The Divide And Conquer Strategy
One of the ways Satan works to kill churches and the growth of Christianity is the divide and conquer strategy. See if any of these tactics look familiar: 1) creating or encouraging divisions 2) aiding and promoting those who willingly cooperate with those who are power hungry; 3) fostering distrust and enmity; and 4) encouraging meaningless expenditures to reduce the capability to have resources. Over my many years in ministry, I have seen these tactics used in churches by leadership to keep or gain control. Granted, most of these leaders would not say they are trying to hurt the church, and some may even feel their motives are pure, but none-the-less, divisions in the church happen. Before I go on, let me say, there is a difference between moral issues and issues used to keep people in power. More on that later.
In this study, we are taking a look at several passages throughout the book of Acts to see how the early church handled possible divisive issues. We will see how Satan, the inventor of this strategy, tries to destroy the infant church right away. He is watching tremendous growth and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and this is making him very nervous. All his best laid plans are being dismantled and he desperately wants to regain a foothold. What better way than to throw in some disgruntled folks who feel they’re being cheated out of something or ignored for some reason. There’s nothing like worry and unease that can lead to discontent. I believe this is the very reason Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31-34. Worry fosters gossip, back-biting, a fear of being deprived and suspicion. Instead of being satisfied with the gifts God has given, we find ourselves becoming envious of what others have.
We can also worry about a loss of power and control. This could be anything from control over money to control over ideas. In Ephesians 4, Paul is writing about the unity of the church. He says in 4:1-6, “I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope at your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Recalling the words of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, “seek first the kingdom of God.” Anytime power or money becomes an issue it has the potential to cause a great divide in the church. As we dig into several passages in Acts, let’s examine how Satan seeks to divide us so we will no longer be deceived. We start with Acts 6:1-7.
Vs 1-7 In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters. Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.” The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
The number of believers were multiplying as people came to Christ in droves. Many were staying in Jerusalem so they could listen to the teaching of the apostles, which created real needs in the new congregation. There were widows who needed to be taken care of and people needed the basics – food and shelter. Before we continue, a little bit of background is needed here. There already existed a natural suspicion between the Hellenistic Jews and the Hebraic Jews. The Hellenistic Jews, in their natural man, were already looking for ways they were being slighted by the Hebraic Jews, who they believed to be holier-than-thou traditionalist. The Hebraic Jews, in their natural man, were already looking for ways the Hellenistic Jews were compromising morality and ethics, as they tended to embrace Greek culture. Both were from a Jewish background and had become followers of Jesus. Both were learning what it meant to be in Christ, as Paul would later write in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.” But, it is hard to let go of past suspicions and prejudices. Satan was able to use this to create a divide. “They get more than we do.” “You pay more attention to them than us.” In all reality, the problem was probably caused by the faster than anticipated growth and poor supervision. Who was in charge? How can we take care of so many people? It was an unintentional wrong, but Satan, the master at causing splits, used this to create suspicion and animosity. Let’s look at how the early church handled their problems as we navigate our own possible divides. What are the steps they took to defuse the situation and continue their ministry?
1) Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples. The apostles did not just summon those who filed the grievances. They did not form several small committees. No, they summoned the whole company. Let’s all sit down and talk about this openly and honestly. This ensures everyone is on the same page.
2) “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters. The apostles understood there was a problem. They also understood they were unable to do everything. So often, those in positions of power feel they must control everything. They have to be in the know and have their finger on the pulse. But that’s not how the body of Christ is supposed to work. The apostles had a calling – that was to preach the Word of God not to wait tables. Before we begin to think the apostles thought they were to good to wait tables, let’s look at what the meaning of the words in Greek are. The phrase is diakonein trapezais, which, in this case, is talking about the money changing tables and not the food kind of tables. We understand this meaning from what they are talking about. The apostles were not called to deal with the financial matters of the church. So what to do?
3) Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.” The apostles wisely delegated these duties to others. They had conditions in place. These men had to have a good reputation – they are after all dealing with money matters. They had to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. They needed to be able to discern the needs of others and wisely disperse the funds needed. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 that there is a great diversity in the gifts God has given us – all to be used in the One Body of Christ. Each of us has been given gifts to use to further the kingdom of God. The apostles sought to find those 7 men who had these gifts so they could devote themselves to the gifts God had given them. That way, the body of Christ would be taken care of.
