Narrative Lectionary 673 (NL442): The Christ Hymn - May 17, 2026

About this episode

The episode explores the Christ hymn in Philippians 2:1-13, discussing themes of unity, humility, and the incarnation as a model for Christian community.

What does it mean to have "the mind of Christ"? In this episode of I Love to Tell the Story, hosts Rolf Jacobson and Kathryn Schifferdecker are joined by scholar Karoline Lewis to explore one of the most beloved and theologically rich passages in all of Paul's letters: the Christ hymn of Philippians 2:1-13. The conversation opens with Paul's appeal to a divided congregation: since there is encouragement in Christ, consolation from love, and sharing (koinonia) in the Spirit, the Philippians are called to unity and genuine humility. Ralph unpacks an important Greek grammatical point: the opening "if" is actually a second-class conditional, best translated as "since." The condition isn't in doubt; Paul is building on a foundation he and his readers already share. From there, the hosts dig into the Christ hymn itself, examining how the incarnation functions as Paul's paradigm for Christian community. It isn't the resurrection or even primarily the crucifixion that Paul holds up here, but the incarnation: the moment God chose to enter human life not as a pharaoh or emperor, but as a servant. Caroline highlights how the call to "have the same mind" is an active, directional verb…

People in this episode

Hosts: Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker

Guest: Karoline Lewis

Topics covered

• mind of Christ
• unity
• humility
• incarnation
• Christian community
• Philippians
• theology

Keywords

• Christ hymn
• Philippians
• unity
• humility
• incarnation
• theology
• Paul

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Philippians 2:1-13

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