Stoned-Campbell Disciple

[I posted the following on Facebook on April 2, 2015. I have decided to post it here because the issue came up once again].

WORKING OUR YOUR SALVATION in Fear & Trembling (Philippians 2.12 April 2, 2015)

This morning I read the Kingdom New Testament’s version of Philippians for an upcoming lesson. I especially like how it renders 2.12-13, a text often misapplied in my Christian life. So, in the spirit of K. C. Moser who wrote many articles under the heading “Text & Context” in the Gospel Advocate, I want to make a comment on this text in its context. The verse reads in the Kingdom NT,

“Your [plural] task is now to work at bringing about your [plural] own salvation; and naturally you’ll be taking this with utter seriousness. After all, God himself is the one who’s at work among you [plural], who provides both the will and the energy to enable you [plural] to do what pleases him.”

This is a frequently misapplied text from Paul. Let me explain.

First, in much literature only verse 12 is quoted without any of the surrounding context. The “tradition” of approaching not only this text but many in an atomistic manner is first rooted in the printing habits of the 1611 King James Version where individual verses were printed essentially as individual complete thoughts/paragraphs. The KJV empowered proof-text style reading of the biblical text. Updates in the KJV “tradition” have continued this horrific presentation of the biblical text (i.e. NASB; NKJV).

One of the primary faults of the King James Version was, according to Alexander Campbell, was these contextless fragments that essentially take on a meaning all their own. This is why in the Living Oracles published in 1826, Campbell placed the text is paragraphs and literally removed the verse numbers. A sentence fragment has no meaning and a sentence without a context also has no meaning. Think PARAGRAPHS always. It is way past time for the KJV to retire.

Thus Philippians 2.12 growing up was usually highly individualistic (that is on ME) along with a corresponding emphasis that I was following some prescribed pattern with exactitude and precision obedience in “fear and trembling.” The emphasis was INDIVIDUAL and PELAGIAN (emphasis not shouting). That is on me personally, as if my salvation depended on my human effort to get things correct to make sure that I can go to heaven when I die. As a general rule about 85 percent of the time we encounter ‘you’ or ‘your’ in the NT epistles it is a plural not singular. In good Alabama talk it is, “all YALL.” Not ME but US.

Second, context is usually ignored. Philippians 2.12 is not even a complete sentence but the KJV has enabled us to simply proof text that verse devoid of the context. The actual sentence continues into verse in that v.13 that identifies the SOURCE of the power and strength to do whatever it is that Paul is urging. In the NRSV v.13 begins with “for it is God who is at work …” The Kingdom NT renders it most excellently with “After all, God himself is the one who’s at work …” Paul grounds the Philippians in the infinite power of Almighty God not in themselves.

Third, somewhere in the 1990s, I figured out that v.12 and 13 go together and that it is not a works salvation verse. But even if we recognize the connection with v.13 we can still miss totally what Paul is talking about.

The text, in its context, has nothing to do with my INDIVIDUAL salvation at all (i.e. in the sense of me going to heaven at the end of time). Paul has been explicitly discussing COMMUNAL, corporate, life of the Philippian congregation since 2.1 (and before that). Paul’s concern is life within the Body, in the church.

Specifically, Paul has been addressing unity and strife within the Philippian church. The “mind of Messiah/Christ,” The sacrifice of Christ – the self-denial of the One who had the form of God but gave that up in the interests of others (the Philippians!) – is presented as the model/pattern for Body, for the church, for the corporate existence of God’s people. The collective Body is transformed and does collectively what Jesus did. The Community seeks not its own benefit but that of each other.

In 2.12 Paul uses “therefore” (hoste) to show that his instructions are explicitly rooted in the hymn that narrates the giving up done by the Messiah/King. Indeed, 2.12 points us back to 2.5 where the Community is to have the “mind of Christ.” Paul uses plurals throughout, not singulars. The “working out your salvation” is addressed to the GROUP, to the gathered people.

Philippians 2.13 is not talking about God working in ME primarily but among US. The Kingdom New Testament brings this out by rendering “After all, God himself is the one who’s at work AMONG YOU” (second person plural). Paul speaks to the entire Gathered People calling the community itself to pattern its life self-sacrifice upon that of the Messiah’s. Just as his self-denial results in his exaltation so will the self-denial of the church result in ITS exaltation on the “day of Christ” (cf. 1.6, 11).

Philippians 2.12-13 addresses “me” as a part of the Body. It applies to “me” as part of the Gathered People. But the Text in its Context is not about MY individual salvation (especially about going to heaven), much less me working hard to make sure I got all my iota’s perfect with precision obedience.

Rather 2.12 and 13 is the Body, filled with the power of God, that imitates Christ/King to be transformed into a place in this Age that demonstrates it really belongs to another Age (the future on display in the here and now). The church is supposed to the place where shalom reigns, a picture of what heaven WILL be.

The Age of New Creation is supposed to be functioning in the present in the group of believers in Philippi. A community that shows “salvation” by being sacrificial to the point of dying for others, of being of One Mind … salvation here is that the Mind of Christ is operative in the local congregation.

It is God, in the words of Ephesians, empowering the Body thru his Holy Spirit that is that unbelievable power AMONG US that conforms US … working out our salvation TOGETHER in love and peace where none of us seek our own good but only that of others.

“Working out” does not mean producing salvation, getting salvation, or the like. Rather “working out” salvation is more akin to spreading yeast in dough where the dough (i.e. the Philippian church) is thoroughly “infected” with the salvation that is already theirs. God is kneading us! (working salvation into us). Working out salvation is LIVING out salvation in the relationships that are within the Body of Messiah.

Well I could go on. Just remember Philippians is about us, not just me. Philippians is about social relationships reflecting the new creation not going to heaven after we die. And it is about God who is working in (transforming) us into a picture of the new heavens and new earth in the here and the now.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025 at 9:55 am and is filed under A Gathered People, Christian hope, Church, Exegesis, Philippians, Precision Obedience. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.