Those in leadership would be wise to seek out those in their congregations with gifts to be used for the glory of God. This way, the body is working together toward the same mission – that is, to see people come to know Christ. When the “duties” of the church are dispersed accordingly, the body of Christ can function properly.
Let’s look at other ways the early church dealt with potential divisions. Next we will look at an issue in Acts 11.
Acts 11:1-18 The apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had welcomed God’s message also. When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who stressed circumcision argued with him, saying, “You visited uncircumcised men and ate with them!” Peter began to explain to them in an orderly sequence, saying: “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a visionary state, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. Then I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat!’ “‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing common or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth!’ But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call common.’ “Now this happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into heaven. At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. He will speak a message to you that you and all your household will be saved by.’ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if God gave them the same gift that He also gave to us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?” When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God, saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles!”
Can you imagine a church without Gentiles? Most likely not – but up until this moment, the church was only made up of Jewish people, and they couldn’t see it being any other way. It was one thing to deal with the Hellenistic Jews becoming a part of the church, but a whole other thing to see Gentiles coming to faith. Could it be done? Did God really mean all nations? This had the potential to divide the church irrevocably. You can almost see Satan’s wicked smile. Let’s look at the issue that would have been concerning to these believers. First, Peter ate with uncircumcised men. At that time, going to someone’s house for a meal was more than just simply having dinner, it was a time of intimate fellowship. Look at all the times Jesus sat down at a meal. Here’s Zacchaeus as an example: “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today I must stay at your house.” So he quickly came down and welcomed Him joyfully. All who saw it began to complain, “He’s gone to lodge with a sinful man!” The complaint was very similar – how could Jesus lodge with that sinner? How could Peter eat with those Gentiles? Unlike the Pharisees though, the traditionalist believers were open to the Holy Spirit. Let’s see how Peter answered them:
1) He told them how God had prepared his heart through a vision. There are times when God is going to do something in our midst so He prepares the ground for us to be ready to receive His call. Things begin to happen around us that enable us to listen more closely and specifically to what God is going to do. This is what happened with Peter. God gave him a vision that would soften his heart toward what He was about to do. At first, Peter thought this vision was about food but, he would soon find out God was not concerned with food, but with people. God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean. Acts 10:28 The church needs to be ready for God to prepare our hearts for what He is doing. So often, we make our own plans instead of waiting to see what God is going to do.
2) He was humble. Peter was an apostle of Jesus Christ. He was not only one of the 12, but one of the 3 with John and James. He could have brandished his apostolic authority at that time, but he didn’t. It can be so easy to say, because I’m the pastor or head deacon or a prominent citizen in the community… It’s at these times we must remember Jesus’ example at the Last Supper: “So He got up from supper, laid aside His robe, took a towel, and tied it around Himself. Next, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around Him.” We must deal with potential divisive issues as humble servants of God. In James 4:6- it says, ”But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”
3) He went with witnesses. Now this happened three times, and then everything was drawn up again into heaven. At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. Then the Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. After his vision, Peter encountered three men who had been sent. God directed him to go with them and he took six others with him. Knowing the questions he was going to get, Peter decided to take along six men to witness the encounter so no one could say he was making it up. He also understood he wasn’t the only one who heard the voice of God. Having witnesses has been a fundamental biblical principle starting with the Law. When dealing with a trial Deuteronomy 17:6 says, “The one condemned to die is to be executed on the testimony of two or three witnesses. No one is to be executed on the testimony of a single witness.” Witnesses were also needed to confirm a transaction. In Ruth 4:1-4 it says, “Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, Come over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took 10 men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. … in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” In Hebrews 12 we are introduced to a “large cloud of witnesses.” These are witnesses of God’s great works, His righteousness and His holiness. Because of them, we can run the race that lies before us. It is never a good policy to take the word of just one person who has a “word” from the Lord. Without a witness – another person who has the same word – it is easy to be swayed by those intent on obtaining power.
