Philippians 2:12

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
KJV

Ὥστε, ἀγαπητοί μου, καθὼς πάντοτε ὑπηκούσατε, μὴ ὡς ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ μου μόνον ἀλλὰ νῦν πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ἀπουσίᾳ μου, μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε·
Greek NT

Itaque carissimi mei (sicut semper obedistis), non ut in præsentia mei tantum, sed multo magis nunc in absentia mea, cum metu et tremore vestram salutem operamini.
Vulgate

So then, my beloved, even as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
ASV

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but much more now in my absence) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.
Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

24 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

καί

kai

conjunction · 8973×

καθώς

kathos

adverb · 181×

κατεργάζομαι

katergazomai

verb · 22×

μή

particle · 1033×

μετά

Themes

Obedience and Disobedience

Doctrines that cite this verse

Sanctification · major

Historic Christian voices

13 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

§1949Called to beatitude but wounded by sin, man stands in need of salvation from God. Divine help comes to him in Christ through the law that guides him and the grace that sustains him: Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.1

Homilies on the First Epistle to the Corinthians · 2 passages

2. And having said these things and so soothed them, and being just about to enter on his charge against the unclean person, he again utters words full of anger; not that in himself he felt so but in order to correct them: and giving over the fornicator, he directs his discourse to the rest, as not deeming him worthy even of words from himself; just as we act in regard to our s…

2. For he that eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself. What do you say, tell me? Is this Table which is the cause of so many blessings and teeming with life, become judgment? Not from its own nature, says he, but from the will of him that approaches. For as His presence, which conveyed to us those great and unutterable blessings, condemned the more them…

City of God

Chapter 7.—That the Words Love and Regard (Amor and Dilectio) are in Scripture Used Indifferently of Good and Evil Affection. He who resolves to love God, and to love his neighbor as himself, not according to man but according to God, is on account of this love said to be of a good will; and this is in Scripture more commonly called charity, but it is also, even in the same boo…

Council of Trent, Session 6: Decree on Justification

If anyone saith that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works, but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof — let him be anathema.

Freedom of the Will

God's preservation of the saints in grace is consistent with their freedom, for God works in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The certainty of the saints' perseverance does not diminish but establishes the importance of the means of grace, for God has appointed these means as the channels through which His preserving grace flows.

The Almost Christian

Let me therefore exhort you to come to a determination: do not rest in being almost a Christian. Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves. If upon examination you find that you are only almost, and not altogether Christians, do not rest until God has converted your souls.

Canons of Dort

For, in the first place, God preserves in those saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Secondly, by his Word and Spirit God certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; seek and obtain, through faith and with a contri…

Confession of Dositheus

We believe a man to be not simply justified through faith alone, but through faith which worketh through love, that is to say, through faith and works. Not that the foundation and certainty of our salvation resteth upon works; for no man can do the works of God — for Christ hath said, "Without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5) — but that faith without works is dead, and worketh…

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary

Cross-references

1Chr 14:15 — And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
1Chr 22:16 — Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.
1Cor 2:3 — And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
1Cor 9:20 — And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
1Cor 15:58 — Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
1Pet 1:17 — And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
1Pet 2:11 — Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1Sam 14:45 — And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath
1Thess 1:3 — Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
2Cor 7:11 — For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement des
2Cor 7:15 — And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
2Cor 7:15 — And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
2Pet 1:5 — And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pet 1:5 — And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pet 3:18 — But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
2Thess 3:4 — And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
2Tim 2:10 — Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Acts 5:11 — And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Acts 9:6 — And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Acts 9:6 — And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Eph 6:5 — Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Eph 6:5 — Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Eph 6:6 — Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Ezek 36:27 — And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Ezra 10:3 — Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God;
Gal 4:18 — But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
Gal 6:7 — Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Hag 1:14 — And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people
Heb 4:1 — Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
Heb 4:11 — Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:11 — Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 5:9 — And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
Heb 6:10 — For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb 12:1 — Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is
Heb 12:28 — Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
Heb 13:17 — Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable
Isa 66:2 — For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isa 66:2 — For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
Isa 66:5 — Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they s
Jas 1:16 — Do not err, my beloved brethren.