The Orthodox Study Bible: Kenosis

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.

From this Bible's Glossary and Reverend John W. Morris, Ph.D.

Kenosis

This term literally means 'emptying'. (801). This is associated with concepts of humility or humiliation. (801). God the Word (801), humbled himself through his death on the cross for the world and its salvation. (801).

The incarnation occurred with 'no change in His divinity'. (801).

Agreed.

God the Son, humbled himself within the eternal plans of the triune God through his incarnation, suffering, death, atoning and resurrection work for those that believe in him within humanity, through regeneration (Titus 3, John 3).

My British theses subjects included centrally the problem of evil, problems of evil and theodicy. I reason that it could be perceived that there is often a matter of fact biblical and theological aspect to evil (s) and suffering within God's creation. From my Reformed theology and philosophy of religion, God is the first cause of all things, even suffering and evil, but with perfect and holy motives. Yet, especially with personal human sufferings, in all this God often seems distant, as if God wills them directly or indirectly in uncaring fashion.

The divine kenosis demonstrates through documented scriptural, religious history the personal care of God for humanity. God humbled himself as God incarnate and emptied himself of divine rights. This was done without ceasing to be infinite God (which would be logically impossible, in my theology), or altering divine nature (which would also be logically impossible, in my theology).

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The subject of Kenosis was also discussed on this website almost 12 years ago:

Monday, September 01, 2008: Kairos and Kenosis

Edited with new links

Kenosis is Greek for 'self-emptying'. Browning (1997: 215).

George Newlands mentions that Paul uses this concept in Philippians 2:7, as Christ emptied himself regarding the incarnation. Kenotic love is in God's being, expressed through the divine self-giving of Christ, as God's love overcomes evil through the death and resurrection of Christ. Newlands (1999: 316).

S.M. Smith notes that Kenotic theology focuses on the person of Christ in terms of some form of self-limitation by the preexistent Son in his becoming human. Smith (1996: 601). It theoretically looks at the incarnation in history.

Thiessen writes that Kenotic theologians have incorrectly concluded that Christ emptied himself of his divine attributes, and instead surrendered the independent use of some of his attributes. Thiessen (1956: 295-296). Thiessen sees Christ as using these powers as the Father granted them. He gave up glory and became a servant. Thieseen (1956: 296). Christ gave up glory as a servant, but could not, and did not give up being God.

Erickson suggests that it was equality with God and not the form of God that Christ gave up. He still shared the same nature as the Father but subordinated himself to the Father in the incarnation. These limitations were in no way due to a loss of divine attributes, but due to the addition of human ones. Erickson (1994: 735). Christ was fully human. Christ subjected self to God the Father. Christ was fully God. God the Son's (divine) attributes cannot change.

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Philippians 2: 7.

From: Greek ἐκένωσεν (emptied): κενόω (Original word, to empty)

The verb to empty out, drain

ἐκένωσεν (emptied)

Parsing 3rd Person Aorist Indicative Active Singular

BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press. 

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House. 

NEWLANDS, GEORGE (1999) ‘Kenosis’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.

SMITH, S.M. (1996) ‘Kenosis, Kenotic Theology’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

THIESSEN, HENRY C. (1956) Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Today: Recent 'haircuts' for the trees. Not as esthetically pleasing as before.
Ironically, it may be difficult to pay for a haircut locally for weeks or months.