SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:12
¶ Por tanto, amados míos, como siempre habis obedecido, no como en mi presencia solamente, sino mucho ms ahora en mi ausencia, obrad vuestra salud con temor y temblor;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Philippians 2:12
Verse 12. As ye have always obeyed] Continue to act on the same principles and from the same motives; having the same disposition which was in Christ; labouring so as to promote his glory. Work out your own salvation] Go on, walking by the same rule, and minding the same thing, till your salvation be completed: till, filled with love to God and man, ye walk unblamably in all his testimonies, having your fruit unto holiness, and your end everlasting life.
With fear and trembling] Considering the difficulty of the work, and the danger of miscarriage. If you do not watch, pray and continually depend on God, your enemies will surprise you, and your light and life will become extinct; and then consider what an awful account you must give to Him whose Spirit ye have grieved, and of whose glory ye have come short.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. Wherefore, my beloved , etc.] This is an inference from the instance and example of Christ; that since he, who was God over all, blessed for ever, made himself so low in human nature, in which he is now so highly exalted, having done the work and business he came about with such condescension, humility, and meekness; therefore it becomes those who profess to be his followers, to do all their affairs as men and Christians, with, and among one another, in all lowliness of mind. The apostle calls the saints here, my beloved, he having a strong affection for them, which he frequently expresses in this epistle; and he chooses to make use of such an endearing appellation, that it might be observed, that what he was about to say to them sprung from pure love to them, and a hearty desire for their welfare, and from no other end, and with no other view; and to encourage them to go on in a course of humble duty, he commends them for their former obedience, as ye have always obeyed ; not me, as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions supply; but either God, acting according to his revealed will, they had knowledge of; or Christ, by receiving him as prophet, priest, and King, by submitting to his righteousness, and the sceptre of his grace; or the Gospel, by embracing the truths of it, professing them, and abiding in them, and by subjecting to the ordinances of it, and doing all things whatsoever Christ has commanded: and this they did always; they were always abounding in the works of the Lord, doing his will; they abode by Christ, and continued steadfastly in his doctrines, and kept the ordinances as they were delivered to them, and walked in all the commandments of the Lord blameless. Not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence ; which clause may either be referred to the foregoing, which expresses their obedience; and so signifies that that was carefully and cheerfully performed, not only while the apostle was with them, but now when he was absent from them, and much more when absent than present:, which shows, that they were not eye servants, and menpleasers, but what they did they did sincerely and heartily, as to the Lord: or to the following exhortation, that they would attend to it; not only as they had done when he was among them, of which he was witness, but that they would much more do so now he was absent from them, namely, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling ; which is to be understood not in such a sense as though men could obtain and procure for themselves spiritual and eternal salvation by their own works and doings; for such a sense is contrary to the Scriptures, which deny any part of salvation, as election, justification, and calling, and the whole of it to be of works, but ascribe it to the free grace of God; and is also repugnant to the perfections of God, as his wisdom, grace, and righteousness; for where are the wisdom and love of God, in forming a scheme of salvation, and sending his Son to effect it, and after all it is left to men to work it out for themselves? and where is the justice of God in admitting of an imperfect righteousness in the room of a perfect one, which must be the case, if salvation is obtained by men's works? for these are imperfect, even the best of them; and is another reason against this sense of the passage; and were they perfect, they could not be meritorious of salvation, for the requisites of merits are wanting in them. Moreover, was salvation to be obtained by the works of men, these consequences would follow; the death of Christ would be in vain, boasting would be encouraged in men, they would have whereof to glory, and their obligations to obedience taken from the love of God, and redemption by Christ, would be weakened and destroyed: add to all this, that the Scriptures assure us, that salvation is alone by Christ; and that it is already finished by him, and not to be wrought out now by him, or any other; and that such is the weakness and impotence of men, even of believers, to whom this exhortation is directed, that it is impossible for them ever to affect it; therefore, whatever sense these words have, we may be sure that this can never possibly be the sense of them. The words may be rendered, work about your salvation; employ yourselves in things which accompany salvation, and to be performed by all those that expect it, though not to be expected for the performance of them; such as hearing of the word, submission to Gospel ordinances, and a discharge of every branch of moral, spiritual, and evangelical obedience for which the apostle before commends them, and now exhorts them to continue in; to go on in a course of cheerful obedience to the close of their days, believing in Christ, obeying his Gospel, attending constantly to his word and ordinances, and discharging every duty in faith and fear, until at last they should receive the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls: agreeably the Syriac version renders the words, wkyyjd anjlwp wjwlp , do the work, or business of your lives; the work you are to do in your generation, which God has prescribed and directed you to, which the grace of God teaches, and the love of