine Name—so that all creation bends the knee. In Ephesians, prepositions and participles move you through God’s plan from eternity to seal: elected in Christ, predestined for adoption, graced in the Beloved, redeeming now (ἔχομεν), mystery revealed for recapitulation, inheritance in him, sealed with the promised Spirit—everything according to his will and unto the praise of his glory. Reading at this level is not a luxury; it is how you honor the inspired text. Let the Greek shape your theology, your worship, and the way you call Christ’s people to the mindset that was in him.

References (APA)

Bauer, W., Danker, F. W., Arndt, W. F., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). A Greek–English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature (3rd ed.). University of Chicago Press. [= BDAG]

Fee, G. D. (1995). Paul’s letter to the Philippians (NICNT). Eerdmans.

Lincoln, A. T. (1990). Ephesians (WBC 42). Word.

O’Brien, P. T. (1991). The letter to the Ephesians (PNTC). Eerdmans.

Porter, S. E. (1992). Idioms of the Greek New Testament (2nd ed.). Sheffield Academic Press.

Silva, M. (2005). Philippians (2nd ed., BECNT). Baker Academic.

Thielman, F. (2010). Ephesians (BECNT). Baker Academic.

Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek grammar beyond the basics: An exegetical syntax of the New Testament. Zondervan.

Wright, N. T. (2013). Paul and the faithfulness of God. Fortress Press.