The Christ hymn of Phil. 2:5–11 celebrates Christ’s life of selflessness, from His preexistence to His undeserved death to His exaltation. It can be difficult to unpack the theologically rich and complex ideas loaded in these short verses. Lexham Bible Guide: Philippians, the latest volume in the Paul’s Letters Collection, helps you dig deeper into this famous Christ hymn by identifying its key exegetical and theological issues and surveying the major commentaries, articles, and monographs in the Logos Bible Software library.

Let’s look at an excerpt from this volume, which covers one of the hymn’s most difficult topics:

Form of God

Paul opens the hymn by asserting that Christ Jesus was “in the form of God” (en morphē theou hyparchōn). As O’Brien (1991, 206) observes, the exegesis of this significant phrase influences the interpretation of the entire hymn. The phrase “form of God” not only stands at the beginning of the hymn, but it marks the first of several seemingly sequential statements regarding Jesus’ status. The interpretation of the phrase involves addressing a number of difficult exegetical questions, each of which has multiple possible answers. These questions include: What is the meaning of the preposition en (“in”) in the phrase “in the form of God” (see Hansen 2009, 134–35)? What is the conceptual background to the phrase? What is the lexical range of the noun morphē? Related to this question, how should the meaning of “form of God” be interpreted in relation to the parallel phrase “form of a slave” in Phil 2:7? How does the phrase “form of God” relate to the expression “equal with God” in the latter part of the verse?

• Bockmuehl suggests that “form of God” is parallel to the notion of “equality with God.” Defining morphē as “the visual characteristics of a person or object,” he interprets “form of God” as a reference to Christ’s preexistence and visible divine characteristics.
  • BNTC: The Epistle to the Philippians, “Philippians 2:6–11”
• Craddock takes “form of God” as a reference to Christ’s preexistent state. He also speaks of Christ giving up this state despite His equality with God. In his view, this phrase describes the first of three movements in the hymn: preexistence, existence, and post-existence.
  • Interpretation: Philippians, “Philippians 2:1–11”
• Fee argues that “form of God” means that it is “the preexistent Christ” who emptied Himself in Phil 2:7. He claims that Paul used the term morphē because it was the perfect term to characterize the reality of Christ’s divinity (“his being God”) and the metaphor of His humanity (taking on the role of a slave).
  • The IVP New Testament Commentary Series: Philippians, “Philippians 2:6–7”
• Hansen’s commentary offers a thorough and up-to-date overview of scholarly interpretations of the phrase “form of God.” In his view, the phrase “in the form of God” describes the “sphere or location” of Christ’s “preincarnate existence.”
  • PNTC: The Letter to the Philippians, “Philippians 2:6”
• Hellerman’s article on this phrase proposes a unique thesis. He argues that Paul employs the morphē theou, not to describe Christ’s ontological reality, but as a marker of power and social status. Accordingly, he argues that Paul includes the hymn in Philippians for ecclesiological, not Christological, purposes.
  • Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Volume 52, “Μορφη Θεου as a Signifier of Social Status in Philippians 2:6”
• According to Runge, Phil 2:6 declares that Jesus is “fully God” and possesses “all the rights and privileges” of divinity. He adds that Paul’s primary interest is to present Christ as a model because He did not use His power or rights for His own advantage.
  • High Definition Commentary: Philippians, “Philippians 2:5–11”
• Schreiner argues that “form of God” is another way of saying that Jesus was divine. He also thinks Jesus’ divinity is confirmed by the phrase “equality with God.”
  • New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ, “Jesus as Lord”

This brief glimpse shows that most interpreters understand the phrase “form of God” to denote the divine status Christ had before His earthly existence. With this knowledge, we can see why Christ’s “mind” offers the perfect corrective to the disunity of the Philippian church—Christ set aside His divine privileges to take on the status of a slave and live and die for others. Christ’s life illustrates the attitude of humility needed to preserve unity among the Philippians believers.

Lexham Bible Guide: Philippians has now shipped. Order it today!

Through June 15, you’ll save on:

International Critical Commentary

The International Critical Commentary has long held a special place among works on the Bible. Its comprehensive, rigorous scholarship brings together all the relevant aids to exegesis: linguistic and textual, archaeological, historical, literary, and theological.

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Pillar New Testament Commentary

Designed both for serious students and for general Bible readers, the PNTC seeks to make Scripture’s meaning clear. The authors interact with the most important, informed contemporary debate, yet avoid undue technical detail. The result is a blend of rigorous exegesis and exposition, of scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, with attention both to biblical theology and to the Bible’s contemporary relevance.

