Work Out Your Own Salvation
Hook
2:12–18 Living as Lights in the World. With the breathtaking portrayal of Christ before them (vv. 5–11), Paul exhorts the Philippians to demonstrate the same faith and obedience in their everyday lives.
2:12–13 The Philippians have obeyed (cf. Christ’s obedience, v. 8) in the past and should continue to do so as they work out their salvation with fear and trembling. They cannot be content with past glories but need to demonstrate their faith day by day as they nurture their relationship with God. But while God’s justice is a cause for sober living (“fear and trembling”), it is not as though Paul wants the Philippians to be anxious that they can never be good enough to merit God’s favor. Rather, it is God’s love and enabling grace that will see them through: it is God who works in you. They can rejoice in God’s empowering presence even as they work hard at living responsible Christian lives. While v. 12 may seem to suggest salvation by works, it is clear that Paul rejects any such teaching (cf. 3:2–11). In 2:12 Paul means “salvation” in terms of progressively coming to experience all of the aspects and blessings of salvation. The Philippians’ continued obedience is an inherent part of “working out” their salvation in this sense. But as v. 13 demonstrates, these works are the result of God’s work within his people. both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Even the desire (“to will”) to do what is good comes from God; but he also works in the believer to generate actual choices of the good, so that the desires result in actions. (On fear of God, see notes on Acts 5:5; 9:31.)
2:14–15 Paul continues the theme of “working out” one’s salvation (vv. 12–13). The Philippians should shine as lights amid a crooked and twisted generation. Paul’s choice of words recalls the wilderness generation of Israel, who in Deut. 32:5 are described by these very words (“crooked and twisted generation”) and whose spiritual progress was thwarted by grumbling and questioning (cf. 1 Cor. 10:1–12). Shining “as lights” probably alludes to Dan. 12:2–3. Those who express their faith by living in this way will be raised to eternal life (see Dan. 12:2), to Paul’s great joy.
2:16 The Philippians’ obedience to the word of life is not merely a matter of private concern. As an apostle and fellow sharer in the gospel, Paul’s own labor would be in vain if they failed to hold fast until the day of Christ (cf. 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:2–11; 2 Pet. 3:10–13; Rev. 20:11–21:8) and thus proved not to be genuine believers. Holding fast means both believing God’s Word and following it. Since the Greek epechō can mean either “hold fast” or “hold out to, offer,” some think that Paul may have in mind “holding forth,” i.e., proclaiming, the word of life.
2:17 Paul compares himself to a drink offering (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6). This type of offering, familiar in both the OT and Greco-Roman culture, involved pouring out wine, either onto the ground or, as here, on an altar along with an animal or grain sacrifice (see Num. 28:7). It was a vivid illustration of a life “poured out” for God’s service. The Philippians, too, are a sacrificial offering; they are to emulate Paul’s joyful service to God.
THE appeal that Paul makes to the Philippians is more than an appeal to live in unity in a given situation; it is an appeal to live a life which will lead to the salvation of God in time and in eternity.
Nowhere in the New Testament is the work of salvation more succinctly stated. As the Revised Standard Version has it in verses 12–13, ‘Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’ As always with Paul, the words are meticulously chosen.
Work out your own salvation; the word he uses for work out is katergazesthai, which always has the idea of bringing to completion. It is as if Paul says: ‘Don’t stop half-way; go on until the work of salvation is fully achieved in you.’ No Christian should be satisfied with anything less than the total benefits of the gospel.
‘For God is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’ The word Paul uses for work is the verb energein. There are two significant things about it; it is always used of the action of God, and it is always used of effective action. God’s action cannot be frustrated, nor can it remain half-finished; it must be fully effective.
As we have said, this passage gives a perfect statement of the work of salvation.
1. (1) Salvation is of God. (a) It is God who works in us the desire to be saved. It is true that, as St Augustine said, ‘our hearts are restless until they rest in him’, and it is also true that ‘we could not even begin to seek him unless he had already found us’. The desire for the salvation of God is kindled not by any human emotion but by God himself. The beginning of the process of salvation is awakened by God. (b) The continuance of that process is dependent on God. Without his help, there can be no progress in goodness; without his help, no sin can be conquered and no virtue achieved. (c) The end of the process of salvation is with God, for its end is friendship with God, in which we are his and he is ours. The work of salvation is begun, continued and ended in God.
2. (2) There is another side to this. Salvation is in our own hands. ‘Work out your own salvation’, Paul demands. Without our co-operation, even God is helpless. The fact is that any gift or any benefit has to be received. If someone is ill and the doctor is able to prescribe the drugs that will achieve a cure, the individual will not be cured until the drugs have been taken. There is always the possibility that the patient may stubbornly refuse all persuasion to take them. It is so with salvation. The offer of God is there; without it, there can be no such thing as salvation. But no one can ever receive salvation without answering God’s appeal and taking what he offers.
There can be no salvation without God; but what God offers we must take. It is never God who withholds salvation; we are responsible for depriving ourselves of it.
THE appeal that Paul makes to the Philippians is more than an appeal to live in unity in a given situation; it is an appeal to live a life which will lead to the salvation of God in time and in eternity.
Nowhere in the New Testament is the work of salvation more succinctly stated. As the Revised Standard Version has it in verses 12–13, ‘Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’ As always with Paul, the words are meticulously chosen.
Work out your own salvation; the word he uses for work out is katergazesthai, which always has the idea of bringing to completion. It is as if Paul says: ‘Don’t stop half-way; go on until the work of salvation is fully achieved in you.’ No Christian should be satisfied with anything less than the total benefits of the gospel.
‘For God is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.’ The word Paul uses for work is the verb energein. There are two significant things about it; it is always used of the action of God, and it is always used of effective action. God’s action cannot be frustrated, nor can it remain half-finished; it must be fully effective.
As we have said, this passage gives a perfect statement of the work of salvation.
1. (1) Salvation is of God. (a) It is God who works in us the desire to be saved. It is true that, as St Augustine said, ‘our hearts are restless until they rest in him’, and it is also true that ‘we could not even begin to seek him unless he had already found us’. The desire for the salvation of God is kindled not by any human emotion but by God himself. The beginning of the process of salvation is awakened by God. (b) The continuance of that process is dependent on God. Without his help, there can be no progress in goodness; without his help, no sin can be conquered and no virtue achieved. (c) The end of the process of salvation is with God, for its end is friendship with God, in which we are his and he is ours. The work of salvation is begun, continued and ended in God.
2. (2) There is another side to this. Salvation is in our own hands. ‘Work out your own salvation’, Paul demands. Without our co-operation, even God is helpless. The fact is that any gift or any benefit has to be received. If someone is ill and the doctor is able to prescribe the drugs that will achieve a cure, the individual will not be cured until the drugs have been taken. There is always the possibility that the patient may stubbornly refuse all persuasion to take them. It is so with salvation. The offer of God is there; without it, there can be no such thing as salvation. But no one can ever receive salvation without answering God’s appeal and taking what he offers.
There can be no salvation without God; but what God offers we must take. It is never God who withholds salvation; we are responsible for depriving ourselves of it.
Work out your own salvation; the word he uses for work out is katergazesthai, which always has the idea of bringing to completion. It is as if Paul says: ‘Don’t stop half-way; go on until the work of salvation is fully achieved in you.’ No Christian should be satisfied with anything less than the total benefits of the gospel.
There can be no salvation without God; but what God offers we must take. It is never God who withholds salvation; we are responsible for depriving ourselves of it.
bringing to completion. It is as if Paul says: ‘Don’t stop half-way; go on until the work of salvation is fully achieved in you.’