Did Paul Believe Jesus Was Equal with God?

Jesus is Jehovah, equal with the Father

When we read Philippians 2, we are not stepping into a debate Paul accidentally created. We are stepping into a confession Paul joyfully proclaimed. He believed that Jesus Christ is fully God, equal with the Father, and worthy of the worship Isaiah reserved for Jehovah alone.

This is not something Paul hints at. It is something he teaches plainly, and Philippians 2:6–11 is one of the strongest examples.

Here is how Paul expresses it.

Christ Already Existed in the Form of God

Paul begins with the phrase, “being in the form of God.”
The word form refers to the true nature of something. It is not a mask. It is not a symbol. It is the real thing.

If someone has the form of God, it means they share the nature of God.

This was Christ’s condition before the incarnation. He did not ascend into divinity. He did not grow into deity. He existed eternally as God.

This is why Paul begins the entire passage with Christ’s preexistence. Before Christ ever took on human flesh, He already possessed divine glory.

Christ Possessed Equality with God

Paul continues by saying Jesus did not consider “being equal with God” something to seize or exploit. This is a very important phrase.

Paul does not say Jesus wanted equality with God.
He does not say Jesus reached for equality with God.
He says Jesus already had equality with God.

The issue was not whether Jesus was equal with God.
The issue was what Jesus would do with that equality.

Would He use His divine rights to avoid suffering
or would He give Himself for sinners?

Paul tells us the answer.
Jesus refused to cling to the privileges that were rightfully His.

Christ Emptied Himself by Addition, Not Subtraction

Christ’s humility did not involve giving up His divine nature. He did not surrender attributes. He did not stop being God.

He emptied Himself by taking something on.
He added humanity.
He took the form of a servant.
He entered our world with weakness, hunger, and the limitations of human life.

Jesus did not become “less God.”
He became “God with us.”

This is why the incarnation is not a subtraction but a descent. The One who was infinitely exalted chose to stoop infinitely low for our salvation.

Christ’s Exaltation Confirms His Deity

Because Jesus humbled Himself in perfect obedience, God “highly exalted Him” and gave Him the name above every name. This exaltation is not a promotion to something He did not previously have. It is the public acknowledgment of who He already is.

The proof appears in Paul’s quotation of Isaiah 45.
In Isaiah, Jehovah declares:

“Unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

Paul consciously takes that passage and applies it to Jesus Christ.
He says every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

This only makes sense if Jesus shares the identity of Jehovah.

Paul’s View Is Unmistakable

When we follow Paul’s argument from beginning to end, the conclusion is clear:

• Christ existed eternally in divine glory
• Christ possessed equality with God
• Christ did not use that equality to avoid suffering
• Christ emptied Himself by taking on humanity
• Christ humbled Himself unto death
• Christ was exalted to receive universal worship
• Christ fulfills what Jehovah promised in Isaiah

Paul did not treat Jesus as a lesser being.
He worshiped Him as the eternal Son of God.

Why This Matters for Us

Paul did not write this simply to settle a theological question. He wrote it to shape our hearts.

The One who is equal with God chose humility.
The One who deserves all honor became a servant.
The One who commands all creation became obedient unto death.

This is why Paul tells us, “Let this mind be in you.”

If Christ humbled Himself for us, then humility is not beneath us.
It is the path He walked.
It is the path we must walk.
It is the path that leads to joy, unity, and Christlikeness.

Jesus is equal with God.
Jesus took the lowest place.
And God exalted Him above all.

This is our Savior.
This is our Lord.
This is the Jesus Paul preached.