From the earliest times, commentators have regarded these few verses from the Epistle to the Philippians as doctrinally very important, and a whole literature has grown up around them. Dr Martin studies the passage partly for its own sake as the quintessence of Pauline thought on the person of Christ, and partly as an example of an early type of Christian literature known as 'cultic' or 'confessional'. He sees it as a carmen Christi, a Christological ode used among early believers. Its importance, as Dr Martin shows, reaches far beyond the devotional. The Church which sang this hymn proclaimed for the first time the three 'epochs' in the existence of Christ: he is hailed and confessed first as pre-existent, then as incarnate and humiliated and finally as triumphant. The hymn is thus the earliest extant statement of the basis of the whole Christology of later times.

Carmen Christi (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, 4)

Religion & Spirituality

Ralph P. Martin

Christian Books & Bibles

Cambridge University Press

Reconciliation: Study of Paul's Theology

Marshall,M.& S.

New Century Bible Commentary Philippians

Eerdmans, Wm B Pub Co

Worship in the Early Church

<p>The WBC is the best-selling multi-volume commentary series in the market today. WBC authors are all experts in their field and skillfully bring the text to meaning through careful exegesis and exposition. Each WBC contributor creates his own translation based on the best texts and literature available. The WBC has the largest bibliography of any commentary.</p>

Philippians, Revised Edition (Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 43)

Gerald F. Hawthorne

Thomas Nelson. Inc.

Mark

John Knox Pr

<p>The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.</p>

Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 48, James

Word Biblical Themes: 1, 2 Corinthians

W Pub Group

Mark, Evangelist & Theologian

Paternosters Press

A simply composed yet comprehensive summary of what the New Testament has to say about selected themes of the church and its role in the believer's life.

Family and the Fellowship: New Testament Images of the Church

Paternoster Press

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Books by Ralph P. Martin