It is right there in black and white – “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
It says what it says and it means what it means – I am to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.
Except we have cultural and linguistic filters that keep us from hearing what he just said there…as well as a big miss on the context.
The American cultural filter – working on my salvation with fear and trembling sounds very American. This is something I must do. Fierce independence! That’s the American way…but it isn’t the biblical way and it isn’t what Paul wrote here at all.
Context, language (Greek) and an understanding of their culture gives us a clearer picture.
Context – “12 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Phil 2:12-13)
He is addressing a group – the Philippians, “Friends” not just each individual person.
Next is language – the word “work out” is plural, not singular. But we don’t get that in English because you and your can be singular or plural. This is a “y’all” plural you.
Read it again – Y’all work out y’all’s salvation with fear and trembling.
Together…as their cultural was communal and not individualistic. Their identity was corporate/communal and not individualistic.
So the English reinforces the American cultural backdrop that we read this passage through leaving us thinking that we each need to be doing this on our own when we really need to be helping each other with this.
Last, the rest of the context/point Paul is making – that they need to work this out together then, ” for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
I heard the first part without the second – that I was to work this out myself and didn’t realize that God was working it out in me!
So the full message is that working out our salvation is something we do together and with God’s help!
And boy is that GOOD NEWS! I am not left to do this alone but we can do this together!!!
Have you heard this passage as an individualistic passage before?
