[stonehouse01]

There is no free ride - get over it.

Paul to the Philippians:

Chapter 2 - Verse 12 with fear and trembling work out you salvation

[CynicalBear]

>>Chapter 2 - Verse 12 with fear and trembling work out you salvation<<

Jesus answer to that.

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:28-29

[Mad Dawg]

I think it’s important to complete the verse. I suspect Paul chose his words carefully.

It comes at the end of a wonderful passage which exhorts the Philippians to have the mind that they have in Jesus. And it ends work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for God works in you, both to will and to do, for his good pleasure.

The first part leaves us Pelagian or semi-Pelagian and we would deserve a lot of what is said about us. It is God in Christ who saves and through miracle and, I think, sacrament draws us into the new life and sets us to walk in the good works He has prepared for us to walk in.

[caww]

The word "therefore" is there for a reason....it's important to keep 'in context' with the flow of scripture. Btw... Cults frequently use that verse to keep their members submissive and in bondage to them....

The verse you referenced is NOT addressing the Salvation gift we have already been given.. of eternal life thru Christ....as we are sealed by His Spirit and fully and completely His as believers. ....

.....Rather,... Paul was addressing the Phillipian believers 'as a whole' for they had been bickering and arguing publicly.... his direction was to avoid giving in to the temptations of sinning, ....."Be careful in your corporate witness in Philippi. All of you work out before the whole town the being delivered or preserved or rescued each day from the sin of backbiting," (Phil. 2:13).

Philippians 2:12 cannot be a command to an individual church member telling him that he must work to escape hell. ....The reasons why?

..... In Verse 13 the word "beloved" is plural

.....the verb "have obeyed" is plural

... the verb "work out" is also in the plural

..... and the word "own" is plural.....

Thus, Paul is not giving a command to an individual, but is giving a command, a corporate command, to all the Philippian Christians ......He is commanding them 'as a group 'to do something -- watch closely their public behavior as a group.

How are the Philippians to do this?...

Verse 13:.... "For it is God who worketh in you" -- once again "you" is plural, ....referring to the entire group..... Since Christ has worked out the salvation from hell,... Christians need to work together to give as good a witness as possible to a lost world.

(Exerts from the Watchman)