God’s Word for You

Philippians 2:10 in the sphere of Christ

by Pastor Timothy Smith on Sunday, March 15, 2026

10 so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

The cause among mankind for the exaltation of Jesus is to give God glory, and especially to glorify Christ our Savior, Redeemer, and victor, the first fruits of the resurrection that will also be our resurrection, and to worship him. To fully understand the meaning of this verse, we will look more carefully at its longest and shortest words.

Let us begin with the little word en (ἐν). When this preposition, meaning “in,” is used, it often draws the idea of a circle in the mind. Technically this is known as the dative of sphere. Within the circle, the act described is possible, but outside the circle, it is not. Therefore, “every knee should bow” is only possible within the sphere of the name of Christ Jesus. This name is “name” in the true meaning of the Second Commandment. It is everything which names and describes the Son of God, our Lord Jesus. It is not limited to the literal word “Jesus” in Greek or, for that matter, in any language, but everything which means or signifies Christ, his deity, and his work. This means that all true worship of God must include worship of Christ. “No one comes to the Father except through me,” Jesus said (John 14:6). Whoever rejects faith in Christ (the only faith that saves, John 3:16) cannot find salvation in any other religion. It is simply not true that, as some claim or hope, that everyone is saved in their own fashion, no matter what their faith might be. It is by the blood of Christ that we are saved, and we worship God only in the sphere or circle of Christ.

Paul says, that “every knee in heaven and on earth should bow.” First, the knee bowing is an act, not merely of subordination, but an act of worship, since it is done “in the name of Jesus.” Therefore it omits those without true and saving faith.

Before we take up the final clause, we need to ask whether those knees in heaven would include the knees of the good angels? This is at best uncertain. Jesus is worshiped in his state of exaltation by mankind on account of the victory he accomplished in and through his state of humiliation, and most especially salvation through his crucifixion, death and resurrection. The angels can and do praise him for this, but unlike the creation (which involved them personally since they, like men, are created beings), the salvation of the cross did not mean their salvation. Yet Peter tells us that “even the angels long to look into these things” (1 Peter 1:12), and in that context he specifically means the Gospel of the salvation of mankind (“this salvation… [through] the sufferings of Christ” 1 Peter 1:10-11). So those “in heaven and on earth” certainly means the knees of believers, but it might (and here we emphasize, only might) include the good angels. But this brings us to the final clause.

The longest word in the verse is the rare word katachthonion (καταχθονίων), a plural adjective meaning “subterranean, under the earth.” It cannot refer to the demons, to Satan, or to those people who are condemned to hellfire. Why not? They cannot confess the glory of Christ in faith. Therefore, this part of the verse must refer to the bodies of the faithful that are buried in their graves until the day of the resurrection. For after the last day, there will no longer be anything that is καταχθονίων “under the earth.” There will only be heaven and hell. So there is no reason to equate this term with any period of time apart from the present day up until the last day. Hoenecke also makes a doctrinal point about angels, who have no physical bodies, being unable to bow the knee, but we can set that part of the argument aside if anyone wants to argue about it, for angels take on a human appearance from time to time. So, those who bow the knee in the name of Christ are believers, whose souls are in heaven, or who are on earth both body and soul, or whose bodies are under the earth awaiting the resurrection.

The law and gospel of the verse is that those who reject Christ place themselves outside the sphere of Christ, which is faith in Christ. They will not bow to him in any way that is associated with worship or faith. But we who have been given faith through the means of grace, the gospel in the word and the gospel in the sacrament, joyfully bow the knee and worship him in faith and joy. His exaltation is a testimony that the work of his humiliation, his death and resurrection and therefore the full payment for our sins, is completely finished in every way. There is no more to be accomplished on our behalf toward our place with God forever in eternity. Jesus has done it all, and for this we thank and praise him, now and always.

In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith

 

Browse Devotion Archive