12b ...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
How does our obligation to "work out" our salvation correspond to the reality of God's sovereignty, at work within us? And how does this relate our pursuing sanctification with "fear and trembling"?12b μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε 13 θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐνεργῶν ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐδοκίας (http://www.greekbiblestudy.org/gnt/main.do)
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Oops! Posted this in the wrong place. Let me put it here instead...
Just some quick thoughts about Philippians 2:12-13:
2:12-13 in context with some other statements of Paul:
• And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (1:6 – Paul affirms God’s work in them. God will bring their salvation to completion)
• Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel… (1:27 - Pointing out the responsibility of the Philippian believers to live out the Gospel they have received)
• So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy… (2:1 – All of these are characteristics of salvation Paul does not question their salvation, but assumes it)
• Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus (2:5).
Two points about the 2:12-13 passage: 1) "work out" your salvation is not "working for" your salvation. It seems Paul is telling the Philippians to put to action the reality of the salvation they already possess; which God is working in them. 2) I am assuming "salvation" does not just mean the point of conversion, but the whole package which he describes in part in 2:1.
Craig, great insights into the text. I agree with you 100%. And it is good to clarify what Paul is NOT saying. Clearly, as you demonstrate, in context, Paul's comment in 2:12b is not a commendation of works-righteousness. Yet Paul sees us as fully (100%) engaged in the work of salvation/sanctification.
I do think it is interesting that we are to work out our salvation "with fear and trembling." Why fear and trembling? Are we afraid of losing our salvation? Do we operate out of a terror of hell - of our final 'lostness'?
As you wisely point out, 1:6 would seem to militate against a "lose your salvation" expectation, which some have and have commended as the key motivator for obedience. Turn or burn, baby!
But I wonder if the fear and trembling is motivated not out of an anxiety of God's (potential, future) absence in our lives (if we 'screw up'), but precisely the reality of his presence in them! It is the sense that "it is God who is at work within you," which compels us to a sober way of life. God almighty, the Holy One, is at work within us. Will we not then fearfully (as in "the fear of the Lord," which does entail the sobering recognition of his judgment, cf. 2Co.5:10-11) live a life of obedience and submission?
So it is that Paul sees the reality of God's work, not as in tension with our responsibility to work, I would argue, but rather as the ground and motivator for our zeal in working "out your savlation with fear and trembling."
The good news is this: God is at work within you to complete what he has started.
The sobering news is this: it is GOD who is working within you right now...
He may be our loving Father, but he will also always be the holy Lord and righteous Judge (1Pe.1:17).
What do you think?
Yes, I agree with you! Great point! It's not fear of losing our salvation, but the fact that God is at work in us (the presence of God in us) that Paul points back to as the reason for "fear and trembling".
I have a question on this though...Why does Paul in a sense command us to have fear of God, while John, on the other hand, says "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love" (1 Jn 4:18)??
Maybe John is talking more here about fear of being punished?? rather than fearing out of respect for God???
Craig,
I would agree with your take on that. Note that John talks about "fear involving judgment" in particular. There is a sense of course that the fear of God, commended to us by both the Old and New Testament, involves the fear of judgment. See Lk.12:5. Similarly, Paul speaks of "the fear of the Lord" in connection with Christ's judgment in 2 Corinthians 5:10-11. And perhaps most famously, is the commment in Hebrews: "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," 10:31, in connection with God's judgment of his own people.
We fear God because he is the final and ultiamte arbiter of human destiny. But the Christian, having confidence through faith, is no longer terrifed of being personally condemned (see Ro.8:1). Rather, our faith and hope is in God himself (1Pe.1:21). But we still live in the fear of the Lord, knowing that, nevertheless, all men must give an account before him. See 1Peter 1:17! So we fear God, and fear his judgment, even while we remain confident through faith that Christ "rescues us from the wrath to come."
Does that make sense?
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