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Tyndale Commentaries

The Tyndale Bible Commentaries help you understand what the text says and what it means. Each book’s introduction gives a concise but thorough treatment of authorship, date, setting, and purpose.

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Don’t forget you can give Logos 5, too—and if your grad already has Logos, you can give an upgrade. Dynamic pricing adjusts your price on the basis of the products your recipient owns, so you’ll save money as you equip them for lifelong Bible study.

Give your grad a gift that helps them understand the Bible. If you’re gifting a commentary or base package, call us toll-free at 800-875-6467 to speak with one of our sales representatives. 

The disconnect—and its solution

In simple terms, Bob and I envisioned Logos Bible Software being a powerful and comprehensive suite of digital resources that would grow with the user. Our guide was how people engage tasks and interests in real life. Beginners use beginning materials, and experts use expert materials. We presumed that users would master the software as they grew, gradually exploring books and resources that were compatible with their own advancing level of education, study habits, and application skills. In that sense, people would never outgrow the software or the library.  It was a neat, clean picture in our minds. In the real world, it hasn’t quite worked out that way. We failed to anticipate the now-transparent fact that education, study, and application skills often do not progress at the same rate as product and resource tool development.

This is understandable. Logos has been focused on equipping users for Bible study. The company is fundamentally a tool maker and a data resource provider. Logos has not had instruction in biblical content as a primary goal. Logos equips you with tools and resources, but we generally leave it up to you to learn how to use those tools and mine the resources.

Perhaps an analogy will illustrate the distinction—imagine Logos as a do-it-yourself auto repair shop equipped with all sorts of clever tools. The shop would provide you with access to the right tools, but that doesn’t mean you would know how to build or repair cars. The disconnect is obvious. An array of tools does not produce a mechanic. Tools do not teach someone car repair or engine assembly. While the tools of a mechanic are related to car repair, there is little cause-and-effect relationship. Along the same lines, having the best Bible software and a huge library of resources does not provide you with a Bible college or seminary education. Having the tools does not automatically result in having a grasp of the Bible and biblical doctrine.

The time has come for us to address this problem. That’s why I am pleased to announce the launch of another Logos innovation—a brand-new division of the company: Logos Mobile Education.

Why Logos Mobile Education is unique

Logos Mobile Education offers an educational experience that takes place entirely within Logos—and could therefore be designed only by Logos. You already know Logos is a unique product—a library of digital books, databases, research tools, and primary language resources seamlessly integrated with each other. Logos recently launched the Faithlife social network, as well as iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile versions of Logos Bible Software. These decisions were strategic, and Logos Mobile Education takes advantage of all of them by offering a completely mobile education experience within Logos.

Logos Mobile Education courses include expert professors recorded in HD video. Lecture content is broken down into brief segments, usually five to seven minutes long. Our team of graphic artists add text to help viewers follow the lecture, along with images and infographics. Every video is transcribed for cross-referencing and tagging within Logos, so the video content can be discovered in searches, just like books within Logos; this makes your course part of your permanent library. Transcripts of courses are further enhanced by professional, academically trained editors who have added syllabi, course readings, course objectives, and easily navigable headings. Screencast demonstrations are added to lectures to show students how Logos can be used to validate lecture content and illustrate how Logos is the premier tool for biblical studies, theology, church history, or any subject a Logos Mobile Education course might cover.

Logos Mobile Education offers both solid content and practical training in Bible study, consciously focusing on the central role of library resources in the learning process. Integration with the Faithlife social network puts you in touch with other students with the same interests. Your mobile device and computer are your classroom and workspace.

Watch, read, search, learn—wherever you are, whenever you want, as often as you need to. No other educational environment offers a seamless, permanent, and repeatable educational experience, all at the pace of your own life. Logos Mobile Education—it’s education where you are!

Join the discussion about Logos Mobile Education.

While polemical wars were waged between the Catholic Church and Protestant Reformers, many thinkers continued to focus on the internal battle waged within our own souls. This focus on interiority produced some of the greatest mystical, poetic, and devotional literature ever written. Now it’s compiled in the enormous Post-Reformation Catholic Thought and Piety Collection.

The sixteenth century was a time of incredible theological and spiritual development. Not only were substantial amounts of Protestant literature being produced; counter-reformers, poets, and mystics were also writing works that add essential context to the debates happening in and around the Protestant Reformation. Many such works are famous throughout all of Christendom, such as John of the Cross’ The Dark Night of the Soul or Teresa of Avila’s The Way of Perfection—but it’s often forgotten that these very devotional works were written during the heat of the sixteenth century’s doctrinal disputes.