4) God’s working power became evident in the lives of the Gentiles which was cause for celebration. Peter recounted how God worked in the lives of the Gentiles. “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning.” I love this next part – When they heard this they became silent. Then they glorified God. Silence followed by rejoicing. This is what happens when our hearts are open to God’s work – even when it goes against what we think is customary. I find that God often works in ways that are not conventional. He doesn’t usually fit into the boxes we have constructed. We have so many examples of Jesus being accused of going against the conventions of the time. Mark 3 describes an incident on the Sabbath when Jesus healed a man. Speaking to the Pharisees; “Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do what is good or to do what is evil, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent.” In Matthew 9, Jesus calls the tax collector Matthew to be his disciple. As he was dining in Matthews house with “many tax collectors and sinners” who had come as guest, the Pharisees, once again, objected. Jesus response; ”But when He heard this, He said, “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.” In both the cases, the Pharisees sought to constrict the work of God. They could find no joy in seeing a man healed and another man saved and forgiven. Their hearts were not open to God’s love and mercy. They were more concerned with when and who rather than changed hearts and lives. We must open our minds to the glorious work of God – even when it seems out of the ordinary. Otherwise, we might miss a time of celebration.
The third and last example of how the early church dealt with potential conflict is found in Acts 15.
Acts 15:1-21 Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!” But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy… When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!” Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me! Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name. And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: After these things I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again, so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, declares the Lord who does these things, known from long ago. Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”
It seems we have come back to the same old issue – Gentiles and salvation. But this is actually a nuanced issue: do these new Gentile Christians need to become like Jews to follow Christ? Do they need to be circumcised? Do they need to be kosher? These were serious issues that could have destroyed the church at that time. How did they resolve this new conflict?
1) They humbled themselves. After being unable to settle the argument, the church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to have the matter settled with the apostles. This was a crucial issue – did the Gentiles need to follow the Jewish law in order to be real believers in Jesus. Each side had a believable argument. This needed to be settled as they continued to minister to the Gentile world. Paul and Barnabas – who knew they were right by the way, humbled themselves and went as directed to Jerusalem to settle the argument. They didn’t dig in their heels. They didn’t continue to argue. This would have only caused more friction and a possible split. When we take on humility, we are open to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are open to listening to the other side and working with them to settle things according to Scripture. Paul and Barnabas knew they were right, but they also knew further argument wasn’t going to sway the other side at that point.
2) They allowed debate. After there had been much debate… This was a huge issue in the early church. There were two polar opposite sides and it had the potential to destroy the church. Satan was so excited by this issue. He could undo everything in one blow right here. But debate was allowed. The word debate means to have a formal discussion about a topic in which opposing arguments are put forward. These guys wrestled with this issue – they grappled with it. So many times, we just want to be heard. When we don’t come to the debate table with humble hearts we also don’t come with open ears. Not listening to each other most likely means we are also not listening to God. This inhibits us from coming to right thinking about the issue at hand. By allowing all sides to be heard, they were able to determine what was right.
3) Right timing for truth to be spoken. After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them… The time of debate had ended. All sides had been heard. Now, they were ready to listen to what God would say. It was at this time that Peter reminded them of what had taken place in Acts 14 -15. He reminded them that the Law of God did not save us, but all are saved by grace. Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.” I love the description of a yoke that no one has been able to bear. If the Law could not save our ancestors, why do you think it will save us now? It only points out our sin – only God can save. After the debate had ended, all were ready to hear the truth. When they heard the truth it says, Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened…” It’s amazing what can happen when everyone feels they have been listened to. They are open to hearing the truth.
4) They went back to the source for the answer to the debate: Brothers, listen to me! Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name. And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:… What does God’s word say? In the end, this isn’t just about a bunch of ideas we might have. It’s about what Scripture has to say. God’s word is there to teach us and direct us. Psalm 119 is an entire chapter on how God’s word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. When we apply God’s Word, the truth will come out.
5) They issued a judgment. They settled the issue once and for all. After looking at the issue from all sides and hearing the truth of Scripture, they were able to settle the argument with a right judgment. This judgment focused on the moral issues new believers would struggle with rather than the traditional “this is how we’ve always done it”. After reading what God’s word had to say, they were able to come to a right answer. This was not a compromise, it was truth. One does not need to be Jewish to be a believer but, at the same time, one does not need to forsake the Law of Moses to be a Christian. The Law of Moses is, and always will be, God’s perfect and holy Law. It was set into place to show us what holiness looks like. It was never intended to save, it only points out our need for salvation. That being said, God’s law is holy and righteous. We cannot just throw out morality because of grace. James highlights this very thing when he said we may not live “under the Law”, but we must adhere to the law of love. In Romans 14:19-21, Paul further explains the judgment in this way: “So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another. Do not tear down God’s work because of food. Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats. It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.” We must also adhere to a moral law. Nowhere does it say that grace allows us to continue in our sin. Paul explains in Romans 6:1-2, What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? This is the one area the church cannot compromise on. 1 Peter 1:13-17 says, “Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.”
