One of the best known and most influential passages in the New Testament is the hymn of Philippians 2:5-11, which traces the dialectical path of Christ from preexistence--or pretemporal existence--to incarnation and exaltation. There is little agreement and a great deal of debate on this central text of Christian theology. In this book, an international group of scholars comment on the classic and current understandings of this passage, searching for insights into the ongoing exegetical inquiry.

The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building...