Philippians Part 11, Chapter 2:12-2:15
I. Introduction (v. 2:12)
A. Wherefore –resumes the appeals of unity and following the example of Christ.
B. Beloved –maintaining connection of deep feelings.
C. Obey—present or absent
1. Rely on God’s Spirit not Paul’s leadership.
2. Pressure on outside or power on the inside?
3. To depend too much on Paul was to doubt God’s guidance.
II. Work Out (katergazesthai—bring to completion) (v. 2:12)
A. Warning! Some fall while working out others 1 Samuel 8:1-5 “work out your own”
B. Work out, not work for salvation—deliverance
1. Talking to saints Philippians 1:1
2. You must “work out” what God in His grace has “worked in.”
C. “Work out” also used for working mine whether coal or iron ore, or gold.
Work out your potential.
D. Working out our salvation is a transforming experience that continues all
through our walk with Christ. (David Guzik)
E. Working it out in fear and trembling is to say, “Lord, I cannot do this alone.
I need your help.
F. We must promote the common salvation as much as we can, yet we must upon no
account neglect our own. Preachers fall, and preacher’s families fall, while
they work out others’ salvation. Samuel’s sons went bad while Samuel was taking care of Israel. 1 Samuel 8:1-5
G. Prayer is the barometer of the spiritual work with Christ. It is something we do not
only in church and by another’s pleading, but voluntarily and when alone. This
sets the “true” child of God apart from religious church goers who practice religion
only in church.
H. To “work out” one’s own eternal welfare or salvation does not mean that man can or
must work and accomplish it himself for God does that (v. 2:13); but that the
believer must finish, must carry to conclusion, must apply to its fullest consequences
what is already given by God in principle. The believer is call to self-activity to the
active pursuit of the will of God, to the promotion of the spiritual life in himself, to
the realization of the virtues of the Christian Life, and to personal application of
salvation. He must “work out” what God in His grace has “worked in.”
I. The great tragedy of so many of us is that we are never really any further on. We continue
to be victims of the same habits and slaves to the same temptations, and guilty of the
same failures. But the truly Christian life must be a continual progress, for it is a
journey towards God. (WB)
J. We must not only work at our salvation, by doing something now and then about it;
but we must “work out” our salvation, by doing all that is to be done, and persevering
therein to the end. (Matthew Henry)
III. Work out with Fear and Trembling (v. 2:12)
A. Fear—the reverential fear of God will inspire a constant carefulness in dealing
with others in His fear.
B. Different fear than 1 John 4:18; Romans 8:15
C. He exhorts them that they are to reverence those who love them, fearing to displease
them, and trembling lest they should justly incur their anger and indignation.
D. Fear and Trembling—This is not the fear and trembling of the slave cringing before
his master; nor the fear and trembling at the prospect of punishment. It comes from
two things. It comes, first, from a sense of our own creatureliness and our own
powerlessness to deal with life triumphantly. That is to say, it is not the fear and
trembling which drives us to hide from God, but rather the fear and trembling which
drives us to seek God, in the certainty that without His help we cannot effectively face
life. It comes, second, from a horror of grieving God. When we really love a person, we
are not afraid of what he may do to us; we are afraid of what we may do to him. The
Christian’s great fear is of crucifying Christ again. (WB pg 43)
IV. Working in Us (v. 2:13)
A. Who? God
B. Why? His good pleasure.
1. Save the lost 2 Peter 3:9
2. Perfecting saints. I want to be just like Him when He comes.
C. There is a saving work which God only can do for you; but there is also a work
which you must do for yourselves.
V. Without Murmuring and Disputing (v. 2:14)
A. Murmur (goggusmos—pronounced gongusomus)
Describes low, threatening discontent of a mob who distrust their leaders
1. 1 Cor. 10:10-11
2. Psalms 106:9-48 What a record of rebellion!
B. Disputing (dialogismos) useless, and sometimes ill-natured, disputing and doubting.
C. Grumbling and complaining can cast a shadow on Christ.
D. The children of Israel murmured and with them God was not well pleased.
“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of
the destroyer.” 1 Corinthians 10:10
E. Grumbling and questioning are symptoms of a defective faith in the power or the
wisdom of God.
