APRIL 20 – PHILIPPIANS 2:12-15
LIGHTS IN THE WORLD
Continuing our reading plan, we stay in Philippians 2 by looking at verses 12-15. In this section today, Paul returns to the exhortations which he began earlier in verses 2-4. Verses 14-15 (and 16) give specific instructions on how to work out God’s “good purpose” (v. 13) concerning daily Christian living. Paul had shown them in 1:27-2:13 the kind of attitude and actions they were to follow. They were to demonstrate in their corporate and individual life this kind of conduct that would prove worthy of the great calling that God has given them. He uses all things to emphasize the inclusiveness of this command.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world (NASB)
Key Takeaways:
- Our Goal as Christians is to glorify God
- Our ultimate goal should be to please and glorify God in all we do. God supplies both the desire and the enablement to accomplish His will. We need to make sure we use what He supplies and it does not go to waste.
- Everything was to be done without complaining or disputing/arguing
- Lights in the world
- Christians are to be lights whose light penetrates the spiritual darkness of a perverted and corrupt world
Deeper Exposition:
Verse 12: the “Therefore” connects these verses (vv. 12-13) with what immediately precedes them. Paul desires the Philippians to respond positively to his admonition to have the mind of Christ (vv. 5-8). Christ obeyed the Father and carried out His plan even to death on the cross (v. 8). The Philippian Christians needed to obey, to follow Paul’s instruction which was drawn from Christ’s example. The command is to the entire group since the word “you” is plural.[1] The subject is their mutual, corporate salvation (Phil 1:19, 28; Lk 22:24-30).
The exhortation was direct and pointed, but tempered with love, for he called the believers “my beloved” (“dear friends”). This tender expression doubtless reminded them of the experiences they shared with the apostle and Silas when they first came to Christ and established their church (Acts 16:19–40). When Paul was with them, they followed his instructions willingly and quickly. He reminded them of this before he asked them to do the same at the present time, even though he was far from them. He had earlier spoken of his absence (Phil. 1:27).
The special request he had for them, given their needs and in view of the example of Christ, is stated forcefully—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
“Work out your own salvation” (Phil. 2:12)[2] does not suggest, “Work for your own salvation.” To begin with, Paul is writing to people who are already “saints” (Phil. 1:1), which means they have trusted Christ and have been set apart for Him. The verb “work out” carries the meaning of “work to full completion,” such as working out a problem in mathematics. In Paul’s day, it was also used for “working a mine,” that is, getting out of the mine all the valuable ore possible; or “working a field” to get the greatest harvest possible. The purpose God wants us to achieve is Christlikeness, “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). There are problems in life, but God will help us to “work them out.” Our lives have tremendous potential, like a mine or a field, and He wants to help us fulfill that potential.
It is commonly understood that this exhortation relates to the personal salvation of the saints at Philippi. They were told to “work out,” to put into practice in their daily living, what God had worked in them by His Spirit. They were not told to work for their salvation but to work out the salvation God had already given them. Because of the apparent problems of disunity and pride among those believers, this interpretation seems correct. Some were not doing their work selflessly and with the interests of others ahead of their own (cf. 2:3–4).
Some writers understand Paul’s challenge to refer to the corporate life of the whole assembly in Philippi. Those who hold this view find support in the immediate context where Paul argued against their looking exclusively to their own needs (cf. v. 4). In this view “salvation” refers to the whole assembly’s deliverance from disunity, pride, and selfishness.
The Greek term (“work out,” κατεργάζομαι – katergazomai) speaks of the present deliverance of the Philippians. The word translated “work out” is used by the first-century author Strabo to speak of digging silver out of silver mines.[3] Thus, salvation can be compared to a huge gift that needs to be unwrapped for one’s thorough enjoyment. Note that Paul is encouraging the Philippians to develop and work out their salvation, but not to work for their salvation.
Perhaps it is best to see both the outworking of personal salvation and the corporate salvation or deliverance of the whole assembly from whatever held them back from experiencing God’s best.
This outworking was to be done “with fear and trembling,” with complete trust in God and not in themselves. Demonstrating God’s grace and power to the world by our unity and love (compare Jn 13:34-35) is a very serious responsibility. This is not fear that is cowardice but respect for great value. They were to take great pains and care to discharge their duties correctly. They were not to fear the responsibility but to handle it as a commission of the highest order. The results would determine their position of privilege and glory in Christ’s kingdom.
Verse 13: The only way this could be realized was through God who would enable them to do it. Paul told the Philippian saints that God worked in them so that they could do His good pleasure and accomplish “His good purpose.” God Himself is at work in our lives and all that He does in our lives is done for His good pleasure (Rom 8:28). It pleases God to do good for us. But He can only bless obedience to His will (Jn 15:10). Both divine enablement and human responsibility are involved in getting God’s work done. Believers are partners with God, laboring together with Him. The verb “works” (v. 13) means “energizes” or “provides enablement.” God makes His own both willing and desirous to do His work. Our ultimate goal should be to please Him in all we do. God supplies both the desire and the enablement to accomplish His will. We only need to appropriate what He supplies.
