In Philippians 2:6, Paul writes concerning Jesus’ frame of mind. Although He existed in the form of God, He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. The term “robbery” refers to the act of snatching something by force. This form of the word only occurs once in Scripture. “Robbery” does not relate to the concept of theft (κλέπτω), which describes taking without permission or stealing. Rather, its root meaning indicates plunder or taking as booty.
Jesus did not consider possessing the outward form of Deity to be an act of seizing. Because God is one being (Deuteronomy 6:4) and shares His glory—the proper opinion of who He is—with no one (Isaiah 42:8), there are no other gods besides Jehovah (Isaiah 45:5–6). Therefore, if Jesus possessed the form of God, He had to be God (John 1:1). His outward appearance was not imposed; it manifested who He truly was.
In contrast, before His incarnation, Jesus was in the form of Deity, while Lucifer, a cherub, sought to snatch the glory of God. He once ruled over the entire universe from Eden (Ezekiel 28:13–14). Lucifer determined in his heart to set his throne in the third heaven alongside God’s throne (Isaiah 14:13). He set out to seize God’s glory, even going beyond the third heaven, where only God is permitted to enter (Isaiah 14:14).
Since “robbery” derives from the root meaning of seizing by force, we can look at related words to better understand its meaning. Scripture uses the verb ‘seize’ thirteen times. Paul was caught up—snatched—into paradise (2 Corinthians 12:4). When Christ returns in the air to take His bride, the Church, from the earth, those of the Church will be snatched up to meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Revelation 12:5 describes Satan’s attempt to devour the Messiah, but Christ was snatched up to God and His throne. During Christ’s earthly ministry, He promised those who believed that He was the Messiah, the Son of God, they would not physically die before the coming of the next age. They were given the authority to become children—born ones—of God (John 1:12). Thus, they would not die until they entered the next age, in which those who believe in the death of Christ for sin and resurrection three days later become legitimate children of God (1 John 3:2; John 6:51). Those whom the Father gave Him, no one has the inherent ability to snatch out of His hands (John 10:28–29).
“Robbery” is a specific term that describes taking something by force. Since Jesus is God in the flesh, before taking on the form of a man, He resides in the form of God, a form that belongs to Him by virtue of His deity. Although He possesses this form, He did not consider it something that must always be displayed as a means to exploit this image for His own benefit. Rather, He willingly emptied Himself of His form of Deity and took on the form of a man, submitting to the desirous will of God the Father.
