Bible Study on Philippians 2:12 ("Work out your salvation")
Philippians 2:12
“Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” (CSB)
Welcome to the Bible Study Guide for Philippians 2:12, which leverages questions from the CHARA Bible Study Guide when studying this verse. Below are the questions the Chara team chose to ask, in the order they chose to ask them, but feel free to use other questions or change up the order as you dive into this passage. For ANSWERS from the Chara team on these questions, check out the video below.
RESEARCH
Observations & Questions: What observations or questions do you have when you reread Philippians 2:12 more than once? Reflecting on the meaning of a verse is not a bad place to start as it can help guide your study. What questions come to mind when you read “work out your salvation with fear and trembling?” (Phil 2:12b).
AUTHOR
Style: What is communicated through the literary style or genre the author used (e.g. narrative, poetry, prophecy, letters)? Philippians is a letter (epistle) written by Paul to the early church at Philippi. You can learn a lot about what was going on in the Philippian church just by reading the text and asking a key literary style question pertaining to letters - what instruction was given and what prompted it? Look for clues along the way as you read some CONTEXT:
Read Philippians 1:27-2:2
1. What instruction was given? (Hint: what idea is repeated in 1:27b and 2:2)
2. What might have prompted it?
Read Philippians 2:3-4
1. What instruction was given?
2. What might have prompted it?
Read Philippians 2:5-11
1. What instruction was given? (Hint: try reading verse 5 in a couple different Bible translations)
2. What might have prompted it?
Read Philippians 2:12-15
1. What instruction was given?
2. What might have prompted it?
Read Philippians 4:2-5
1. What instruction was given?
2. What might have prompted it?
CONTEXT
Immediate: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s) and how does that help determine what the verse means? Does the context you just read shed any light on your original questions surrounding the meaning of Philippians 2:12?
Two questions that we came up with when beginning our study on “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” were:
Do I need to work for my salvation? In other words, am I saved by my works?
How does fear and trembling play into this?
Does the overall theme or main idea found in Philippians 1:27-2:18 suggest that Paul was telling the church of Philippi HOW to become saved?
Keep in mind our KEY PRINCIPLE for Author: Don’t shout where the author whispers or whisper where the author shouts. Be careful not to turn something mentioned in a single spot into a belief or doctrine the author never intended. Always consider how a passage fits within the author’s overall purpose throughout the book.
HISTORY
Who was it written to? How does the Bible describe them? The first question - Do I need to work for my salvation? - is answered simply by considering who Paul was writing to and what we know about them. What does Paul call the Philippians in 1:1, 12 and how are they described in 1:5, 7?
Paul wrote this letter to people who were already saved! All the context that you’ve already read suggests that working out your salvation (not FOR your salvation) is not about your standing before God, but rather your relationship with others.
CONTEXT
Keep in mind another KEY PRINCIPLE: The Bible cannot contradict itself. Your interpretation of a passage cannot be in conflict with what is clearly taught somewhere else in the Bible. When it comes to confusing or seemingly contradictory passages, let clear Scripture interpret unclear Scripture, by turning to passages that make it abundantly clear.
Bible: Does my interpretation hold true throughout the rest of the Bible? (Hint: use your cross references or concordance to find passages throughout the Bible, like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:4-7)
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that we’re not saved by our works. According to Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:4-7, how are we saved?
When we begin to truly understand this our motivation to do good works, to love and serve others, changes. As Christ followers, God is at work in us to change our affections. In Philippians we learn that once again, it’s God who gets the credit - to Him be the glory!
Book: Is this theme repeated throughout the book and how does it fit within the overall purpose of the book? (Hint: Reread Philippians 2:12. Then look for other passages in Philippians by reading the entire book or through cross references to find correlating verses like Philippians 1:6,9-11.)
Now let’s take a look at that second question regarding fear and trembling. From what we’ve learned so far about our motive to do good works, these descriptors may seem out of place! Here’s where other translations can really help.
RESEARCH
Translations: Does another Bible translation add perspective or clarity? (Hint: look up Philippians 2:12 in the NET and NLT translations)
How might the message of Philippians 2:5-11 inspire the response noted in these different translations of Philippians 2:12?
Paraphrase: How would you rewrite the message of Philippians 2:12 into your own words? Now that you’ve studied this verse, practice putting it into your own words.
APPLY
Ask: What do you learn about God - His character, attributes, or desires?
Pray: “Lord, what do you want me to learn and how should I apply this to my life?”
Yield: What personal, cultural, or religious bias and assumptions do you bring to the text? What do you need to surrender, if anything, to be in harmony with the Bible?
Join the Chara Project team as they study Phillipians 2:12 and see their ANSWERS to the questions asked from the CHARA Bible Study Guide.