"Work out your own salvation" We interpret this differently. I believe my interpretation harmonizes with other scriptures. Do you believe that salvation is interpreted by the Greek concordance to mean "a deliverance"?
Let me "chime" in on this issue and point out the immediate context of what the Apostle Paul is telling the Philippian "BELIEVERS." The context is "NOT" about working out your salvation to get saved.
Starting at vs 2-3, "make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Vs3, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of your REGARD ONE ANOTHER AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN HIMSELF." Vs4, "do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interest of others."
Paul then uses Jesus Christ as the perfect example of putting people first or ahead of Himself starting at vs5 by saying, "have this attitude in yourselves that was also in Christ Jesus. Now please pay attention to vs6 because it proves the deity of Jesus Christ.
Vs6, who, although, (or in spite of the fact) that He was always existed as God or in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped." Vs7, "but emptied Himself, (This means that Jesus Christ did not take advantage of Him being God by not using His prerogatives as God) but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men." (Btw, and this is important, Jesus Christ did not empty Himself of His deity, that would be impossible, God cannot become not God.)
So the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit decided to throw in the fact that Jesus Christ who has always been, or in the form of God took on another form, that of a human being/man. Vs8, And being found in appearanceas a man, He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Another example by Paul to show the Philippian believers how they should be obedient to what he's telling them. Now, having said all this we get to Philippians 2:12. Vs12, "So then my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence work out your salvation with fear and trembling;"
In other words, work out the solution to your problems or the deliverance of your problems. That is to say quit being selfish, conceited, not of the same mind, not looking out for you own interest BUT have the same mind and maintaining the same love. Put others first just as Jesus Christ did.
Why? Philippians 2:13, "for (or because) it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Paul is not done with them. Vs14, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, childres of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you appear as lights in the world." (Or in this upholstered cesspool we call earth). And yes, the Greek word sozo has the basic meaning of saved/salvaton, but it can also mean deliver/deliverance, heal or made whole. Does this make sense to you?
IN GOD THE SON,
bluto