Christ constrains to. Do all that with fear and trembling; not with a slavish fear of hell and damnation, or lest they should fall away, or finally miscarry of heaven and happiness; since this would be a distrust of the power and faithfulness of God, and so criminal in them; nor is it reasonable to suppose, that the apostle would exhort to such a fear, when he himself was so confidently assured, that the good work begun in them would be performed; and besides, the exhortation would be very oddly formed, if this was the sense, work out your salvation with fear of damnation: but this fear and trembling spoken of, is such as is consistent with the highest acts of faith, trust, confidence, and joy, and is opposed to pride and vain glory; (see Psalm 2:11 115:11 Romans 11:20); and intends modesty and humility, which is what the apostle is pressing for throughout the whole context; and here urges to a cheerful and constant obedience to Christ, with all humility of soul, without dependence on it, or vain glorying in it, but ascribing it wholly to the grace of God, for the following reason.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 12-18 - We must be diligent in the use of all the means which lead to ou salvation, persevering therein to the end. With great care, lest, with all our advantages, we should come short. Work out your salvation, for it is God who worketh in you. This encourages us to do our utmost because our labour shall not be in vain: we must still depend on the grace of God. The working of God's grace in us, is to quicken an engage our endeavours. God's good-will to us, is the cause of his goo work in us. Do your duty without murmurings. Do it, and do not fin fault with it. Mind your work, and do not quarrel with it. By peaceableness; give no just occasion of offence. The children of God should differ from the sons of men. The more perverse others are, the more careful we should be to keep ourselves blameless and harmless. The doctrine and example of consistent believers will enlighten others, an direct their way to Christ and holiness, even as the light-house warn mariners to avoid rocks, and directs their course into the harbour. Le us try thus to shine. The gospel is the word of life, it makes known to us eternal life through Jesus Christ. Running, denotes earnestness an vigour, continual pressing forward; labouring, denotes constancy, an close application. It is the will of God that believers should be muc in rejoicing; and those who are so happy as to have good ministers have great reason to rejoice with them. (Php 2:19-30)
Greek Textus Receptus
ωστε 5620 αγαπητοι 27 μου 3450 καθως 2531 παντοτε 3842 υπηκουσατε 5219 5656 μη 3361 ως 5613 εν 1722 τη 3588 παρουσια 3952 μου 3450 μονον 3440 αλλα 235 νυν 3568 πολλω 4183 μαλλον 3123 εν 1722 τη 3588 απουσια 666 μου 3450 μετα 3326 φοβου 5401 και 2532 τρομου 5156 την 3588 εαυτων 1438 σωτηριαν 4991 κατεργαζεσθε 2716 5737
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. Not as in my presence only. Connect with work out, not with obeyed. Do not work out your salvation as though impelled to action by my presence merely.
Much more. Than if I were present; for in my absence even greater zeal and care are necessary.
Work out your own salvation (thn eautwn swthrian katergazasqe). Carry out "to the goal" (Bengel). Complete. See on Rom. vii. 8. Your own salvation. There is a saving work which God only can do for you; but there is also a work which you must do for yourselves. The work of your salvation is not completed in God's work in you. God's work must be carried out by yourselves. "Whatever rest is provided by Christianity for the children of God, it is certainly never contemplated that it should supersede personal effort. And any rest which ministers to indifference is immoral and unreal - it makes parasites and not men. Just because God worketh in him, as the evidence and triumph of it, the true child of God works out his own salvation - works it out having really received it - not as a light thing, a superfluous labor, but with fear and trembling as a reasonable and indispensable service" (Drummond, "Natural Law in the Spiritual World," p. 335). Human agency is included in God's completed work. In the saving work of grace God imparts a new moral power to work. Compare Rom. vi. 8-13; 2 Cor. vi. 1. Believe as if you had no power. Work as if you had no God.
Fear and trembling. Compare 2 Cor. vii. 15; Eph. vi. 5. Not slavish terror, but wholesome, serious caution. "This fear is self-distrust; it is tenderness of conscience; it is vigilance against temptation; it is the fear which inspiration opposes to high-mindedness in the admonition 'be not highminded but fear.' It is taking heed lest we fall; it is a constant apprehension of the deceitfulness of the heart, and of the insidiousness and power of inward corruption. It is the caution and circumspection which timidly shrinks from whatever would offend and dishonor God and the Savior. And these the child of God will feel and exercise the more he rises above the enfeebling, disheartening, distressing influence of the fear which hath torment. Well might Solomon say of such fear, 'happy is the man that feareth alway'" (Wardlaw "On Proverbs," xxviii. 14). Compare 1 Peter i. 17.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:12 {Not as in my presence only} (m h"s en ti parousiai monon). B and a few other MSS. omit hws. The negative me goes with the imperative katergazesthe (work out), not with hupkousate (obeyed) which would call for ouc. {Much more} (pollwi mallon). They are not to render eye-service only when Paul is there, but much more when he is away. {Work out} (katergazesthe). Perfective use of kata (down) in composition, work on to the finish. this exhortation assumes human free agency in the carrying on the work of one's salvation. {With fear and trembling} (meta fobou kai tromou). "Not slavish terror, but wholesome, serious caution" (Vincent). "A nervous and trembling anxiety to do right" (Lightfoot). Paul has no sympathy with a cold and dead orthodoxy or formalism that knows nothing of struggle and growth. He exhorts as if he were an Arminian in addressing men. He prays as if he were a Calvinist in addressing God and feels no inconsistency in the two attitudes. Paul makes no attempt to reconcile divine sovereignty and human free agency, but boldly proclaims both.
