Commentary on Philippians

Hilary of Poitiers (315–368)

To assume "the form of a slave," he "emptied himself" through obedience. He emptied himself, that is, from the "form of God," which means "equality with God."

Remaining "in the form of God," he "took the form of a slave," not being changed but "emptying himself" and hiding within himself and being made empty within his own power. He tempered himself to the form of the human state as far as was necessary to ensure that the weakness of the assumed humility would not fail to bear his immeasurable power. He went even so far as to tolerate conjunction with a human body. Just this far did his goodness moderate itself with an appropriate degree of obedience. But in making himself empty and restraining himself within himself, he did nothing detrimental to his own power, since even within this lowliness of his self-emptying he nonetheless used the resources of the evacuated power within him.

See also

• More works by Hilary of Poitiers

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