Verse 14: Everything was to be done without complaining or arguing (v. 14). The order of the Greek words here places emphasis on everything a believer does. The present tense of the verb “do” suggests that this was to be done continually. “Complaining” is the translation of a word that reflects a bad attitude expressed in grumbling. The Philippians have been secretly discontented and have been complaining (2:1-4). But the word used suggests that loud dissension had not yet broken out.[4] The apostle may have had in mind the behavior of the Israelites who often complained to Moses and in turn to God (cf. 1 Cor. 10:10). “Arguing” reflects a legal connotation of disputing and may refer, at least in part, to the practice of going to civil courts to settle their differences (cf. 1 Cor. 6:1–11).
Verse 15: The importance of the kind of behavior called for is outlined in Philippians 2:15–16. Verse 15 focuses on the testimony of the church. Before their testimony for Christ could ever be effective in the community where they lived, the Philippians needed to set some things straight in their own assembly. The purpose of the command in v. 14 is that the Philippians might be blameless light-bearers in the world. They should deserve no censure because they are free from fault or defect in relation to the outside world (Phil 3:6). If the Philippians believers were going to have a testimony in their community, they had to be blameless in their actions and attitudes, both inside and outside the church (1 Tim 3:2).
Evidently, the believers were complaining (to God and each other) and arguing (with each other). As a result, they were not without fault among the unbelievers; they were not shining like stars in their world (2:15). The Philippian assembly needed to show themselves as united and as one in Christ. Non-Christians were not being attracted to Him by the saints’ dissension and contentions.
Blameless (amemptoi, v. 15) means “above reproach.” This does not mean sinless perfection. The corporate testimony of the church is in view. All believers are called on to live out the salvation God has worked in them—to progress in their spiritual maturity. The people were to live so that non-believers could not rightfully point an accusing finger at them. Pure translates akeraioi, a word that was used of wine which had not been diluted and of metal which had not been weakened in any way. Jesus also used the word when He told the Twelve to be “innocent” as doves (Matt. 10:16). The Greek words for “blameless” and “pure” here (Phil. 2:15) differ from those translated “blameless” and “pure” in 1:10.
The Philippians lived in a crooked and depraved generation (2:15). Again it seems that Paul had the unbelieving Israelites in mind. Moses had used similar words to describe Israel who had gone astray (cf. Deut. 32:5). Peter used the same terminology (“corrupt generation,” Acts 2:40) that Christ did (“perverse generation,” Matt. 17:17). Paul describes the world as being the opposite of Christian. On the one hand, the world is turned away from the truth, while on the other hand, it exerts a corrupting influence that is opposed to the truth.
The world today, like theirs, is unscrupulous and perverted. Most people have turned their backs on God and truth. In this kind of world, God’s people are to appear as “lights in the world (also translated “shine like stars” (Phil. 2:15; cf. Matt. 5:14–16)). Paul depicts believers as stars or lights whose light penetrates the spiritual darkness of a perverted and corrupt world. Christ is inherently light. We are the light of the world as long as we reflect Christ (Matt 5:14). They are to be children of God without fault. The “above reproach,” “without blemish, or “without fault” found in verse 15 is a term that is a technical word used to denote anything that is fit to be offered as a sacrifice to God, without spot or blemish, untainted by sin.[5]
A child of God is in God’s family, but the unregenerate are alienated from Him. They are His enemies. God’s sovereign plan is to use His Word, administered by God’s people, to transform His enemies into His children by the regenerating work of God’s Spirit. we are to be lights in this world utilizing His word, in the power of the Spirit, to tell others of Him both in word and deed, in what we say and what we do, that others may be transformed from enemies of God to children of God
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1551.
[2] Much has been written on this topic of what salvation means in this verse. It is far too much to talk about here, but will leave with this one note: “Salvation was central to Paul’s theology. Normally the word has its full soteriological sense of spiritual deliverance from sin and the world. Paul described salvation as a past event (Eph 2:8–9) and as a future consummation (Rom 13:11). Here he spoke of working out salvation. Many recent commentators have opted for the meaning “well being,” as a better translation for sōtēria (“salvation,” NIV) although this is highly unlikely. Personal salvation brings with it responsibilities which Paul related to Christians’ obedience. The responsibility was to live in accord with their salvation, letting the implications of their relationship with Christ transform their social relationships. Paul really meant, in the first place, that they were to act like Christians.” From Richard R. Melick, The New American Commentary: Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1991).
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1551.
[4] Ibid.
[5] ἄμωμος (amōmos); Strong’s 299, DBL 320.