Philippians 2:12

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

King James Version · Read in your translation · Open the Explore console

Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
Wherefore	Ὥστε, Hōste	G5620	so too · conjunction
my	μοῦ moû	G3450	of me
beloved	ἀγαπητοί agapētoi	G27	beloved · adjective — vocative plural masculine
as	καθὼς kathōs	G2531	just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
have	ὑπηκούσατε, hupēkousate	G5219	to hear under (as a subordinate) · verb — aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural
always	πάντοτε pantote	G3842	every when · adverb
obeyed	ὑπακούω hypakoúō	G5219	to hear under (as a subordinate)
not	μὴ mē	G3361	(adverb) not · particle — negative
as	ὡς hōs	G5613	which how · particle
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
my	μοῦ moû	G3450	of me
presence	παρουσίᾳ parousia	G3952	a being near · noun — dative singular feminine
only	μόνον mónon	G3440	merely
but	ἀλλὰ alla	G235	properly · conjunction
now	νῦν nun	G3568	"now" (as adverb of date · adverb
much	πολλῷ pollō	G4183	(singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) many · adjective — dative singular neuter
more	μᾶλλον mallon	G3123	(adverbially) more (in a greater degree)) or rather · adverb
in	ἐν en	G1722	"in · preposition
my	μοῦ moû	G3450	of me
absence	ἀπουσίᾳ apousia	G666	a being away · noun — dative singular feminine
out	κατεργάζεσθε· katergazesthe	G2716	to work fully · verb — present middle or passive deponent imperative, 2nd person plural
own	ἑαυτῶν he'autōn	G1438	him- (her- · reflexive pronoun
salvation	σωτηρίαν sōtērian	G4991	rescue or safety (physically or morally) · noun — accusative singular feminine
with	μετὰ meta	G3326	properly · preposition
fear	φόβου phobou	G5401	alarm or fright · noun — genitive singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
trembling	τρόμου tromou	G5156	a "trembling" · noun — genitive singular masculine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

2 Peter 1:5-10 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Luke 13:23-24 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour…
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto…
John 6:27-29 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: f…
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:12-13

I. He exhorts them to diligence and seriousness in the Christian course: Work out your own salvation. It is the salvation of our souls (Pe1 1:9), and our eternal salvation (Heb 5:9), and contains deliverance from all the evils sin had brought upon us and exposed us to, and the possession of all good and whatsoever is necessary to our complete and final happiness. Observe, It concerns us above all things to secure the welfare of our souls: whatever becomes of other things, let us take care of our best interests. It is our own salvation, the salvation of our own souls. It is not for us to judge other people; we have enough to do to look to ourselves; and, though we must promote the common salv…

Read the whole note in the console

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:12

Wherefore--Seeing that we have in Christ such a specimen of glory resulting from "obedience" (Phi 2:8) and humiliation, see that ye also be "obedient," and so "your salvation" shall follow your obedience. as ye have . . . obeyed--"even as ye have been obedient," namely, to God, as Jesus was "obedient" unto God (see on Phi 2:8). not as, &c.--"not as if" it were a matter to be done "in my presence only, but now (as things are) much more (with more earnestness) in my absence (because my help is withdrawn from you)" [ALFORD]. work out--carry out to its full perfection. "Salvation" is "worked in" (Phi 2:13; Eph 1:11) believers by the Spirit, who enables them through faith to be justified on…

Read the whole note in the console

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:12

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; laboring 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 w…

The Church Fathers

Evagrius said, 'If your attention falters, pray. As it is written, pray in fear and trembling (cf. Phil. 2:12), earnestly and watchfully. We ought to pray like that, especially because our unseen and wicked enemies are trying to hinder us forcefully.'
— Desert Fathers, The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

"Looking at this example," he says, "you have conceived a greater zeal for your own salvation, notwithstanding my absence. For this reveals the excellence of your goal, that it is not to please your teacher but out of eagerness for good things that you undertake this admirable labor."
— Theodoret of Cyrus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2.12

The fear is to be referred to the soul, the trembling to the body. But it is a great mystery, which we should lay to heart when we hear it, that by taking thought and showing concern for others we work out our own salvation all the more and furthermore that it is in our power to work out salvation for ourselves.
— Gaius Marius Victorinus, EPISTLE TO THE PHILIPPIANS 2.12-13

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Apphia — Increasing, a female Christian at Colosse (Philemon 1:2), supposed by some to have been the wife of Philemon.
Archippus — Master of the horse, a “fellow-soldier” of Paul’s (Philemon 1:2), whom he exhorts to renewed activity (Col. 4:17). He was a member of Philemon’s family, probably his son.
Fear of the Lord the — Is in the Old Testament used as a designation of true piety (Prov. 1:7; Job 28:28; Ps. 19:9). It is a fear conjoined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather filial…
Commandments · PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES — PRECEPTS OF PAUL. EXPLICITLY STATED OR IMPLIED IN DIDACTIC EPISTLES
Obedience · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Obedience To God · Should be: Constant — Should be: Constant
Reverence · 4:10;5:29;6:2,13;10:12,20,21;13:4;14:23;28:49,58; — 4:10;5:29;6:2,13;10:12,20,21;13:4;14:23;28:49,58;
Salvation · From sin, to be worked out with fear and trembling — From sin, to be worked out with fear and trembling

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Philippians 2:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:12-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:12

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Philippians 2:12

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Philippians 2:12-13

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Philippians 2:12

Adam Clarke on Philippians 2:12

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Philippians 2:12

John Calvin on Philippians 2:12-16

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Philippians 2:12-18