WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION: What Does It Mean?

There are indeed Bible verses that can be confusing at first reading. Today, let’s discuss Philippians 2:12, one of the most misunderstood passages ever since. Paul said, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” Some people say that because Paul commanded “work out your salvation,” it means that salvation must be earned through effort. Others claim that this verse contradicts our belief that salvation is by grace through faith and not through our good works, which the Bible consistently teaches (Eph. 2:8–9; Titus 3:5; Rom. 11:16; 2 Tim. 1:9; etc.). But what does it really mean?

WHAT IT DOES NOT MEAN

One of the best principles in handling difficult-to-understand statements is to compare them with clear passages. Even if we still struggle to grasp what a verse truly intends to say, at least we know what it does not mean. With this in mind, we can be sure that whatever Paul was trying to say in stating “work out your salvation,” it cannot mean earning one’s salvation through good works. In other words, “work out your salvation” does not mean “work for your salvation.”

WHAT IT DOES MEAN

Paul used the Greek word katergazomai for “work out,” which means “to produce, perform, work out.” From the original meaning alone, we can already see that Paul was saying believers should demonstrate or carry out their salvation by producing works. This meaning becomes clearer when we look at its use in context. In this passage, Paul was actually encouraging his readers to love and care for one another (Phil. 2:1–4), using the sacrifice of Christ as the example to follow (vv. 5–11). The sacrificial act of Christ was Paul’s basis for his command: “Therefore… work out your salvation” (v. 12). 

The phrase “with fear and trembling” does not mean “being afraid” or living in terror. Rather, it refers to a reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord—awe—as also expressed in the preceding verses (“every knee should bow,” “every tongue confess,” vv. 10–11). And before anyone could think there’s room for boasting after working out our salvation, Paul clarifies in the very next verse that it is still due to God’s work in us: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (v. 13).

God works within us so that we can work out our salvation. In other words, Christ was the one who truly worked for our salvation (vv. 6–8), and we are expected to work out or practice the salvation we received (v. 12). And we do it with fear and trembling—that is, in awe of what Christ has done—through the enabling power of God (v. 13).

It is also worth noting how Paul used the term salvation here. Scholars suggest that Paul was actually referring to the “comprehensive work of God in which we participate through faith, hope, and love” (Keiser et al., 1996). In other words, salvation in this verse points to the ongoing experience that began when we first came to Christ and will culminate in eternal life in the future. It is God’s present work in the lives of the saved, in which we participate. If this is the case, we can better understand Paul’s command to work out our salvation. It is not just something that happened in the past or something we await in the future. Salvation is a present reality in the lives of believers, and therefore it must be evident in how we live. Stay Curious.

Sources and Studies:

Keiser, W., et al., (1996). “12:12–13 Work Out Your Salvation? ” . 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. (pp. 611-613). InterVarsity Press
Howe, T., and Geisler, N. (1992). “Mistake 5: Neglecting to Interpret Difficult Passages in the Light of Clear Ones.” 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘈𝘴𝘬. (p. 14). Victor Books.
“What does Phil 2:12 mean?” Retrieved from https://www.bibleref.com/Philippians/2/Philippians-2-12.html
“2716. Katergazomai” Retrieved from https://biblehub.com/greek/2716.htm