1 KENOSIS OF CHRIST AND THE INDIAN INTERPRETATION OF PAUL - Rebecca Lalhmangaihzuali 1. Introduction The Apostle Paul portrayed Jesus in a multiplicity of behaviours, depending on the need of the context. He often described him so that the intended reader may be able to relate him to their own lives. He addressed the practical problems in the Churches and in doing so, he theologized concepts that may be applicable to them. The kenosis of Christ is one such occasions that he wrote to the Philippian churches. This paper will attempt to critically examine the concept of Kenosis of Christ and consequently relate it to the Indian interpretation. 2. Meaning of Kenosis The teƌŵ keŶosis Đoŵes fƌoŵ the Gƌeek ǁoƌd keno,w which means to empty (Phil 2:7) or destroy, render void or invalid. It is among the most important, relevant yet controversial Pauline Christological terms, which gives an account of the way in which Jesus can be identified with and as the pre-existent divine being who became incarnate by eŵptLJiŶg hiŵself. It is often referred to as the theological approach that emphasizes the self-emptying of Jesus Christ, through which he relinquished heavenly authority to accomplish the work of salvation by his death and resurrection. 1 Some nineteenth and tǁeŶtieth ĐeŶtuƌLJ theologiaŶs haǀe spokeŶ of KeŶotiĐ ChƌistologLJ aŶd haǀe used this passage as a keLJ to edžploƌe ǁhat aspeĐt of Jesus diǀiŶitLJ ǁas aďaŶdoŶed oƌ put oŶ hold when he became a human being. 2 It may also be said that, although Christ was in the form of God, he did not exploit his divinity for his own self-iŶteƌest, ďut eŵptied himself (e`auto.n evke,nwsen), takiŶg the foƌŵ of a slaǀe, ďeiŶg ďoƌŶ iŶ huŵaŶ likeŶess. 3 What has come to be 1 Donald K. McKim, Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms (Westminster: John Knox Press, 1996), 153. 2 These theologians included Karl Rahner, Hans Küng, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Barth, Eberhard Jüngel and Moltmann. N. T. Wƌight, PhilippiaŶs, Book of, in Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible, edited by Kevin J. Vanhoozer (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company, 2005), 589; Philip Kennedy, Twentieth Century Theologians: A New Introduction to Modern Christian Thought (London: I.B. Tauris, 2010), 202. 3 Daǀid ‘. Laǁ, KeŶotiĐ TheologLJ, iŶ The Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology, edited by Ian A. McFarland, David A. S. Fergusson, et.al. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 261. Heƌeafteƌ Đited as Laǁ, KeŶotiĐ TheologLJ.