Handling the Word Rightly: Philippians 2:12

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,” Philippians 2:12.

At first glance, the opening verse may lead some to believe that Paul is emphasising salvation through works. If taken at face value, this interpretation could seem at odds with the historic orthodox Christian belief of salvation through grace alone. (Ephesians 2:8). But is that truly what Paul is conveying?

A critical rule of biblical interpretation is that the context determines the meaning. Another helpful thing is to consider the different genres of the biblical text which guide the interpretive approach. For example, we don’t read a letter (or,say, an email) the same way we read a newspaper.

In the case of the text in question, Paul is writing a letter to the Philippians, and just like when we get a letter in real life, we would have to read the whole thing to grasp the full import of the author’s meaning/intent, we must interpret each verse in light of the entire letter. This is what we mean by context: What came before the text and what is stated after.

So, let’s examine what Paul means by ‘working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.’

Here’s the full verse:

Verse 12 reads, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13.  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

I have added verse 13 because, as you can see, the sentence doesn’t end with verse 12, so it will be incomplete, i.e., we will do an injustice to the text to leave out the next verse. It is important to note that these verse divisions are artificial and do not form part of the original text.

The first thing to observe is that the Philippians’ have always obeyed.’ This gives us an insight into the fact that these are Believers in Jesus, fellow saints, Paul is talking about. He has already said this in the first chapter. In 1:1, he said these are Saints in Christ Jesus. Throughout the NT, this description is given to people who have already placed faith in Jesus for their salvation. Then, in v5-6, he again mentions that they have a partnership in the gospel, and then the Apostle affirms his belief that God, who has begun a good work in them, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. So, God has already begun a good work in these folk – which is another way of saying God has saved them and is living in them.

So, we can rule out the fact that Paul is now asking these guys to do certain things so that they can gain salvation. The context does not support such a conclusion. That would deplete the finished work of Christ Jesus.

Another reason we cannot take the verse to mean that Paul is asking the Philippians to do something to earn their salvation is that, in the broader context, specifically, Chapter 3:2-11, Paul rejects any teaching of salvation by works in no uncertain terms. In 3:9, he says this:

“and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— “.

So, it would be contradictory to Paul’s own teaching in the rest of the same epistle to take his admonition here to mean that the Philippians should try to gain salvation by doing some work on their own.

So, what does Paul mean by working out their salvation?

Simply, Paul is saying that they should demonstrate their faith in how they live their daily lives. In other words, their continued obedience is a form of ‘working out’ (or living out) what God has already ‘worked into’ their hearts. This is why the text says to ‘work out’ instead of ‘work for’. Notice that he goes on to say, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

So, even the obedience that he demands of them, he says, flows from God (so they can’t take credit for it, just like the grace that saved them). The will to obey and the energy to do are both a result of God’s work within His people. They have been made new creations with new desires and affections as a result of God’s work.

Another way in which people sometimes capture this is with the phrase ‘we are saved for good works’. Martin Luther, the German Reformer, put it like this: “We are saved by grace alone, but the grace that saved us is not alone – it is accompanied by good works.” In other words, the proof that we are genuinely saved is in the fruit of obedience that flows from our lives. Because, as Ephesians 2:10 says, God creates the new creature (the believer) to walk in good works. He gives every believer the will and what it takes to do good works. So, if one claims to have been saved but we don’t see any evidence of progressive obedience, their claim to faith is suspect. This is precisely what Paul is saying to the Philippians here.

The context further sheds light on what the ‘working out of their salvation’ he is talking about looks like:

•  Do all things without grumbling or disputing (v14)
•  That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world(v15)
•  Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain(v16).

In conclusion, wresting a verse of Scripture from its contextcan lead to erroneous interpretation. Paul’s epistle to the Philippians exemplifies this, underscoring that salvation is not a reward for deeds but a grace-driven transformation from within, evidenced by our actions and conduct. The believer, indwelt and inspired by God, is called to live out this salvation in daily life, not to earn it, but to reflect the life-altering power that faith produces. As Paul illustrates, believers must illuminate the world with righteous deeds, standing as testaments to the profound work of God in their hearts. By understanding and embracing the holistic context of the Scriptures, we can appreciate the depth of its teachings and apply them with wisdom and clarity in our walk with Jesus.