Philippians 2:12-16

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE TO BE LED IN A SPIRIT OF AWE AND WATCHFULNESS, AS IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD'S WORKING. On Philippians 2:12-13 see two important discussions, Schaeder, Greifswalder Studien, pp. 231 260, and Kühl, SK [2]., 1898, pp. 557 580. Philippians 2:12. ὥστε. With what does it link the following verses? Paul has returned to practical exhortation. So we should naturally expect him to take up the thread which he dropped at Philippians 2:6 on turning to the example of Jesus Christ. At that point he had been urging them to be of one mind. But with what aim? Especially in order that they might present an unbroken front in their conflict for the faith. But that brings us back to Philippians 1:27 ff. And that the connexion of our passage with the earlier paragraph is not arbitrary we may gather from the occurrence of the same idea in both, viz., that of his own presence and absence. Cf. Philippians 1:27 b with Philippians 2:12 b. At the same time there is also a link between Philippians 2:12-13 and the passage immediately preceding. He introduces his admonition with obedience (ὑπηκούσατε). But Christ's lowliness consisted precisely in His ὑπακοή (Philippians 2:8, ὑπήκοος). Christ has been exalted as the result (διό, Philippians 2:9) of humble obedience. Corresponding to His exaltation will be their σωτηρία. ὑπηκούσατε. We believe that this means obedience to God. See on ὥστε supr. κατεργάζ. Cf. Galatians 4:18. μετὰ φ. κ. τρ. Cf. Ephesians 6:5, οἱ δοῦλοι, ὑπακούετε τοῖς κατὰ σάρκα κυρίοις μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου. In both passages the phrase expresses the solemn responsibility to God which is always felt by those conscious of the Divine Presence, whether they are occupied with common tasks or the concerns of their spiritual life. Nihil enim est quod magis ad modestiam et timorem erudire nos debeat quam dum audimus nos sola Dei gratia stare (Calvin). Gunkel (Wirkungen 2, etc., p. 70) well contrasts the fear with which the Jew looked upon the Divine Presence with the calm joy which the Christian feels in such an experience. τὴν ἑαυτ. σωτ. Such a use of ἑαυτῶν for ὑμῶν αὐτῶν is much more common in N.T. than in classical Greek. But cf. Demos., Olynth., i., § 2, εἴπερ σωτηρίας αὑτῶν φροντίζετε. The emphasis is on ἐαυτῶν. Each of them is responsible for his own salvation before God. They must not lean on the Apostle. His absence must make no difference. “For the race is run by one and one and never by two and two” (R. Kipling). σωτ. This is the end and aim of their faith. See 1 Peter 1:9, τὸ τέλος τῆς πίστεως ὑμῶν σωτηρίαν ψυχῶν. κατεργ. The best comment on the distinctive force of κατεργ. is 2 Corinthians 7:10, ἡ γὰρ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν … ἐργάζεται · ἡ δὲ τοῦ κόσμου λύπη θάνατον κατεργάζεται, where ἐργ. refers to a process in its mediate workings, while κατεργ. looks solely at the final result. So here almost = “make sure of your salvation,” “carry it into effect”. Cf. 2 Peter 1:10. As Kühl (op. cit., p. 560 ff.) points out, the Apostle does not think here so much of the moral effort, their deliberate conduct as such (so Schaeder). This, as the presupposition of salvation, would be alien to the Pauline point of view. Lowliness and obedience (the ὑπακοὴ πίστεως) are needful, that they may look away from themselves to Jesus Christ, who is the “author and finisher of their faith”.

[2] Studien und Kritiken.