VI. Blameless and Harmless (v. 2:15)
A. Blameless
1. 172 ákakos (ak'-ak-os) (an adjective, derived from 1 /A "not" and 2556 /kakós,
"malignant") – properly, not harmful, describing someone innocent, down to
their very Intentions (motives), i.e. a person without any desire to hurt (harm).
2. innocent, guileless, simple.
3. That ye may be blameless - That you may give no occasion for others to accuse
you of having done wrong.
B. Harmless
1. 273 ámemptos (am'-emp-tos) (an adjective, derived
from 1 /A "not"and 3201 /mémphomai, "to find blame") – properly,
without fault; not blameworthy, by omission or
commission; hence, above reproach because morally pure. (This term stands
in contrast to 299 /ámomos, "ritual purity.")
2. blameless, free from fault or defect.
3. guileless, sincere; with the simplicity of a single eye, discerning what is evil and
choosing only what glorifies God
4. Matthew 10:16; Hebrews 7:26 Christ harmless
5. “Sons of God”--For God's adoption of us ought to be a motive to a blameless life,
that we may in some degree resemble our Father. Now, although there never
has been such perfection in the world as to have nothing worthy of reproof,
those are, nevertheless, said to be unreprovable who aim at this with the
whole bent of their mind, as has been observed elsewhere. (Calvin’s Com.)
C. Without Rebuke (Pure)
1. 299 ámomos (am'-o-mos) (an adjective, derived from 1 /A "not" and 3470 /m?mos,
"blemish") – properly, unblemished, without spot or blot (blight); (figuratively)
morally, spiritually blameless, unblemished from the marring effects of sin.
2. maintaining an unexceptionable character
D. Crooked and Perverse Nation
1. Crooked -- 4646 skoliós (skol-ee-os') (an adjective, derived from a primitive
root, NAS dictionary) – properly, crooked (bent) because dried out (like a
piece of parched wood); (figuratively) morally twisted (warped) because
lacking the oil of the Holy Spirit – hence, unacceptable to God (His standards);
"perverse, unjust" (Abbott-Smith).
a. Scoliosis – bending in the back
b. Morally bent spiritually deformed and unable to support the weight of life.
(Skip Heitzig)
2. Perverse-- 1294 diastrépho (dee-as-tref'-o) (from 1223 /diá, "through, thoroughly,"
which intensifies 4762 /strépho, "turn") – properly, turned through (thoroughly),
into a new shape which however is "distorted, twisted; perverted" (Abbott-Smith)
– i.e. "opposite" from the shape (form) it should be. "Note the intensifying force
of the prefix, dia meaning, "distorted, twisted in two, corrupt" (WP, 1, 142).
3. In the midst of a wicked generation. Believers, it is true, live on earth, intermingled
with the wicked; they breathe the same air, they enjoy the same soil, and at that
time they were even more intermingled, inasmuch as there could scarcely
be found a single pious family that was not surrounded on all sides by
unbelievers. So much the more does Paul stir up the Philippians to guard carefully
against all corruptions. The meaning therefore is this: "You are, it is true, inclosed
in the midst of the wicked; but, in the meantime, bear in mind that you are, by
God's adoption, separated from them: let there be, therefore, in your manner of
life, conspicuous marks by which you may be distinguished. Nay more, this
consideration ought to stir you up the more to aim at a pious and holy life, that
we may not also be a part of the crooked generation, entangled by their
vices and contagion." (Calvin’s Com.)
4. The world is getting darker: (Skip Heitzig)
a. A murder is committed every 35 min.
b. Rape—6 minutes
c. Burglary – 14 seconds
E. Shine as Lights (v. 2:15)
1. Don’t blend into the world, but with your light shine out as a light out of
darkness. (SH)
2. Light brings:
a. Security
b. Guidance
c. Cheerfulness
d. Warning
3. It a light is shined directly into the eyes in a bold way may be irritating.
4. Shine -- 5316 phainó (fah'-ee-no) to bring to light, to cause to appear
a. act: I shine, shed light
b. pass: I shine, become visible, appear
c. I become clear, appear, seem, show myself as.
5. He would have believers be as lamps, which shine amidst the darkness of the world,
as though he had said, "Believers, it is true, are children of the night, and there
is in the world nothing but darkness; but God has enlightened you for this end,
that the purity of your life may shine forth amidst that darkness, that his grace
may appear the more illustrious. (Calvin’s Com.)
6. We should be different enough so as to be seen as stars against the black sky.
