Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil 2:12-13 NRSV)
I have discussed this passage and how it supports Latter-day Saint and refutes Protestant soteriology. For instance, see the exegesis provided in Synergistic Soteriology and Philippians 2:12-13.
This post will be a response to an attempt by Mike Thomas, currently the director of Reachout Trust, to downplay the implications of this passage. For a previous refutation of Thomas on the issue of soteriology, see Refuting Mike Thomas on soteriology.
In a recent Mormon/Evangelical facebook group, I encountered the following comment from Thomas on this passage:
Unfortunately, Thomas’ lack of knowledge of biblical Greek is made evident by such a comment. How so? The implication he is trying to give is that one is merely demonstrating their saved state, not to maintain such. However, the Greek does not support it. The verb is κατεργάζομαι and it means "to work out" in the sense of "to produce," consistent with the Latter-day Saint understanding of this passage. Notice how the term is defined by Louw and Nida in their Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (2d ed.):
κατεργάζομαι: to do something with success and/or thoroughness - 'to accomplish, to perform successfully, to do thoroughly.' ἅπαντα κατεργασάμενοι στῆναι 'having accomplished everything, to stand' Eph 6.13.
Eph 6:13, referenced by Louw-Nida, reads as follows:
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything (κατεργάζομαι), to stand firm. (NRSV)
In A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (3d ed), often known as "BDAG," the leading scholarly lexicon of Koine Greek, the verb κατεργάζομαι, with respect to how it is used in Phil 2:12 is defined as "to cause a state or condition, bring about, produce, create," again, consistent with the Latter-day Saint reading but alien to the interpretation Thomas lamely attempts to foist upon the verb. Furthermore, with respect to Eph 6:13, quoted above, it is defined as having the meaning of “to bring about a result by doing something, achieve, accomplish, do.” Here is the entry under κατεργάζομαι in BDAG:
κατεργάζομαι
• κατεργάζομαι mid. dep., Att. fut. 2 sg. κατεργᾷ Dt 28:39; 1 aor. κατειργασάμην; perf. κατείργασμαι. Pass.: fut. 2 pl. κατεργασθήσεσθε Ezk 36:9; aor. κατειργάσθην (on κατηργασάμην and κατηργάσθην s. B-D-F §67, 3; W-S. §12, 1; Mlt-H. 189) (Soph., Hdt.+).
1. to bring about a result by doing someth., achieve, accomplish, do τὶ someth. (Hdt. 5, 24 πρήγματα μεγάλα; X., Mem. 3, 5, 11; Jos., Vi. 289) Ro 7:15, 17f, 20; 1 Cor 5:3; 1 Cl 32:3f. τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην κατεργαζόμενοι committing shameless acts Ro 1:27. τὸ κακόν do what is wrong 2:9; 13:10 v.l. τὸ βούλημα τῶν ἐθνῶν do what the gentiles (i.e. polytheists) like to do 1 Pt 4:3. δικαιοσύνην θεοῦ does what is right in the sight of God or (s. ἐργάζεσθαι 2c) achieves the uprightness that counts before God Js 1:20 v.l. ἅπαντα κατεργασάμενοι after you have done or accomplished everything (in this case the reference would be to the individual pieces of armor mentioned in what follows, which the reader is to employ as is prescribed; but s. 4 below) Eph 6:13. ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο Χριστὸς δι᾽ ἐμοῦ of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me Ro 15:18. Pass. τὰ σημεῖα τοῦ ἀποστόλου κατειργάσθη ἐν ὑμῖν the signs by which an apostle demonstrates his authority have been done among you 2 Cor 12:12.
2. to cause a state or condition, bring about, produce, create (Hdt. 7, 102 ἀρετὴ ἀπὸ σοφίης κατεργασμένη; Philo, Plant. 50; TestJos 10:1) τὶ someth. νόμος ὀργήν Ro 4:15. θλῖψις ὑπομονήν 5:3 (TestJos 10:1 πόσα κατεργάζεται ἡ ὑπομονή); cp. Js 1:3. λύπη μετάνοιαν 2 Cor 7:10a v.l. (for ἐργάζεται). λύπη θάνατον vs. 10b; cp. vs. 11 (where a dat. of advantage is added). φθόνος ἀδελφοκτονίαν 1 Cl 4:7. μνησικακία θάνατον Hv 2, 3, 1. ἡ ἁμαρτία κ. ἐν ἐμοὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιθυμίαν sin called forth every desire within me Ro 7:8. τινί τι bring about someth. for someone (Eur., Her. 1046 πόλει σωτηρίαν) μοι θάνατον 7:13. αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης ἡμῖν 2 Cor 4:17. εὐχαριστίαν τῷ θεῷ bring about thankfulness to God 9:11; θάνατον ἑαυτῷ κ. bring death upon oneself Hm 4, 1, 2; cp. s 8, 8, 5 ἐργάζεσθαι.—Work out τὶ someth. (Pla., Gorg. 473d ὁ κατειργασμένος τὴν τυραννίδα ἀδίκως) τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε Phil 2:12 (JMichael, Phil 2:12: Exp. 9th ser., 2, 1924, 439-50).
3. to cause to be well prepared, prepare someone κ. τινα εἴς τι prepare someone for someth. (cp. Hdt. 7, 6, 1; X., Mem. 2, 3, 11) ἡμᾶς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο for this very purpose 2 Cor 5:5.
4. to be successful in the face of obstacles, overpower, subdue, conquer (Hdt. 6, 2 νῆσον; Thu. 6, 11, 1 al. τινά; 1 Esdr 4:4; Philo, Sacr. Abel. 62; Jos., Ant. 2, 44) ἅπαντα κατεργασάμενοι στῆναι after proving victorious over everything, to stand your ground Eph 6:13 (but s. 1 above).—M-M. TW.
It is obvious that Thomas, while attempting to engage in an exegetical fishing trip, has not only forgotten the fishing poles, he has no clue how to fish to begin with!
For more articles responding to Thomas, see: