to add weight to an entreaty `wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry' (1 Cor. 10:14). Here in Philippians

2:12, the apostle gathers up the references to `love' in 2:1 and 2, `if any comfort of love', `having the same love' and

addresses his hearers as `beloved'.

Even so, he still does not come at once to his theme. He does not say `wherefore, work out', neither does he say

`wherefore, my beloved, work out', but he interposes yet a further clause to soften any feeling of doubt or censure

that the ultimate appeal may appear to imply.

`As ye have always obeyed'. This is a gracious recognition of the longstanding character of these believers.

`Not as in my presence only' which might be construed in a derogatory sense apart from the words that follow, `but

much more in my absence' and so the apostle comes to his point.

`Work out' katergazomai. Out of the twenty-four occurrences of this word in the New Testament Paul is

responsible for twenty-one. Of the twenty-one occurrences in Paul's epistles, two only are found in the Prison

epistles, namely in Ephesians 6:13 and Philippians 2:12.

In Ephesians 6:13 the word is translated `having done', with the marginal alternative `having overcome'. The

intention of the apostle is discovered by the place this word occupies in the structure of the epistle, Ephesians 1:19 to

2:7 `the mighty power inworked (energeo), balancing Ephesians 6:10-13 `the mighty power worked out

(katergazomai), revealing that what is inwrought by grace (doctrine) should be worked out in life (practice).

Incidentally, this emphasizes the value of the structure in translating the Scriptures. The two words energeo and

katergazomai come together in Philippians 2:12,13 and not being separated, as they are in Ephesians by several

chapters, the translators have rendered them `work out' and `work in'. The apostle, therefore, in Philippians 2:12,13

is not enunciating anything new, he is but repeating in more concentrated form the teaching already given in

This word katergazomai is employed by the LXX to describe the work done by Bezaleel in the cutting of stones

and in the carving of wood, where the Hebrew equivalent is charosheth `to carve' (Exod. 35:33).

The Philippians were encouraged to be confident `of this very thing' namely, that `He which hath begun a good

work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ' (Phil. 1:6). This may include more than Philippians 3:21

expresses, but it cannot include less.

`Who shall change this body of our humiliation, that it may be fashioned like unto His body of glory, according to

the working (energeia) whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself'.

It is not within the power of any mortal man, even though he be redeemed and a member of the body of Christ,

either `to will or to do' anything to contribute to this glorious goal. But there is an aspect of truth that links the

`working' of God with the co-operative `outworking' of the believer, and that is before us in the exhortation :

`Work out your own salvation ... for it is God which worketh in you' (Phil. 2:12,13).

That intelligent personal co-operation is intended, the words `with fear and trembling' make evident. Where it is

the work of God alone, there is `confidence' (Phil. 1:6), but where the voluntary act of the believer is involved, no

such confidence can be expressed. `Not as though I had already attained' and `if by any means' must be the language

employed when dealing with this aspect of the truth, even by the apostle himself.

Salvation from sin, the immediate result of believing the gospel of grace, is not the theme of the epistle to the

Philippians. These were believers of long standing and of tried faith, having manifested active and self-denying

fellowship in the ministry of the word.

The exhortation to work out his own `salvation' therefore challenges the reader. Christ is called `the Saviour' in

Philippians 3:20, but it is a Saviour for Whom the believer `looks', and His work is rather `the redemption of the

body' than redemption from sin. So is it with the other references to salvation in this epistle :

`This shall turn to my salvation' (Phil. 1:19).

`But to you of salvation, and that of God' (Phil. 1:28).