Interpreting the New Testament Semantic Structure Analysis Assignment Student: Karina Loayza

SEMANTIC STRUCTURE ANALYSIS ASSIGMENT – Philippians 2:1-11

Interpreting the New Testament Semantic Structure Analysis Assignment Student: Karina Loayza

The main idea according to the analysis is the development of Paul’s exhortation to have a same

mind within the community of believers, and this idea takes new nuances as the passage flows.

From verses 1 to 4, Paul’s exhortation is focused on the practical aspect, how this common mind

would look like in a life the community of believers (and not just on Sundays). This sharing of a

same mind is Paul’s complete joy (first nuance) and the ground of his first exhortation is the

healthy interaction within the church, for verse 1 is a reality in the church at Philippi. The pivotal

idea of the first part (verses 1-4) is “the how to have this same mind”, the means by which the

believers are going to obtain this same mind that is Paul’s complete joy.

The opening of the second part is the exhortation to “have” this mind, and from verses 5 to 11

Paul is identifying this mind as the mind of Jesus Christ (second nuance). The ground for the

exhortation is founded in the verse 1 of the text, which is the encouragement we have in Christ

and this wraps all the arguments in order to give the punch to the exhortation, “have this mind”,

otherwise we cannot find a solid ground to build this call.

We have said that the first part, from verse 1 to 4, Paul is describing the practical aspect of the

exhortation, the how this practice of having the same mind looks like within the church. And

now, from verse 5 to 11, Paul is describing the how this mind looked like in the life of our Lord

Jesus. It is like the two sides of a same coin, both are striking realities and both have a way to

express themselves. Obviously, the reality about Christ is more supreme and glorious, and I think

Paul points out this supreme reality in order to encourage the church by reminding them that

there is abounding joy after Gethsemane, and there is glory after the cross.

As I said before, the reality of the church living with the mind of Christ, and His life and death

on this earth are two sides of the same coin. Therefore, I cannot build a solid ground for

exhortation to believers (or myself) to be humble, to count others more important than us, or to

get rid of any selfish action, without looking at the cross of our Savior, and pointing out that a

Interpreting the New Testament Semantic Structure Analysis Assignment Student: Karina Loayza

same mind doesn’t mind a same body of beliefs or statement of faith but living actions that

reflect the character of Christ. This would be my first section for a sermon. And the second part,

would be to indicate that the same ground of humiliation for Jesus became the crown of his

eternal glory. There is hidden glory in being a servant, and in to be obedient to the point of death,

maybe not in this life but in heaven for sure, and this is eternal. My sermon starts in this side of

eternity, how to glorify the Lord in our practical life and this by looking at the cross daily, and it

finishes in the other side, after the cross, in eternal glory and everlasting joy with our Lord.