What did Paul mean when he said, “work out your own salvation?”

Question

Philippians 2:12 (ESV)
¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,

What does Paul mean when he says, "work out your own salvation?"

Answer 1

This is potentially an awkward theological passage, as the verse you have quoted appears to promote the idea that human beings can accomplish their own salvation by their actions. This is a belief called Pelagianism, which has been considered heresy since the earliest days of the Church.

If we look at the Greek, the translation you have quoted is pretty good:

μετα φοβου και τρομου την ἑαυτων σωτηριαν κατεργαζεσθε

With fear and trembling work out your own salvation

ἑαυτων means specifically that the subject of the verb (in this case, Paul's "beloved", the believers in Philippi). The verb is κατεργαζομαι, which does indeed mean "work out", "accomplish for yourself", "bring about".

I think the key thing for interpreting this passage, though, is verse 13:

for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Philippians 2.13, NRSV)

The "working out" that the Philippians are asked to do, then, is not to use their own innate abilities to accomplish their salvation, but to let God act in and through them. It reflects other Pauline thought, such as "not I, but Christ in me" (from Galatians 2:20).

Answer 2

There are, at least, two different perspectives that can be derived from the phrase "work out your own salvation"...

1. Do something to gain a salvation that you do not already have
2. Live out the salvation that you already do have

Reading Phil 2:12 in context of its preceding verses has me to believe that perspective 2 is closer to what Paul is saying compared to perspective 1.

The preceding verses, Phil 2:9-11, we read that Jesus

1. was highly exalted by God
2. given a name above all others by God
3. every knee will bow to Him
4. every tongue will agree that He is Lord

In verses Phil 2:9-11, it appears that Paul is attempting to get his readers to reflect on how awesome, powerful, etc that Jesus Christ is.. the terms that Paul uses in 2:9-11 to describe Jesus should cause the believing reader to reflect that Jesus wasn't just a good guy, but rather the one and only being that all else is subject to his power.

With that in mind, Paul continues on by saying - because of who Jesus Christ is, you need to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling".

In light of Phil 2:9-11, it appears safe to infer that Paul is not trying to stress that we need to "earn a salvation that we don't already have", but rather we need to work out what we already do have (in Christ) with fear and trembling - as if to imply that due to the fact that Jesus Christ is the one that every knee will bow to, live out the salvation that you already have with a mindset of awe toward Christ.