The Post-Reformation Catholic Thought and Piety Collection compiles more than just the mystical works written during the sixteenth century: resources like A Commentary on the Book of Psalms by St. Robert Bellarmine and The Great Means of Salvation and Of Perfection by St. Alphonsus Liguori shed light onto the Catholic understanding of Scripture and prayer. Spanning the early sixteenth century to the mid–nineteenth century, this collection allows you to get more insight into not only how the conversation between Catholicism and Protestantism began, but also how it developed over the centuries.

This collection of counter-Reformation and post-Reformation works features 27 volumes—over 10,000 pages of literature. The collection gives you keen insight into the development of Catholic and Christian mystical thought during and after the Reformation.

Study some of the sixteenth century’s most profound teachings with this remarkable resource. Get it today for 25% off.

Since the last time this went on sale, we’ve added four new volumes to the collection:

• The Book of Hosea by J. Andrew Dearman
• The Gospel of John by J. Ramsey Michaels
• The Epistle to the Hebrews by Gareth Lee Cockerill
• The Letter of James by Scot McKnight

That means the NICOT/NICNT is better than ever. If you’ve been thinking of adding this world-class commentary set to your library, now’s the time.

Don’t forget payment plans

Really want to take advantage of this special sale, but don’t want to take the hit up front? Use one of our interest-free payment plans to make your purchase fit your budget. You can start benefiting from this amazing set of commentaries today—and take up to 12 months to pay!

Simply add the coupon code NICOTNT at checkout, click the “Update Cart” button to see your new price, push the “Proceed” button, and choose one of the monthly plans from the Payment Options dropdown menu. Now you’re ready to dig in to one of evangelicalism’s premier academic commentaries.

Time’s running out

This offer is available only through the end of May—come June 1, it’s over. So don’t wait! Save $400 on the New International Commentary on the Old and New Testament‘s solid biblical scholarship today with coupon code NICOTNT.

So how do you land a job at Logos?

1. Be distinct

“Objective: self-starter / team player seeks a dynamic web 2.0 position that advances my career and leverages my talents.”

Nope—the last thing you want to do is blend in with generic language. Rather than adapting an online template or a cover letter from a different job, start by studying the job listing. Think about how you would filter out candidates, and write to beat that filter—be specific about how you meet each qualification.

One good way to stand out: get your portfolio online. That lets us quickly get a feel for your work and personality; plus, it shows some tech know-how. Even if you’re no web designer, WordPress makes it simple to get started.

2. Be polished

We want to hire the best people, the people with the highest standards. We also work with extremely tight deadlines. It says a lot if your cover letter and résumé, written without any deadline, are full of spelling and grammatical errors. Check everything you’re not sure about against Merriam-Webster—“Is ‘phenomenon’ plural?” “Does ‘sign-up’ need that hyphen?” Then proofread until everything’s perfect, and then a few times more.

3. Be honest

You’ll probably get some interview questions related to your personality. Please don’t respond with what you think we want to hear—very few questions are “hire / no hire,” and often the seemingly “right” answer isn’t what we’re looking for at all. Likewise, if you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t try to fake your way through—just say “no.” We usually ask followup questions, and it’s embarrassing for everyone when an applicant’s stated “expertise” falls flat.

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We have a lot of content on the web. Know who we are and why you want the job.

• Read up on our brands and projects. When it’s your turn to ask questions, don’t ask, “So, what’s Bible software?”
• Check out our marketing materials—emails, older blog posts, product pages. Then tell us how you would improve them. We want employees who aren’t afraid to give feedback.

5. Be patient

Since we’re looking for the best people, the interview process can take a while—usually three interviews minimum.

6. Know what your dream job looks like

The best hires grow into the jobs they really want. If what you’re applying for is nearly your dream job, come to your interview ready to tell us what you’d change.

Now go check out our openings at Logos.com/About/Careers—the company is growing, and we’d love to have you join us!

We’ve been hustling to make the Baker Academic Theological Studies Collection available to you, and we’re happy to report that it’s currently under development—it won’t be long until it’s formatted and ready to be released. We can offer the Pre-Pub price only until then, so if you have these titles on your list, you’ll need to act quickly to get the best price.

If you’d like to read more about the specific titles included in this collection, you can visit the product page, but don’t wait too long. This price won’t last, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out.

