In Philippians 2:12 we read the startling statement, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.“
This verse has led various professing Christians to take up rather extreme positions. Some insist that Christians must work for their salvation. They say that if we do not work hard enough, we will lose our salvation, or fail to obtain it in the first place. This is a tragic error that overthrows salvation by grace through faith alone (Eph. 2:8-9). Others treat this passage like it was a leper, nervous about being defiled by its “borderline heresy” and skeptical of the orthodoxy of any man who dares to quote it.
Thankfully, most Christians do not fall into either of these extremes. Nonetheless, many do find themselves uncomfortable with this troubling portion of Scripture. They gingerly navigate their way through it, afraid of stepping on a doctrinal landmine. They do not really know what to do with it. This verse does seem to require us to put in some serious effort regarding our salvation. Yet, many are afraid of heartily echoing the same sentiment lest they be accused of endorsing a works-based salvation.
So how do we come to a robust understanding of this verse that does not transgress the free salvation of the gospel? The answer, in theory, is simple. We just need to gain some confusion-exploding insight on the meaning of the Greek verb katergazomai, which is here translated “work out.” Normally, we can find this kind of help on the sense of a biblical word by examining the lexicons and other passages in the Bible where it appears.
But in this instance―a rare example indeed―we don’t receive a lot of help when we turn to the lexicons. Thayer’s says, “perform, accomplish, achieve, work out.” BDAG offers, “achieve, accomplish, bring about, produce, create.” These definitions leave the reader just as confused as they were before they consulted the lexicon. If we drop any of these definitions into the verse at hand, it still sounds like it is exhorting men to work for their salvation.
Neither do we get the clarification we seek when we examine how katergazomai is used elsewhere in the Bible. Romans 4:15 says, “the law produces wrath.” Romans 5:3 says, “tribulation produces patience.” And 1 Corinthians 7:10 says, “godly sorrow produces repentance.” In all three of these instances, the grammatical subject is working to produce the grammatical object. So, if we simply plug produce into Philippians 2:12, we wind up with “produce your own salvation with fear and trembling.” That just sounds wrong.
Most of us understand that such meanings cannot possibly be what God intended to teach with this passage. The Bible teaches―and we embrace it as absolute truth―that we don’t work for salvation but rather from salvation. But what does this look like? And how do we understand and explain Philippians 2:12 so that it harmonizes with this precious truth?
The short answer is Koine Greek. If we research the usage of katergazomai in extra-biblical literature, we find examples that shed light on the correct sense of this difficult passage.
For instance, in Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, 3.14, we read, “They rub the marble, which is being worked down an inclined board, pouring water over it.” Here we find men working gold-bearing gravel in a sluice so they can separate and isolate the gold. The gold-bearing gravel is free for the taking, but men must take advantage of the opportunity. They must dig the gravel and work it with a sluice system if they want to obtain the gold. You pay nothing for the opportunity. But the gold only comes with effort.
Similarly, we read in Strabo, Geography, 16.4.18, “A river flows through their country that brings down gold-dust, but the inhabitants do not know how to work it.” Again, we observe an opportunity that is freely available to anyone who wants to take advantage of it. But no one will obtain the gold apart from an intelligent and diligent effort in working the sand and gravel.
Finally, in Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, 3.64, we read, “Dionysius … the first man to have yoked oxen to the plough, human beings before that time having worked the ground by hand.” Here we see men working the ground to gain a harvest. The ground is already theirs. But they must be diligent to plow it, plant it, weed it, and harvest it, otherwise the ground won’t give them a bountiful harvest.
Now these three instances of katergazomai (work out) give us a clearer understanding of how Philippians 2:12 should be understood. We have been given a glorious opportunity free of charge in our salvation―a spiritual goldmine. This opportunity was not earned and cannot be earned. But this opportunity must be capitalized on if believers desire to obtain the gold, our spiritual rewards. We must work the raw opportunity. It is up to us how little or how much we profit from this opportunity.
Now this sense of working to take full advantage of our salvation readily agrees with the context. Notice that the following verse (v. 13) starts with the word “for.” “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” The word “for” gives us God’s explanation for the exhortation to work. It is He Himself that is working in us. We know that He would not be working in us to help us earn or keep our salvation. That would be contrary to the gospel. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works. So, this can only be God working in us to maximize or live out our salvation—to inflame our hearts with a desire to live for His pleasure. And living for His pleasure is living for our profit. These two things go hand in hand.
Further, this sense of living for God’s pleasure is what we see in the prior context (vv. 5-11). Jesus, who was truly God, took on the form of a servant and lived a life of perfect obedience, living for the pleasure of the Father and the profit of others. This brought eternal exaltation. Following the example of our Savior, all believers who exploit the opportunity freely given to them in their salvation, living for the pleasure of God, will receive an amazing reward for their efforts. God is not unjust, and He will not forget our labor of love (Heb. 6:10).
Once we understand this solution to the working out conundrum, we no longer need to cower before the legalism threat. We can throw the door of Philippians 2:12 wide open for encouraging believers to hearty Christian endeavor―striving against sin, growing in the knowledge of the Lord, pressing forth in His service. This verse does not suggest that we should work for our salvation. Instead, it exhorts already redeemed believers to take full advantage of their free salvation to work for the praise and reward of God. Working in this verse poses zero threat to salvation by grace and offers zero support to the idea of working for our salvation.
Lee Brainard
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