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PHILIPPIANS 
fear and trembling.* 13For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.k 14Do everything without
l 15
grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and
innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation,* among whom you shine like lights in the world,m 16as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.n 17But, even if I am poured out as a libation* upon the sacri cial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you.o 18In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me.p
IV. TRAVEL PLANS OF PAUL AND HIS ASSISTANTS*
Timothy and Paul. 19I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy* to you soon, so that I too may be
heartened by hearing news of you.q
20For I have no one comparable to
him for genuine interest in whatever
concerns you. 21For they all seek their
own interests, not those of Jesus
Christ.r 22But you know his worth, how
as a child with a father he served along
with me in the cause of the gospel.
23He it is, then, whom I hope to send as
soon as I see how things go with me,
24but I am con dent in the Lord that
I myself will also come soon.*
Epaphroditus. 25With regard to Epaphroditus,* my brother and co-worker and fellow soldier, your messenger and minister in my need, I consider it necessary to send him to you.s 26For he has been longing for all of you and was distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27He was indeed ill, close to death; but God had mercy on him, not just on him but also on me, so that I might not have sorrow upon sorrow. 28I send him therefore with the greater eagerness, so that, on seeing him, you may rejoice again, and I may have less anxiety. 29Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy and hold such people in esteem,t 30because for the sake of the work of Christ he came close to death, risking his life to make up for those services to me that you could not perform.
2:12
This passage can be puzzling. Are we being told to “work out” our own salvation by being in a constant state of fear? That is not at all what Paul means. “God is the one who... works in you” (2:31), Paul adds—we do not earn salvation. But we work with God by the way we live. It is helpful to know that in the Old Testament, “fear and trembling” is the reaction of those who are in the presence of God. In other words, Paul is inviting us to cooperate
with God, to live in God’s awesome presence.
2:17
In Greek and Roman religious practice, libations were o erings of some kind of liquid—typically wine or oil—which was poured out in honor of a god. Paul describes himself as a libation, being poured out for the building up of the Philippians’ faith.
a. [2:2] Rom 15:5; 1 Cor 1:10.
b. [2:3] Rom 12:3, 10; Gal 5:26.
c. [2:4] 1 Cor 10:24, 33; 13:5.
d. [2:6] Jn 1:1–2; 17:5; Col 2:9; Heb 1:3.
e. [2:7] Is 53:3, 11; Jn 1:14; Rom 8:3;
2 Cor 8:9; Gal 4:4; Heb 2:14, 17.
f. [2:8] Mt 26:39; Jn 10:17; Heb 5:8; 12:2.
g. [2:9] Acts 2:33; Mt 23:12; Eph 1:20–21;
Heb 1:3–4.
h. [2:10] Is 45:23; Jn 5:23; Rom 14:11; Rev 5:13.
i. [2:11] Acts 2:36; Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 12:3.
j. [2:12] Ps 2:11; 1 Cor 2:3; 2 Cor 7:15.
k. [2:13] 1:6; 1 Cor 12:6; 15:10; 2 Cor 3:5.
l. [2:14] 1 Cor 10:10; 1 Pt 4:9.
m. [2:15] 1 Thes 3:13 / Dt 32:5; Mt 10:16;
Acts 2:40 / Dn 12:3; Mt 5:14, 16; Eph 5:8.
n. [2:16] 1 Thes 2:19 / Is 49:4; 65:23; Gal 2:2.
o. [2:17] Rom 15:16; 2 Tm 4:6.
p. [2:18] 3:1; 4:4.
q. [2:19] Acts 16:1–3; 17:14–15; 1
Cor 4:17; 16:10.
r. [2:21] 1 Cor 13:5; 2 Tm 4:10.
s. [2:25] 4:10–11, 15–16, 18.
t. [2:29] 1 Cor 16:18.
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* [2:15–16] Generation. . .as you hold on to. . .: or “. . .generation. Among them shine like lights in the world because you hold the word of life. . ..”
* [2:17] Libation: in ancient religious ritual, the pouring out on the ground of a liquid o ering as a sacri ce. Paul means that he may be facing death.
* [2:19–3:1] The plans of Paul and his assistants for future travel are regularly a part of a Pauline letter near its conclusion; cf. Rom 15:22–29; 1 Cor 16:5–12.
* [2:19] Timothy: already known to the Philippians (Acts 16:1–15; cf. 1 Cor 4:17; 16:10).
* [2:24] I myself will also come soon: cf. Phil 1:19–25 for the signi cance of this statement.
* [2:25] Epaphroditus: sent by the Philippians as their messenger (literally, “apostle”) to aid
Paul in his imprisonment, he had fallen seriously ill; Paul commends him as he sends him back to Philippi.