Paul traces the King’s descent in two stages: first Christ “made himself nothing” by becoming a human being, with a slave’s disenfranchised status (Phil. 2:7). Then he “humbled himself” further through obedience to the point of death, even the criminal’s death on a cross (2:8). The Greek verb kenoō, which the ESV (with the NIV) renders “made himself nothing,” has also been translated as “emptied Himself” (NASB). Kenotic theologians of the nineteenth century, taking