Abstract:
This research is concerned with the “attitude of Christ Jesus” as described in the “Christological hymn” of the letter to the Philippians (2.6-11). In the “Christological hymn” Paul presents the self-emptying, humility, obedience, service, love and suffering of Christ Jesus. From the “Christological hymn” an exegetical-theological analysis (“content analysis”) of the pericopes of three sections of Philippians is carried out: 1.27-2.18; 2.19-30; 3.1-21, with the purpose of verifying how the “Christological hymn” grounds Paul's argument in the pericopes of these sections of Philippians. It is concluded that Paul presents Christ Jesus as an example to be followed by Philippian Christians, especially in his humility, his obedience, his service and his love. Paul also presents himself and his co-workers, Timothy and Epaphroditus, as examples of Christian people conformed to the example of Christ Jesus. By following the example of Christ Jesus as well as Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus, Philippian Christian people manifest the “Christ attitude” and gospel values of and about Christ Jesus. For Philippian Christian people this would provide a solution to the discord between Euodia and Syntyche, two Philippian church leaders, and the factionalism surrounding them as well as an inversion of the values of Roman society. The research is bibliographical and uses exegetical resources of the historical-critical method. The thesis is structured in three chapters. The first chapter consists of the content analysis of Philippians 1.27-2.18 and 2.19-30, The second chapter consists of the content analysis of Philippians 3.1-21. The third chapter deals with the Christian life based on the gospel (anti-imperial) and the paradigm of Christ Jesus' attitude according to the “Christological hymn”: humility, obedience, service and love.