One thing is for certain, there will always be conflict. As the church, we must discern which conflicts are meant to divide and conquer and which conflicts we need to have over moral issues. Over the years, I have seen several church splits. The most recent has been over a moral issue. It saddens me that there are those in the community of faith who insist on rewriting God’s Word so they can live life the way they want to, even if it is against Scripture. But several church splits have been over other matters that should never split a church. There have been the trivial matters, such as. the color of the carpet, or placement of furniture in the auditorium. These are evidence of deeper problems in a church magnifying a lack of humility, listening ears and, frankly, good sense. Some splits have been over deeper matters like, who has the authority and, who has been hurt by someone else. Again, these shed light on a lack of humility, love and caring for one another. I believe this is why the book of 1 John was written. It is a letter to the church showing us how to be a church. Chapter 3 is devoted to showing us how important it is to love one another. Verses 23-24 says, “Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us.” Love isn’t just a nice emotion to have, it is a command from God. It is as important a command as believing in the name of Jesus Christ. In fact, I’m not sure we can believe in Jesus if we don’t love one another. Hebrews 10:23-25 says, “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Finally, in Paul’s letter to the Philippians sums it all up: If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus… Philippians 2:1-5. If we truly considered others more important than ourselves, there would be far less splits in our churches because if we really had the attitude of Christ Jesus, there would be far less conflicts in our churches.
Finally, I would like to use an example of a current issue several American churches are dealing with to show how easy it is to be distracted: that is politics. This may also be an issue in other parts of the world, but I am only familiar with the particulars in America. I hesitated to bring it up, but it does concerns me enough to at least address it briefly. I have been watching as some of our churches in America delve deeper and deeper into the political world, particularly aligning themselves with one party over the other – some even stating that it is “God’s party”. In some churches it is freely preached in the pulpit. I believe this seemingly important issue has distracted us from our true calling – that is to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you,” Matthew 28:19-20a. We spend far too much energy on trying to get the “right” person elected. Why is this issue so problematic? Let’s look at this from a biblical perspective. First, God doesn’t have a party and He isn’t trying to be elected. Second, there isn’t an earthly political party in the world that is going to save us. We are only saved by the blood of Jesus Christ who died for our sins so we might have eternal life. Third, God has never, and will never, rely on a particular political party, or any other human authority for that matter, to further His kingdom. It has never mattered who is in charge before, it doesn’t matter now, and it won’t matter in the future. Forth, God’s will is not going to be thwarted because the wrong person has political power. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Forth, I believe our focus on politics has become a god. I have heard this more than once – if only we could get so and so elected… or, things will be better if we could get this party in charge… When we begin to believe that a political entity can make our country better, we are relying on something other than God Himself to change lives – this is the very definition of having another god before God Almighty. Finally, fifth, you cannot legislate morality. If God’s holy Law could not keep men from sin, how can we believe man’s laws are going to do it? This is what Peter was saying in Acts 15. The only way we are going to live holy lives is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.
So, how can we avoid falling into the political distraction trap? Let’s look at the lessons we have learned from the church in Acts. They approached the problem with humility, love and the truth of Scripture. First, we can realign ourselves with the mission of the body of Christ – that is to live out Matthew 28:19-20. Second, instead of pushing a political party agenda, we can seek out opportunities to see the kingdom of God advance. Third, instead of being distracted by earthly matters, we can focus our attention on being salt and light in the world so others can see Christ. Seek first the kingdom of God.
There will always be conflicts the church will need to deal with. Some of them will be moral issues (in his letters, Paul spells out how we are to deal specifically with these) and there will be other issues that are meant to distract and destroy. While we must not compromise on moral issues, we need to deal humbly with conflicts that can cause disunity in the body of Christ. Satan wants to gain a foothold so he can divide and conquer us but, if we listen more, have more humility and practice love toward one another, we can defeat his evil schemes. To conclude, let’s look once more at Philippians 2 – particular verses 6-8. This is the attitude of Christ we are to have: who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.
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