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Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name (Philippians 2:9)

Paul now changes and begins to give us the seven upward steps of the exaltation of Jesus – the mind of God.

God is described as acting in the following verses (9-11). Again, two verbs organize the thought. First, God highly exalted Him (“ super-exalted,” occurring only here) suggests that God gave Jesus a new position, although some take it as superlative (“to the highest”). Second, God gave Him the name. This name that is above every name is Lord (v. 11, kurios = Yahweh).^[1]

Again, we encounter Paul’s “therefore.” When we ask what the, “therefore,” is there for, we see that it takes the following verses and ties them to the crucial phrase – mechri thanatou, thanatou de staurou, translated literally as unto death, death of the cross. The humiliation of Christ – His seven downward steps bring us to the important result of this teaching. Paul is showing that Jesus actually practiced what He preached. In Matthew 23:12 (AMP) Jesus taught, “Whoever exalts himself [with haughtiness and empty pride] shall be humbled (brought low), and whoever humbles himself [whoever has a modest opinion of himself and behaves accordingly] shall be raised to honor.” He lived as an example of how we, as believers, are to live our lives. Paul is stressing that we are to have the mind of Christ, to be humble, and God will reward and exalt as he sees fit.

Now, the first upward step is that “God has highly exalted him….” Because of His voluntary obedience and death, God exalted Him (Greek word huperupsoo). This means that the Father lifted him to a super height – he declared not his satisfaction in what Jesus had done, but the Father’s recognition of his equality with himself. Jesus emptied himself, and the Father exalted him. On earth, he was God who appeared as man (albeit He set aside his prerogatives and privileges of deity voluntarily); in Heaven He maintains the humanity but now incorporates all the prerogatives and privileges of his position alongside his Father and the Holy Spirit. On earth, He received a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:29), in Heaven, he is, as the book of Revelation reveals, “Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and might and honor, and glory, and blessing. And every created thing which is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and on the sea, and all things are in them, heard I saying, Unto him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the dominion, for ever and ever. And the four living creatures said, Amen. And the elders fell down and worshipped.” (Revelation 5:12-14, ASV). He traded the crown of thorns for one of glory, worship, and dominion forever.

The Greek word “name” (ὄνομα onoma) is not always a reference to a personal name in Greek. There are such expressions as “in the name of science” or “in the name of the law” which do not refer to persons. They mean by the authority of, that is, the authority of science or the law. It is having the authority given by someone or something, and in this case, from the Father to the Son. So, “the name [authority] that is above every name [authority],” is recognizing the authority of the Son, that is from the Father and by the will of the Father. The use of name (ὄνομα onoma) here is the same in the Septuagint (LXX) and the New Testament papyri for power or authority. We can look to Matthew 28:18 to verify what is being said here. “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.’”

[1] Holman Bible Editorial Staff, ed., HCSB Study Bible (Kindle Locations 147153-147159), ed. Holman Bible Editorial Staff (B&H Publishing Group Kindle Edition, 2010).