Pre-order the Baker Academic Theological Studies Collection today!

As soon as there are enough bids to push a product into the Pre-Pub stage, the price goes up substantially. This could mean doubling or tripling.

Costs are nearly covered for the following products—soon they’ll be leaving Community Pricing forever. By bidding now, you’ll lock in some of the best prices. In fact, with enough bids, prices can come down even further!

Classic Studies on the Apostolic Fathers (29 vols.)

Get it for only $30. Once it moves onto Pre-Pub, the price goes up to $199.95—that’s a savings of nearly $170!

The Complete Works of Thomas Manton (22 vols.)

This resource, regularly priced at $599.95, is about to cross over at only $40.

Classic Studies on Eschatology (27 vols.)

You don’t want to miss out on this 27-volume collection. It’s only $30 right now!

A Popular Commentary on the New Testament (4 vols.)

Schaff’s commentary is going for $35. There’s still time to bring the price down even lower. Bid now!

George Wesley Buchanan Collection (9 vols.)

Currently at $35, this nine-volume collection is 82% off the regular price.

Oxyrhynchus Papyri (vols. 1–15)

These 25 volumes are tracking to end their Community Pricing run at 50% off. They’re normally $299.95, but you can bid now for only $150!

John Williamson Nevin Collection (13 vols.)

This is getting close to crossing over. If you want to get in at $40 (or lower), bid now!

E. A. Sophocles Collection (4 vols.)

Bid now for only $20. Once this collection moves into Pre-Pub, the price will go up to $79.95.

The Works of the Reverend John Fletcher (6 vols.)

The regular price for this collection is $119.95, but you can bid now for $50!

Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey (8 vols.)

Get it for only $14! The price will jump up to $49.95 once this collection moves to Pre-Pub.

As you can see, Community Pricing is a solid way to build your library for less. Make sure to check out these other Community Pricing deals, too.

Today’s post is from Morris Proctor, certified and authorized trainer for Logos Bible Software. Morris, who has trained thousands of Logos users at his two-day Camp Logos seminars, provides many training materials.

A fellow Logos user recently emailed me this question:

Is there an easy way to search for all the forms of a word (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) at the same time?  Like, for example, all the forms of “sick” (astheneo) in James 5:14?

This is a great question, and the answer is “yes.” Actually, there are a couple of ways to accomplish this, but the following steps are fairly straightforward, and they showcase various Logos language features.

Here’s what I responded with:

• Right-click on a word in an English Bible with the reverse interlinear, like sick in James 5.14 in the ESV. (A)
• Select Root | Search this resource. (B)
  

• Click Analysis in the Search panel. (C)
• Right-click on a column header. (D)
• Select Lemma (Greek) (E) and Part of Speech. (F)
  

• Drag those two headers from the spreadsheet to the area above the column headers. (G) (Mac user: You’ll need to hold down the Option key as you drag the headers.)
• Note that the results are organized and displayed according to lemma (H) and then part of speech! (I)
  

Of course, you can drag additional column headers to the top to continue sorting the results by those characteristics as well.

I encourage you to experiment with the Analysis view. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the multitude of ways you can examine Bible search results.

To celebrate our new hours, we’re putting 10 different products on sale each Saturday in May. We’ve selected a variety of resources—commentaries, collections, study resources, and more—so there’s something for everyone. There are only two Saturdays left in May; don’t miss out on these discounts!

Among today’s deals, we have:

Charles Spurgeon Collection (149 vols.)

Regularly $499.95—call or email us for the sale price!

This collection is an invaluable tool in both sermon preparation and biblical understanding. The Charles Spurgeon Collection (149 vols.) offers over 3,550 sermons from one of the most gifted speakers and blessed Christian leaders of our era. Also included are many of Spurgeon’s commentaries and lectures, his autobiography, The Sword and the Trowel, and much more.

N. T. Wright Collection (57 vols.)

Regularly $429.95—call or email us for the sale price!

N. T. Wright has had a profound influence on the Church, and his writings are popular worldwide. The N. T. Wright Collection combines 34 of his most beloved works to offer a collection rich in theological depth, engaging in tone, and compelling in biblical wisdom.

These aren’t the only products on sale! Phone in to hear about the rest of today’s sale items.

In addition to these discounts, for every $100 you spend, choose from a selection of free books. Your sales associate will give you all the details.

Call us at 1-800-875-6467 or email us before 6 p.m. (Pacific) to hear about this week’s deals!